Tom Brady has played in many Super Bowls and Jared Goff hasn’t played in any. Perhaps you’ve heard at this point.
When Brady takes the field at Super Bowl 53, it’ll be the ninth time he’s played on the NFL’s biggest stage and — if he wins — it’d be the sixth time he’s lifted the Lombardi Trophy. His list of Super Bowl accomplishments is absurd. For the Los Angeles Rams, there’s little Super Bowl experience at all on the roster.
A grand total of four Rams players have ever been to the Super Bowl, and only running back C.J. Anderson has played in more than one. For the Patriots, 38 of the 53 players on the active roster have been to the Super Bowl, and 27 of them have been to multiple.
That’s not particularly surprising considering this is the third consecutive Super Bowl for the Patriots, and fourth in five years. But the difference in experience is striking.
Rams
- RB C.J. Anderson (48, 50)
- WR Brandin Cooks (52)
- CB Sam Shields (45)
- CB Aqib Talib (50)
Anderson and Talib both made Super Bowl appearances during their time with the Denver Broncos. Talib was with the Patriots for two seasons prior to joining the Broncos, but New England lost in the AFC Championship Game in both of his postseason runs with the team.
Cooks played in the Super Bowl last year as a member of the Patriots, but it was brief. A hit from Malcolm Jenkins concussed Cooks in the second quarter and he didn’t return.
Shields made his only other Super Bowl appearance way back during his rookie season with the Packers eight years ago. He spent the first seven seasons of his career with Green Bay before sitting out the entire 2017 season after he was released. Shields then joined the Rams in the 2018 offseason.
It’ll be the first Super Bowl for 33-year-old Rams head coach Sean McVay, who’s in his second season with the team. He previously spent eight seasons with Washington and the 2008 season with the Buccaneers.
Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has been to the Super Bowl twice before. The first was in 1990 during his first stint as the Broncos defensive coordinator, and the second was in 2015 when he returned to Denver for a second stint.
Patriots
- QB Tom Brady (36, 38, 39, 42, 46, 49, 51, 52)
- K Stephen Gostkowski (42, 46, 49, 51, 52)
- WR Matthew Slater (46, 49, 51, 52)
- S Patrick Chung (46, 49, 51, 52)
- S Devin McCourty (46, 49, 51, 52)
- FB James Develin (49, 51, 52)
- WR Julian Edelman (46, 49, 51)
- TE Rob Gronkowski (46, 49, 52)
- OT Marcus Cannon (46, 49, 51)
- S Duron Harmon (49, 51, 52)
- P Ryan Allen (49, 51, 52)
- QB Brian Hoyer (46, 52)
- RB James White (51, 52)
- WR Chris Hogan (51, 52)
- C David Andrews (51, 52)
- OG Ted Karras (51, 52)
- OG Shaq Mason (51, 52)
- OG Joe Thuney (51, 52)
- DT Malcom Brown (51, 52)
- DE Trey Flowers (51, 52)
- LB Dont’a Hightower (49, 51)
- LB Brandon King (51, 52)
- LB Elandon Roberts (51, 52)
- LB Kyle Van Noy (51, 52)
- S Nate Ebner (49, 51)
- CB Jonathan Jones (51, 52)
- LS Joe Cardona (51, 52)
- RB Rex Burkhead (52)
- WR Phillip Dorsett (52)
- TE Dwayne Allen (52)
- OT LaAdrian Waddle (52)
- DT Adam Butler (52)
- DT Lawrence Guy (52)
- DE Deatrich Wise Jr. (52)
- LB Ramon Humber (44)
- LB Albert McClellan (47)
- CB Stephon Gilmore (52)
- C James Ferentz (50)
The 15 Patriots players who haven’t been to the Super Bowl would’ve been easier to list. That group includes four rookies (Keion Crossen, Duke Dawson, J.C. Jackson, Sony Michel), and two players who were Patriots last year but weren’t on the active roster during Super Bowl 52 (Keionta Davis, Derek Rivers).
New England’s coaching staff has plenty of experience too. Bill Belichick will be in his ninth Super Bowl as a head coach, and he’s also coached in three as an assistant — two with the Giants and one with the Patriots.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was on the Patriots’ coaching staff for all five of their Super Bowl victories. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has been with the team since 2004, making six trips to the Super Bowl along the way.
It’s definitely not just Brady’s experience vs. the Rams. It’s safe to say the Patriots have way, way more players and coaches who have been in the unique pressure cooker that is the Super Bowl.