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The Patriots are Super Bowl Champs…Again

The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl 53, winning their sixth Championship.

One year ago today, New England lost to Philadelphia in a game that most expected Super Bowl 53 to mirror. A game where the phrase, “Defense wins Championships” is crumpled up and thrown out of a window. A game that has more trick plays than punts, and offensive coaches have a field day. A lot can remembered about Super Bowl 52’s incredible offensive heavyweight bout. However, the one lasting memory for most New England fans is the defense choking when it mattered most.

If there were any predictions for the game last night, they most likely were centered around an offensive outburst. Most people were assuming this would be another bloodbath, similar to the Chiefs-Rams Week 11 matchup that ended 54-51. Maybe not to the extent of 105 combined points, but it is Tom Brady and Sean McVay so it was a possibility. What we got instead was pound for pound football that exemplified this Patriots team resolve in more ways than one.

One could argue Tom Brady would have already had six rings coming into the 2018 season. Brady did after all throw for 505 yards and three touchdowns in Super Bowl 52. But that still wasn’t enough to overcome Matt Patricia’s sorry excuse for a defense. The Malcolm Butler argument can be made all day long but nothing was slowing down Nick Foles that night. This year however, it was the defense who helped Brady capture his record sixth ‘chip.

From Stephon Gilmore to Dont’a Hightower to Jason McCourty, every defensive player on the field made a play. Whether it was Gilmore’s last minute interception or Jason McCourty’s touchdown saving pass breakup, it was the defense who won the game this time around. There has never been a Super Bowl performance quite like the one we saw last night, and Tom Brady and the offense are beyond grateful. Brian Flores forever left his mark on New England lore, helping architect the best defensive performance in Super Bowl history. He will be sorely missed when he heads south to Miami.

Even though getting yards wasn’t an issue offensively, getting past the Rams 40 yard line was. It seemed like every drive ended with a long field goal attempt or a punt at the L.A. 45. This field position certainly helped the defense, but scoring points would have been far more helpful.

If there was one diamond in the rough for the offense last night, it was Julian Edelman. JE11 turned in perhaps his best game in a Patriot uniform, totaling 141 yards on ten receptions. The Rams Pro Bowl caliber cornerbacks could do nothing to stay in coverage, and no matter what Nickell Robey-Coleman says, they could not stop him. This immaculate performance led the way for the offense, and landed Jules his first Super Bowl MVP.

Julian Edelman shined when it mattered most, taking home the MVP award for Super Bowl 53.

Rob Gronkowski, in what could be his final game, looked like vintage Gronk, going for 87 yards and setting up the game’s only touchdown. Other than those two, the only other Patriot to have a solid offensive night was Sony Michel, who once again scored and had over 90 yards rushing. This was his third straight postseason game with a score and at least 90 yards on the ground, and he could have a monster next year as long as the offensive line stays intact.

Sony Michel scored the only touchdown of the game, capping off his incredible 2018 postseason.

In the end, this game was what no one expected and few wanted. Most people in New England would tell you they wanted a blowout and at least 40 points. Most of America would tell you they wanted the same thing, but in the Rams favor. However, if you look past the boring incomplete passes and negative rushing attempts, you’ll find that this game is what the Patriots are all about. They’re not a one dimensional team like Kansas City, where if the offense doesn’t score then they have no chance of winning.

The New England Patriots always preach that it takes all three phases, offense, defense, special teams, to win football games. That’s what Super Bowl 53 was, an all around effort with each group coming up clutch when they needed to. Without each player doing their job and stepping up to the plate when it mattered most, we would be sitting here thinking about what could have been. Instead? We wake up six time Super Bowl Champions and get ready for our second parade in 100 days.

The Genius of Sean McVay and his Upcoming Chess Match with Bill

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Watching Sean McVay call plays on offense is like watching someone paint. True art, beautiful design, Sean McVay is a true innovator. All someone needs to be a head coach these days is have a cup of coffee with him. Let’s take a look into what McVay does best and how Flores and Belichick can stop him.

McVay and his misdirections

To start, McVay makes a living off of misdirections and different offensive line shifts. This freezes the second and third levels of the defense. Against the Saints, he called play actions and pulled his guards to one side of the field, then had Goff throw to the opposite side. This froze the linebackers and forced them to go up and play the run, while his receivers quickly got open. This will be hard for the Patriots to defend against as they will be looking to stop the rushing attack early. Expect these tricky play action passes early in the game to try and create uncertainty for that Patriots defense.

Stop the run

One key for the Patriots will be stopping the Rams in 11 personnel (one runningback and one tight end). The Rams run out of that personnel at the highest rate in the NFL, and will look to find success out of that formation early. The goal is to unleash their play action pass, which is their forte, and a weakness of the Patriots. The Eagles early establishment of their run game last year was extremely detrimental to the Patriots defense, and ended up deciding the game. That defense could not stop a nosebleed. Hopefully history does not repeat itself. Expect the Patriots to take the ball to start the game if they can. They want to dictate the game and make the Rams play catch up with them. Both teams will want to start fast, put points on the board, and expose the other team’s defense early.

Belichick’s starting alignment

Belichick will likely start the defense by lining up one defensive tackle in the A-gap and then another in the B-gap. Look for the defensive starters to look something like Flowers, Butler, Guy, and then the surprising Adrian Clayborn. Belichick will likely line up both ends in a seven or nine technique off the very edge of the tackles to establish the edge. This will force Gurley and Anderson inside. This will also keep Goff in the pocket and give him struggles, as he has struggled identifying edge pressure before.

Fighting against the misdirections and nifty play action McVay calls will not be easy. Although the Bears and Lions had success with the strategy of straight up ignoring it earlier this season.

Will McVay be enough?

The key will be stopping the run early to prevent Los Angeles from really digging into their playbook in that first half. Winning the first half will be key for the Patriots to win as getting into a shootout with this Rams team is not something anyone wants to do. The good news is the gameplan has been similar for the Patriots in both playoff games. If the Patriots can stick to the gameplan on defense and start hot, McVay and his genius mind will not be enough to finish on top.

Takeaways from Opening Night

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The Patriots are Loose

Opening night at the Super Bowl is the new Media Day. Both teams have an hour to speak to all the media throughout the world. They are asked questions about everything from the game to their favorite food. The Rams were first and they just seem happy to be there. I don’t see that desire they want it bad enough like the Patriots do. Jared Goff looks caught up in the moment and so does head coach Sean McVay. They were introduced individually while the Patriots were introduced as a team. Remember in Super Bowl XXXVI the Patriots started the custom of being introduced as a team.

The Patriots are ready to play on Sunday

The Patriots look loose and ready to go. Rob Gronkowski was dancing before being introduced, which could be his last time at opening night. They all seemed relaxed and not caught up in the moment. Bill Belichick was dressed in a suit proving that this is a business trip and there’s still work to do on Sunday. Devin McCourty hinted that he could retire after the Super Bowl after winning with his brother, there’s really nothing else that would top that. Brady loves the haters saying “What do we do about the haters? We love ‘em, We love them back because we don’t hate back. We appreciate it, we love them, and we wish them the best in their life.”

This is nothing new to this Patriots team which gives them the edge. Also, this is a home game for them. Tom Brady got the biggest ovation from the crowd and Jared Goff looked nervous sitting right next to him. Brady wasn’t about to give Goff any advice for being in his first Super Bowl. Goff was only seven when the Patriots won back in 2002. Aquib Talib and Tom Brady joked about when Talib was in at receiver one time during practice.

The Patriots don’t care too much what people think or say. They just show up and perform on the field on Sunday. But the Rams look uptight while the Patriots look loose and ready to go.

How Did it Happen? Patriots are Atlanta Bound

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At almost every turn this regular season, the Patriots found themselves doubted. Constantly counted out and disregarded, teams went to play them with a higher level of confidence than years prior. Now, they head to Atlanta where they are currently three point favorites against the Los Angeles Rams.

Gameplan

Yesterday was a marvelous performance and featured phenomenal execution. The gameplan on offense was really no secret. The plan going in was to establish the run game, create unpredictability in the playcall, and most of all dominate the time of possession to keep the ball out of the hands of Mahomes.

Coaching

The coaching was stupendous however not flawless. Some questionable playcalls and decisions almost cost them the game on both sides of the ball, but that happens in the NFL. On the flip side, the coaching staff for Kansas City appeared blatantly unprepared for this game. The Patriots game plan came as no surprise to even some of the most casual fans, yet Kansas City struggled to stop the run on almost every try early in the game. Virtually every run in the first and second quarter broke for nice gains into the second and third levels of the defense.

Defensive Line

The Chiefs failures to stop the run early on killed their chances to get anything going in the first half. Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs might want to look at the tape from this game and look at how one dimensional their offense became. The depleted running attack forced Mahomes to throw. Andy Reid and the staff did him no favors by calling almost exclusively medium to long ball plays. This only made the job easier for Patriots pass rush, who was steamrolling an offensive line, going after a quarterback holding onto the ball for too long. Trey Flowers and the crew had big games attacking a offensive line that was pretty solid this season.

Long Drives

The long, sustained drives that the Patriots put together early in the game were just pure football art. The mix of run and pass had the defense guessing wrong almost every time in the first and second quarter and allowed for the Patriots to hold the Chiefs offense to zero points in the first half. Complementary football at it’s finest.

Tommy Boy

Also, of course, how can anyone forget? Tom Brady. How does Brady continue to put together these wins late in the game, seemingly by himself. Sure the offensive line was spectacular and Edelman and Gronk played big roles in the final two drives, but Brady put on a clinic by marching down the field twice to go ahead on both occasions. Name another quarterback who deserves to even be mentioned in the same sentence as him. It might take a while.

Chris Amendola

It was encouraging to see Chris Hogan make some of the plays he did late in the game, which only inspires hope for Patriots fans that he can take on the Patriots’ Playoff Amendola role.

Offensive Line and Running Game

The offensive line as mentioned before was marvelous. They did a great job, paving the way for Michel, White, and Burkhead to run where they wanted at will. The question remains to be asked of where this offensive line and team would be without re-hiring Dante Scarnecchia back in 2016.

Roberts and Kyle Van Noy

The last real encouraging performance was the performance of Kyle Van Noy and Elandon Roberts. Two frequently unappreciated linebackers went and put together some nice plays and tackles to make things difficult for Mahomes and company. Van Noy’s performance was especially impressive and very encouraging going into the Super Bowl against a very good running game.

Stage set in Atlanta

Now, Brady and company will head off to Super Bowl 53 in a highly anticipated matchup versus the Los Angeles Rams. Hopefully, the Patriots can follow the pattern of the Red Sox and themselves, who both beat LA teams earlier this year (Dodgers and Chargers). Regardless of the outcome of this Super Bowl bout, it is hard to see the Patriots going down without a fight.

Tune in: Sunday, February 3rd, 2019

6:30PM

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

#BEATLA

Trey Flowers’ Future as a Patriot

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Amidst the hectic chaos of the NFL cut downs two seismic events rocked the landscape. Aaron Donald completed the largest contract extension ever for a defensive player on Friday, August 31st. Then football fans woke up to the news that Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack is a Chicago Bear. We all expected another mega-contract signing to follow. While I waited for confirmation of the financial terms of these, one of my thoughts was “What does this mean for the Patriots’ chances of re-signing defensive end Trey Flowers?”

The contract details proved to be earth shattering for non-quarterbacks in a way that resets the market economics. Donald signed a six-year $135 million dollar deal with $87 million guaranteed. Khalil Mack received a slightly richer deal at $141 million for six years with $90 million guaranteed. These deals truly reset the defensive line market and will affect contract negotiations for years to come.

I’m not saying that Trey Flowers will be signing this kind of deal for the Patriots anytime soon. Mack and Donald were selected with the #5 and #13 pick overall in the 2014 draft and Flowers was drafted in the fourth round at #101 overall. Flowers has 13.5 sacks and 107 tackles through largely two seasons of work and both Mack and Donald have more than doubled that through four full seasons. What it does is force the contract values to rise with each new signing. The bar at the top has risen and the middle class and high-middle class rises with it. Trey Flowers can expect to sign a deal in that middle class area. The question becomes- are the Patriots willing to offer one to their best defensive lineman since Chandler Jones?

The Patriot Way

Chandler Jones. Many will point to him and fellow Patriot Jamie Collins in their argument that the Patriots are a cheap team in contract negotiations. This is false in many ways which I will not get into here. That’s for another time. They have a very rigid sense of the internal valuation of a player’s skill set and are not willing to go beyond that very often. In the event that they feel they will not be able to negotiate a contract that matches the team’s expectation with the player’s, they will seek to get maximum return on a departing player. Whether this means trading for draft assets or players or allowing them to leave in free agency.

Will they do this with Trey Flowers? His contract expires following the end of this season and with reinforcements along the line he could see his impact rise. This would put him in line for a major payday. Jason Pierre-Paul, Stephon Tuitt, Everson Griffen, Calais Campbell, and Danielle Hunter have all signed deals that have averaged just under 15 million per year. The franchise tag for defensive ends was $17.1 million. Demarcus Lawrence and Ezekial Ansah will play out the season under it. This all points to an explosion of contract value for young pass rushers.

Trey Flowers as a Pass Rusher

If Trey Flowers dominates again this season and the Patriots are comfortable, could they actually entertain the thought of trading the budding young star? The 2 first round picks that the Raiders received in the swap will certainly give them pause. Jamie Collins was traded in a surprising bye week trade to the Cleveland Browns. The team has re-stocked the pass rush with young Derek Rivers returning and signing veteran Adrian Clayborn. Now mind you, I am not advocating this course of action, but it is a possibility. We have seen Belichick remove a player that in the short-term could cause pain for the long-term gain. Collins, Jones, Moss, and Seymour have all found themselves packing their bags very quickly when the situation warranted a move.

If the young pass-rusher takes a step forward and sees his value increase, he will definitely be looking at a market that will pay him upwards of $15.5 million per year. Can the Patriots afford this? A rough estimation shows that they have over $168 million allocated for just 44 players. It shows that the organization will have to be frugal and cautious in their financial dealings. The proclivity for Belichick and company to adopt a year to year approach also supports a wait and see approach.

What can we expect?

The ball is in Trey Flower’s court. I’m sure some rough numbers and desires have been exchanged and both sides know where the other stands. You can expect that if he has a stellar year and meshes with the new personnel you’ll see his dollar figure rise with each sack. For me that increases the likelihood that we see him walk in free agency. I plan on enjoying this season and hope every member gets to be fitted for a shiny new ring before that happens.

All photos courtesy of Getty images unless noted otherwise. All contract figures came from Spotrac.com

Be sure to check out other great articles for all your favorite Boston sports teams on Bostonsportsextra.com

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Biggest Risers and Fallers in Free Agency Thus Far

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In one of its craziest offseasons, the NFL has seen a flurry of free agent moves and trades. Which teams are likely to rise and improve? Which teams are likely to fall and decline?

Risers

Cleveland Browns – This was a gimme. The Browns looked like they belong playing in college football, with winning only one game in two years. What does new GM and resident savior in Cleveland do? John Dorsey reshaped this whole team by trading for Jarvis Landry, Tyrod Taylor, and Damarious Randall, and signing seven free agents, most notably being Carlos Hyde, T.J Carrie, Chris Hubbard, and Darren Fells. They did take a hit with the retirement of Joe Thomas, though. With a transformed offense and still having two of the top five picks, the only way this team can go is up.

Photo Credit: theplayoffs.com

Chicago Bears – One of the most complete offseason so far, the Bears have acquired good players in all three aspects of the game. They signed two receivers and a tight end in Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Trey “Philly Special” Burton, which gives now second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky some much-needed weapons on offense. They also signed OLBs Aaron Lynch and Sam Acho, along with resigning Prince Amukamara to bolster the defensive side of the ball. The Bears also contain a high draft pick to address the defense too. Along with the signing of kicker Cody Parkey, these Bad News Bears have the chance to change their name.

Photo Credit: dynastyleaguefootball.com

Tennessee Titans – Am I upset that two of my favorite players are on different teams? Absolutely. Do I wish the best for them? Absolutely, they deserve it. The Titans now boast a two-headed monster with the shifty Dion Lewis and powerful Derrick Henry. Malcolm Butler is going to a secondary that already boasts the interceptions leader and a very promising rookie. There isn’t a lot of weakness on the team. Linebacker is the biggest need and will most likely be addressed in the first round of the draft. Face it, Titans are going to be a scary team this year.

Photo Credit: theplayoffs.com

Other risers: Rams, Texans, 49ers

Fallers

Seattle Seahawks – Russell Wilson might as well scramble every play with that offensive line that’s “protecting” him. Seattle also lacks a real run game although potential standout Chris Carson is returning from injury, and they lost pass catchers Paul Richardson and Jimmy Graham. The breakup of the Legion of Boom and losses of Michael Bennett and Sheldon Richardson leaves this team with too many needs on both sides of the ball.

Photo Credit: worldstarhiphop.com

Detroit Lions – The Vikings got Cousins and Richardson, the Packers got Graham and Wilkerson, and the Bears got A-Rob and Taylor Gabriel (and more). All other teams in their division got better which leaves the Lions grasping for whatever leftovers they can get. They did sign LeGarrette Blount who will improve their otherwise nonexistent run game. However, the losses of Haloti Ngata, Tahir Whitehead, and Eric Ebron are drastic. Deshawn Shead and Devon Kennard can improve the team a little bit, but they are going to need a great draft, a couple more FA signings, and a bigger beard from a certain someone in their management.

Photo Credit: redandblack.com

Arizona Cardinals – The solution to losing an injury prone quarterback? Get another one. And better yet, pay him $20 million a year. Especially when your offensive line needs serious improvement. Why not cut one of your best defensive players while you are at it? This was a pretty easy one. Sam Bradford is a high-risk player and the loss of Tyrann Mathieu is devastating.

Photo Credit: onsizzle.com

Other fallers – It was hard to really say if a team was a faller because many teams lost notable free agents, but made signings that could make up for it. Those teams would be neutral or undecided until further notice.

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XXXVI

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The Super Bowl is just 16 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 16 years ago to honor this not-so-significant occasion!

New Orleans hosted Super Bowl XXXVI on February 3, 2002. The game pitted the NFC Champion St. Louis Rams against the New England Patriots of the American Football Conference. The game was played less than five months after the horrendous terrorist attacks of September 11th. So, there was an air of patriotism on Super Bowl Sunday. Low and behold, a team named the Patriots made it to the Super Bowl and made American football history.

St. Louis Rams 16 Years Ago

The greatest show on turf was back and in many ways, they were even better than their 1999 World Championship team. After a lousy defensive campaign in 2000, the Rams hired Lovie Smith and acquired Aeneas Williams. They went from last place in points allowed to seventh and from 23rd in yards allowed to third! Williams’ impact was especially apparent. He finished the regular and postseason with 4 interception returns for touchdowns including two off Brett Favre.

The Rams’ offense was the Rams’ offense. They led the league in points for a third consecutive season. They had the best quarterback and best running back in football in Kirt Warner and Marshall Faulk. In fact, Faulk edged Warner for NFL MVP of 2001. Faulk finished with the incredible total of 2100 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns. The Rams also had two legends at wide receiver with Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt posting obscene numbers. Mike Martz’ team was a well-oiled machine.

They rolled to a 14-2 regular season record. Then, they embarrassed the Packers in the Divisional round 45-17. However, the Rams faced a formidable opponent in the NFC Championship game. The youthful Philadelphia Eagles, who would be playing in the first of 4 straight NFC Championship games, battled until the end. Philadelphia was an 11-point underdog, but led 17-13 at the half. The Rams scored the next 16 points as they switched from their “greatest show on turf” style to pounding Faulk into the line. Faulk scored twice putting the Rams ahead 29-17. Philly responded with a late tally, but their last effort ended in another Williams’ INT. And, the Rams were on to their second Super Bowl in three years.

New England Patriots 16 Years Ago

While the Rams were preseason favorites heading into 2001, the Patriots aimed to get back to the playoffs. The 2000 Pats finished 5-11 under first-year coach Bill Belichick with the 22nd-ranked offense and 20th-ranked defense. Headed into his seventh season as an NFL head coach, Belichick made the playoffs just once. However, he had achieved great success as Bill Parcells’s assistant and defensive coordinator. Thus, Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft still had confidence that Belichick was the right man for the job.

Belichick’s most important move was to keep a fourth quarterback on the 2000 roster named Tom Brady. Brady was a sixth round draft pick out of Michigan and was not projected to be anything special. One position that was not a major concern heading into 2001 was quarterback. The Patriots had nine-year man Drew Bledsoe who had shredded team passing records in the ’90’s. That all changed in week two when Bledsoe got wrecked near the sideline by Jets’ defender Mo Lewis. Brady stepped onto the field launching one of the greatest careers in the history of team sports.

Brady was not great 16 years ago. But, he was dependable and mistake-free. Even when Bledsoe got healthy, Brady remained the starter.

A competitive loss to the Rams left them at 5-5. At this crossroads in the season, Belichick called upon his defense to turn up the intensity. His guys responded emphatically led by Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy. New England won their final six games including two tough, low-scoring games on the road against the Jets and Bills. At 11-5, the Patriots grabbed the #2 seed in the AFC when the Jets stunned Oakland in the season finale.

Tuck Rule

Brian Snyder

The Divisional Round playoff game between the Raiders and Patriots became an all-time classic. First, it was the last game at old Foxboro Stadium. Second, it was played on a Saturday night in a steady falling accumulating snow. Third, it was decided on a call so controversial, the game is known to this day as “The Tuck Rule Game.” As far as game action is concerned, it did not get exciting until the Patriots finally scored a late touchdown to cut the lead to 13-10 on a Brady run.

When the Pats got the ball back, they drove into Raiders’ territory when it happened. On the play, Raiders’ cornerback Charles Woodson and Brady’s former teammate at Michigan sacked Patriots’ Brady. He fumbled and it was recovered by Raiders’ linebacker Greg Biekert. Officials reviewed the play, and eventually determined that even though Brady had seemingly halted his passing motion and was attempting to “tuck” the ball back into his body, it was an incomplete pass and not a fumble under the then-effective NFL rules. Subsequently, the Patriots moved the ball into field goal range.

With under a minute remaining in regulation, Patriots’ kicker Adam Vinatieri booted an unbelievable 45-yard field goal to tie the game at 13, which sent the game into overtime. In OT, Vinatieri kicked a 23-yard field goal to win the game for the Patriots. New England rejoiced. In effect, a dynasty that has known no equal in NFL history, was born.

In the AFC Championship game at Pittsburgh, Brady hurt his ankle. Bledsoe came in and led the Patriots to a touchdown drive. Two special teams’ scores had New England up 21-3 before the Steelers rallied. However, they intercepted Kordell Stewart twice in the last few minutes to close out a 24-17 victory improbably sending the Patriots to Super Bowl XXXVI.

Patriots Day

The Rams were 14-point favorites heading into the big game. The Patriots were not intimidated. They came out introduced as a team, ready to go to work.

St. Louis could not get on track offensively. The Patriots’ strategy to knock people around on every play was working. In the second quarter, Mike Vrabel made an uncontested rush toward Warner. Warner’s pass floated toward Bruce when Law jumped the play and darted to the end zone putting the Pats up 7-3. Another turnover led to a Brady to David Patten touchdown just before the half. Yet, another turnover by the Rams led to a second half field goal. Therefore, New England led St. Louis 17-3 heading to the fourth quarter.

The never-say-die Rams responded with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Ricky Proehl scored the latter with less than two minutes remaining. Brady now had his turn. For the first time on the international stage, he worked his magic. He calmly led the Pats from their own 17 to the Rams’ 30 in just over a minute. Vinatieri knocked home the game-winner and the Patriots won their first Super Bowl championship! It would not be their last!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XXXIV

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The Super Bowl is just 18 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 18 years ago to honor this not-so-significant occasion!

Atlanta hosted Super Bowl XXXIV on January 30, 2000. The game pitted the NFC Champion St. Louis Rams against the Tennessee Titans of the American Football Conference.

Rams Revival

The Rams came into the 1999 season off nine consecutive losing seasons. And, they certainly were not projected to contend for the Super Bowl in ’99. On the plus side, Head Coach Dick Vermiel had turned programs around before in his coaching career. He revived the UCLA football program in the early 70s and the Philadelphia Eagles in the late 70s. However, he suffered from burnout following the 1982 season and went into broadcasting.

In 1997, he came out of retirement to coach the young Rams. After two poor seasons, he realized that his coaching style needed to change. He needed to be more “player-friendly.” He also hired offensive guru Mike Martz to be his OC and added QB Trent Green and RB Marshall Faulk. So, St. Louis figured to be better on offense. Their defense was already competitive. They ranked tenth overall in 1998. With high draft picks all over the field, they were destined to improve and they did. Kevin Carter was a first team All-Pro along the defensive line. And Notre Dame-grad Todd Lyght was a stand out at corner. Veterans D’Marco Farr and Mike Jones along with youngsters Grant Winstrom and London Fletcher all made fine contributions to a unit that finished fourth in 1999.

St. Louis Rams 18 Years Ago

The story of the 1999 Rams, though, was all about their offense. In a preseason game against the Chargers, Green tore his ACL. Vermeil inserted a 28-year old name Kurt Warner and the rest is the stuff of legend. Warner was a Packers’ castoff. So, he tried his luck in the Arena League and NFL Europe before getting a backup job with the Rams in 1998.

His ’99 season was as brilliant as it was unexpected. The Rams scored almost 300 more points than their opponents that season! Warner’s accuracy on long passes to Isaac Bruce and rookie Torry Holt was astounding. It was the greatest show on turf. Therefore, St. Louis marched into the playoffs huge favorites to make it to the Super Bowl.

In the divisional round, they ran away from Randy Moss and the Vikings in a shoot-out, 49-37. Warner was 27 of 33 for 391 yards and 5 touchdowns; not a bad at the office! In the NFC championship game, however, the Rams met their defensive match. Tony Dungy’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to play and took a 6-5 lead into the 4th quarter. St. Louis proved it was not just a finesse ball club as they went toe to toe with the Bucs. Finally, late in the fourth, Warner hit Ricky Proehl for the game-winning and championship-clinching score! The city of St. Louis would have its first Super Bowl representative.

Tennessee Titans 18 Years Ago

The AFC champion Tennessee Titans had a similar fairy tale-type season. The Titans as a franchise did not experience the horrible string of losing seasons that the Rams endured. They did experience perhaps the wildest decade, though. Before they were the Titans, they were the Houston Oilers. The Oilers were led by future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Warren Moon. In the early ’90s, Houston famously lost three heartbreaking playoff games. In 1994, with Moon gone, they imploded, finishing 2-14.

Buddy Ryan-disciple Jeff Fisher was hired to take over as Head Coach prior to the 1995 season. With the Oilers unable to generate enthusiasm in Houston, the team announced a move to Tennessee which would take effect in 1997. After spending a season in Memphis, the team moved to Nashville. They got their new name and their new stadium in 1999. Fisher posted just a 31-33 record over 4 seasons but was retained for the ’99 season. The Titans did very well in the draft grabbing a franchise QB in Steve McNair and the All-World RB Eddie George out of Ohio State. On defense, they had the sensational rookie from Florida nicknamed “The Freak.” Jevon Kearse was a first-team All-Pro as a rookie and wreaked havoc on offensive linemen throughout the season.

The ’99 Titans amazingly compiled a 13-3 record, but did not win their division. Jacksonville finished 14-2, but their two losses came…to Tennessee! Anyway, the Titans got the Wild Card game at home against the Buffalo Bills. The Bills had made a major move at quarterback earlier in the week when they replaced the struggling Doug Flutie with Rob Johnson. Johnson had killed Peyton Manning and the Colts in the season finale.

Music City Miracle

Wade Payne

In the first half, Kearse was dominant leading the Titans to a 12-0 lead. The second half was a different story as Johnson led the Bills back. They took a 16-15 lead on a Steve Christie field goal with just 16 seconds left. Tennessee would need a miracle to win. It happened. Christie popped up the kickoff. Lorenzo Neal fielded the ball and handed it off to Frank Wycheck. Wycheck “lateraled” to Kevin Dyson. Dyson ran untouched along the near sideline to score the miraculous go-ahead score. The win propelled the Titans to the 2nd round. In the divisional playoff at Indy, the Titans knocked off the upstart Colts 19-16. That was Manning’s first playoff game and foreshadowed his struggles in that situation for years to come.

In the AFC championship game, McNair was magnificent in leading the Titans to their third win of the season over the Jaguars. The 32-14 final put the Oilers/Titans franchise in their first ever Super Bowl.

Super Super Bowl

The Rams dominated the first half although the score was not indicative of that dominance. The Rams settled for five field goal attempts and 9-0 halftime lead.

The second half was gripping. The Rams finally found the end zone on a slant from Warner to Holt from the nine giving them a 16-0 lead. At that point, the momentum swung. The Titans scored touchdowns on their next two possessions cutting the lead to 16-13 with eight minutes remaining. They stuck with their game plan which was a lot of Eddie George. George was not stylish. He was a freight train helping the Titans claw back in it. It was vintage Titans.

After they tied it at 16 with just over two minutes left, the Rams responded with an unreal 73-yard TD pass from Warner to Bruce. Warner’s pass was underthrown because Kearse was hitting him as he threw. Bruce made the adjustment and weaved his way home. It was vintage Rams.

Tennessee had one last drive. In a possession that proved to be the signature one of his career, McNair led the Titans to the Rams’ ten-yard line with six seconds left. Tennessee drew up a play for Dyson cutting to the inside. He caught the ball in stride and looked like he would score. At the last second, Jones grabbed him around the waist and tossed him to the turf about two feet short of the goal line. The Rams had won their first Super Bowl!

After Effect

The Titans came back with a very strong 2000 season, but were knocked out in the 2000 playoffs by the eventual-World Champion Ravens. They have not been to the Super Bowl since.

The Rams’ offense of 2000 was amazing, but their defense was terrible. They were mistake-prone in their playoff loss at New Orleans. In 2001, the Rams got back to the Super Bowl only to get upset by the Patriots. Since then, they have moved back to Los Angeles. Their franchise is going through a revival as we speak.

The 1999 Rams had one of the great offenses in NFL history. Tomorrow, we will discuss one of the greatest defenses of All-Time!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills

NFL Wild Card Round Preview and Predictions

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The 2017 NFL Postseason is finally upon us. This weekend teams will take their first crucial step on their journey to Super Bowl LII. These past seventeen weeks have earned these teams the right to play in January, while the rest clean out their lockers early. In this year’s playoffs there are a few familiar faces but mostly new contenders. The Patriots, Steelers, Falcons, and Chiefs are the only four teams making it back to the postseason after appearing last year. On the flip-side, the Rams, Bills, Jaguars, and Saints are all teams that had losing records last season and are now in the playoffs. This will surely be a dramatic postseason this year, starting with these eight teams that will face off in the Wild Card round this weekend:

Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs

The Titans had a quiet season but clinched the fifth seed in the waning moments of Week 17. At 9-7, they snuck into the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Their path to the postseason was almost squashed towards the end of the season as they dropped three of their last four games. However, a Week 17 win against their division rival Jaguars was all they needed to secure a spot to play in January.

The Titans are one of the few teams in the league that base their offensive solely on running the ball. Their running back committee of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry carried the offense throughout the season as Marcus Mariota had a rather mundane year. With DeMarco Murray suffering a Grade 3 MCL tear in Week 16, Henry became a workhorse for the Titans against the Jaguars yesterday. Murray’s status seems bleak to make a return for the Wild Card, so coach Mike Mularkey will need to reconfigure his offensive scheme.

At the beginning of the season the Chiefs seemed to be the most dominant team in the league. They trounced the Patriots in Foxborough on opening night in September and went on to have a blaring 5-0 start. However they learned quickly that a NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. From Weeks 6 to 13 the Chiefs only won a single game. They were able to hold on afterwards by winning out their final four games to secure a 10-6 record and a AFC West title. Their only trouble in the division came from the Chargers, who finished the season looming one game behind.

The Chiefs are without a doubt the fastest team in the league. Their offense consists of the speedy Tyreek Hill, rookie sensation Kareem Hunt, and widely overlooked quarterback Alex Smith. On the opposite end of the field they have talent with Marcus Peters, Reggie Ragland, Justin Houston, and the list goes on and on.

In the playoffs which Chiefs team will we see? The team that stomped New England or the one that had a meltdown in the fourth quarter to set up an ugly loss against the Jets? Andy Reid and the Chiefs’ coaching staff control their team’s future in January. The Titans might be the underdog in this game coming into Arrowhead, but if they can silence the crowd early they have a chance to pull an upset. Their run defense can stop Kareem Hunt at the line of scrimmage, but they do not have an answer for Kansas City’s air attack.

Prediction: 24-16 Chiefs

Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams

The Falcons secured the sixth seed in the NFC through their win-and-in scenario in Week 17. They had an inconsistent season to say the least. The highlight of their season came in Week 2 when they were able to stomp the Packers in the Georgia Dome’s inaugural game. However two weeks later they began to slide, losing three consecutive games in their trip through the AFC East. The Falcons were lost in their prime-time Super Bowl rematch against the Patriots.

At 10-6, they are certainly not the team that went for its first Super Bowl trophy almost a year ago. That doesn’t mean that they can’t play like the team that they were. Matt Ryan will have some slack to pick up with his offense to get things done. Their defense, ranked 23rd in the regular season, will be the focal point in order to succeed in the playoffs.

The Rams have had the one of the most dramatic transitions from last season to today. Their metamorphosis from a 4-12 joke last season to 11-5 NFC West champion now can be accredited to their new coach Sean McVay. The team’s identity lies within their striking offense that consists of MVP candidate Todd Gurley and legitimate franchise quarterback Jared Goff. Wade Phillips has also helped the team’s defense become top five in the league. The team aims to get their first playoff win since 2004.

This match-up will in no way be a blowout on either end. The Falcons might be held to harsh comparisons with their Super Bowl-aspiring selves from last year, but they still know how to get a win. Their offense might not be as electrifying as it was with Kyle Shanahan as their coordinator, but they still have the three-headed dragon of Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, and Julio Jones. This game will come down to which defense will let up first, and ranking-wise all signs point to Atlanta’s. Expect this game to be a shootout.

Prediction: 31-21 Rams

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars

The New Year’s celebration started earlier than most for the Bills. A late touchdown from Andy Dalton and the Bengals was enough to knock the Ravens out of the playoffs. The Bills ended the longest playoff drought in American sports, not making the playoffs since 1999. They will also aim to win a playoff game for the first time since 1995.

Nobody was bigger Bengals fans yesterday than Bills players (via stephenhauschka4/Instagram) https://t.co/oJZZhybhj7

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 1, 2018

After a 9-7 season, the Bills deserved a playoff spot. Coach Sean McDermott reshaped the team into playoff contenders after his failed experiment with starting Nathan Peterman. The team’s success comes from LeSean McCoy, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 17. Being without him will hurt, but the Bills’ synergy can hold the team together.

The Jaguars are another team that have had a mammoth reshaping to make them a playoff squad. On a side note, not to brag or anything but I called it back in August that they’d clinch. Without Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, the offense was able to run on the shoulders of rookie Leonard Fournette. The Jaguars’ defense has been the staple of the team, dubbing their city as Sacksonville. They are one of the most dangerous defenses to face this season. Blake Bortles, though inconsistent, was able to put together an admirable finishing push to the season to achieve the AFC South title and the third seed. The last time the team finished with a 10 win season was in 2007, coincidentally the last time they appeared in the playoffs.

Though the Bills slipped into the playoffs this game certainly won’t be easy for the Jags. Both teams have strong defenses and rather weak offenses. The key to this game is how Leonard Fournette performs for the Jaguars. The Bills’ rushing defense had a nightmare game against the Saints, but since then has improved. If Blake Bortles is forced to go to the air then the Jaguars’ chances to win almost deplete. If there is going to be an upset in the Wild Card round, it’d be here.

Prediction: 17-15 Bills

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints

The Panthers had a solid bounce-back season from last year’s nightmare. Finishing 11-5, they very well have the power to make a run. This is another case of a two-faced team, however. The Panthers came up big when they needed to, and a prime example of this is bullying the Packers at home. However, there were games this season where they looked lost. If Cam Newton is rolling, then the defense follows in suit. Christian McCaffrey has helped Cam’s game open up this season, whereas compared to last season he had no chance to be mobile. A good mobile quarterback must be accompanied by a viable running back to keep the defense guessing. That’s something that the Panthers lacked last season.

The Saints’ season started out ugly early on. Their offense was erratic and while having the parts to succeed simply couldn’t. Moving Adrian Peterson was the Saints’ defining move this season. Quickly afterwards the running back committee shortened to focus on Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara. From there the duo hasn’t stopped shining, and in turn opened up Drew Brees’s passing game. The Saints have one of the best offenses in the league, and were able to build a solid defense after trading Brandin Cooks for assets to do so. The Saints also finished 11-5, but clinched the division after the Panthers fell to the Falcons in Week 17.

This game will be perfect to watch for anyone who loves offense. The defining factor is that the Panthers lost to the Saints twice already this season. In both of those games the Saints scored more than thirty points. The Panthers need to stay at that scoring pace or their defense will have to play like they did against Aaron Rodgers a few weeks ago.

Prediction: 41-28 Saints

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51 Super Bowls in 51 Days – Super Bowl XIV

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The Super Bowl is just 38 days away. Let’s look at the Super Bowl from 38 years ago to honor this not that significant occasion!

Pasadena’s Rose Bowl hosted Super Bowl XIV on January 20, 1980. The game pitted the NFC champion Los Angeles Rams against the Pittsburgh Steelers of the American Football Conference. The Rams and Steelers dominated their respective divisions during the decade with one giant difference. The Steelers won the Super Bowl three times. The Rams were making their first appearance in the world title contest.

Los Angeles Rams 38 Years Ago

Ray Malavasi was in his second season as the Rams’ head man. He helped the Rams win their seventh consecutive NFC West title in 1979. Los Angeles did not exactly a great season, especially by their high standards. In fact, they were 5-6 after 11 games. But, they put together a 4-game winning streak including a week 15 rout at Atlanta to clinch the division.

The Rams were not strong on offense this particular season. Starting QB Pat Haden broke a finger in the 10th game. Vince Ferragamo replaced him and played respectably. If anything, Los Angeles possessed a solid rushing attack. Wendell Tyler rushed for 1100 yards. Cullen Bryant and Lawrence McCutcheon added depth and veteran leadership.

Unlikely Playoff Run

The Rams were tough defensively. Future Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood led the charge. However, the Rams had quality players at every level. In the divisional round playoff game against the heavily favored Cowboys, LA’s defense kept them in it till late in the fourth. Trailing 19-14, Ferragamo hit Billy Waddy over the middle. Waddy raced to the end zone to give the Rams the lead and the win, 21-19.

In the NFC championship game, the Rams traveled to Tampa Bay to play a Buccaneers’ team that beat them up during the regular season. The game was an absolute slugfest. Two terrific defenses destroying two pedestrian offenses. The Rams appeared to be in trouble when Youngblood broke a bone in his leg. But, miraculously, he kept playing through the injury and the pain. His performance surely inspired his team. The Rams outlasted the Bucs, 9-0. Finally, Los Angeles made it to the Super Bowl! And, this year it was being played in nearby Pasadena.

Pittsburgh Steelers 38 Years Ago

Their opponent was the defending-World Champion Steelers. The 1979 Steelers have the distinction of being the only Super Bowl team ever to field a squad made up of players who to that point only played for Pittsburgh. With free agency as it is in 2017, that feat will never be duplicated. It also demonstrates how well the Steelers drafted.

Pittsburgh played 14 terrific football games over the course of the regular season and two duds. In the divisional round of the playoffs, they humbled Miami, 34-14. Legends Bob Griese and Larry Csonka played in their last playoff game that day. The Steelers jumped out to a 20-0 first quarter lead and never looked back.

The championship game was much more competitive. The arch-rival Oilers went toe to toe with Pittsburgh. Houston, however, was victimized by a bad call. Mike Renfro was clearly in bounds in the back corner of the end zone. But, he was ruled out. That play served as the poster child for replay’s institution in the ’80’s. The Steelers won 27-13. They were back in the Super Bowl for the fourth time in six seasons.

See Saw Battle

Super Sunday 1980 was played on a glorious day in Southern California. It was difficult to tell who was the defending champion and who finished with a 9-7 record after three quarters. The Steelers and Rams put on a show.

The Rams opened with a three-and-out. The teams followed that with four consecutive scoring drives and a 10-10 tie late in the second. Late in the half, the Rams made two big plays to wreak tension on the Rose Bowl audience. First, Dave Elmendorf intercepted Bradshaw. Then, they went for it on fourth and eight from the 37. Ferragamo hit Waddy for the conversion. That sent Los Angeles to the break with a 13-10 lead.

The second half kicked off with more fireworks. Bradshaw hit Swann for one of their patented beauties from the forty-seven. LA struck right back. Waddy was on the receiving end of a 50-yarder. On the next play, McCutcheon swept right and tossed a duck to Ron Smith for a TD and a 19-17 Rams lead! The lead held up until the middle of the fourth.

Stallworth Saves Game

John Stallworth made an incredible catch and dashed home for a 73-yard score that put Pittsburgh up for good. The Rams threatened, but were denied by a Jack Lambert interception. After another wonderful play by Stallworth, Franco Harris powered home on third and goal from the one to put this beauty on ice.

The Steelers ended their decade of dynamite football with a courageous triumph. They would not get back to the big game with this crew again. The Rams were excellent in defeat. This would be their last Super Bowl until they played Tennessee in Super Bowl XXXIV representing St. Louis.

The Rams are now back in LA and Pittsburgh is back playing great football. The more things change, the more they stay the same from 38 years ago!

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills