It’s Super Bowl time! As one of the most anticipated sports days vastly approaches, this Super Bowl has some people excited and some just ready for good food, drinks, and some awesome commercials.
While the Los Angeles Rams became an unfavorable team across football fans due to one player’s questionable play in the NFC Championship against the New Orleans Saints, Tom Brady and the Patriots remain by popular vote as the biggest villains of the NFL.
For Tom Brady, it’s his 8th Super Bowl. For 3rd year Rams quarterback Jared Goff, this is his first Super Bowl appearance. In what could be one of Brady’s toughest opponents he’s ever faced in the Super Bowl, Vegas has only a 2.5 point spread between the two teams.
Major keys for victory for both teams are actually pretty similar. For Brady and company, the Patriots will need to utilize running back Sony Michel, get the ball to receiver Julian Edelman and tight end Rob Gronkowski. With an undersized secondary for the Rams, going to the air might be a better option as opposed to trying to go through physically the biggest defensive line they’ve faced all year.
On defense, the Patriots have to eliminate Rams running back Todd Gurley’s run game. They will also have to put as much pressure on quarterback Jared Goff as he tends to make crucial mistakes in big moments and under pressure. Experience is on the Patriots side, and that sometimes is more valuable than any perfected game plan for an inexperienced team and coach.
For the Rams, while inexperience could cost them the ultimate prize, being such a young team could give them some freedom to get creative and take chances. Taking chances and getting creative worked for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Patriots in last year’s Super Bowl, and it can certainly work for the Rams. With a charismatic fan base, if Rams fans show out at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the crowd could feed them much needed energy.
The Rams are going to have to get Gurley and C.J. Anderson some good yards in the run game to keep pressure off Jared Goff’s back. Minimize turnovers and control the clock. If they keep the ball out of Tom Brady’s hands, they can wear down the Patriots defense and clear a path to victory.
On defense, this has to be the biggest game of the year for the Rams. Reigning defensive player of the year winner, defensive end Aaron Donald has to play like it but so does his bash brother Ndamukong Suh who will also have to step up. Rams secondary is led by NFL veteran Aqib Talib, their secondary has to slow down Edelman and shut out red zone king Rob Gronkowski.
Despite how you feel for both teams, this will be one exciting game between two of the best teams in the NFL. Even if you don’t care about the game, Maroon 5 and Travis Scott is the halftime show. Plus the commercials are always good and we might get a new Avengers trailer. Super Bowl LIII is Sunday, at 5:30pm CT on CBS.