Another Tom Brady and Patriots Super Bowl have been set. This time, they will face the Los Angeles Rams who haven’t been to the Super Bowl since 2001-2002 season formally as the St. Louis Rams.
This will be Tom Brady’s 9th Super Bowl appearance. To put in perspective, Brady has been to the Super Bowl more than the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Green Bay Packers as teams. The Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime 37-31 to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl which will be held this year in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Chiefs defense couldn’t hold their end and let Brady and company to a quick overtime opening drive to an eventual Rex Burkhead rushing touchdown. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who finished with 3 TD passes and 295 yards, never even got to touch the ball in overtime for a possible win.
As for the Rams, their ticket to the Super Bowl has been punched, marked with a thick stain after one of the most controversial plays in NFL history which might or might not have determined the result of their overtime victory over the New Orleans Saints.
A clear and blatant pass interference penalty was not called on Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman for his hard hit on Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis inside the 5-yard line that could’ve given the Saints a first down and potentially wind the game clock to zero. Instead, they settled for a Will Lutz 31 yards field goal with just under 2 minutes left in the game.
The Rams would eventually get within field goal range and force the game to go into overtime. Drew Brees would throw an interception off a dropped pass from receiver Micheal Thomas. Rams then take it downfield and with a booming 57-yard kick, Rams kicker Rob Zuerlein would send his team to the Super Bowl as a hero.
A firestorm of shocked celebrities and fans took to social media to share their frustration and shock over the game. 8,000 Rams fans petitioned the league to switch referee crews before the game. Looks like the most unpopular referees might now be the most popular crew amongst Rams fans in Los Angeles. The NFL will reportedly look into again for the second straight year at changing the rules to review pass interference calls during games.
Rams Head Coach Sean McVay attended the 2002 Super Bowl in which the Rams were playing when he was a teenager, celebrating his 14th birthday. The date of that game was February 3rd, 2002. Ironically, the date for this Super Bowl is February 3rd. Destiny could be coming for coach McVay, as he returns to the Super Bowl 17 years later as a coach instead of a spectator, also as the youngest head coach ever in Super Bowl history at the age of 32 years old.
Super Bowl LII will be held at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia and will be broadcast on CBS at 5:30pm CT.