New England Patriots: 5 observations from a Super Bowl LIII triumph
The defensive line was magnificent
Just as predicted in the pregame article, the New England Patriots defensive line, particularly the front seven, outshined the Los Angeles Rams defensive line.
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All credit to what the Rams were able to do, but the Patriots were the team with no stars, no pass rush and a team with no speed.
Take a way a couple long runs by Todd Gurley, the defensive line simply dominated. They took away the run for the most part and had Jared Goff on his heels just about every time he dropped back.
In all, they recorded four sacks and pressured Goff on 38 percent of his drop backs. With players like Adrian Clayborn and Danny Shelton stepping up to make some big plays, the New England Patriots defense proved to the world that they are good.
They were tough, physical, kept their focus throughout the game and were ultimately the collective MVP of this football game. Anytime a defense can hold the No. 2 offense in the NFL to just 3 points (coming off a 50-plus yard field goal), you just have to tip your hat to new Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores and the genius in Bill Belichick.