Pat’s update: Do not go troll Turf Show Times. You are warned. Don’t do it.
It wasn’t pretty, but the New England Patriots have matched the Pittsburgh Steelers for total Lombardi Trophies. The Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl 53, marking their sixth championship. It fittingly ended with Greg Zuerlein missing a field goal at the end to try and turn it into a one-possession game.
It was not a particularly entertaining football game. Defensive enthusiasts will have something to say about that, but for a league that has worked to grow offensive showings, this was decidedly not that. It finished as the lowest scoring Super Bowl in NFL history, surpassing the Miami Dolphins 14-7 win over Washington in Super Bowl 7. We had no touchdowns the first three quarters, and there was a real chance at no touchdowns. But alas, a couple big passes to Rob Gronkowski set up a Sony Michel touchdown.
Jared Goff and the Rams followed up Michel’s score with an impressive drive that looked like it might result in an equalizer. Instead, Goff threw a pass that was short of Brandin Cooks and in turn picked off by Stephon Gilmore. Neither offense could get going, but the Patriots did just enough to get the win.
Frankly, I think Nick Mullens would have put together a better effort against the Patriots. That being said, the big winner in this one is probably the defensive mind of Bill Belichick, as he took the two weeks of prep and shut down the Rams offense. Jared Goff deserves some blame for a mostly abysmal performance, but Belichick’s scheming was a big reason for that. But Mullens would have done better!
The good news for 49ers fans is the season is officially over. We’ve been waiting for the offseason for a month now, and it’s finally here. Next up is the NFL Combine later this month, then free agency in March and the NFL Draft in April. It’s roster building time!