ATLANTA – Move over Steelers, you have a Lombardi Trophy co-leader in the clubhouse.
New England’s Tom Brady and the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff traded turns for more than three quarters leading their offenses to nothing but single matching field goals in Super Bowl LIII Sunday night.
And then, as he has done in the fourth quarter in so many Super Bowls, Brady took control of this one and choked the life out of the Rams.
Brady led the Patriots to the only touchdown of the game midway through the fourth quarter as New England won its sixth Super Bowl, tying the Steelers for most Vince Lombardi Trophies in history.
The final score of 13-3 is the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history, ironically between two of the top-four scoring teams from the season.
The team of Brady and coach Bill Belichick raised their record in Super Bowls to 6-3 since they beat the then-St. Louis Rams 17 years ago to the day for their first. They are 2-1 in the past three Super Bowls.
“This is unbelievable. This is amazing. This is surreal,’’ said Woodland Hills High grad Rob Gronkowski, whose big catch set up the only touchdown of the game. “That was the best team win. Everyone played together.”
Wide receiver Julian Edelman, who caught 10 passes for 141 yards – several on key third downs – was named MVP of the game.
Goff, the 24-year-old Rams quarterback, had a first-down at New England’s 27 after the Patriots went ahead 10-3. However, Brandin Cooks let what would have been a touchdown pass slip through his hands. On the next play, Goff’s underthrown pass was intercepted by New England’s Stephon Gilmore at the two.
The Patriots then drove toward Stephen Gostkowski’s 41-yard field goal with 1:12 left to ensure the victory.
With the game tied 3-3 with 9:49 left, the crowd of 70,081 heavily packed with Patriots fans began chanting “Brady, Brady, Brady” as New England took the field at its 31.
The 41-year-old quarterback came out and completed passes on his first four plays. He went to Gronkowski for 18 yards on the right, to Julian Edelman for 13 over the middle, to Rex Burkhead for 7 on the left.
And then Gronk caught the fourth – a deep one for 29 yards to the two.
“I just come through whenever it needs that time,’’ said Gronkowski, who caught six for 87 yards. “He knows to trust in me and throw that ball and I’m going to go grab it.”
Rookie Sony Michel bounced in from there for a two-yard touchdown run that put New England back on top 10-3.
In 2:49, Brady moved the Patriots 69 yards on five plays to score with seven minutes left after coming up TD empty for most of the night. He had one of his worst statistical games with a 71.4 passer rating, but he came up big near the end.
Los Angeles, which averaged 32.9 points per game as the second-highest scoring team last season, cracked the scoreboard for the only time with 2:11 left in the third quarter. Greg Zuerlein’s 53-yard field goal tied the game 3-3, the second-longest kick in Super Bowl history by a yard.
The high-flying Rams, though, never scored again and never displayed any kind of the firepower they flashed for much of the regular season. Goff, with a 57.9 passer rating, and his receivers were mostly terrible. The young quarterback was sacked four times, intercepted once and completed just 19 of his 38 passes.
Los Angeles needed a blown pass interference non-call to escape the New Orleans Saints in the NFC championship. It had no such good luck Sunday night.
The first half will go down in history as one of the worst-played offensive Super Bowl games even though the two teams ranked in the top four in scoring in 2018.
New England’s 3-0 lead was the second-lowest-scoring half only to the Steelers 2-0 lead over the Vikings in Super Bowl IX.
Brady threw an interception in field goal range to end the game’s first series and Gostkowski missed a 46-yard field goal.
Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, who committed the famous pass interference that was not called two weeks ago in New Orleans, tipped Brady’s first pass of the game. Linebacker Corey Littleton intercepted at the 27.
New England’s long second drive put them back within field goal distance again, but this time Gostkowski sent his 46-yard kick wide left and it remained scoreless. It was the first missed kick in Mercedes-Benz Stadium this season after kickers went 31-for-31.
The Patriots third drive again reached LA territory but on third down at the 40, Aaron Donald grabbed Brady, forcing him into an incompletion.
In all New England’s nine Super Bowls, the Patriots have scored just three points in the first quarter.
New England’s fourth drive finally ended the game’s scoreless streak. Gostkowski was good this time from 42 yards to give the Patriots the first lead at 3-0 with 10:29 left in the first half.
The two offenses slogged through the rest of the way until Brady put his stamp on things and marched his New England Patriots into history. Again.
Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com and Twitter @EdBouchette.
First Published: February 4, 2019, 3:10 a.m.
