Super Bowl LIII; How the Patriots won their sixth title

Super Bowl LIII took place Sunday night.  It was not a very good game.  The reason why it was a bad game wasn’t because it was a defensive battle.  It was a bad game because neither Jared Goff nor Tom Brady played well, and both offenses were the most part were completely ineffective.

Jared Goff went 19/38 for 229 yards and a BACKBREAKING interception in the fourth quarter.  Tom Brady was 21/35 for 262 yards and an interception, with more than half of those yards attributed to Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman.

The Patriots won for three simple reasons;  They were more prepared for the big moment as they always are, Sony Michel was a machine on the ground and was extremely efficient with 94 yards on only 18 carries, and the Patriots defense confused and flustered the Rams innovative offense every step of the way.

The Patriots just don’t lose these games (except for the Giants and Eagles)

The Patriots are now 6-3 in Super Bowls, those two losses coming at the hands of Eli Manning and the Giants, and the improbable Nick Foles win for the Eagles.  The Giants found a way to frustrate Brady for both those games and Eli Manning led the Giants to two Super Bowls thanks to the miracle escape and toss to David Tyree’s helmet and a beautiful drive at the end of their second win.  The Eagles just had one of those miraculous seasons where everything aligned.

Other than that, the Patriots always find a way to win.  Whether it be a game clinching interception against the Seahawks in one of the worst play calls in NFL history, or the 28-3 comeback against the Falcons, they’re never out of a game and always find a way to win.

It’s always someone different.  Julian Edelman this season, Rob Gronkowski in seasons past, Malcolm Butler, Adam Vinatieri, Tom Brady, you name it.  This team is just battle tested and were not intimidated by the moment.  Sean McVay and the Rams seemed to short circuit in the big moment.

The Rams seemed to go away from what got them to the Super Bowl.  Goff threw 38 times and they barely ran the ball.  When they did run the ball, it wasn’t efficient at all.  They kept the Patriots in the game and lost because of it.  Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores called a flawless game on defense and confused the young coach and the even younger quarterback.

Sony Michel stole the show

If Julian Edelman didn’t win the MVP, Sony Michel would be next in line to win that honor.  As mentioned before, he ran for 94 yards on 18 carries and sealed the deal with some powerful runs at the end of the game.  He almost single-handedly put the Patriots in field goal range to clinch the game and if he had just gotten an inch more he would have gotten the first down to seal it.

Michel was the last pick in last season’s draft and was an excellent dual threat running back at Georgia.  He along with Nick Chubb of the Browns formed a great tandem, and although Michel has been injury prone, proved to be the stud running back the Patriots needed.

Brian Flores outcoached Sean McVay

I know that all of the roads lead back to Bill Bellichick on the defensive side of the ball but Brian Flores, now the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, ran a perfect gameplan for the Patriots defense.  The Patriots never have defensive “studs” but they always have a cohesive unit and follow their gameplan perfectly.

Whether it be mixing in exotic blitzes to confuse Jared Goff, changing between zone and man defense, and letting Stephon Gilmore do his thing, Flores kept the Rams on their toes and was the reason why the Patriots defense only gave up three points to one of the league’s most dynamic offenses.

It wasn’t pretty in the least bit, but the Patriots have six Super Bowl titles now.  Tom Brady was efficient, Julian Edelman was a Godsend, and they now sit at the top of NFL history along with the Steelers for the most titles.  Tom Brady will go down as the greatest quarterback in history as he’s now won six Super Bowls, and Bill Bellichick will go down as the greatest coach ever.

The Patriots are a dynasty and have been for the past 15 years.  It’s remarkable how consistently good they are no matter how many faces change.  It’s very important to note that regardless of how old they get, the Patriots are here to stay until Bellichick and Brady retire.