Super Bowl LIII

Dr Zaius

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New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Rams

So will you be watching? What about the halftime show?
 

TopT

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I'll watch, hoping NE loses but not holding my breath.

The past 2 or 3 half time shows have not been bad. In recent memory I think the best was 'The Who' & the worst was definitely 'The Rolling Stones'.
 

Vinnie

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I'll watch it tomorrow evening. Tried to stay up and watch it live but never got past half time. Just too late. Started doing this a few yrears ago and it is so much better. For a start, we get to skip over all those damned adverts!
Just need to stop all the push notifications on my phone!
 

Dr Zaius

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I'm intending to watch. However, my wife has vowed vengeance if I do, as she is still sore over the Saints debacle. So, I guess we'll see what happens... ?

As for game predictions, I agree with Shannon and Skip in the video above. The Rams have the better overall team, and a vastly better defense. But the Patriots are much more experienced in dealing with the pressure that a Super Bowl game creates for the players. If Tom Brady can win the war of time of possession and play keepaway, that may be just enough to tip the scales in the Patriots' favor. Two things will be key here.

First, will the Patriots be able to sustain a run game in the face of what will almost certainly be a concerted effort by the Rams to shut it down? The Rams will lose if they fail to shut down the run, because that gives Tom Brady too much time and too many ways to attack and monopolize the clock.

Second, will the Patriots' defense collapse like a wet noodle against the onslaught of the Rams' gang of superstar free agents? The Patriots are tight unit, many of them actually playing under market value in order to be a part of Belichick's machine. The Rams are more mercenary, but also more talented. If the Rams get in rhythm, they're going to feed off that and will be hard to beat. In the face of adversity, though, the Patriots probably have an edge in that they're more of a real team and Brady's leadership skills are as good as it gets. If things go sour for the Rams early on, the mercenary nature of their team structure could be a factor.

Anything could happen with two high-powered teams like this on the field. That said, I expect this game to be decided by a field goal, no more than a touchdown.

I don't really care one way or the other, but I have to root for the Rams a little bit because there's only one NFL franchise with six Super Bowls, and that's the Pittsburgh Steelers. And I don't want to see New England tie the Steelers' record.
 
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Vinnie

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I see it being a bit of a blow out, but I'm not certain who will win. Both teams have very strong defences and good offences. If the Patriots get the ball and get their noses in front, the Rams will have to resort to a fast paced passing attack which the Pat's Defence can rip apart and you'll see multiple turnovers. However, if the Rams stop the Pats attack on the ground, and theoir D is capable of doing so, then the Rams multi-function O is too much for the Pats D to contain and they are likely to lose heavily. It's a good balannce but I don't think it's going to be a close game in the end.
My prediction? Rams by 10 but that is based more heavily on friends being Jets and Bills fans so detesting the Pats.
 

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My prediction? Rams by 10 but that is based more heavily on friends being Jets and Bills fans so detesting the Pats.
That's what I'm saying!!! I am so tired of the Pats, and the Steelers, and the Broncos, and the Seahawks.

I would love to see a Lions/ Browns Super Bowl but that ain't happening in this lifetime :)
 

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Man, what a snoozer! I'm serious, this game is boring.
 

Dr Zaius

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I feel fairly secure in saying that Super Bowl LIII wasn't exactly the game most people had been expecting...

Two of the highest ranking offenses in the league, and New England with a fairly low ranked defense which just gave up three touchdowns in three possessions against Kansas City. Yet New England stuffed the Rams' offense in the lowest scoring game in Super Bowl history. How exactly did they manage that?

You can't argue it was Tom Brady, as Brady didn't have a particulary good day, going 21 of 35 including an interception on his first pass of the game. The story here was Bill Belichick's defense, which absolutely schooled the Rams' high-flying offense. The Rams were so flummoxed and overwhelmed, they made something like 50 total offensive yards in the whole first half and went 0-6 on third down conversions.

Wat? ?

Don't think many people saw that coming.

I guess as Yogi Berra once said: "It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future."
 
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Dr Zaius

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Skip argues this was Tom Brady's finest hour. Shannon argues this was Bill Belichick's mastery of preparation and designing plays to disrupt opponents.

Take your pick.


I'll give them credit, both Shannon and Skip make convincing arguments here. But at the end of the day, I think Shannon has it right.
 

Vinnie

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Really pleased to see the mvp go to Edelman. You coukd ha e argued for the entire defence to get it but no one pksyr stood out more than the receiver did.
 

Dr Zaius

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Pat's Defense was the MVP. Seemed like they had 13 players on the field.
Yeah, I agree. The Pat’s defense was the story of this game.

The Rams’ offense averages 33 points per game. Meaning the Pats held them to an amazing -30 versus their average, and they did it in a championship environment. The Pats offense, on the other hand, significantly underperformed its own average.

That being the case, I don’t see how a defensive player fails to get get the MVP. Not to mention Edelman was busted earlier this year for steroid use and suspended. As Shannon Sharpe points out in this video, under MLB rules Edelman would have been ineligible to play in the postseason or the Pro Bowl.

 

Ric of The LBC

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Yeah, I agree. The Pat’s defense was the story of this game.

The Rams’ offense averages 33 points per game. Meaning the Pats held them to an amazing -30 versus their average, and they did it in a championship environment. The Pats offense, on the other hand, significantly underperformed its own average.

That being the case, I don’t see how a defensive player fails to get get the MVP. Not to mention Edelman was busted earlier this year for steroid use and suspended. As Shannon Sharpe points out in this video, under MLB rules Edelman would have been ineligible to play in the postseason or the Pro Bowl.

The Edelman suspension feeds into the Pat haters narrative of being cheaters. If the Rams squeaked out the win then their defense would be the MVP. The Rams were not the same team after the week 12 bye.
 
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