Patriots defeat Rams, win Super Bowl 53 and sixth NFL championship

The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53 by a score of 13-3, the lowest-scoring championship game in NFL history.

Game, set, match.

The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 13-3 on Sunday – the lowest scoring Super Bowl in NFL history. Receiver Julian Edelman was named the game’s MVP after securing 10 catches for 141 yards. He became just the seventh wide receiver in history to take home Super Bowl MVP hardware for his performance.

“Tough times don’t last. Tough people do. I preach that… I have to try to live to that,” Edelman said after the game.

The last Patriot not named Tom Brady who took home MVP honors was Deion Branch in Super Bowl XXXIX against the Philadelphia Eagles. Branch had 11 catches for 133 yards that day; Edelman, at the very least, equaled that mark, if not exceeded it outright. Especially when considering how points were at a premium in this contest, it’s particularly impressive to see Edelman’s final stat line.

Much like Tom Brady experienced a roller-coaster of emotions during the Patriots’ 2016 season (he was suspended for the first four games of the regular season before coming back to eventually win the Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP), this was Edelman’s turn. The tough slot receiver missed the first four games of the regular season while serving a suspension for PEDs before returning to the team and immediately making an impact on his arrival.

Especially after Josh Gordon stepped away from the team in the wake of a failed drug test, it was Edelman who became Brady’s go-to target and the team’s leading receiver.

The Patriots won Super Bowl 53 – and their record-tying sixth NFL championship – largely on the back of a superb defensive performance. It’s not everyday that the Rams’ high-flying offense gets subdued to the tune of just three points – especially with so much on the line. But Bill Belichick, Brian Flores, and the rest of the Patriots defense did just that on Sunday: they stifled the Rams’ offense, forcing them to punt on their first eight drives at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

For all their fanfare, the L.A. Rams couldn’t get anything going Sunday night. The run game was held below 100 yards (62 yards total), extending the Patriots to a perfect unbeaten mark on the2018/2019 season when they hold their opponent below the century line.

Former Patriot Brandin Cooks led all Rams skill players with eight receptions for 120 yards, but it wasn’t enough to bring a trophy back to Southern California. Rams quarterback Jared Goff finished with a rating of just 57.9, completing exactly half his pass attempts for 229 yards and a pick.

All Pro New England cornerback Stephon Gilmore stepped up when the team needed him most, snagging a timely interception off Goff with less than five minutes left on the game. A couple successful Sony Michel runs later, and the Patriots were celebrating their record-tying sixth NFL championship.