Super Bowl LIII: Rams vs Patriots GoingFor2 Style
It’s that time of year again. The Super Bowl. America’s largest most watched sporting event of the year. Nothing even comes close to this event. And an event it is.
In our annual Super Bowl preview, I asked my writers a couple questions about the Super Bowl. The following are their answers. Enjoy…
Ryan Cearfoss
For the Rams to win this game _________ has to play well. And why?
Aaron Donald is the best defender in the game and needs to play like it. Tom Brady has yet to be sacked this postseason allowing for him to pick apart defenses with surgical precision. For the Rams to slow him down they need to pressure him and that all starts with Aaron Donald.
What matchup are you most looking forward to in this game?Â
Brandin Cooks vs Stephon Gilmore is a prime time matchup. Gilmore had an All-Pro season where he was asked to cover teams best receiver week in and week out. While it may be a debate who the Rams best receiver is its no question that Cooks possesses the ability to score on any given play. If Gilmore can take Cooks big-play ability away on his own it allows the rest of defense to focus on a run game that’s been the best in the league in the playoffs.
Who wins and what is the score?
My heart is saying the Rams but my brain says, Patriots. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have been there before with worse teams. The Patriots are healthy, have a ton of talent that fits their system, and can attack in a ton of ways. Patriots win 38-35
Ralph Uriarte Jr.
Rob Gronkowski is rumored to be considering retirement, do you think the outcome of this game will factor into his decision to come back or not? And why?
If you’re the Patriots and I told you there is one non-quarterback Player from the Rams that you could have removed from the game, who would that player be and why?Â
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Easy. Aaron Donald. Easily one of the best defensive lineman in the NFL, this man is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. Donald has 20.5 sacks this season. The man is on a mission. Tom Brady does like to be rattled. You put pressure on Brady and he makes mistakes. You hit Brady and he really gets uncomfortable. Aaron Donald is really good at hitting quarterbacks.
Who wins and what is the score?
You don’t bet against Tom Brady in the SB. Unless it’s against an NFC East team. The Patriots win this game. 34 -27.
Daniel Rosier
If you’re the Rams and I told you there is one non-quarterback player you could have removed from the game, who would that player be and why?Â
The right answer here is Rob Gronkowski purely because there is no one else on that roster that can do what he does – unless Dwayne Allen all of a sudden became inspired by C.J. Anderson‘s recent efforts from out of nowhere and steps up. But this is GOING FOR 2 and that’s exactly what I am going to do here; I think the L.A. Rams want no part of James White!
Hey! C’mon now hear me out! So a quick recap just in case you do not remember the last two Super Bowls:Â
In the 2016/17 Super Bowl against Atlanta, one of the greatest comebacks in any sport that I’ve ever witnessed happened and the focal point of said performance was James White (who was the People’s MVP at least) who had a 6-29-2 TD game on the ground with, oh, you know 16-14-140-1 TD game in the air. So, 20 combined Touches with 169 combined Yards and 3 TDS? In a Super Bowl? Wow. In the 2017/18 Super Bowl, James White punched a 7-45-1TD game on the ground with another 6-2-21 in the air against Philadelphia. So 9 total Touches with 66 combined yards and 1 TD, still, in a loss? Not as involved as you’d think considering the year prior, but he was their leading Rusher on the day, yet White was not as involved in the Passing game as much as he could have been. However, last years Receivers roster was (I believe) much, much deeper so I think that tilts in his favor to be more involved again as it seems to be not their biggest strength this season.
They’ll (the Rams) plan for Rob Gronkowski to make sure what he did to the Chiefs won’t happen to them. They’ll plan for Julian Edelman as their likely top possession Receiver. They’ll plan for Sony Michel through the middle. My gut feeling is that James White could be the forgotten man, again. With a 17-15-97 in the Receiving game against an impressive L.A. Chargers Defence two weeks ago, I’d expect that to be the play for Tom Brady. Plenty of quick releases in the backfield and let him loose and get those chunk yards in open space.Â
So for me, James White is the guy I would select here. Stop laughing at me…
Todd Gurley, after being an MVP candidate in the regular season, had four carries for 10 yards in the NFC Championship game. There is speculation that he is either more injured then the Rams have let on or there is some disagreement with the coaching staff, either way, can the Rams win this game if Gurley is once again a non-factor?Â
Look I don’t think it would make life easier, I’m not that stupid to believe or suggest to you that the Rams would be better off without Todd Gurley, no one would. But – if the question is can the Rams win a Super Bowl against the Patriots without Todd Gurley my initial response is this: the Patriots lost a Super Bowl to Nick Foles last year, so why can’t the Rams win a Super Bowl without Todd Gurley and an in-form C.J. Anderson?
Of course, they can win without Todd Gurley, why not? It’s the Super Bowl, anything can happen! C.J. Anderson has literally outplayed Todd Gurley in the last two weeks against New Orleans and Dallas, two of the better Run Defenses in 2018. C.J. Anderson has been there before and if anyone could be a calming presence on the field next to Super Bowl debutant Jared Goff it would probably be the one guy on the Rams roster who can actually say that he has ‘been there and won that’ before.Â
But none of this will matter, they’ll probably pound 30-odd touches into a motivated and inspired Todd Gurley in a week and this won’t matter.
Who wins and what is the score?
When the lights are brightest, Tom Brady is the star. He was devastating in the AFC Championship Game and showed that killer instinct against Kansas that gave you the sense that it was over, the result felt inevitable when they had the first possession in overtime and I believe that mentality and effort carry over into the Super Bowl.
The New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams, 38-31.
Matthew Garrett
The Rams have a now-famous audible system in which they use celebrity names like Ric Flair, Elvis, and Tupac. The most famous of these audibles was the Halle Berry call that prompted the actress to ask Jared Goff via Twitter what the deal was with them using her name. If you could choose a celebrity name for Jared Goff and the Rams to use in the Super Bowl, who would it be and why?Â
With the way New Orleans has been behaving this past week because of that blown call I’d start using any famous person from the Crescent City just to troll. They’ve been embarrassing themselves so why not throw salt in the wound, right?
Lil’ Wayne, Reese Witherspoon, Louis Armstrong, Big Freedia, King Rex, Birdman and anyone else I could find.
Seriously, this answer is easy: 2 Chainz.
Imagine, Goff is in the shotgun and sees that a linebacker is guarding Gurley in the slot. He goes to the line and screams:
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YUIgWluA7o[/embedyt]Also, the game takes place in the land where 2 Chainz is from and still resides: Atlanta.
America deserves this.
The Rams have just won the Super Bowl, and the game’s MVP is __________. And why?Â
The popular answer is Goff or Gurley but I’m going to the other side of the ball. If the Rams win this game then Aaron Donald has dominated the interior of the Patriot’s offensive line. It’s no secret that you have to get pressure up the middle with your front four if you want to beat Brady. Luckily, for LA, they have a guy who led the league in sacks at 20.5.(that’s Aaron Donald if you haven’t figured it out yet).
The other key is not letting New England’s receivers get free releases. That offense is based on timing and killing you by 1,000 paper-cuts so if you can even somewhat jam your receiver at the line it gives Donald that extra second needed to put his hands on Brady. McVay is an offensive wizard but Wade Philips is going to have to win this one.
Who wins and what is the score?
I bet against Tom Brady when the played the Chargers and Chiefs and I’m not going to do it again. Belichick has feasted on many young quarterbacks and I think he does it one more time. Hopefully, for America, this ends the Patriots dynasty and we can come outside again. I doubt it, though.
Patriots 27, Rams 20
Gerson Aguirre
If you’re the Patriots and I told you there is one non-quarterback Player from the Rams that you could have removed from the game, who would that player be and why?Â
Aqib Talib is the player that I would say is the most important player to take away from the Rams. The reason is for the way he has transformed the Rams defense from below average defense to an elite defense toward the end of the season and in the playoffs.
What matchup are you most looking forward to in this game?Â
Patriots offensive Line vs Rams defensive line. I believe the team that wins this match-up will have a big advantage in controlling the game. Patriots gave Brady all the time in the world vs K.C. Chiefs — allowing zero Sacks. While the Rams defensive line forced 2 sacks, 7 QB hits, 6½ tackles for loss with four passes deflected. The biggest play was Dante Fowler hitting Drew Brees‘ arm forcing an INT allowing the Rams to win. When Brady loses he is usually getting pressure up front like Giants in 2007 and last year against the Eagles defense.
Who wins and what is the score?
Patriots 28 Rams 24
Dan Turner
Todd Gurley, after being an MVP candidate in the regular season, had four carries for 10 yards in the NFC Championship game. There is speculation that he is either more injured then the Rams have let on or there is some disagreement with the coaching staff, either way, can the Rams win this game if Gurley is once again a non-factor?Â
Is it possible that the Rams can win this game if Gurley doesn’t play? Yes, it is. Los Angeles boasts some of the best offensive weaponry in the league, even with the injuries to Cooper Kupp and Todd Gurley. That being said, it will make the job much more difficult for the Rams, because taking away Gurley will take away a major problem that Bill Bellicheck will have to gameplan for. The Patriots excel at taking away one area of the opposing offense, and if Gurley doesn’t play, they can put a majority of the focus on Jared Goff. CJ Anderson has been doing a solid job in relief of Gurley, but nobody is staying up at night worrying about him. If Gurley can’t play, the Rams are in trouble.
What matchup are you most looking forward to in this game?Â
Patriots Interior Offensive line vs Rams Defensive line. In the Super Bowls that Tom Brady has lost to the Giants and Eagles, the key to making him uncomfortable has always been interior pressure without blitzing. In Ndamukong Suh, Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald, along with a resurgent Dante Fowler,  the Rams have as good a D-line as your going to find. The Patriots interior line of Shaq Mason, David Andrews and Joe Thuney have been able to keep Brady clean so far, but they haven’t met a challenge like this. If the Rams can put pressure with their D-line and not blitz, they will have a great chance of winning this game.
Who wins and what is the score?
The Patriots will have 2 weeks to prepare for the Rams and Jared Goff. I believe that Bill Bellicheck will come up with a masterful defensive plan to confuse Goff, who has had some shaky moments of late. I think this one won’t be as close as everyone is expecting, and the Patriots win 37-17.
Reginald Woodson
The Rams have a now-famous audible system in which they use celebrity names like Ric Flair, Elvis, and Tupac. The most famous of these audibles was the Halle Berry call that prompted the actress to ask Jared Goff via Twitter what the deal was with them using her name. If you could choose a celebrity name for Jared Goff and the Rams to use in the Super Bowl, who would it be and why?Â
I’m just not a mainstream guy, in my younger days I was a top-level cinephile, and if your movie game doesn’t go back into the 80s I’ll probably be out on an island in this one.
The celebrity name I would like to hear (and most certainly only me) for a Los Angeles Rams audible would be “Ganz”, or maybe James Remar. Ganz – played by Remar – was the ruthless trigger-happy baddie Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy was chasing in 48 HRS.
In my opinion Ganz and his scruffy beard favor Rams coach Sean McVay and his patented 5 o’clock shadow. If you look at his offenses the past two years, you can tell they share in their trigger happiness and ruthlessness towards opposing coaches.
Okay, if you don’t remember Ganz or don’t know who Remar is – more recently he can be found on the CW network’s Black Lightning outfitting the titular character with his gear – I have someone more relevant. Maybe you’ve seen my tweets that third-year QB Jared Goff resembles actor Ryan Gosling. Who, now that I think of it more, might be a more apropos celebrity name – La La Land (see winner prediction below).
Rob Gronkowski is rumored to be considering retirement, do you think the outcome of this game will factor into his decision to come back or not? And why?
Tough to say. Gronk’s injury folder shames bouncer extraordinaire Dalton’s (the late Patrick Swayze in Roadhouse, sorry for yet another movie reference) medical records. The guy is free-spirited, he’s a champion, he’s been considered the game’s best tight end for several years, but his impact in the passing game dropped off significantly this season.
What does he have to play for, if we’re going to increasingly hear his name mentioned more as an excellent blocker? Win or lose he could decide to hang up his cleats, but maybe he loves the game and wants to continue on for the camaraderie.
If he has a memorable performance or game-deciding play, and the Patriots win, perhaps he should walk away to end his career on a fitting high note.
Who wins and what is the score?
Belichick versus a young starting QB and a 30-something head coach… the odds couldn’t be better for the Pats. However, I like the Rams getting done in the trenches and a mellow neutral crowd to allow Ganz… ahem, McVay to work his magic in Goff’s helmet to lead the Rams to a 37-33 victory.
And if not, like Nolte told Ganz in the final scene of 48 HRS, “You’re done. End of story.”
Courtney Harden
If you’re the Patriots and I told you there is one non-quarterback Player from the Rams that you could have removed from the game, who would that player be and why?Â
That player would be Aaron Donald. He is arguably the best defensive player in the game today. As a dominating interior lineman, he is a beast and causes so much havoc in the middle of the Rams’ defense. Donald led the entire NFL with 20.5 sacks and 106 quarterback pressures. Donald is such a relentless weapon for the Rams, he can beat double teams by himself. The Patriots will their hardest to limit Donald from getting pressure on quarterback Tom Brady.
The Rams have a now-famous audible system in which they use celebrity names like Ric Flair, Elvis, and Tupac. The most famous of these audibles was the Halle Berry call that prompted the actress to ask Jared Goff via Twitter what the deal was with them using her name. If you could choose a celebrity name for Jared Goff and the Rams to use in the Super Bowl, who would it be and why?Â
Chris Hemsworth aka Thor of the Avengers. Thor’s character in this comic book movie series carries a hammer as his weapon. The name of the play would refer to the Rams to “put the Hammer down” meaning it’s time to put the opponent away.
Who wins and what is the score?
Patriots 32-23. You just can’t bet against this squad of Tom Brady and Coach Bill Belichick, looking for their 6th Super Bowl win.
Tyler Reynolds
For the Patriots to win this game _________ has to play well. And why?
If the Patriots want to win this game the interior offensive line has to play well. Going against the best defensive player in the NFL in Aaron Donald and a very skilled Ndamukong Suh, the Pats interior O-Line will need to do everything in their power to keep Tom Brady upright and open up holes for the Patriots run game. It is close to impossible to shut down Donald and Suh but if they can slow them down the Patriot offense should be able to do enough on offense to send them to their sixth Lombardi trophy.
Todd Gurley, after being an MVP candidate in the regular season, had four carries for 10 yards in the NFC Championship game. There is speculation that he is either more injured then the Rams have let on or there is some disagreement with the coaching staff, either way, can the Rams win this game if Gurley is once again a non-factor?Â
Todd Gurley will be a HUGE part in this game. If the Rams can feed Gurley and milk the clock to keep Tom Brady off of the field and their defense rested it will give the Rams the best chance to win this game. However, if Gurley is once again a non-factor I do not think the Rams can beat the Patriots.
Who wins and what is the score?
It is so hard to bet against Tom Brady and every time I do it backfires. With that being said I’m going to bet against Brady again and say the Rams win this game. I think Gurley has a successful day and Brandin Cooks has a monster day against his former team. Rams win 27-23.
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