NFL Countdown: Super Bowl LIII the final hurrah in Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's Patriots dynasty
Super Bowl LIII was the last dance for the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick show, although no one knew it at the time. Perhaps fate provided some signals that we all missed. The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3, in a game that few neutrals will remember fondly.
Flashback to Super Bowl LIII: Stephon Gilmore makes the game sealing interception and the Patriots capture their SIXTH Super Bowl Ring 🏆🔥 https://t.co/f2J5XLFp5o
For fans of the Patriots, it was the culmination of a dynasty, the second they had witnessed in the Brady and Belichick era. Victory over the Rams at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta saw New England add Lombardi number six to the trophy cabinet.
Eighteen years earlier, the Patriots had set the foundation for nearly two decades of dominance by winning their first NFL Championship in Super Bowl XXXVI. On that fateful day, fittingly, it was the St. Louis Rams who were the opponents.
The Patriots are World Champions!
Super Bowl XXXVI game highlights. https://t.co/vmEA8SzSQC
Super Bowl LIII: The Defenses Dominate
Under their offensive whizzkid head coach, Sean McVay, the Rams went from a 4-12 no-hoper to a 13-3 Super Bowl team in just two seasons. While the Rams entered the game as slight underdogs, many experts picked them to overcome the Patriots in a shootout.
New England had lost out the previous year in an all-time classic against the Philadelphia Eagles, and a large proportion of fans were expecting a similar encounter this time around. With Los Angeles boasting the second-ranked offense in the league, chances appeared to be favorable.
Instead, what the teams served up was a combination of top quality defense and abject offense, as the game entered the fourth quarter tied at 3-3. A Sony Michel touchdown on a two-yard rush and a late Stephen Gostkowski field goal was enough to see the New England Patriots over the line.
Great blocks by Trent Brown on Ethan Westbrooks and James Develin on Mark Barron lead to the only touchdown of Super Bowl LIII. https://t.co/AF0G0dTXOF
Record-breaking year for all the wrong reasons
Fans of the New England Patriots will not care, but Super Bowl LVIII holds many unwanted records. On a positive note, both Tom Brady and Bill Belichick extended their own records for most Super Bowl wins. Brady went two clear of Joe Montana and Belichick, extending his lead over Chuck Noll.
Meanwhile, Jason and Devin McCourty became the first twins to ever play in the same Super Bowl. Both suited up for the New England Patriots in what was a special moment for the McCourty family.
Shoutout to Jason McCourty (@McCourtyTwins) on a great career! Enjoy retirement!
Never forget his INCREDIBLE touchdown saving play in Super Bowl LIII vs the LA Rams! #Patriots https://t.co/XhWdSOT16Y
However, for NFL statisticians, the match-up is remembered for entirely different reasons. The thirteen points scored by the Patriots were the fewest points ever scored by a winning team in Super Bowl history, with the sixteen total points also securing an unwelcome record. The teams managed to combine for the fewest total touchdowns, PATs and kick-off returns.
Los Angeles also broke the record for consecutive drives, ending with a punt with a grand total of eight. All that practice may have loosened the leg of Rams punter Johnny Hekker, who broke the record for longest punt in Super Bowl history when he unleashed a 65-yard bomb.
Highlight of the night (so far): Johnny Hekker uncorking a 65-yard punt, the longest punt in Super Bowl history! (via @thecheckdown)
https://t.co/qKqD5XclGG
The partnership between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick only lasted for one more season, as they suffered defeat in the Wild Card round against the Tennessee Titans. Brady's last ever pass for the Patriots was intercepted by his former teammate Logan Ryan.
That off-season TB12 shocked the NFL world when he announced that, after a 20-year career in Foxborough, he would be moving on, eventually joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since then, rumors have swirled regarding what brought an end to Brady's tenure.
While neither Brady nor Belichick have spoken publicly, the prevailing belief appears to be that TB12 felt disrepected and unheard, before eventually losing patience with Belichick’s oppressive coaching style.
We may have to wait a while longer to hear the true story, but what isn't up for debate is the fact that between them, Brady and Belichick formed the greatest QB/HC duo in NFL history.