Well, here we are, folks. Another NFL season in the books, and the New England Patriots are your NFL CHAMPIONS. The Rams defeated the vaunted Los Angeles Rams, and have won Super Bowl 53.
The first half was a defensive gridlock. Neither team even reached the red zone. The Patriots were able to gain a 3-0 lead off the leg of Stephen Gostkowski, but otherwise, points were at a premium. The Patriots moved the ball effectively, and Julian Edelman had a big game, especially in the first half. Todd Gurley was conspicuous by his absence in the first half. Indeed, it was all about the defenses.
If Edelman wasn’t the MVP, it was probably Johnny Hekker, who broke a Super Bowl record for the longest punt. Hekker’s a weapon no doubt, but when the punter is one of the biggest play-makers of the evening, yeah – you know you don’t exactly have an offensive explosion on your hands.
Still, people were calling this game boring, and I get it – from a casual fan’s perspective, this looks like bad football. But, man – the chess match between these two head coaches was phenomenal. I felt the pressure building with every drive. You just knew it was going to come down to the fourth quarter and that shit grills my giblets if you know what I mean.
What was weirdest to me was the sense that it felt like the Rams never had a chance, but were only down 3-0 for the bulk of the game. Late into the third quarter, Jared Goff hit Brandin Cooks for a big gain, and it felt like the dam was finally going to break. The Rams offense had a nice little push before Dont’a Hightower sacked Goff and forced Greg Zuerlein to hit a long field goal. Spoiler alert: he did.
So, we went into the fourth quarter tied at 3-3. 15 minutes to play for all the marbles, baby – the stakes couldn’t have been any higher, and I could not be any harder. We had ourselves a punter’s duel.
Sony Michel found the end zone with seven minutes left to go. The touchdown came right after Tom Brady hit Rob Gronkowski with a beautiful throw that put the Pats at the two. How can any of y’all argue that this man isn’t the greatest quarterback of all time after this shit?
Ultimately, it came down to defensive plays. Goff took a beating the entire second half, and late into the fourth quarter, he threw a pick to Stephon Gilmore. That was what did the Rams in. The Pats were able to run the clock down with Michel and Rex Burkhead. Gostkowski kicks a field goal, and the Rams just couldn’t respond. Pats win, 13-3.
Alright, boys and girls, time to shift gears – not long before free agency and the draft! Enjoy the offseason.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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