Final: Patriots beat Rams 13-3 to win Super Bowl LIII
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 02: A general view of Mercedes-Benz Stadium during the New England Patriots Super Bowl LIII practice on February 02, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII, winning the sixth championship under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady since 2001.
Live Recap:
— — FINAL: Patriots 13, Rams 3. In the end, it took the latest championship drive in the career of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. But after a masterful performance by the Patriots defense and a clutch, redemptive kick by Stephen Gostkowski to put the game out of reach for the Rams, the Patriots did enough to pull off the win for their sixth Super Bowl championship.
— Q4, 1:12: Stephen Gostkowski is good from 41 yards and the Patriots go up 13-3 over the Rams with just 1:12 left in Super Bowl LIII.
— Q4, 2:00: Rex Burkhead picks up 26 yards and another first down, and the Rams are forced to take their final timeout. Patriots commit two penalties and the Rams decline both to make it second-and-6 on the four-yard gain. Michel takes the pitch and gains five yards to make it third-and-1. It’s down tot he two-minute warning, and the Rams’ season will be on the line on the next play.
— Q4, 2:42: Michel runs into a pile and picks up a yard. James Develin makes a huge lead block for Michel, who picks up 26 yards and another first down. Michel runs it again, and the Rams are flagged for illegal hands to the face. Michel gets another three yards and the Rams call a timeout.
— Q4, 4:17: Cooks makes a 19-yard catch-and-run for a first down. Gurley is stuffed and gets just one yard. Goff is under pressure from Kyle Van Noy and his pass attempt is incomplete intended for Robert Woods, setting up third-and-9. Reynolds catches it over the middle for a first down. Woods makes a 17-yard catch for yet another first down. Goff goes for Cooks in the end zone, but it’s broken up by Stephon Gilmore and Duron Harmon. Goff’s pass is off the mark, and Gilmore lines up the pass to pick it off and give the ball back to the Patriots.
— Q4, 7:00: Brady threads a very nice throw over the shoulder of the defender and Gronkowski catches it for 18 yards and a first down. Edelman makes another catch over the middle and he’s brought down at the 37-yard line for a 13-yard gain and another first. Brady hits Burkhead for a seven-yard catch to set up a manageable second-and-3. Brady completes it to Gronkowski and it’s downed at the 2-yard line. Michel powers it in for a touchdown, and the Patriots are up 10-3.
— Q4, 9:49: Cooks picks up 18 yards on the next play. The Rams commit offensive holding on a nice gain by Gurley to instead make it first-and-20. Goff is flushed out of the pocket by Trey Flowers and has to run out of bounds for a two-yard loss. A deep throw intended for Cooks is incomplete, as Gilmore has him well covered. On third-and-22, the Rams go the safe route with a run for Gurley and he’s immediately dropped by Flowers. Rams have to punt again.
— Q4, 12:14: Goff is under pressure and his pass is off the mark intended for Gerald Everett, setting up third-and-11. Goff’s attempt goes nowhere, but the Patriots get flagged for holding and it’s a first down for the Rams.
— Q4, 12:23: Goff completes it from the end zone to Anderson who picks up nine yards. The Ram commit a false start on the next play, pushing them back five yards. Anderson loses the ball but it rolls out of bounds. Goff rolls out and finds Cooks for a first down. Goff gets a quick pass off under pressure to Gurley, who’s tackled for a one-yard loss by Albert McClellan.
— Q4, 14:47: First play of the fourth quarter is an incomplete pass intended for James White, broken up by Corey Littleton. Patriots have to punt, and it gets a nice bounce for the Patriots to the 6-yard line.
— Q3, 0:00: James White catches it on second down, and there’s a holding call on the Rams. Patriots get five yards and a first down. Sony Michel dashes for 19 yards and another first down, then picks up another five on the next play. That’s how the third quarter ends in Super Bowl LII.
— Q3, 2:11: Cooks is wide open in the end zone, but Jason McCourty closes quickly enough to break up what would’ve been an easy touchdown. Anderson catches it and runs for three yards, setting up third-and-7. Goff holds onto the ball too long and Dont’a Hightower drops him for a nine-yard loss. Greg Zuerlein is good from 53 yards and the game is tied, 3-3.
— Q3, 3:40: Goff completes it to Reynolds for seven yards on first down. C.J. Anderson picks up four yards and a first down. Brandin Cooks comes back to the ball and picks up 16 yards for another first down. Elandon Roberts stops Anderson after a three-yard gain. Goff’s next pass is incomplete after he’s pressured by Lawrence Guy, setting up third-and-7. Robert Woods catches it for 18 yards and a first down to keep the Rams driving, well into field goal territory. Rams call a timeout.
— Q3, 6:33: An illegal shift pushes the Patriots back five yards. Tom Brady eludes pressure and finds Edelman over the middle for a five-yard gain, setting up third-and-5. Brady goes deep for Hogan on third down, but Peters again has him covered well and the Patriots have to punt yet again. It’s well-covered this time and the Rams take over at their own 23-yard line.
— Q3, 8:36: The Rams commit an illegal shift on a two-yard gain, and the Patriots decline it to set up second down. Gurley picks up another two yards to set up third-and-6. Goff is nearly brought down for a safety under pressure by Dont’a Hightower, but gets rid of the ball just in time. Rams forced to punt from their own 6-yard line. The Rams get a fortuitous bounce and roll, and the Patriots take over at their own 29-yard line. Johnny Hekker’s 65-yard punt is the longest in Super Bowl history.
— Instant analysis: Now, the real test comes for the Patriots defense. They’ve already ruled out Patrick Chung (arm) for the rest of the game, which means more snaps for the likes of J.C. Jackson and Elandon Roberts. Chung’s skill set is irreplaceable. It’s on Sean McVay and Jared Goff to adjust accordingly. But if the Pats can keep pressuring and confusing Goff, they could still hold down the fort like they have all game.
— Q3, 10:06: Sony Michel takes the handoff on the Patriots’ first play of the third quarter, picking up four yards. Burkhead gets the handoff on second down and gets just two, setting up third-and-4. Brady finds Julian Edelman for a gain of 27 and another first down, as he breaks through a tackle for a nice catch-and-run. Brady’s next attempt is tipped and falls incomplete, intended for Hogan. Edelman takes a quick screen to set up third-and-2. It’s incomplete intended for Edelman, forcing the Patriots to punt. Matthew Slater one-hands it at the 2-yard line.
— Q3, 12:58: The Patriots get another big third-down stop, as Stephon Gilmore breaks up a pass intended for Brandin Cooks. But the Patriots likely have to play the rest of the game without the injured Patrick Chung, who appears to be done with a broken arm.
— Q3, 14:04: Dont’a Hightower very nearly picks off the first play of the third quarter, but it falls incomplete. Todd Gurley takes a delayed handoff and finds an opening up the middle to pick up 16 yards and a first down. Gurley takes it to the left edge and picks up another five. An injury timeout as Patrick Chung appears to injure his forearm in a bad way.
— HALFTIME: Patriots 3, Rams 0. A slow first half for both offenses. The Patriots defense held the Rams to just 57 total yards and are making Jared Goff uncomfortable, especially on third downs. The Patriots have found ways to move the ball, especially with Julian Edelman. But their drives have mostly stalled out, save for a field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. If not for his miss, it could be 6-0 Pats right now. Great half for the defense, but the offense needs to adjust. It’ll be interesting to see if the Rams can adjust and open things up in the second half like the Chiefs and Chargers did.
— Q2, 0:16: Jared Goff is swarmed on first down and Dont’a Hightower sacks him for a four-yard loss. Goff finds Brandon Cooks on the next play for 12 yards to set up third-and-2. It’s incomplete to set up fourth-and-2, and the Rams have to punt. Brady and the Patriots will get the ball back, but may knee it to take the game to halftime.
— Q2, 1:13: The Patriots go for it on fourth down, but it’s incomplete intended for Rob Gronkowski. Rams take over at the 32-yard line.
— Q2, 1:16: Patterson makes a five-yard catch on the first play after the two-minute warning. The Rams get flagged for 12 men on the field to give the Patriots a first down. Brady’s pass intended for White is incomplete. Brady’s second-down attempt for White is off the mark, setting up third-and-10. Patterson makes a nine-yard catch and he’s short, setting up fourth-and-1.
— Q2, 2:00: Julian Edelman picks up 10 yards and a first down. Burkhead grinds up the middle for three yards. Edelman finds an opening underneath and picks up nine yards and another first down.
— Q2, 3:57: Todd Gurley takes it up the middle for five yards. After a two-yard gain, Goff is flushed out of the pocket and holds onto the ball too long before Kyle Van Noy pops him to his knees for a sack. Rams punt and it’s downed at the 27-yard line.
— Q2, 6:14: Rex Burkhead picks up three yards on the next first-down play. Brady goes for Michel, but it’s broken up by Littleton. It’s complete to White on third-and-7, but he’s one yard short and the Patriots have to punt. Calvin Munson is called for holding to tack on 10 yards to the Rams’ return.
— Q2, 7:50: C.J. Anderson picks up five yards on the first play of the Rams’ next drive. He hits Robert Woods for an 18-yard gain and a first down. They get a play off to Brandin Cooks to avoid a challenge for Bill Belichick. Anderson is dropped in the backfield by Danny Shelton for a three-yard loss to set up third-and-10. It’s incomplete as Jason McCourty breaks it up intended for Josh Reynolds, forcing the Rams to punt. Edelman is out of bounds at the 18 to set up the Pats’ next drive.
— Q2, 10:29: Brady hits Edelman to the right sideline for a six-yard gain. It’s complete to Gronkowski to make it third-and-1. Edelman gets wide open on third down and makes a 25-yard catch and goes out of bounds to pick up a first down. Patterson gets a handoff and picks up one yard before he’s tackled by Mark Barron and Ndamukog Suh. Brady targets Hogan but it falls incomplete. Gronkowski catches it on third down but only picks up two yards, setting up another field goal attempt for Stephen Gostkowski. He’s good from 42 yards and it’s 3-0 Patriots.
— Q2, 13:58: Rams move back to the 6-yard line after a false start. C.J. Anderson pushes ahead for about three yards and is tackled by Deatrich Wise to set up third-and-7. Jared Goff’s pass is deflected by John Simon on third down to force a punt by the Rams deep in their own territory. It’s downed at the 37-yard line to give the Patriots solid field position.
— First quarter thoughts: It’s been a good give-and-take for the Patriots offense and Rams defense so far. Tom Brady made a potentially crucial mistake with a bad first-drive interception and Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal. But at the same time, they’re finding ways for Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski to get open. It’s a defensive struggle through one quarter. This could come down to whoever makes a big turnover at the end.
— Q1, 0:00: C.J. Anderson drives ahead for five yards, and that’s how the first quarter ends in Super Bowl LIII. Tom Brady and the Pats offense scored zero points in the first quarter for the eighth time in nine Super Bowl appearances.
— Q1, 0:12: Sony Michel takes it up the middle for four yards on the Patriots’ first play of their third drive. Julian Edelman finds a soft spot underneath and picks up a first down. Brady tries to hit Hogan but it’s incomplete to make it second-and-10. Brady has time to throw and hits an open Edelman for 25 yards and another first down. Brady is strip-sacked on the next play, but center David Andrews recovers the fumble. Brady hits Gronkowski for a 14-yard gain to make it third-and-5. Brady is under pressure on third down by Aaron Donald and has to throw it away, forcing the Patriots to punt. It’s out of bounds at the 6-yard line.
— Q1, 3:25: Johnny Hekker has a chance to pin the Patriots way back, but it merely gets to the 19-yard line on a wobbly punt.
— Q1, 3:32: Robert Woods takes a handoff on the Rams’ first play of their second possession of the game, and picks up five yards to the sidelines. Jared Goff rolls out and hits Josh Reynolds for 10 yards and a first down. Goff throws it incomplete off-balance as he’s under pressure from Deatrich Wise on the next first down play. Reynolds picks up seven yards to set up third-and-3. With Goff in the shotgun, Patrick Chung breaks up the pass intended for Robert Woods. Rams forced to punt.
— Q1, 5:35: Patriots go the safe route on third-and-8, trying a draw play with James White. He picks up just one yard, and on comes the field goal unit for the Patriots. It’s no good from 46 yards. Still scoreless.
— Q1, 6:17: Rob Gronkowski gets wide open over the middle to catch it and run for 19 yards. Rex Burkhead picks up two on the next first-down play. Brady goes deep for Chris Hogan in the end zone on second down, but Marcus Peters has him well-covered. Brady calls the Patriots’ second timeout of the game before third-and-8, just 8:43 into the game.
— Instant analysis: The Patriots have a chance to take advantage of a questionable call on Nickell Robey-Coleman, who appeared to wrap up Rex Burkhead for a third-down stop but instead got called for a hit on a defenseless receiver. Brady appears to be settling in throwing the ball, as he’s found a couple of open receivers since the flag. The Rams defense is still swarming, though. It feels so far like it’s going to be tough for either team to move the football.
— Q1, 7:39: Sony Michel picks up just one yard on his second carry of the game. Tom Brady’s second pass attempt of the game is incomplete, intended for Michel. Brady gets an easy first down throw to Julian Edelman to move the chains. Michel gets clotheslined behind the line of scrimmage to lose four yards and make it second-and-14. On third down, the Rams are called for a hit on a defenseless receiver to give the Pats another first down. Rex Burkhead bounces outside and shifts ahead for six yards on the next first-down play. Brady finds Burkhead in the passing game for another eight yards to make it first-and-10 again for the Pats.
— Instant analysis: Rough start for both offenses. The Patriots had a promising start to their opening drive with a great return by Cordarrelle Patterson and four straight positive run plays. But Tom Brady’s first pass attempt of the game was a bad one, throwing it late to Julian Edelman and allowing Nickell Robey-Coleman to tip it in the air for Corey Littleton to intercept it. On the other hand, a great start for the defense as it forces a three-and-out against the Rams offense.
— Q1, 11:25: Todd Gurley gets tripped up for just a two-yard gain on first down for the Rams. Jared Goff has nowhere to throw the ball and throws it away on second down. Its incomplete on third-and-8, and the Rams are forced to punt.=
— Q1, 12:06: Sony Michel takes it around the left edge to pick up three yards. Tom Brady turns the ball over on the next play, as linebacker Corey Littleton picks off the pass intended for Julian Edelman.
— Q1, 13:05: James White finds an opening up the middle to gain 13 yards on the Patriots’ first play of the Super Bowl. Cordarrelle Patterson takes a handoff on a jet sweep and gains six yards on the next play. Sony Michel gains five yards to pick up a first down.
— Q1, 15:00: Cordarrelle Patterson runs it all the way to the 40-yard line to start the game.
— Matthew Slater calls heads as he always does, and it comes up tails. Rams win the toss and defer to the second half. Tom Brady and the Patriots will get the ball to start Super Bowl LIII.
— Gladys Knight sang the National Anthe in 1:58. Congrats to all the gamblers who took the over.
Pregame Updates:
https://twitter.com/mattdolloff/status/1092187147862503424
— Inactives analysis: The Patriots are putting an emphasis on the defensive front, with Deatrich Wise, Adrian Clayborn, and Danny Shelton all active. No doubt they want to stop the Rams’ running game, but they’re also likely to really try to get after Jared Goff. If he’s sped up and it comes time for Goff to improvise and make plays instead of run Sean McVay’s offense as called, that’s an advantage for the Pats.
— Full inactives:
https://twitter.com/mattdolloff/status/1092185050718834688
— Patriots-Rams Super Bowl LIII predictions
— Anonymous Patriots player: ‘We believe Goff will [expletive] his pants’
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— Socci’s Notebook: The back with ‘sweet feet’ and a sweeter smile
— Socci’s Notebook: The fun has lasted for Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty
— Mazz: The 3 biggest matchups of Super Bowl LIII
— Mazz: The NFL Is Different From When Tom Brady Started, But He Still Wins Regardless
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