The biggest spectacle in sports is just days away. On Sunday, the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams will square off in Super Bowl LIII. Both of these teams fell short of their goals a season ago. The Patriots lost a competitive game to the Eagles in last year’s Super Bowl, while the Rams lost in the Wild Card round. Both teams have re-tooled and regrouped and are hoping to be the team to hoist the Lombardi Trophy this time around. How do the Patriots and Rams stack up in this matchup? Let’s take a look at the tale of the tape.
Quarterbacks
Through the first 11 weeks of the season, Rams quarterback Jared Goff looked like a legitimate MVP candidate. Things seemed to taper off during the latter portion of the season, however. With protection, Goff has shown an ability to make very tough throws. He has proven to have a pretty high ceiling in this league. All in all, Goff has panned out to be even better than most could’ve imagined and it’s a huge reason why Los Angeles is in the Super Bowl. However, it’s awfully hard to go against the guy on the other team. Tom Brady is not only the greatest quarterback of this era, but he also may be the best we have ever seen at the position. It does appear that Tom Brady has taken somewhat of a step back in terms of accuracy and things like that, but he that is no cause for pause as he heads into his favorite game of the year. It seems like the Patriots are always here and quite frankly, it’s because of No. 12. Never mind the fact that this is a Super Bowl — you can’t bet against Brady here.
Advantage: Patriots
Running Backs
Todd Gurley was an absolute force for most of the season. He finished the regular season with 1,251 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in just 14 games. Gurley must also be accounted for in the passing game, as Sean McVay loves to draw up screens for the star tailback. When Gurley missed a couple games due to injury, the Rams brought in CJ Anderson and he exceeded expectations tremendously. They now have a formidable backfield duo. For New England, it appears that they’ve always used a running back by committee approach. This year, they may have found their workhorse. Rookie Sony Michel is the lead back, rushing for nearly 1,000 yards in 2018. James White is one of the best pass catching backs in the NFL. Rex Burkhead is back from injury as well. This is actually closer than one would assume, but the immense talent of Gurley reigns supreme.
Advantage: Rams
Receiving Corps
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
Throughout his career with the Patriots, Tom Brady has made household names out of average receivers. Things didn’t quite work out with Josh Gordon, following the mid-season trade. So, it was down to the old faithfuls. Julian Edelman missed the first four games due to suspension, but he came back and produced per usual, hauling in 74 passes for 850 yards and six scores. Chris Hogan has taken a step back in terms of production but he’s still dangerous in the slot. Then there’s Gronk. We have seen his target share diminish significantly from a year ago. However, Gronk’s involvement is imperative to the Patriots’ success, as we saw in the AFC Championship game. On the other hand, the Rams have gotten consistent production from their receivers. Both Brandin Cooks and Robert Woods enjoyed 1,000-yard seasons and combined for 11 receiving touchdowns. Cooper Kupp was on the pace to join them before he went down for the season. You know what you’re getting out the Rams receivers, so give me them.
Advantage: Rams
Offensive Line
Don Wright/Associated Press
Both the Rams and Patriots have been successful this year, in large part, due to their stable offensive line units. Over the years, the Patriots have tried out a lot of different combinations along the front line, but this year’s unit is one of the best they’ve ever enlisted. Shaq Mason, Marcus Cannon, David Andrews, Joe Thuney and Trent Brown were all mid-to-late round draft picks. They have done a great job of keeping Brady off his back, with a pressure rate of 25.8 percent in the regular season and an unreal rate of 15.6 percent in the playoffs. They have also paved the way for Sony Michel to reach nearly 1,000 yards on the ground in his first NFL season. The Rams offensive line is a model of consistency, having the same five guys start every regular season and playoff game for them this season. Andrew Whitworth, Rob Havenstein, Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan have been staples on this line for the last two seasons, while Austin Blythe has been a pleasant surprise filling in at right guard. The play of the Rams’ line declined slightly at the end of the season, while that of New England got better.
Advantage: Patriots
Defense
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
They say defense wins championships. Well, both units have shown some susceptibility at times during the season. The Rams are the better defense “on paper.” There are a lot of big names, but there have been times when they have not played up to their potential. The most dominant level of their defense is the defensive line, led by Aaron Donald. Donald is widely regarded as the best defensive player in football, so you know his presence is going to felt in this game. Ndamukong Suh isn’t the same player he was earlier in her career, but he has come on strong in the postseason. Combine Donald and Suh with Michael Brockers and Dante Fowler Jr., and you have one of the most formidable defensive fronts in football. The secondary hasn’t instilled quite as much confidence, however. Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters have both been shutdown corners at some point in their career, but they can be beat. It will be interesting to see how they fare against Brady. New England’s defense has improved over the course of the season, especially against the run. They ranked 11th in the league against the run. The Patriots have a great deal of experience, particularly in the secondary, but I expect Wade Phillips’ unit to have the bigger impact on this game.
Advantage: Rams
Special Teams
Associated Press
The Patriots and Rams are very close to one another in terms of special teams. The unit of the Patriots has plenty of big game experience. They have the luxury of having one of the best special teams players in NFL history in Matthew Slater. Slater has been to seven Pro Bowls and named All-Pro four times. He has excelled as a blocker on kick returns, as well as a gunner on punts. He is one of the hardest working players in the NFL and it rubs off on the rest of the team, hence why he’s one of the team captains. Stephen Gostkowski has been Mr. Reliable for the Patriots in the kicking game. He is heading into his sixth Super Bowl. Cordarrelle Patterson was one of the best kick returners in the NFL this season. He was third in the NFL, averaging 28.8 yards per kickoff return. On the other side, the special teams is a specialty of the Rams. Special teams coach John Fassel has made his presence felt on this football team. The Rams have a handful of special teams trick plays in their back pocket and they may be the best team in the NFL at executing them. Johnny Hekker is the best punter in football and Greg Zuerlein is one of the more accurate kickers as well. Defensive contributors Cory Littleton and Sam Shields have both carved out solid roles on special teams as well.
Advantage: Rams
Coaching
Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
This will be a very interesting chess match — probably the best we’ve seen in the Super Bowl in quite some time. On one side, you have Bill Belichick, who is one of, if not, the greatest coach in the history of the NFL. At 66 years of age, he is the second oldest head coach in the league. On the other side, you have Sean McVay, who is 33 years old, making him the youngest coach in the NFL. Although it doesn’t pan out with every young coach, McVay’s youth has turned out to work wonders for Los Angeles. The players love him. He has shown a knack for play-calling and has built a strong foundation in just 2 years, especially with his coordinators. McVay has even caught the eye of his counterpart. Belichick said that he has been texting McVay throughout the season, as he’s been impressed with what he’s done with the Rams in just two seasons. As good as the Rams head man has been, it’s just so hard to go against Belichick. He’s the total package when it comes to coaching. There’s a reason he is making his ninth Super Bowl appearance and that he has the most Super Bowls wins of all-time with five.
Advantage: Patriots
You might also like
More from Editor Picks
From the Cell to ‘Championships’: Meek Mill is 2018’s MVP
In celebration of his latest album, Meek Mill tweeted, “We had to beat the streets, beat the system, beat racism, …
Frank Ocean For Dummies
A day after his 31st birthday we present 'Frank Ocean For Dummies'. A comprehensive playlist of his biggest hits and …
Memphis’ Jai Musiq Remarkably Cements His Own Legacy with ‘The Sap Junt’ Project
A young Memphis prince comes of age with his heart, mind, and soul: molding his passions, spiritual awakenings, and musical …
