On February 3, the New England Patriots will be making their 10th trip to the Super Bowl. The Patriots have won the big game 5 times, and each time Tom Brady has been leading them to victory. It’s fair to say that Brady is one of the greatest quarterback of all time, if not the greatest.
The Patriots have reached the Super Bowl nine times in the last seventeen years. However, you may be surprised to find the Patriots are only slight favorites to win Super Bowl LIII, with the Los Angeles Rams starting out as the early favorites. Of course, this won't stop anyone from making their bets. After all, it's no secret that the Super Bowl is one of the biggest days of the year for wagering on NFL games. Over 100 million dollars are wagered on the big game every single year.
Before making your pick, forget the odds and just consider whether Brady can really pull this off again. There’s no doubt he wants it, and his recent play has been some of the best we’ve ever seen, given that he's already had a legendary career. However, Brady couldn't pull off the win last year in Super Bowl 52, so the Patriots can be beaten.
The Biggest Issue
Playing the underdog role in the playoffs this year means there has been less pressure on Brady and the team. That’s a good thing because it’s the pressure that can cause a quarterback to crack and destroys the game.Let's also not forget that the Patriots played the Rams in 2001. The Pats were the underdogs then but Brady earned his first of what would become many Super Bowl wins. However, Brady is not invincible; the Patriots have lost three Super Bowls with Brady as QB and could be again in Super Bowl 53. It’s a question of whether the Rams can get their gameplan right.
Bill Belichick is an experienced coach and arguably a defensive mastermind. However, the Rams have Sean McVay who has come up with some stunning new offensive tactics that could just give them the edge. The Rams have a strong defensive line, but it may not be enough to stop the offensive running attack of the Patriots.
Of course, the biggest factor in the game will be Brady himself. In the AFC Championship game against the Chiefs, he was knocked down just once, which shows how focused the Patriots are on protecting him. With that level of protection and Brady's seeming inability to be shaken, it's highly likely that the Pats will walk away with the title once again.
Another key to the game will be Patriots secondary; some opponents have made some big runs against them, and the Rams have the ability to get some long plays down the field and score points. With a solid vertical passing game that could put steady pressure on the Patriots defense, the Rams have a good chance of preventing Brady from getting his sixth title.
However, Brady has been at the top of his game this postseason, with some impressive play to leave the opposing defenses off-balance. If the Rams can’t get inside his head and disrupt the flow, it’s hard to see them topping the Patriots to become Super Bowl champions.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
