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January 22, 2019 at 12:26 pm #97112
wvParticipantMark Schlereth on the problems the zone running scheme has given the Pats in the past.
January 23, 2019 at 9:14 am #97160
znModeratorSuper Bowl X-factors: Will Patriots pick apart Rams' defense? https://t.co/ZgSR9KjQ4X
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) January 23, 2019
January 23, 2019 at 9:18 am #97162znModeratorRams safety says Tom Brady is “definitely beatable” (while paying his proper respects) https://t.co/RTBW78875h
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 23, 2019
January 23, 2019 at 9:26 am #97165znModeratorDowntown Rams@DowntownRams
#Patriots have 82 Super Bowls accumulated between the roster. The #Rams have 5.January 23, 2019 at 9:56 am #97168wvParticipantI started this at the 4:50 mark. CC talks about Belichex and Donald:
January 24, 2019 at 9:18 am #97237znModeratorThe 20 Most Imporant Players in Super Bowl LIII
ANDY BENOIT
Of course Tom Brady and Jared Goff will be key, but beyond the quarterbacks, the game is all about matchups on both sides of the ball—which is why Patriots-Rams will be decided by less-heralded but critical contributors.
Have a nuts-and-bolts football conversation with an NFL coach and at some point you’ll be told that the pro game is all about matchups. Every formation, play design and pre-snap adjustment focuses on influencing individual matchups. Which means your personnel matters—a LOT. Lets’ examine—and rank—the 10 most important players on each side of the ball in Super Bowl LIII.
PATRIOTS OFFENSE VS. RAMS DEFENSE
10. Rob Gronkowski, tight end, Patriots
Talk of his diminished receiving prowess has been grossly exaggerated—just ask Eric Berry. If Gronkowski gets matched on undersized Rams linebackers Cory Littleton and Mark Barron, he’ll win. In the ground game, the praise for Gronk’s blocking has NOT been exaggerated. He has long been one of the NFL’s finest; an offensive coordinator even once told me he thinks Gronk is a better blocker than many right tackles. The Patriots have leaned on that blocking more than ever down the stretch. One of their biggest runs is “wham,” where a defensive tackle is allowed to penetrate off the snap only to have Gronkowski come down from his blindside and deliver a blow. Expect New England to deploy this early against a jazzed-up Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh.
9. James Develin, fullback, Patriots
Besides evolving into football’s best lead-blocker, Develin is serviceable enough in the passing game for the Patriots to run almost their full aerial assault when he’s in. Teams have historically liked throwing the ball out of two-back sets against Wade Phillips’s defenses.
8. Michael Brockers, defensive lineman, Rams
L.A. allowed a league-worst 5.1 yards per rushing attempt this season because the defense takes a boom-or-bust approach, encouraging Donald and Suh to penetrate rather than anchor. That leads to big stops in the backfield, but when those defensive linemen don’t reach the ball, blockers have clean paths to undersized linebackers Cory Littleton and Mark Barron. Brockers is one Rams D-lineman who can win without penetrating. Though athletic enough to get north and south against the run, his best work comes on fist-fights in a phone booth and especially on east and west movement down the line of scrimmage. Anchoring the B and C gaps is important against New England, as many of their base run plays involve pulling guards, lead-blocking fullbacks and down-blocking tight ends in those areas.
7. Julian Edelman, wide receiver, Patriots
He began his career as The Next Wes Welker, and the image stuck, but in recent years Edelman has evolved into a complete wide receiver. The only thing he doesn’t do is run vertical routes along the sideline. But everywhere else on the field, particularly between the numbers, he’s lethal—be it on option routes, seam patterns or the invaluable slant and post routes that New England features in play-action.
6. David Andrews, center, Patriots
Andrews’s last two games have been the best of his four-year career. His newfound mobility headlines New England’s expansive backfield screen game and gives teeth to the double-team run-blocks he deploys with guards Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason, who are also amidst the best stretches of their young careers. Those double-team blocks will also come into play on passing downs, with Andrews the key help-blocker against Aaron Donald, toward whom the Patriots will slide their protections.
5. Aqib Talib, cornerback, Rams
Would the Rams consider putting the lanky 11th-year pro on Gronkowski in certain man coverages? Phillips did that at times when he had Talib in Denver. Most likely, Talib in this game will remain at his usual left corner position, where he’s still valuable, as Brady has been known to target the sidelines in crucial late-game situations. Also, with L.A.’s linebackers likely to be more aggressive downhill against a white-hot Patriots ground game, Talib will be isolated in difficult matchup coverages against the slants that Brady throws so well off play-action.
4. James White, running back, Patriots
The only Saint who gave L.A.’s defense trouble in the NFC Championship Game was Alvin Kamara, who burned underneath defenders John Johnson, Barron and especially Littleton on option and wheel routes, as well as a few fade patterns. White isn’t quite as nimble or explosive as Kamara, but he’s who Brady relies on to gain yards whenever the defensive call beats New England’s offensive call. In 10 postseason games since 2015, White has 53 catches for 439 yards. And lately he’s moved the chains on third-down run plays out of shotgun.
3. John Johnson, safety, Rams
He’ll be the unblocked run defender on many plays, responsible for corralling rookie tailback Sony Michel, a deceptively strong interior runner. More importantly, Johnson will have significant coverage responsibilities, especially when the Rams go man-to-man. On blitzes he’ll take either Gronkowski or James White—two of Brady’s favorite targets against quick pressure. He’ll do the same in man-lurk, where free safety LaMarcus Joyner will patrol the deep middle of the field and either Barron or Littleton will lurk along the shallow middle. And in man-robber, where the Rams show two-deep safeties but swoop one down over the middle after the snap (it’s usually Joyner), Johnson will be the last line of defense in centerfield.
2. Aaron Donald, defensive tackle, Rams
He’s football’s greatest game-wrecker, simple as that. Most coaches believe that to beat Brady, you must move him off his spot. Donald might be the only NFL defender who can do that even against New England’s quick-strike passing game.
1. Tom Brady, quarterback, Patriots
We hear about Brady’s football IQ and leadership, which undoubtedly are at the forefront of his late-career dominance. But what’s so often overlooked is Brady’s throwing. Thanks to highly refined mechanics, he still delivers a quality fastball—especially between the field numbers. And his precision accuracy is off the charts. Brady in this 2014-18 Patriots dynasty is not just better mentally than he was in the 2001-04 dynasty, he’s also better physically.
RAMS OFFENSE VS. PATRIOTS DEFENSE
10. Todd Gurley, running back, Rams,
Yes, C.J. Anderson has eaten into Gurley’s playing time, which solves last year’s debate about Gurley’s replaceability in L.A.’s scheme. But with an extra week of rest before this contest, and a bad NFC Championship Game performance to bounce back from, the Rams can expect more juice from their franchise tailback. Gurley will be given a full opportunity to reclaim his place as backfield weapon No. 1.
9. Kyle Van Noy, utility linebacker, Patriots
The ex-Lions second-round pick spearheads almost every schematic wrinkle that Bill Belichick and defensive signal-caller Brian Flores unveil. Van Noy can play up on the edge, off the ball, in the flats and over the middle. He matches up well in man coverage, blitzes effectively and has a sense for spacing and angles in zone. He does nothing great but everything well, which, in New England’s system, is more than good enough.
8. Trey Flowers, defensive end, Patriots
Meet New England’s only true pass rushing threat. Flowers can fire off the snap, though most of his plays are made later in the down, after his immaculately refined technique has had time to unfold. Late-in-the-down plays are important against a Rams offense that relies on slow-developing play-action passing. Flowers can make these plays from inside or outside, and he’s the key piece to the stunts and twists that New England has deployed voraciously this postseason.
7. Robert Woods, wide receiver, Rams
Woods’s forte are shallow crossers and pivot routes, which he ran well as a Buffalo Bill and has perfected in his two years with the Rams. But Woods this season led L.A. with 1,219 yards receiving because he emerged as more of a vertical weapon. He doesn’t quite have Brandin Cooks’ world class speed and body control, but you can ask Woods to do everything Cooks does. More importantly, Woods is an effective blocker, which is critical for L.A.’s outside zone ground game.
6. Brandin Cooks, wide receiver, Rams
Sean McVay will almost certainly dial up a deep shot early in this game, and the man he’ll target is the one the Rams gave New England a first-round pick (the Rams also gave up a sixth and the Pats threw in a fourth) to get. Cooks is not just a weapon because of his vertical speed; his ability to quickly throttle down makes him perhaps the best deep-curl route runner in football. He’s also proficient on digs and crossers, giving L.A. a dangerous deep-intermediate passing game.
5. Stephon Gilmore, cornerback, Patriots
It will be difficult for the Patriots to play their staple man coverage given how tightly L.A.’s receivers align to the ball and to one another. But there’s no way Belichick won’t employ significant snaps of man-to-man in the biggest game of the year, and with Gilmore slated to guard either Cooks or Woods (we’ll find out), the First Team All-Pro corner will be responsible for sorting out the congested stack- and switch-releases that derive from L.A.’s tight formations. Historically, when Gilmore has done this effectively, the Patriots have thrived. When he’s struggled, so has the rest of the D.
4. John Sullivan, center, Rams
In an honest moment, Rams coaches would probably tell you they’d be screwed without the 10th-year center, whose football IQ is as sharp as any center’s. The Patriots this postseason have perplexed prolific Chargers and Chiefs offenses with amoeba pressure looks and highly schemed inside blitzes. Sullivan is at the forefront of sorting those out.
3. Patrick Chung, safety, Patriots
Because the Rams rely so heavily on receivers blocking in their outside zone ground game, and because so many of those outside zone runs stretch to the perimeter, the “flat” defender—be it the box safety or slot corner, both positions Chung plays—is crucial. Lately Rams tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett have become weapons on rollouts designs. Chung will factor prominently in defending those.
2. Dont’a Hightower, edge linebacker, Patriots
As suggested in Monday’s Extra Point column, a good ploy against the uniquely condensed spacing that defines the Rams’ formations could be for Patriots edge defenders to jam those tightly aligned receivers off the snap. This has the potential not only to wreck the Rams’ aerial timing, but also to set a strong edge against the outside zone running game. Hightower will be crucial here, either as the jammer or as the stack linebacker who must blitz inside to replace the jammer.
1. Jared Goff, quarterback, Rams
The biggest story of this Rams’ playoff run is Goff’s emergence as a playmaker. A strong timing-and-rhythm thrower, he’s already a spectacular system QB—which, by the way, isn’t a knock when your system might be football’s finest. But in recent weeks, Goff has made several huge off-schedule throws, particularly outside the pocket. McVay seems to believe in his third-year passer’s out-of-pocket ability, as the Rams have lately expanded their play-action rollout and bootleg games. New England’s game plan will still focus on disrupting L.A.’s aerial timing, hoping to make Goff operate late into the down. But Goff is better equipped to respond now than he was even just a month ago.
January 24, 2019 at 6:13 pm #97244
JackPMillerParticipantIt seems most of the pundits think we are going to lose this game. So, I hope we have go in #ProveThemWrong That could be a good slogan for us.
Along with,
#IBelieveInMiracles
#LARamsWinningTheSuperBowlIsTheAmericanDreamGot anymore #hastags we could use
January 24, 2019 at 10:02 pm #97248
TSRFParticipantThe Devil likes the Patriots.
I like the Rams #God #Jesus #H. Spirit (#Not a Ghost)
January 25, 2019 at 8:34 am #97255wvParticipantGreg Jennings — Rams lack of experience not important
January 25, 2019 at 9:22 am #97256znModeratorBrady, experienced Patriots bring diverse rushing attack to Super Bowl LIII
Brandin Cooks on time with the Patriots: “I became a smarter football player.”
Bill Belichick gives early thoughts on the Rams
https://www.therams.com/news/patriots-hc-bill-belichick-gives-early-thoughts-on-the-rams
Jared Goff: “Now we have a chance to be world champions and have to prepare our best and get ready to go out there.”
Quotes & Notes 1/24: McVay turns 33, Talib calls Brady the GOAT, and Suh talks stopping the run
January 25, 2019 at 7:53 pm #97272znModeratorSuper Bowl 53 predictions: How the Rams can beat the odds, Patriots
Tadd Haislop
Before the season, the Rams and Patriots were trendy picks to reach Super Bowl 53 for different reasons. New England was the established, reloading AFC power coming off a pair of Super Bowl appearances. Los Angeles was the up-and-coming NFC bully armed with a freshly padded roster.
In some ways, Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta features contrast. In others, the Rams and Patriots are more similar than some might think. LA’s Sean McVay and New England’s Bill Belichick are the youngest and longest-tenured coaches in the NFL, respectively, yet both are widely revered. A solid chunk of the Rams’ key starters were acquired in 2018 via trades or free agency vs. just a few for the Patriots, yet the number of players on the LA roster who were drafted by the Rams is 28; that number for the Patriots is 29.
Of course, some of those recent acquisitions — and one in particular — are why the Rams have an edge over the Patriots in Super Bowl 53.
In July, SN broke down the new-look Rams and noted how general manager Les Snead’s clear mission was to improve the defense to compliment an already-potent offense. The notable new names on that side of the ball were Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib.
Later, in August, we saw that defense at work in a joint training camp practice against the Ravens. SN’s David Steele noted, “That defense might be what puts the Rams into the Super Bowl.” The observation was made before defensive lineman Aaron Donald returned from his holdout. Donald ended up being voted Sporting News Defensive Player of the Year for 2018.
Long story short: This game against the Patriots is why the Rams made unusually aggressive moves to round out their defense and, in turn, the team.
Some might say LA’s defense underachieved in the regular season, when it allowed an average of 24 points per game, 20th in the NFL. Yet that defense held the No. 1-seeded Saints to 290 total yards and 23 points, including overtime, in the NFC championship game. The turnover it forced in OT all but sent LA to the Super Bowl.
In contrast, a Patriots defense that ranked seventh in the NFL with an average of 20.3 points allowed per game in the regular season has slipped in the postseason against the Chargers and Chiefs. The average of 29.5 points New England allowed in those two games is the most of all playoff teams.
However, Patriots running back Sony Michel has been by far the league’s most productive rusher in the postseason. That’s why Suh is such a key player in the Super Bowl.
New England will see a Los Angeles run defense that ranked 23rd in the NFL (122.3 rushing yards allowed per game) and likely come up with yet another run-heavy game plan, similar to the approaches it took against the Chargers and Chiefs. But the Patriots have not faced a defensive-line duo like Suh and Donald.
If the Rams can stop the run early in the game and — we know, this sounds weird — force Tom Brady to throw on early downs, they’ll significantly increase their chances to win. Because there are two tried-and-true formulas to beating Brady and New England in such a big game, and Los Angeles is capable of both.
The first is a legitimate (preferably inside) pass rush generated by four or fewer defenders. For most teams, this means having a couple ends, a strong rushing tackle and, depending on the scheme, maybe an outside linebacker getting in Brady’s face.
For the Rams, Donald is capable of accomplishing this feat by himself. The likes of Suh, Michael Brockers and Dante Fowler are just gravy.
The other way to beat the Patriots this deep in a season is to hit them with something they’ve never seen; use their best quality (their knack for always being prepared thanks to keen film study) against them. The Eagles did this to perfection last year. The Seahawks four years ago … did not.
The Rams’ offense is not overly complicated — a little play-action here, a little screen pass there, a little power running sprinkled in — yet it’s tough to defend. A big reason is the versatility of all its parts.
In New Orleans, LA used creative play designs to get relatively unexpected ball-carriers in space. A good example was a reverse to wide receiver Josh Reynolds late in the third quarter; he was knocked out of bounds at the Saints’ 1-yard line, setting up a key touchdown that cut the New Orleans lead to three.
New England will have seen such plays on tape. It’s on McVay and his staff to come up with wrinkles to the designs they’ve utilized dating back to the coach’s first game in LA two years ago. Belichick will be looking back that far.
Of course, when the Eagles succeeded in this regard against the Patriots, they did it on the strength of unpredictably spectacular execution from quarterback Nick Foles. Such a performance from Jared Goff would not be so surprising, but it’s equally vital.
Any doubts about Goff’s ability to deliver when called upon as a playmaker should have been extinguished in the NFC title game. We’re not saying he’s Brady, and he likely never will be Brady, but he doesn’t need to be Brady.
Predicting a Rams victory in Super Bowl 53 is a dangerous game. The dynastic savvy of Brady on the field and Belichick on the sideline becomes exponentially more lethal to opponents when the Patriots are chasing a carrot as juicy as a sixth championship.
Oh well.
The Rams have the best player on the field in Donald, and thanks to their timely roster-stuffing, they have the better overall team.
January 27, 2019 at 12:10 am #97332znModeratorSuh has been at his best for Los Angeles’ postseason run to Super Bowl LIII
Creativity on special teams continues to make impact as Rams head to Super Bowl LIII
Greg Zuerlein expects to be “good to go” for Super Bowl Sunday
Greg Zuerlein expects to be “good to go” for Super Bowl Sunday
Rams’ high-risk moves pay out high rewards
https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/sports/20190126/rams8217-high-risk-moves-pay-out-high-rewards
Jared Goff appears comfortable in spotlight of playing in his first Super Bowl
Quotes & Notes 1/26: Brockers on facing Brady: “He’s going to try to avoid the pressure…it’s our job as D-linemen to get to him.”
Sean McVay vs. Bill Belichick an interesting dynamic
January 28, 2019 at 12:57 am #97394znModeratorDriving The 101 With Sean McVay: On Texting Belichick, Trusting Goff and the Plan for Super Bowl 53
Peter King/NBC Sports
ENCINO, Calif. — Sean McVay said he’d be leaving his home for work Saturday at 4:15 a.m., Insane Standard Time. But there he was, on Coughlin Time, at 4:10, opening his Range Rover driver-side door in this silent neighborhood in the hills north of Los Angeles.
“I felt bad about you waiting out here,” said McVay, perky even two hours before dawn.
Truth is, I had no idea if he’d be on time or a half-hour early for our date, a ride to his office on the last day of Super Bowl LIII preparation at the Rams’ home base. So I got to his place at 3:30 and waited. McVay, about to be the youngest coach in Super Bowl history (he turned 33 last Thursday), is so excited about his job, it’s hard for him to sleep. On this night, he got about four-and-a-half hours. “I gotta do better,” he said. “Big week coming up.”
For the Rams, Super Bowl week is a stunning culmination of the franchise turnaround executed by the energetic McVay. But it’s no time for McVay, exactly half Bill Belichick’s age, to turn all doe-eyed about the craziness of what he and the Rams (26-9 since he got the big gig) have done. Though he is gee-whiz about it all, and you’ll hear that, plenty, in the next few minutes, you could feel a more chip-on-his-shoulder McVay when I asked him, “How do you think you guys will play next week?”
==
Offensive lines key in Super Bowl for both Rams and Patriots
https://kdminer.com/news/2019/jan/27/offensive-lines-key-super-bowl-both-rams-and-patri/
January 28, 2019 at 10:13 am #97407wvParticipantMangini (who coached for the Pats ) talks about “if the Rams had run Faulk more…”
At about the 2 minute mark.January 28, 2019 at 11:17 am #97409
AgamemnonParticipantMangini (who coached for the Pats ) talks about “if the Rams had run Faulk more…”
At about the 2 minute mark.Everyone hates NE, except for the ones that hate LA worse, St. Louis and NO. lol
AgamemnonJanuary 28, 2019 at 11:24 am #97410JackPMillerParticipantWhat NFL experts are predicting for the 2019 Super Bowl
“This is almost the worst possible combination of teams.”
By Eric Wilbur
January 25, 2019Combine fatigue and apathy and you’ve got the recipe for the Super Bowl LIII ticket market.
In New England, there’s a lot of “been there, done that, spent that” after nine Super Bowl appearances in the Bill Belichick-Tom Brady era.
In Los Angeles, there’s a whole lot of, “The Rams? When did they get back?”
“This is almost the worst possible combination of teams,” ticket reseller Michael Lipman told Sports Illustrated. “There’s no fan base in L.A. Though there is a ‘Tom Brady’s last hurrah’ situation that is attracting a number of people. But other than that, there’s no draw.”
Lipman told SI that upper deck seats were going for about $3,500 as of Thursday. According to Yahoo Finance, that’s already about $500 to $1,000 lower than the normal get-in price at this time. And the game is still more than a week away.
“In a normal year, Super Bowl ticket prices on resale sites spike after Championship weekend when the games end and we all learn the matchup, and then they start to go down steadily in the week before the game,” writes Daniel Roberts. “(The exception was 2015, infamous in the ticketing industry, when the Patriots faced the Seattle Seahawks in Phoenix, Ariz., and demand never waned as it normally does, and many ticket resellers ended up in the red because they had over-sold tickets they did not have.)”
Tickets on Stubhub as of Thursday evening could be grabbed for $2,491.
You can get into the Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl party the night before though at only $295.
Super Bowl LIII predictions:
Andy Benoit, Sports Illustrated. Patriots 30, Rams 24. “As we were reminded of in the AFC championship, Tom Brady can still throw. Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips beat Brady in their last postseason matchup, the 2015 AFC title game in Denver. But that Denver defense had better edge rushers and more physical cover corners than this 2018 Rams D. The Patriots should have no trouble moving the ball. If they can keep the Rams offense below 30, they’ll win title No. 6.”
Alexa: Patriots. “As much as I want the Rams to win, you can never count out the New England Patriots. My prediction? The Patriots will be taking home the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and Tom Brady will need to use his other hand for that sixth Super Bowl ring.”
Scott Sullivan, WBZ Sports: Patriots 27, Rams 24.
Steve Burton, WBZ Sports: Patriots 38, Rams 34.
Madden simulation: Patriots 38, Rams 31. “Everything wasn’t entirely perfect for the Patriots — Brady got destroyed by Ndamukong Suh at one point in this game — but Brady did pass for 396 yards and three touchdowns. Jared Goff had even gaudier stats, throwing for 470 yards and three scores.”
Reggie Bush, NFL Network: Patriots in a blowout.
Rescued sea turtles: Rams.
David Steele, Sporting News: Patriots 30, Rams 26. “There are plenty of logical reasons to call this for the Rams, to repeat what the Eagles did to the Patriots a year ago, even to outgun them in a similar manner with a quarterback (this time Goff) making all the right plays at the right time. Also, the Rams clearly have luck on their side, to the everlasting agony of the Saints. But no. We’re way past conventional logic, except for this: Pick the Patriots, and Brady and Belichick, to win until somebody beats them.”
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Patriots 34, Rams 27. “ The Patriots have adjusted to having a limited downfield passing game with their strong power running game and exceptional blocking in front of Tom Brady and Sony Michel. They should have plenty of success running on the Rams’ front seven, and even with consistent answers from Goff and Todd Gurley, the Patriots will use their superior ball control and red zone finishing to put away the game and earn the sixth ring for Brady and Belichick.”
Bill Bender, Sporting News: Patriots 31, Rams 24. “The Patriots opened their divisional playoff win against the Chargers with a 14-play, 83-yard TD drive that took 7:11 off the clock. The next week, they started the Chiefs game with a 15-play, 80-yard TD drive that took 8:05 off the clock. Against the Rams? They’ll go up-tempo early against the talented Los Angeles defensive line, because it won’t be expected.”
Matt Lutovsky, Sporting News: Patriots 27, Rams 24. “The Patriots have shown throughout the playoffs that their offense still has plenty of life, and Gurley just hasn’t looked right since coming back from injury. C.J. Anderson has done an admirable job filling in, but if Gurley is limited, the Patriots can focus on slowing down Goff, which will in turn slow down the Rams as a whole.”
Tadd Halslop, Sporting News: Rams 31, Patriots 27. “New England’s running game against a statistically below-average Los Angeles rush defense is largely considered the biggest advantage for the Patriots in this game. Yet Donald and Ndamukong Suh care not for statistics. This game — not necessarily against these Patriots, but certainly Super Bowl 53 — is exactly why the Rams padded their defense in 2018 with Suh and others.”
Field Yates, ESPN: Patriots. “Brady will show that his age (41) is just a storyline. He helps lead the Patriots to a sixth Super Bowl win and does so in MVP form.”
Mike Clay, ESPN. Rams: “Boston vs. Los Angeles. Brady vs. Goff. Belichick vs. McVay. Michel vs. … Anderson?! This is going to be fun. I expect a nail-biter of a shootout in the dome in Atlanta, but the Rams win it.”
NJ.com staff: Five out of five have the Patriots winning. Joe Giglio predicts a score of Patriots 29, Rams 28. “Belichick vs. McVay. Brady vs. Goff. Josh McDaniels vs. Wade Phillips. This wasn’t the Super Bowl many expected, but it has it all. If the Rams were closer to 100 percent (meaning Cooper Kupp never went down with a knee injury during the season), there would be enough firepower to win this thing. But with the uncertainty around Todd Gurley, it feels like New England has more answers for the questions the game will present.”
Steve Silverman, Bleacher Report: Patriots 33, Rams 27. “The Rams may get close, but the Patriots will hang on to win the Super Bowl for the sixth time, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most victories of all time in the championship game.”
David Kenyon, Bleacher Report: Patriots 34, Rams 20. “Those quick-hitters will minimize the impact of Los Angeles stars Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh up front. Pressuring Brady is a key to beating the Pats. If the Rams can’t, the margin won’t be close.”
It says here: Patriots 35, Rams 31. Sure, like this one will be easy.
January 28, 2019 at 11:25 am #97411wvParticipantMangini (who coached for the Pats ) talks about “if the Rams had run Faulk more…”
At about the 2 minute mark.Everyone hates NE, except for the ones that hate LA worse, St. Louis and NO. lol
==============
Imagine the next Saints vs Rams game. Oh my.
w
vJanuary 28, 2019 at 6:37 pm #97419
InvaderRamModeratorMangini (who coached for the Pats ) talks about “if the Rams had run Faulk more…”
yup.
January 28, 2019 at 7:57 pm #97421
ZooeyModeratorIt is kind of a sad commentary on our times that tickets to the game are going for only $3,500. It’s like there aren’t any true fans out there anymore, the kind who would sell their daughters into slavery for a chance to see their team play in the Super Bowl.
People just take these things for granted nowadays, without a single thought of the great men and women who died fighting for our freedom to spend thousands of dollars on a fucking football game.
January 28, 2019 at 10:41 pm #97424wvParticipantI just hope the Refs dont leave this game in the hands of the players.
w
vJanuary 28, 2019 at 11:16 pm #97429ZooeyModeratorI just hope the Refs dont leave this game in the hands of the players.
w
v{Emoji that expresses a high level of merriment}
January 29, 2019 at 7:42 pm #97466wvParticipanti thot CC made some interesting comments about “top to bottom talent” of the Pats. Bout four mins in.
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This reply was modified 5 years, 9 months ago by
wv.
January 29, 2019 at 7:49 pm #97468wvParticipantBelichex texts McVay during the season. Didnt know that. Its in the vid above.
w
vJanuary 29, 2019 at 9:27 pm #97471znModeratorIn Week 13, Matt Patricia’s Lions showed the NFL the formula for shutting down the Rams' offense. @Andy_Benoit on New England’s key to victory in SB53: https://t.co/BvtRyDyLqt
— The MMQB (@theMMQB) January 30, 2019
January 29, 2019 at 9:54 pm #97476znModeratorRun Gurley early. Stop the run. Win the kicking game. @BuckyBrooks lists five ways the Rams can win https://t.co/dVSikys8ZW pic.twitter.com/NVAtgX4YD0
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 30, 2019
January 29, 2019 at 10:01 pm #97478znModeratorWho will win Super Bowl LIII? https://t.co/mU7KCKsC3M
— RamsNewsNow (@RamsNewsNow) January 30, 2019
January 29, 2019 at 10:58 pm #97485ZooeyModeratorI don’t care if the Patriots are deeper. I care about the first string guys. Because in the Super Bowl…guess who plays the most?
January 30, 2019 at 7:46 pm #97511znModeratorFor the Rams to Win, They’ve Got to Stifle the Run—and That Inside Pass
Belichick and McVay are Super Bowl LIII’s odd couple
What makes McVay’s offensive scheme successful? “He’s trying to fit his offense around our players.”
Rams counting on Greg Zuerlein to tell them what he needs out of practice
Rams counting on Greg Zuerlein to tell them what he needs out of practice
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/01/30/rams-counting-on-greg-zuerlein-to-tell-them-what-he-needs-out-of-practice/Why Peter King Believes Patriots Will Beat Rams In Super Bowl Shootout
Why Peter King Believes Patriots Will Beat Rams In Super Bowl Shootout
https://nesn.com/2019/01/why-peter-king-believes-patriots-will-beat-rams-in-super-bowl-shootout/Sean McVay anxious for Rams to get out on field
Sean McVay anxious for Rams to get out on field
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/01/30/sean-mcvay-anxious-to-get-out-on-field/Rams living by “we not me,” with the star of the team being the team
Rams living by “we not me,” with the star of the team being the team
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/01/30/rams-living-by-we-not-me-with-the-star-of-the-team-being-the-team/January 30, 2019 at 9:57 pm #97519AgamemnonParticipant AgamemnonJanuary 31, 2019 at 2:38 am #97532znModeratorSuper Bowl Practice Report: Goff, offense sharp for first on-field work of the week
Gronkowski on the Rams: “They’re a good defense — and especially their front line.”
Aaron Donald on Super Bowl LIII: “A game-changing play — that’s what you’re here for.
Rams offense readying for Belichick’s in-game adjustments
https://www.therams.com/news/rams-offense-readying-for-belichick-s-in-game-adjustments
Injury Report 1/30: Greg Zuerlein listed as limited for Rams
https://www.therams.com/news/injury-report-1-30-gz-listed-as-limited-for-rams-first-practice-day-of
Quotes & Notes 1/30: Running back C.J. Anderson give his keys to winning the Super Bowl
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