Conference Championships
In the NFC Championship game, it pitted two great offenses in the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints. The Rams would win the game in overtime 26-23 though there was controversy in the game. There was a pass interference penalty that was not called against the Rams and sadly it was a good game nonetheless. The Rams return to the Super Bowl for the first time since they were in Super Bowl XXXVI as the St. Louis Rams.
The AFC Championship game would be much of the same story. Two great offenses with two quarterbacks helming the ship. One is considered to be "The GOAT" and the other an up and comer who could take over when the great one retires. The Patriots and Chiefs duked it out for over 4 quarters and beyond but the Patriots would win the game 37-31 on a 2-yard Rex Burkhead rushing touchdown to seal the deal. It's the Patriots 3rd straight trip to the big game.
New England Patriots
Some had suspected that the Patriots would slow down a bit in 2018 and they certainly did during that time. The Pats would post an 11-5 record throughout the regular season, good enough for a 2nd seed in the playoffs. In the divisional round, the Patriots faced off against the Los Angeles Chargers. They won the game 41-28 based on Tom Brady's magnificent arm. In the AFC Championship game, they took on the #1 seed Kansas City Chiefs for the rights to go to the big dance. The Patriots would take it to overtime to win but they would get the result in their favor, with the score of 37-31. The Patriots are playing in their 11th Super Bowl in franchise history. They have played in Super Bowls XX, XXXI, XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII, XLVI, XLIX, LI, and LII. They will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams looked to build off what they had started in 2017. They already had their best season in over 10 years, dating back to their days in St. Louis (sorry had to mention it). In 2016, the Rams returned to Los Angeles after being gone from the city since 1994. In 1995, the Rams moved out of Los Angeles, their home since 1946, to St. Louis where they stayed for 20 seasons. Back to 2018. The Rams posted a 12-4 record, qualifying them to get the 2nd seed in the playoffs. In the Divisional round, the Rams took on the Dallas Cowboys. The Rams would win the game 30-22 on the power running tandem of CJ Anderson and Todd Gurley. The Rams would take on the Saints in the NFC Championship game. The Rams and Saints would take it to overtime to win it but they won the game 26-23 on a 57-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein. They would be playing in their 4th Super Bowl in franchise history. They played in Super Bowl XIV as the Los Angeles Rams and Super Bowl XXXIV and XXXVI as the St. Louis Rams. They will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LIII Tidbits
Super Bowl LIII will be held in Atlanta, Georgia. It would be the 3rd time that the city would host the big game as they hosted Super Bowls XXVIII and XXXIV. The two games were played in the old GeorgiaDome and Super Bowl LIII will be played in Mercedez-Benz Stadium. The stadium opened its doors in 2017 and is home to the Atlanta Falcons.
The Super Bowl Halftime show will be headlined by the American pop-act, Maroon 5. They will be with hip-hop stars, Travis Scott and Big Boi. This is the first time that Maroon 5 will headline the big game.
The cost to put an ad in the Super Bowl will cost you a hefty penny. A 30-second spot in the game would cost you roughly around $5 million. Anheuser-Busch will have the most spots during the game with eight. Certainly money that I don't have lying around.
Television
The network that gets to air the big game will be CBS. This will be the 20th Super Bowl that the network has called. They have called Super Bowls: I (with NBC), II, IV, VI, VII, X, XII, XIV, XVI, XVIII, XXI, XXIV, XXVI, XXXV, XXXVIII, XLI, XLIV, XLVII, and Super Bowl 50.
Doing the play-by-play will be Jim Nantz, who is calling his 5th Super Bowl with CBS. He has called Super Bowl's XLI, XLIV, XLVII, and Super Bowl 50. Prior to him, such names like Greg Gumbel and Pat Summerall had called Super Bowls for CBS during its run with the NFL.
Doing the color commentary will be Tony Romo. The former Cowboys quarterback will be calling his 1st Super Bowl with CBS. He had never played in a Super Bowl before so at least you could say he is finally in one as a commentator.
Super Bowl Record
Super Bowl LIII will be the 22rd Super Bowl that I've watched that I can remember. Let alone keep track of my record of who I picked in the big game. Let's just say its not that good. Let's take a look:
Super Bowl XXXII: Packers vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XXXIII: Broncos vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams vs Titans (won)
Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens vs Giants (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVI: Rams vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVII: Raiders vs Buccaneers (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Panthers vs Patriots (won)
Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots vs Eagles (won)
Super Bowl XL: Steelers vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl XLI: Colts vs Bears (won)
Super Bowl XLII: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers vs Cardinals (lost)
Super Bowl XLIV: Saints vs Colts (won)
Super Bowl XLV: Steelers vs Packers (won)
Super Bowl XLVI: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens vs 49ers (lost)
Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl 50: Panthers vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl LI: Patriots vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl LII: Eagles vs Patriots (lost)
All-time record: 8-12
Keys To The Game
Patriots:
Keep Tom Brady Upright: The Rams possess a stifling defensive line that can pressure even the best quarterbacks around. That means that the Pats O-line needs to be like a steel wall, giving Tom Brady a chance to do what he does best.
Stuff the Rams running attack: The tandem of Todd Gurley and CJ Anderson is versatile and both can get a ton of yards each. Forcing the Rams to go one-dimensional quickly will keep Jared Goff on edge constantly.
Do Your Job: each member of your team has a role to play. The O-line protecting the quarterback or giving holes to the running backs. The defense communicating well and reacting well to plays.
Rams:
Keep the offense going: you have a great tandem of running backs with CJ Anderson and Todd Gurley. With the passing weapons that Jared Goff has, the Rams look to provide a lot of spark in this game.
Take Risks: The Patriots will fight for every second in this game. Those 4th down situations will be key to deciding the game. Fortunately, Sean McVay is just as much a riverboat gambler as Doug Peterson in last year's Super Bowl. Use trickery.
Attack Tom Brady: The biggest decider in this game will be #12 of the New England Patriots. He is the GOAT for a reason. He always thrived in games like this and will not back down if the team is down by 25. The Giants had success against him because they got to his head and kept him running around as he is not a fast runner. Eventually, the hits start to come to haunt you.
The Pick
The pick is pretty hard to choose. You got a young and upcoming team in the Los Angeles Rams, and you have the New England Patriots. Both teams have great offenses and can do well on defense when given the opportunity. They will need to have their defenses in check for this one. It could be a high scoring affair between the two. As it is in a Dome stadium. Little to no wind will be in there. There can only be one who will win the ultimate prize. I choose...
The New England Patriots.
You will have to remember that Tom Brady put up nearly 500 passing yards last year and the defense was without Malcolm Butler. The Patriots are free of that distraction and can play whatever defense they want without the distraction of whatever took place last year. If Tom Brady wins the game he will get ring #6 and it would be cool to see him possibly ride off into the sunset with the most rings by a quarterback in NFL history. The Patriots are up for a big task against the Los Angeles Rams but if they can wade the storm and hang on they have a great shot to win. Best of luck!
Aftermath
Once the Super Bowl is over the blog will geta bit quieter since there is no football after this game. Let alone no football until August. Nevertheless, if something comes up between that time, I'll post it, football related or otherwise. Until then, enjoy the game, may the best team win.
-Tom
Super Bowl XXXIII: Broncos vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams vs Titans (won)
Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens vs Giants (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVI: Rams vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVII: Raiders vs Buccaneers (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Panthers vs Patriots (won)
Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots vs Eagles (won)
Super Bowl XL: Steelers vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl XLI: Colts vs Bears (won)
Super Bowl XLII: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers vs Cardinals (lost)
Super Bowl XLIV: Saints vs Colts (won)
Super Bowl XLV: Steelers vs Packers (won)
Super Bowl XLVI: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens vs 49ers (lost)
Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl 50: Panthers vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl LI: Patriots vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl LII: Eagles vs Patriots (lost)
All-time record: 8-12
Keys To The Game
Patriots:
Keep Tom Brady Upright: The Rams possess a stifling defensive line that can pressure even the best quarterbacks around. That means that the Pats O-line needs to be like a steel wall, giving Tom Brady a chance to do what he does best.
Stuff the Rams running attack: The tandem of Todd Gurley and CJ Anderson is versatile and both can get a ton of yards each. Forcing the Rams to go one-dimensional quickly will keep Jared Goff on edge constantly.
Do Your Job: each member of your team has a role to play. The O-line protecting the quarterback or giving holes to the running backs. The defense communicating well and reacting well to plays.
Rams:
Keep the offense going: you have a great tandem of running backs with CJ Anderson and Todd Gurley. With the passing weapons that Jared Goff has, the Rams look to provide a lot of spark in this game.
Take Risks: The Patriots will fight for every second in this game. Those 4th down situations will be key to deciding the game. Fortunately, Sean McVay is just as much a riverboat gambler as Doug Peterson in last year's Super Bowl. Use trickery.
Attack Tom Brady: The biggest decider in this game will be #12 of the New England Patriots. He is the GOAT for a reason. He always thrived in games like this and will not back down if the team is down by 25. The Giants had success against him because they got to his head and kept him running around as he is not a fast runner. Eventually, the hits start to come to haunt you.
The Pick
The pick is pretty hard to choose. You got a young and upcoming team in the Los Angeles Rams, and you have the New England Patriots. Both teams have great offenses and can do well on defense when given the opportunity. They will need to have their defenses in check for this one. It could be a high scoring affair between the two. As it is in a Dome stadium. Little to no wind will be in there. There can only be one who will win the ultimate prize. I choose...
The New England Patriots.
You will have to remember that Tom Brady put up nearly 500 passing yards last year and the defense was without Malcolm Butler. The Patriots are free of that distraction and can play whatever defense they want without the distraction of whatever took place last year. If Tom Brady wins the game he will get ring #6 and it would be cool to see him possibly ride off into the sunset with the most rings by a quarterback in NFL history. The Patriots are up for a big task against the Los Angeles Rams but if they can wade the storm and hang on they have a great shot to win. Best of luck!
Aftermath
Once the Super Bowl is over the blog will geta bit quieter since there is no football after this game. Let alone no football until August. Nevertheless, if something comes up between that time, I'll post it, football related or otherwise. Until then, enjoy the game, may the best team win.
-Tom
No comments:
Post a Comment