The New England Patriots will take on the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. This, of course, is nothing new for the Patriots, who have now appeared in five Super Bowls in the last 10 years and nine Super Bowls in the last 18 years. But it’s something new for the Rams, with it being their first Super Bowl since February 2002 when they were called the St. Louis Rams and lost, coincidentally, to the Patriots.
This isn’t just a battle of the Rams versus the Patriots, but a battle between an up-and-coming team and a dynasty. Sean McVay, head coach of the Rams, just turned 33 years old and is the youngest head coach ever to be in a Super Bowl. In fact, McVay played against Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman while in college. According to ESPN, Edelman commented on this fact by saying, “… he’s a stud. He is my age and he’s leading an organization to a Super Bowl.”
This is also Rams’ quarterback, Jared Goff’s, first Super Bowl appearance and only fourth career playoff start. After struggling to find his rhythm in his rookie season, McVay came in and turned the corner, making him a top 10 quarterback in passing yards and top six quarterbacks in passing touchdowns over the past two seasons.
“It’s a great challenge for our football team because these guys are the epitome of really the standard, the consistency at which you operate,” said McVay in a recent press conference when asked about the challenges they will be facing when up against Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. “It’s an incredible opportunity to compete against them.”
For the Patriots, this is Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady’s 19th season together; the duo will be going for their sixth Super Bowl victory, which would be tied for the most in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Like McVay and Goff, the Patriots duo made it to their first Super Bowl in just their second season together.
History seems to be siding with the Patriots, and they are currently listed as a 2.5-point Vegas favorite. The game will kick off at 3:30 PT in Atlanta for the final matchup of the 2019 NFL season. The broadcast will be on CBS.