It’s officially time for the big game, Super Bowl LIII, which will feature the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVI which was 17 years ago in the year 2000. The 2019 version of these teams couldn’t be more opposite from one another. In New England they’re led by long time super bowl winning coach Bill Belichick who is 66 years old. In Los Angeles they’re led by Sean McVay who is 33 years old and is the youngest coach in the NFL. Both quarterbacks are opposite in age too, as New England quarterback Tom Brady is 41 years old and continues to beat father time. In Los Angeles, their quarterback is the 24-year-old rising star Jared Goff. Even where both teams are located is opposite of one another as New England is as far east as there is and Los Angeles is as far west as there is. New England runs an old-style offense with short throws and a power run game where as Los Angeles runs more of a college offense with explosive pass plays and an elusive running game. This super bowl matchup has an “Old School vs. New School” feel to it. 

The New England Patriots took a 1-2 start and turned it into a very productive 11-5 season and were the number two seed in the AFC in the playoffs. In the off-season the Patriots roster on paper got worse as they traded their star wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the LA Rams and didn’t make any huge signings in free agency or the draft, but the Patriots still have arguably the best quarterback in NFL history and one of the most successful coaches in NFL history. The Patriots have now advanced to their 11th Super Bowl in franchise history, the ninth of the Bill Belichick era and third consecutive since the 2016 season. New England joins Buffalo (4) and Miami (3) as the only teams to reach three straight Super Bowls. 

Some key players to watch for New England are running back Sony Michel, who is coming off a 900 yard rushing season in his rookie year to go along with six touchdowns. Veteran wide receiver Julian Edelman is another key player to watch as he led the team in receptions and racked up 800 plus yards receiving on the year and has proven to be Brady’s favorite target. Quarterback Tom Brady continues to put up big time numbers and add to his hall of fame career with 4355 passing yards and 29 touchdowns on the season. On defense a name to watch is Kyle Van Noy, who had very solid season by leading the team in tackles with 89 and has emerged as a leader on the defensive side of the ball.The Los Angeles Rams dominated their first eight games by starting the season 8-0 before losing to the New Orleans Saints in week nine. 

The Rams finished their regular season with a record of 13-3 and were also the number two seed for the NFC in the playoffs. The Rams, unlike the Patriots made a flurry of roster moves to improve their roster in the off-season, as they signed all-pro cornerback Aquib Talib and all-pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. They also traded for another all-pro cornerback in Marcus Peters along with the trade for Cooks from New England. The Rams are making their fourth Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, their first appearance in the Super Bowl since moving back to Los Angeles in 2016 from St. Louis.

 Some key players to watch for the Rams are defensive tackle and defensive player of the year award winner Aaron Donald. Donald proved to be a game changer by recording 20.5 sacks and 59 tackles. Running back Todd Gurley was a 1000 yard rusher for the Rams this season and led all running backs in the NFL with 17 touchdowns. Quarterback Jared Goff set a career high for passing yards with 4688 and touchdowns with 32 and notched his first pro bowl selection.

The Super Bowl will be held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on February 3 at 5:30 pm on CBS. The Patriots will look to try and build on to their number of championships and hoist the historic Lombardi trophy once again and the Rams will look to win their second championship in franchise history and try to start a dynasty of their own much like the New England Patriots have done the past 20 years.