On Feb. 3, the New England Patriots took on the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII.  The game took place in Mercedes Benz Stadium, which is the home to the Atlanta Falcons.  The Patriots went on to beat the Rams with the final score of 13-3.  This further cemented New England’s dynasty as one of the greatest teams in all of sports history. 

Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady of the NE Patriots seem like the best coach-quarterback duo the NFL has ever seen.  Somehow, even in their worst years, the Patriots manage to always just find a way to win. 

This year, the narrative had been much different than seasons past.  After falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, there was much speculation that Rob Gronkowski, the tight end and one of the best players for the Patriots, had plans to retire.

Also, Brady was entering his age 41 season, which is almost unprecedented for a quarterback, while Belichick was turning 66.

In addition to the fact that the core of the team was getting old, ESPN reported last season that there was much turmoil between Brady, Belichick, and owner Robert Kraft.  This led many to believe that the dynasty that has reigned over football for almost two decades and made million of NFL fans miserable was finally coming to an end.

However, despite all of these setbacks, the NE dynasty is yet to chage: Belichick and Brady have been able to out-smart and out-play the opposing teams. 

Many teams are on the rise, but none of them were able to stop the Patriots. NFL fans thought that the Rams were finally going to end the dynasty because this LA team displayed significant promise.

The Rams have the youngest coach in the league, 33 year-old Sean McVay, and quarterback Jared Goff, who just completed his third season in the NFL.  McVay is considered an offensive guru that can figure out any defense.  Within just two seasons in Los Angeles, he has become one of the most respected coaches in the game.

Then there is Goff.  In the 2016 NFL Draft, he was selected with the number one overall pick by the Rams.  Though Goff’s career started downhill, since teaming up with McVay, the offense has looked unstoppable without Goff.

The Kansas City Chiefs were also expected to compete with the Patriots for the AFC championship. The Chiefs are led by quarterback-whisperer Andy Reid and second-year quarterback and league MVP Patrick Mahomes.

However, even the Chiefs, who were 12-4 and the number one league in the AFC, were beaten twice by the Patriots this year. 

On Oct. 14, the Chiefs lost to the Patriots 43-40 in Foxborough.  During the rematch, on Jan. 20 at Arrowhead Stadium for the AFC championship game, the Chiefs were expected to win.  However, their comeback fell short, and they lost in overtime.  

The Rams and Chiefs will most likely run the NFL with their high-powered offenses for years to come, but they will continue to lag behind the Patriots. 

For the Super Bowl, the Patriots were favored by 2.5 points, and the over/under was 56.5.  This was expected to be a very close, high-scoring game.  However, Belichick was once again able to take over a game with his game plan.  He was able to turn the game into a defensive battle as he completely out-coached McVay, which the latter even admitted after the game.  

The Rams are a run heavy team led by superstar running back Todd Gurley.  However, the team only managed 62 rushing yards on 18 carries.  

This left the ball in Jared Goff’s hands, but the moment proved to be too big for him.  Belichick was able to limit the Rams offense to only three points for the entire game even though they scored 32.9 points per game during the regular season.

Goff completed 19 passes in 38 attempts, and he only threw 229 yards.  On top of this, he threw an interception during a critical moment in the game.  He was also sacked four times, which showed his inability to get rid of the ball at times, and he finished the game with a QBR of 13.4.

However, this was not all on Goff’s performance.  McVay also had some interesting play calls for the offense.  On 3rd and 22nd from the Rams 31 yard line with 10:25 left in a tied game, a situation where McVay has always taken a gamble and tried to pass the ball deep, McVay ran the ball to Gurley.  This play was very ineffective as they didn’t even come close to the first down marker.  

Then, on the next drive, the Patriots marched down the field for the first and only touchdown of the game.  By this point, the Patriots had already dominated time of possession 33 minutes to 27 minutes.  

The Rams defense had been on the field for the majority of the first half and they were exhausted.  The team drove all the way up to the New England 27 yard line.  However, on 2nd and 10, Belichick clearly demonstrated why he is considered one of the best coaches of all time.

There were only six blockers, the five offensive linemen and Todd Gurley, for the Rams, while there appeared to be six rushers, five defensive linemen and a linebacker for the Patriots.

However, the Patriots were faking a double coverage on Brandin Cooks, and as soon as the play began, one of defenders covering Cooks had a free path to the quarterback.  This caused the inexperienced Goff to throw the ball up for grabs, and Cornerback Stephon Gilmore was able to intercept the ball.  

This play sealed the deal for the Patriots as Belichick and Brady were once again able to call themselves league champions.  Although the Patriots offense did not play very well, with the lone bright spots being Super Bowl MVP wide receiver Julian Edelman, who had 141 yards, and running back Sony Michel, who had 94 yards, the Patriots were able to adapt and still win the game.

In this year’s Super Bowl, the Patriots were able to extend their dynasty, and Belichick and Brady were able to show why they are considered two of the greatest of all time.