The New England Patriots will face the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019, in Atlanta in Super Bowl 53.
The Rams will be playing in their fourth Super Bowl, the Patriots will be playing in their third straight title game. The matchup of two of the league’s top-rated offenses pits two former star Georgia running backs — Todd Gurley of the Rams and the Patriots’ Sony Michel.
Here are five things to know about New England and the matchup:
• The Rams and Patriots have faced off before in the Super Bowl — 17 years to the day of this year's matchup in Atlanta. The Patriots defeated the then-St. Louis Rams on a 48-yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri as time expired at the Louisiana Superdome. It was Tom Brady’s first Super Bowl title. Brady is now 41. Los Angeles quarterback Jared Goff is 24. Their age difference is the largest in Super Bowl history.
» Read: AJC's complete coverage of the Super Bowl in Atlanta
• Tom Brady won his first Super Bowl against the Rams in 2002. He won his fifth, overcoming a 25-point deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in 2017. He holds the title for the quarterback with the most Super Bowl wins at 5.
• Last time New England won in Atlanta was in Week 4 of the 2013 season, when they defeated the Falcons 30-23 at the Georgia Dome. The last time the Patriots lost in Atlanta was with Scott Zolak as their quarterback in 1995.
• New England selected former Georgia running back Sony Michel with the 31st overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. Michel's five postseason touchdowns in two games are the most by a rookie in NFL history. The last player to score 5 rushing touchdowns in a postseason was Terrell Davis — another former Georgia product — in 1997. Michel still has one more game to play.
• The Patriots have reached all nine of the Super Bowl appearances since 2001 with the benefit of a first-round bye in the playoffs. On Sunday, they upset Kansas City — the league’s top ranked offense — on the road. In doing so, New England coach Bill Belichick extended his career postseason record against opponents with the league’s top-ranked offense to 6-1.
About the Author
