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The Los Angeles Rams averaged 32.9 points per game during the regular season. But against the New England Patriots, a 53-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein provided the only three points the high-powered Rams could get on the board.
New England only needed one touchdown to get a 13-3 win in Super Bowl 53.
Quarterback Jared Goff looked flummoxed from start to finish, running back Todd Gurley spent a puzzling amount of time watching from the sideline, and the Patriots forced nine punts from Johnny Hekker.
It was an easy night for the narratives.
Experience reigned supreme and the duo of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady got their sixth Super Bowl victory. The up-and-coming combination of Goff and coach Sean McVay looked — well — young.
But the Rams won’t be gone for long. The disappointing Super Bowl performance doesn’t have to define the team, because everything that made Los Angeles tough to beat all year will still be true in 2019 and beyond.
The Rams’ nucleus isn’t going anywhere
There are plenty of decisions for Los Angeles to make in the 2019 offseason. The team sold out in a major way to get to the Super Bowl, and now it has just one pick in the top 125 selections of the 2019 NFL Draft and not enough cap space to keep all of its most important impending free agents.
That includes defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr., safety Lamarcus Joyner, and guard Rodger Saffold — four important pieces during the Rams’ run to Super Bowl 53.
But Goff isn’t going anywhere. Neither are Gurley, wide receiver Brandin Cooks, or defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
The Rams have a young offensive mind at head coach who has taken the league by storm. So much so that a few other teams have tried to find a McVay clone of their own.
They just got bested by a team that has embarrassed so many others before.
New England can’t do this forever
The Patriots tried really hard to convince themselves and anyone silly enough who would listen that they were underdogs. So maybe they can stick this on their bulletin board: It’s gonna end soon.
Tom Brady is probably sucking souls out of young quarterbacks to stay young, but he did slow down a little in 2018. Rob Gronkowski is probably done in New England, and Belichick turns 67 in April.
The crash and burn so many hoped to see from New England doesn’t look like it’ll be the way the dynasty ends. Instead, it looks like it’ll just be with the Patriots continuing to win until their candle burns out.
And then they’ll be gone.
Who will step into the spotlight when the Patriots have stepped off the throne? Maybe it’ll be the Kansas City Chiefs with MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. But in the NFC, it’s hard to see why the Rams wouldn’t continue to be a contender for years to come.
Super Bowl 53 isn’t a reason to close the book on the Rams.