Super Bowl 53

[masterfins]

In spite of the pundits saying it was a terrible game, I thought it was a great game.  Sure there could have been a little more scoring, but I'd rather watch a defensive battle than a high scoring shootout with no defense, that comes down to which team has the last possession.  I wasn't planning on watching the whole game, but got caught up in it and watched until the end.

Half time show was okay, but nothing special.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I am not sure if these was factors or not.

But the Rams were expecting a neutral or friendly field expecting equal rams and patriots fans or having a slight advantage with crowd noise.Reality is that it was overwhelmingly Patriots fans.  This might have been jarring.  Of course when you play on the road you expect a hostile crowd, but if you are expecting a friendly one and get a hostile one that can be unsettling.

Also the Rams had a distraction going into the game.  Listening to two weeks of people claiming you are frauds and the Saints belong there instead could have had an impact on their psych.  And while teams have used the us against the world angle to solidify the team,   This wasn't something that could be easily turned that way, nor do I think they even tried.  

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Six:

The number of super bowls wins Tom Brady has.
The number of Quarterbacks drafted before him.
The round he was drafted in. 

[masterfins]

Six:

The number of super bowls wins Tom Brady has.
The number of Quarterbacks drafted before him.
The round he was drafted in. 

So...666, you're saying he's the devil.  lol

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Best tweet from last night,

“Both offenses are playing this game like they know who ever wins gets a trip to the White House to meet Trump”

[Tenshot13]

^really?  The best?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

^really?  The best?

I thought it was a hilarious commentary on both teams lackluster offense.

[Downunder Dolphan]

I am not sure if these was factors or not.

But the Rams were expecting a neutral or friendly field expecting equal rams and patriots fans or having a slight advantage with crowd noise.Reality is that it was overwhelmingly Patriots fans.  This might have been jarring.  Of course when you play on the road you expect a hostile crowd, but if you are expecting a friendly one and get a hostile one that can be unsettling.

Also the Rams had a distraction going into the game.  Listening to two weeks of people claiming you are frauds and the Saints belong there instead could have had an impact on their psych.  And while teams have used the us against the world angle to solidify the team,   This wasn't something that could be easily turned that way, nor do I think they even tried.  

The attendance was clearly Patriots dominated, both in numbers and noise, but that was not really unexpected - despite the Rams on field success during the regular season there were plenty of visiting fans and plenty of opposition noise at their own home games. I remember the Packers game this year, and the crowd was clearly cheering for the cheeseheads in the LA colloseum! It may have been a small factor, but not the main reason the Rams offense was so impotent in the Superbowl...

The biggest factor for the Rams was injuries, and most specifically, the injury to Gurley that severely limited his playing time. Take him out of the equation and all the heat was on Goff, they made sure his receivers were hard to find and turned up the pressure on him all game. It was all on him and McVay to find a way around the Patriots defense without Gurley - they couldn't do it.

It seems ironic that some experts see top running backs these days as overpriced easily replaceable pieces, I would bet that a fully fit Gurley would have made a huge difference to the Rams offense in this game. For that matter Kareem Hunt would have made a massive difference in the AFC Championship game too. Take away Bell and Connor from Pittsburgh's high powered offense, and all of a sudden they splutter and don't even make the playoffs...

[dolphins4life]

Hoodie,

I don't understand what you mean when you say there was a missed offsides on the Philly Special last year.  Offsides is a defensive penalty, so even if the Patriots were offsides, it would have been a free play and the touchdown would have counted.

The Rams were on the wrong end of three critical calls last night

The first was the bogus personal foul that extended an early Patriots drive, flipped field position, and forced the Rams defense to stay on the field longer.

The second was the phantom holding call midway through the fourth quarter that stopped a potential go-ahead drive by the Rams

This was the third

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd_jFE1Mh3c

That is clearly pass interference, as was called on Miami in the Miracle game.

To me, this makes up for the at least four times the Patriots have been robbed in the playoffs during Brady's career.

[Tenshot13]

I give up, someone else try...

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Hoodie,

I don't understand what you mean when you say there was a missed offsides on the Philly Special last year.  Offsides is a defensive penalty, so even if the Patriots were offsides, it would have been a free play and the touchdown would have counted.

The Rams were on the wrong end of three critical calls last night

The first was the bogus personal foul that extended an early Patriots drive, flipped field position, and forced the Rams defense to stay on the field longer.

The second was the phantom holding call midway through the fourth quarter that stopped a potential go-ahead drive by the Rams

This was the third

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd_jFE1Mh3c

That is clearly pass interference, as was called on Miami in the Miracle game.

To me, this makes up for the at least four times the Patriots have been robbed in the playoffs during Brady's career.

I watched the video seveal times and am certain of one thing you don’t know what PI is.

If you want post video of the others I am sure they will also confirm your lack of football knowledge. 

[Tenshot13]

I just watched the video and it's worse than I thought...I have to agree with hoodie.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

One more factor in the game that just popped into my head......

Both Zac Taylor and Brian Flores were in very similar positions.   

Zac Taylor's job was to prepare Goff to face the New England Patriots in the super bowl, but Zac knew that immediately following the Superbowl he would be in charge of rebuilding the Bengals.  Likewise Brian's job was to make Goff's night miserable also knowing that once the game was over he would be dedicating his life to replacing New England on the top of the AFCE, AFC and NFL. 

Was the X factor that Flores did his current job and ignored the distraction of his future one, while Taylor allowed his next job to be a distraction? 

We will probably never know....but it could be a possibility. 

[dolphins4life]

Ok, I will play your game

First off, I notice you never answered my question about the offsides on the Philly Special.

Secondly, I have the NFL rulebook here right for you:

https://operations.nfl.com/the-rules/2018-nfl-rulebook/#section-5-pass-interference

ARTICLE 2. PROHIBITED ACTS BY BOTH TEAMS WHILE THE BALL IS IN THE AIR
Acts that are pass interference include, but are not limited to:

(a)  Contact by a player who is not playing the ball that restricts the opponent’s opportunity to make the catch.
(b)  Playing through the back of an opponent in an attempt to make a play on the ball.
(c)  Grabbing an opponent’s arm(s) in such a manner that restricts his opportunity to catch a pass.

The Patriots defender is clearly grabbing the receiver's arm in that video. It prevents him from getting his arm up and forces him to try to make a one-handed catch.

I am using the NFL rulebook.

How can you say I don't know what pass interference is?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

keep reading......

"Note: If there is any question whether player contact is incidental, the ruling should be no interference.

Article 3. Permissible Acts by both teams while the ball is in the air

Acts that are permissible by a player include, but are not limited to:

Incidental contact by an opponent’s hands, arms, or body when both players are competing for the ball, or neither player is looking for the ball.

If there is any question whether contact is incidental, the ruling shall be no interference.

Being the defender looked back, it is not PI. 

Off sides can occur for both offense or defense.  Or they could have called it as false start.