Can the Rams' offense overcome Brady's greatness?
The Los Angeles Rams are heading to Atlanta to face off with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 53 as -2.5 point underdogs, according to Vegas.
Although it seems like Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are in every year, it is the first time in over three decades that Los Angeles has a team in the big game. Flashback to just three years ago-- Los Angelenos didn’t even have a football team to root for, let alone two playoff teams.
But we are back baby!
It is easy to dismiss the emerging Rams by saying this will be a lop-sided advantage for the seasoned Patriots, who have utterly dominated the playoffs for nearly two decades, but according to the ‘Madden 19’ simulation, the Rams are going to edge New England, 30-27.
The simulation has a proven track record and has been impressively accurate over the years. It has predicted 10 of the last 15 Super Bowl Champs and has even accurately predicted the final scores twice since they began doing the simulation in 2004.
But in order for the Rams to reign victorious and host a championship parade in LA, they will need to put together four good quarters of football and maybe even overtime.
They need to look like they did in the second half against the Saints in the NFC Championship for the entirety of the game if they want to beat Belichick and company, though according to the EA Sports simulation, they will have to rally to come back from a 17-3 halftime deficit.
In reality, the Rams will obviously need a great game out of Goff and Gurley, both, to stand a fighting chance on offense, while Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh will need to push the pocket into Brady’s comfort zone quickly and often.
The game will be won in the trenches and very much depends on the Rams offensive and defensive lines.
If LA’s big men are beat at the point of attack and can not get a push, it will certainly be a long day for Sean McVay and his coaching staff.
For Brady, this will be his unprecedented 40th playoff start and his chance at winning his sixth ring. He threw his first playoff touchdown pass 17 years ago against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl 36 when he won his first ship.
It seems as though Brady just keeps getting better with age. He has won 11 playoff games in the last five seasons alone and has more playoff wins under his belt than some NFL franchises.
I believe the Rams will need to put up more than 30 points to beat these guys. I predict a Patriot win, unless the Rams can put up 35 or more points.