By Peyton Schultze

Patriots vs Rams. Boston vs LA. Old vs new. Sunday should prove to be another Super Bowl classic between two great teams in their quest for football supremacy.

Ah yes, just another tale within the ever-growing sports rivalry between the 2nd and 10th largest media markets in the country. One is known for its crisp and cold weather, while the other is known for its world-famous beaches and palm trees. One’s sits on the historic east coasts with roots to the beginnings of the United States, while the other sits on the flashy west coast in the entertainment capital of the world. Boston vs. Los Angeles in another big-time sports matchup. What else could you expect?

Although the Rams played in LA previously starting in 1946 before the NFL became what it is now, Los Angeles truly became a sports town once the streets were flooded with a bit of purple and gold, even adding in a hint of blue and black along the way. Ever since the Dodgers stunningly moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles before the 1958 season, the city of Los Angeles began to transform into a major sports city. Yet the city finally took off with the Lakers move from Minneapolis to Los Angeles prior to the 1961 season and the creation of the Los Angeles Kings in 1967 by owner Jack Kent Cooke, paving the way for sports media to follow LA’s teams. And right away, the teams happened to find some success, especially with Dodgers’ World Series wins in 1959, 1963 and 1965. But they weren’t the only Los Angeles team with title aspirations back then.

In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers met the Boston Celtics for the first time in the Finals. Although the Lakers had previously faced the Celtics in a series while in Minneapolis (a 4-0 series sweep for Boston), this would be the first time that a major sports franchise from Los Angeles would compete against a team from Boston. The Celtics, led by the late Red Auerbach, were a dominant team full of all-time players such as Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. Yet the Lakers still presented a tough matchup, with iconic NBA figures such as Jerry West and Elgin Baylor suiting up for Los Angeles. Although the series ended in a hard fought 7-game series win for Boston, the iconic rivalry between two powerhouse cities would finally form.

Throughout the years, Boston and LA have continued their rivalry in various sports, even as recently in the 2018 World Series between the Red Sox and Dodgers.

But even though that series was a 7-game classic, the rivalry did not truly evolve into something special until the ‘80s. From 1962 to 1969, the Lakers and Celtics would meet a total of six times, all of which Boston would come out triumphant. Heading toward the ‘80s, the Lakers and Celtics would again meet in the Finals on three occasions, with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird at the forefront of it all. In those matchups, the Lakers would go 2-1 against the Celtics with both series wins coming in 1985 and 1987. The Lakers and Celtics would not meet for another 21 years until 2008 and 2010, where both teams split a championship victory each and continued the rivalry into a new age.

Even this past year, the Dodgers and Red Sox met in the 2018 Fall Classic in which the Red Sox won four games to one. Although that was the first World Series matchup between the two in their cities, it is certainly possible they could see each other again soon with young rosters and superstars all over the field. Yet, the Red Sox have been a mini-dynasty since 2004, owning a large portion of titles in Major League Baseball with now four championships in the time span. But it’s not like LA certainly has not been in the picture. While the Dodgers have been wildly successful in recent times yet unable to cap it off with a World Series win since 1988, the Los Angeles Kings have ran off two of their own championships in the NHL, establishing themselves as a solid organization within hockey.

Yet Sunday may present a new chapter in the ever-evolving sports rivalry between the two. Three years ago, the Rams moved back to the city of Los Angeles after a stint in St. Louis and now find themselves in the Super Bowl for the first time in seventeen years. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots have once again rattled off another impressive season in which they hope to finish off with another trophy to add to their spectacular collection of five Lombardi Trophies. Both teams meet Sunday in the first Boston-LA Super Bowl matchup of all-time of what could potentially become just another segment of the historic rivalry (CBS, 3:30 PM PT). Without further ado, here’s our Super Bowl LIII preview featuring breakdowns and analysis of key matchups and our prediction of who will come out victorious in this enticing battle.

How They Got Here

Los Angeles Rams

It’s been a wild ride for the Rams in 2018-2019, and one that they hope to cap off with a second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.

After back-to-back end of the season losses to the Bears and Eagles, it looked merely impossible for the Rams to get on track once again and make a run toward Super Bowl LIII. Yet here they are, just one win away from football glory atop the promised land in what would be an upset win over the experienced and favored New England Patriots.

Heading into the postseason, many around the league assumed the Rams had a fair chance of getting bounced early against a team like the Bears, Seahawks, or Cowboys. But after a first-round bye that allowed for needed rest and key game planning, the Rams were able to roll over the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round, led by a ferocious running attack with CJ Anderson and Todd Gurley, setting them up for a bout with the Saints with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Two weeks ago in New Orleans, the Rams got off to a horrendous start and seemed overwhelmed by the crowd noise and pressure of playing in the insane Mercedes-Benz Superdome. However, after a tough first half, the Rams vaulted themselves back into the game and sent the game into overtime against the favored Saints. It did not come without controversy though. Late in the 4th quarter, the referees missed a blatant pass interference call on Rams’ corner, Nickell Robey-Coleman, which would have set the Saints up to run down the clock and drain a game-winning field goal with no time remaining. However, the Saints instead settled for a field goal with time left and gave the ball back to the Rams, who punched the ball down the field and scored to tie the game and send it into overtime.

In overtime, Rams’ pass rusher, Dante Fowler Jr., was able to hit the arm of the Saints’ Drew Brees as he was throwing deep to wide receiver, Michael Thomas. The ball came up very short, and was picked off by the Rams’ John Johnson III. This set up Jared Goff and the Rams’ offense. From there, the Rams were able to get several yards to get into field goal range for their kicker, Greg Zuerlein. Zuerlein then was able to drill a 57-yard field goal to seal the deal for the Rams and officially send the Rams to Atlanta for the Super Bowl for the first time since 2002. The Rams have a 15-3 record on the season (including playoffs) and are looking for their second Super Bowl win in franchise history.

New England Patriots

The Rams present a tough matchup, but Tom Brady and the Patriots hope to secure their sixth championship in franchise history on Sunday night.

In one of the stranger years in recent Patriot memory, New England once again finds themselves in the same position they usually are in: in the Super Bowl. While many have doubted them over and over again this year, the Patriots have continued to defy the odds in the 2018-2019 season by reminding everyone that they are still here and hope to capture another Lombardi Trophy on Sunday.

This may be one of the least surprising sentences in sports right now: the Patriots found a way to get back to the Super Bowl. All of us were foolish to doubt the Patriots in an AFC without any clear front-runner and now New England finds themselves with a huge opportunity in front of them. After a pure football demolition in the Divisional Round against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Patriots traveled to Kansas City to battle with the likely-MVP in Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. The Patriots started off very strong with some great defensive performances, yet let the Chiefs sneak back into the game in the second half. For a second, it seemed as if Brady and the Patriots may actually fall. But that’s exactly where they want them. In the 4th quarter, Tom Brady and the Patriots went head-to-head with Mahomes and the Chiefs, combining for one of the most exciting 4th quarters in recent NFL history. But with a quarter as great as that, why not play some more? Mahomes was able to drive the Chiefs down the field late in the 4th to set up a game-tying field goal that sent the game to overtime. But after the Patriots won the toss and chose to receive, Brady charged the Pats down the field before punching in a touchdown with the legs of Rex Burkhead that sent the Patriots to Atlanta for another shot at a ring.

Last year, New England was shocked in the Super Bowl by the magnificent play of Nick Foles and wound up losing 41-33 in an all-time thriller. Now, the Patriots look to avoid losing back-to-back Super Bowls and instead add to their franchise collection of championship with a sixth title. This season has been strange for New England, yet may once again finish with another unlikely Super Bowl victory.

Super Bowl Facts

Back in 2002, the Patriots were able to shock the favored Rams in a 20-17 victory on a last-second game-winning field goal by Adam Vinatieri.

The last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl, Adam Vinatieri drilled a 48-yard field goal to secure the Patriots’ first title in franchise history in Super Bowl XXXVI.
Since that game, the Patriots have appeared in eight other Super Bowls (Sunday will be the 8th,) and won four of them (XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX, LI).
Tom Brady will make his 9th career Super Bowl start on Sunday.
With a win, Brady passes Peyton Manning as the oldest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, per CBS Sports.
If Brady and the Patriots win on Sunday, he will become the first player in NFL history with 6 Super Bowl wins.
If Brady and the Patriots lose on Sunday, he tie Jim Kelly for the most Super Bowl losses, per CBS Sports.
If Belichick guides the Patriots to victory, he will be the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl, per Yahoo Sports.
If McVay guides the Rams to victory, he will be the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl.
Sean McVay and Patriots’ receiver, Julian Edelman, faced each other once in college in a MAC game, per ESPN.
The Rams will be rocking throwback jerseys on sport’s biggest stage.
In the past 14 Super Bowls, the team in white jerseys won 12 of them, per Sports Illustrated.
Both starting quarterbacks and head coaches have the largest age gap in a Super Bowl in NFL history, per CBS Sports.
The last Super Bowl in Atlanta was between the Rams and Titans which resulted in a Rams victory.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a revolutionary, indoor stadium that holds 71,000.
The stadium features a cheap food menu, with discounted food all around the facility.
The stadium’s scoreboard is rounded on the top of the roof, taking up 63,800 square feet.
John Parry headlines the referee crew on Sunday.
Since Parry started in 2007, he has worked seven Rams’ games. They’ve won them all (The Big Lead).
Gladys Knight will perform the National Anthem.
Maroon 5, along with Travis Scott and Big Boi, headline Super Bowl LIII’s halftime show in Atlanta.

Matchup to Watch

Rams’ Defensive Front vs. Patriots’ Offensive Line

In order for the Rams to pull off the upset, Aaron Donald (99) and Ndamukong Suh (93) must have an outstanding game against the Patriots’ offense.

If the Rams want to steal a Super Bowl victory from the hands of the New England Patriots, there is one major key that must happen: they have to hit Brady. Throughout the years of the Patriots’ long-running dynasty, it has been hard to rattle or throw off the Patriots’ game plan in each week. Constantly, Brady and offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, form a plan centered around getting the ball out quickly and having methodical drives to control the time of possession. However, that does not mean that teams have not stopped them in the past. Over the years, certain teams such as the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos and New York Giants have been able to give Brady fits and hold off the Patriots. Why? Because they have been able to rush Brady with a strong defensive line that provides pressure in the center of the pocket and forces him to make questionable throws or take sacks for negative yardage.

The formula has been nearly impossible to replicate this postseason, as Brady has yet to be sacked and has rarely even been touched in both postseason contests this year. Yet if there is one team that has the ability to rush Brady from the interior, it is the Rams. With defensive talents such as Ndamukong Suh and Aaron Donald, the Rams have a fierce D line that has the ability to overpower the Patriots’ offensive line and hit Brady to disrupt their game flow. This type of pressure affects Brady severely and could force him to make some curious throws; combine that with a ball hawking secondary with players like Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, and the Rams should be flying all over the field on Sunday in pursuit of a turnover. Yet the Patriots could very well use a run-centric approach once again this week to run right at Donald and Suh, who may be over-aggressive and hungry to succeed in their first Super Bowl appearance. This is a major challenge for both teams in this Super Bowl matchup, and the winner between the Rams’ defensive front and Patriots’ offensive line will likely have a major advantage throughout the game over the other. Watch for this battle in the trenches all game long on Super Bowl Sunday.

Who Has the Best Shot at Super Bowl MVP?

After a poor game in the NFC Championship Game, expect Todd Gurley to get a lot of touches to try to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.

While Tom Brady is certainly the favorite to win Super Bowl MVP honors, you never know what could happen under the bright lights of the Super Bowl. From little-known players to bona fide superstars, you never know who will rise to the occasion and help deliver their team a Lombardi Trophy.

Tom Brady - The 5-time champion has to be the favorite, even if he doesn’t play his best game. It’s unclear what the Patriots’ offensive attack will look like, but expect Brady to have to carry the load in the second half on Sunday.
Aaron Donald - If the Rams are able to pull off the upset, he might be the biggest reason why. Although defensive players do not win it very often, look for the game’s best defensive player to go off.
Jared Goff - Other than a bad call, Jared Goff may be the biggest reason why the Rams were able to beat the Saints in the NFC Championship Game. An ascending star may have his biggest career moment on Super Bowl Sunday.
Sony Michel - A rookie as the Super Bowl MVP? With a magnificent playoff run so far, look for Michel to once again get a lot of touches and possibly even a few scores in some big moments.
Todd Gurley - Arguably the game’s best running back, Gurley is looking for redemption after a poor game in the NFC Championship. Gurley should get a fair share of touches and will look to make the most of them in Super Bowl LIII.
James White - The hero of Super Bowl LI, White is an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield. He’ll likely get a lot of targets, so look for White to be a major factor on Sunday.
Brandin Cooks - After a great game in the NFC Championship Game, Cooks will get a shot at revenge against his former team on the same stage where he was knocked out with a concussion just a year ago. Cooks may be a dark horse MVP candidate.
Julian Edelman - The Patriots’ WR has had some iconic Super Bowl moments in the past decade. But can he finally cap off those moments with his first Super Bowl MVP?
Trey Flowers - The best Patriot player that nobody knows about. If he can replicate a dominant defensive Super Bowl performance alas Von Miller or Malcolm Smith, he could take the award and run with it.
CJ Anderson - One of the best underdog stories of the season and a huge boost for the Rams in the postseason. After an impressive game in Super Bowl 50 for Denver, could he have another great Super Bowl performance and take home the Super Bowl MVP honor?

Betting Corner

New England (-2.5) vs Los Angeles

The line of -2.5 for the Patriots is certainly tricky and provides even more intrigue heading into Sunday’s matchup.

It seems almost impossible to bet against the Patriots in the Super Bowl, right? After all, it is Brady and Belichick and all they do is win, right? Maybe, but that’s a bold mindset heading into a tricky contest to predict. On paper, this Rams team matches up extremely well with New England. Essentially created as a team that can score at will on offense and force quarterbacks to face a lot of pressure on defense, the Rams have the right formula to test the Patriots all night long. But the Chargers had this formula on paper too. So did the Chiefs. And how did those games end up against the mighty Patriots?

Unless you are a professional bettor, avoid this difficult game at all costs. The 2.5 point spread is difficult and even though the Patriots have proven to win over the years, they did just lose to a backup quarterback in the Super Bowl last year with a larger spread. If anything, while this Patriots’ team is great once again, they are not quite as dominant as last year’s version. And with that being said, the Rams may even have a better team than the Super Bowl winning Eagles did last year, proving that the Rams certainly have a shot. New England has never blown out a team in the Super Bowl and won’t once again. Take the Rams in this one with a lot of caution in one of the harder Super Bowls to predict in recent memory.

Some Other Side Prop Bets to Enjoy (Via Westgate Las Vegas)

Will there be a missed PAT? (Yes +250, No -310)
Will there be a safety? (Yes +600, No -900)
Will there be overtime? (Yes +700, No -1100)
Who will throw a TD first? (Brady -110, Goff -110)
Heads or Tails? (Heads -102, Tails -102)
First penalty of game? (Patriots +130, Rams -150)
Team to score first (Patriots -115, Rams -105)
Team to score last (Patriots -120, Rams Even)
1st TD will be… (Passing -150, Any Other +130)
TD Passes from Tom Brady 1.5 (Over -180, Under +150)
Will Aqib Talib get an interception? (Yes +500, No -700)
Who has more points? Patriots (-1.5) or Steph Curry vs LAL? (Pats -110, Steph -110)
Who has more? Paul George points vs BOS (-.5) or Shortest FG of Super Bowl? (George -110, FG -110)
Who has more? Kyrie Irving points vs OKC or Patriots points (-3.5)? (Irving -110, Patriots -110)
What is higher? Dustin Johnson 4th round score or Robert Woods’ receiving yards (-3.5)? (Johnson -110, Woods -110)
Who will have more? Capitals goals vs BOS or Combined Super Bowl sacks (-.5)? (Capitals -160, Sacks +140)
Player to Score 1st TD of Super Bowl LIII (Tom Brady 60/1)

Prediction

Los Angeles Rams (28) - New England Patriots (24)

The time is now: the Los Angeles Rams’ bold offseason will pay off with an upset win over the favored New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.

A famous Los Angeles broadcaster once said, “In a season that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.” And this season has been just that for both the Rams and Patriots. Throughout all their ups and downs, both teams managed to right the ship despite heavy odds and now find themselves one win away from glory.

On Sunday night, both teams will give all they have. Brady and the Patriots will come out firing on all cylinders and look unbeatable on their first drive, punching it in with a 7-yard score from Brady to James White. The Rams will show a bit of their Super Bowl nerves on the first drive, leaving many to question if they have what it takes.

But the Rams’ defense has been legit all postseason long and they will start settle into the game quickly, causing two Patriot punts in the second quarter. The Rams will finally put together a decent drive in the second quarter and cap it off on a 2-yard run from CJ Anderson to tie it at 7. However, Brady will take the Patriots down the field in the second quarter and kick a field goal before halftime and go into the locker room in a low-scoring battle at 10-7.

Getting into the second half, the Rams will have to punt once again on offense, forcing Brady and the Patriots’ offense back on the field. Luckily for Los Angeles, the Rams’ defense will start off red-hot with a pick-6 of Brady from Aqib Talib to put the Rams up 14-10 on the Patriots’ opening drive of the second half. The Patriots again do not look great on their second drive and punt once again to the Rams. From there, Goff leads his best drive of the game that finishes with a 12-yard strike to Brandin Cooks in the corner of the end zone to put the Rams up 21-10. With little time left in the third, Brady and the Patriots get the ball back and attempt to start another comeback for the ages.

On the opening play of the third quarter, Brady play-actions to Michel and instead finds a wide-open Edelman up the seam (while covered by the controversial Robey-Coleman) to get the Patriots back in the game and cut the lead to 4. Both teams trade punts, and the Rams begin a drive up 21-17 with 7:00 left in the game. And from here, the stars begin to shine. Goff has had a solid game up to this point, but McVay and the Rams call upon Todd Gurley to try to shut the door on a Patriots’ comeback. With 8 touches and 49 scrimmage yards on the Rams’ drive, Gurley punches in another touchdown for LA to push the lead to 28-17 with around 3 minutes remaining. Luckily for the Patriots, they have the great Brady to get them back into the game. Although Aaron Donald sacks Brady on the first play of the drive, Brady slings a 40-yard gain on a screen to James White to set up the Patriots right before the two minute warning. New England, with three timeouts still remaining, then runs three quick plays to gain yards and get out of bounds with around 1:30 remaining and on the Rams’ 3-yard line. Then, on the next play, Marcus Peters manages to tip a Brady pass in the end zone that is up for grabs. But out of nowhere, Rob Gronkowski, in perhaps his final game, comes out of nowhere and snatches the ball for another score. 28-24 Rams with 1:20 remaining.

The Patriots then boldly decide not to onside kick and instead trust their defense with three timeouts left. This decision winds up paying off and the Patriots’ get the ball back with time remaining and the great Brady on the field. At this point, it looks dark for Rams’ fans. Brady surgically slices the Rams’ defense on three consecutive plays, getting all the way to the Rams’ 33 yard line with 33 seconds remaining and no timeouts. Yet the madness is not over yet. On the next play, Brady gets a low snap and is forced to move around the pocket before taking a crushing sack from Donald. The clock keeps on ticking and the Patriots are forced to run another play. Yet somehow, Brady gets the Patriots back on the ball quickly and delivers a ball down the right sideline to Edelman as Robey-Coleman is called for defensive pass interference (yes, this time) with 11 seconds left and on the Rams’ 13-yard line. Brady takes a shot at the end zone for Gronkowski, yet misses, leaving 6 seconds left and one last play left.

The last time the Super Bowl was in Atlanta, Titans’ WR, Kevin Dyson, was tackled 1 yard short of the end zone by Mike Jones with no time remaining to seal a Rams’ victory. This time, the Rams face another last-second defensive stand, but against arguably the greatest quarterback ever this time. One last play, for all the glory. Brady takes the snap and looks around to his left, before scrambling to his right. He hesitates for a second with Donald and Suh chasing him and throws across his body to Phillip Dorsett, who is open for a split-second. Luckily for the Rams, Talib once again puts a hand out and ever-so-slightly gets a finger on the ball to knock it away and finish it off. That’s right. In a season that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened. With a strong defensive performance and timely offense, the Rams miraculously win their second Super Bowl in franchise history and celebrate a wild finish to Super Bowl LIII in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Super Bowl LIII Preview