New England Patriots: 5 keys to winning Super Bowl LIII
By Sam Minton
![ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 30: Detail of the Lombardi Trophy and the helmets of the New England Patriots (left) and the Los Angeles Rams priot to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaking during a press conference during Super Bowl LIII Week at the NFL Media Center inside the Georgia World Congress Center on January 30, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 30: Detail of the Lombardi Trophy and the helmets of the New England Patriots (left) and the Los Angeles Rams priot to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaking during a press conference during Super Bowl LIII Week at the NFL Media Center inside the Georgia World Congress Center on January 30, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/386551d3cac907f031cdf2b79baa4c503f9b77dfb2638a264b1b4480803a39aa.jpg)
4. Tackle
This may seem like a simple task but the New England Patriots defense proved quite the opposite in last year’s Super Bowl.
The Patriots defense looked awful last year. Eagles wide receivers were running free all over the field and some plays that could have only gone for a few yards went for big gains.
These big plays can’t happen against the LA Rams. We saw what happens when the Patriots defense lets up these big plays. It takes a heroic effort from Tom Brady to even have a chance to win. I don’t know if Brady can have another amazing 500-yard performance as he did against the Eagles.
So the defense needs to make sure that short passes and runs up the middle aren’t going for 5-10 yards. They need to keep the ball carrier in front of them and not allow the big gains that plagued them in the past.