What a Championship Sunday we were gifted. The Saints, Rams, Chiefs, and Patriots all came to play in what was one of the, if not the, best playoff gamedays in recent memory. We came into Sunday with four of the NFL’s elite, and as the dust settled, two remain above the rest. In games surrounded by clutch touchdowns, clutch defensive plays, and absurd refereeing, Championship Sunday was one for the books. As the NFL is left with two teams, we’ll look ahead to the biggest game of the year.
New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Rams
Super Bowl 53 will be played in Atlanta this year. It’ll be a rematch of Super Bowl 36 with the New England Patriots once again facing the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams endured hard-fought, controversial victories to secure their spot in the big game. The New England Patriots defeated the Chiefs 37-31 in Arrowhead Stadium, while the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Saints 26-23. An in-depth look at both results can be seen here. Nevertheless, let’s get into the key components for each team if they want to bring home the Lombardi Trophy.
The Run Game
These are two of the best teams in the NFL when it comes to rushing offense. Both teams have elite quarterbacks, but when it comes to offense, the RBs may make all the difference. With Los Angeles, they have the RB tandem of Todd Gurley II and C.J. Anderson. One leads the league in touchdowns while the other is having a comeback season. As elite as the duo is, Gurley didn’t have his best game against the Saints. HC Sean McVay elected to have C.J. Anderson as RB2. Gurley only had only four carries for 10 yards in the NFC Championship. This could be bad news for the Rams.
C.J. Anderson has been great for LA, but if they’re going to get it done against a team like the Patriots, they need Gurley playing at his best. And I think that’s exactly what we’ll see. Anderson may be able to get you short gains with big bursts at points, but Gurley can do much more. Gurley can break down the Patriots receiving or running. With the weapons the Rams have, Gurley just adds another burden to Bill Belichick’s defensive gameplan when he splits out wide. To add to this, although Sean McVay hasn’t bothered to use Anderson and Gurley on the same play often, don’t be surprised if it happens here.
The running backs of New England, overall, have been playing as well as any in the league. They’re spearheaded by rookie RB Sony Michel and include RBs James White and Rex Burkhead. To put it simply, these backs do it all for the Patriots. Michel has been the leading threat for the Pats with five touchdowns in his two career playoff games. With 100+ yard performances in each of his games, it’ll be interesting to see how the Rams try to shut him down. The Rams did manage to keep the league’s “best” team to only 48 yards last week.
However, the Patriots are a different animal. And with that, Michel isn’t the only RB weapon. James White has been the receiving back threat nobody seems to be able to stop. If White doesn’t have it going running, he’ll certainly get it done with his hands. He leads all RBs in both receptions and receiving which Los Angeles is bound to respect. On top of that? Rex Burkhead might just be the best third-down back for this team when it comes to earning short gains. If any group of RBs can combat MVP-candidate Todd Gurley and re-emerging C.J. Anderson, it’s that of the New England Patriots.
The Secondary
As odd as it sounds, these two teams must have completely different mentalities when it comes to the play of the secondary. With the Rams, CBs Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib must prevent consistent short gains by the Patriots. As shown in their last two games, the Patriots love to eat up the clock. When the game is tight, the Patriots turn to WR Julian Edelman and TE Rob Gronkowski to make plays when it counts. New England doesn’t have any deep threats downfield, and almost all of their drives are constructed by short gain after short gain.
Of course, there are players all over the field that can make a difference for the Pats, but stopping Edelman and Gronkowski will make a huge difference. The Rams must have them as their top priorities if they have any chance of winning. In addition, when they recognize James White spreading out wide, they must be alert for any screens, or straight passing plays to him. If not, they’ll be served nasty bowls of gumbo. And also, they must avoid any history-changing P.I. penalties that may or may not be called to cost a team a championship.
For the Patriots, it’s the exact opposite – avoid the big-play. The Patriots know what WR Brandin Cooks can do to them if they let him get loose. The Rams are a team that are sure to be dependent on big play after big play. Cooks is fast, and that’ll be a job for CB Stephon Gilmore to stop. With the way McVay is able to get multiple receivers involved in the passing game, the Patriots secondary is going to have a huge burden on them. As I alluded to before, if Gurley breaks through for a long gain, it’ll be their jobs to make sure he doesn’t go into the end zone.
As seen throughout the season, the Patriots, at their best, only give up a few big plays. That’s a testament to the coaching of Bill Belichick, and he’s going to have to continue it. The Rams are dangerous, and as we can see, are one of the two best teams in the league. Their defense has been potent for most of the season, and it’ll be a challenge for the Patriots to slow down the plethora of playmakers they possess. The Rams don’t have Patrick Mahomes at the helm, but Jared Goff can certainly sling it as well.
The Coaching
Coaching is big in this game. Of course, in every game, you need to coach to win, but here it’s different. Old man Bill Belichick will be facing Sean McVay, who’s younger than Tom Brady. This truly is the game within the game, and both coaches have things they must do that might just give them the edge. With McVay, if I were him, I may elect to open the game with a slow tempo. A fast-paced offense against the Pats only means that they’ll have the ball for longer. Changes are never easy, but for the Rams to have a chance, they might need to slow down the offense. Taking their time with each play and not going no-huddle so early will make a difference.
On the other side of the ball, Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips will have a load of things to handle with the Patriots offense. 4th down is big as well. The Patriots simply won’t let up against anyone. If it’s 4th-and-1 around the 50-yard line, I’d elect to go for it. Another thing McVay doesn’t shy away from is trick plays. He’ll test the Patriots, and the Pats will be ready. It takes a special game to beat the Patriots in the playoffs, and it’ll be interesting to watch what adjustments McVay will make. McVay also has a huge task at hand if they’re behind with the game on the line – will he put the ball in the hands of Jared Goff or Todd Gurley? In the last game of the season, you must pull out all the tactics in order to win.
For Bill Belichick, all he has to do is keep being Bill Belichick. The greatest coach in the history of the NFL feasts on opponents when he has extended time to prepare. The key for Belichick? Keep taking gambles. 4th downs, wheel routes, and flea-flickers all must be in the arsenal for him and the Pats. With two weeks to prepare, Belichick will be at his best when coaching, and that’s what everyone expects. In this game, I expect him to lean on the passing game more than anything else. As seen throughout the Patriots’ two playoff games, they’re simply unstoppable when the ball is in Brady’s hands. Belichick never shies away from getting the ball to Rob Gronkowski or Julian Edelman even when the defense knows it’s coming their way.
Yes, his RBs are efficient. But where there’s a run game, there are defensive powerhouses Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh on the other side. If anything, to get the backs more involved, he might just have to elect for plays in which they’re in more of receiver roles. Of course, you can’t forget about Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels and Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores who’ll both be huge parts in these key points as well.
The Quarterbacks
The last key for the biggest game of the year is the most important position on the field – the quarterbacks. Tom Brady and Jared Goff face off in a battle between the accomplished veteran and the young gun. What do Tom Brady and Jared Goff have to do to win? To me, it’s hard to say. For Goff, his biggest challenge in this game might just be Tom Brady. At the tempo and pace the Patriots play, if they score, can Goff lead the Rams to answer back?
To me, Goff has the most pressure on him out of any player on the field. You’re going up against maybe the best franchise in NFL history. Will you be the one to slay the beast that is Brady? On the biggest stage in sports, Jared Goff has a chance to take down the greatest football player of all time and cement himself in history.
What’s the key for Brady? Keep being Brady. All through recent years, he has been counted out and said to be falling off a “cliff.” Look where he is now. Brady wants a ring for his other hand, and as the “baddest motherf****r” he is, he’s going to come to play. He simply has to be everything he’s been in the playoffs thus far. Brady is the best football player on the field.
To win, he must be the mini OC he is on the field. The biggest key with him may be the deep ball. The Patriots don’t a deep threat and don’t need one to win, but if Brady can connect a few, that again could be a difference as well. There’s not much to say about the QBs. They must show up and simply do their job.
With all of that, the score can go either way. This time around, instead of hearing my prediction, why not those of other PerSources staff members?
This is going to be one hell of a game, and everyone is here for it. Will Brady take home his sixth ring? Will Goff earn his first? Only time will tell, and I can’t wait any longer. What do you think will decide this game?