Super Bowl LIII
| |||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||
Date | February 3, 2019 | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stadium | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia | ||||||||||||||||||
MVP | Julian Edelman, wide receiver | ||||||||||||||||||
Favorite | Patriots by 2.5 | ||||||||||||||||||
Referee | John Parry | ||||||||||||||||||
Attendance | 70,081 | ||||||||||||||||||
Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
National anthem | Gladys Knight | ||||||||||||||||||
Coin toss | Bernice King | ||||||||||||||||||
Halftime show | Maroon 5 featuring Travis Scott and Big Boi | ||||||||||||||||||
TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Network | CBS ESPN Deportes | ||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Jim Nantz (play-by-play) Tony Romo (analyst) Tracy Wolfson and Evan Washburn (sideline reporters) Jay Feely (special teams analyst) Gene Steratore (rules analyst) | ||||||||||||||||||
Nielsen ratings | 41.1 (national) 57.4 (Boston) 44.6 (Los Angeles) U.S. viewership: 98.2 million est. avg. | ||||||||||||||||||
Cost of 30-second commercial | $5.25 million | ||||||||||||||||||
Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Network | Westwood One ESPN Deportes Radio | ||||||||||||||||||
Announcers | Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) Kurt Warner and Mike Holmgren (analysts) Ed Werder and Tony Boselli (sideline reporters) Kenneth Garay (play-by-play- ESPN Deportes Radio) Sebastian Martínez Christensen (analyst- ESPN Deportes Radio) | ||||||||||||||||||
Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams, 13–3. The game was played on February 3, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and was the first Super Bowl played at the stadium.
The Patriots' victory was their sixth, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl championships. New England, after finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, advanced to their 11th Super Bowl appearance, their third in a row, and their ninth under the leadership of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. The Rams finished the regular season with a 13–3 record under head coach Sean McVay, the youngest head coach in the Super Bowl at 33, as they advanced to their fourth Super Bowl appearance and their first since relocating back from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016. Super Bowl LIII was a rematch of 2001's Super Bowl XXXVI, the first championship won by Belichick and Brady and the beginning of the Patriots dynasty. This rematch would also take place exactly 17 years to the day of the aforementioned first match. It was the 13th meeting in a major sports championship between the Greater Los Angeles and Greater Boston areas and the first championship between the two regions in the NFL. The game also marked the first Super Bowl appearance of a Los Angeles-based team since the Los Angeles Raiders appeared in 1983's Super Bowl XVIII and the Rams' first as a Los Angeles team since 1979's Super Bowl XIV. This would also mark the Rams' last Super Bowl appearance until 2021's Super Bowl LVI in which they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.
Super Bowl LIII was the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in NFL history, as both teams' defenses dominated the first three quarters.[1] The game marked the first Super Bowl in which neither team had a touchdown through the first three quarters, as the Patriots and the Rams fought to a 3–3 tie entering the fourth. In the final quarter, New England scored 10 unanswered points to claim victory, including the game's only touchdown by running back Sony Michel. The Patriots' one touchdown tied them with the New York Jets in Super Bowl III for the fewest by a winning Super Bowl team, while the Rams became the second Super Bowl team to not score a touchdown after the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, who caught 10 passes for 141 yards, was named Super Bowl MVP.[2] Brady and Belichick became the oldest starting quarterback and head coach to win the Super Bowl at 41 and 66, respectively, and Brady was also the first starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl in his 40s. It marked the final Super Bowl of the Patriots dynasty, as Brady departed New England after the 2019 season.
The broadcast of the game on CBS, along with the halftime show headlined by U.S. pop group Maroon 5, saw the smallest Super Bowl audience in 10 years.[3] Due to its low-scoring nature and both teams' offensive struggles, the game has been regarded as one of the worst Super Bowls,[4][5][6][7] although the defensive performances of both teams are considered among the greatest.[8][9][10][11]
Background
[edit]Host-selection process
[edit]On May 19, 2015, the league announced the four finalists that would compete to host Super Bowl LIII in 2019, LIV in 2020 and LV in 2021. NFL owners voted on these cities on May 24, 2016, with the first round of voting determining the host for Super Bowl LIII, the second round deciding a different site for Super Bowl LIV and the third round deciding the site for Super Bowl LV. The four finalists for Super Bowl LIII, all in the Southeastern United States, were:[12][13]
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta: This would be the first Super Bowl played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium after it opened in 2017. The city had previously hosted two Super Bowls at the Georgia Dome, with the last being Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000.
- Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida: South Florida had previously hosted 10 Super Bowls, with the last being Super Bowl XLIV in 2010.
- Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana: New Orleans had previously hosted 10 Super Bowls, with the last being Super Bowl XLVII in 2013.
- Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida: Tampa had hosted four Super Bowls, with the last being Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.
After three votes, Atlanta was awarded Super Bowl LIII at the NFL owners' meeting on May 24, 2016. The losing candidates, except for New Orleans which removed itself from the voting for all games except Super Bowl LIII due to event conflicts in 2020 and 2021, were then pitted against SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California for Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LV hosting rights. Miami eventually won the rights to host Super Bowl LIV and Los Angeles won the rights to host Super Bowl LV.[14][15] However, on May 23, 2017, NFL owners opted to award Super Bowl LV to Tampa and give Super Bowl LVI to Los Angeles after it was announced that SoFi Stadium would open in 2020 due to construction delays. New Orleans would be awarded Super Bowl LVIII.[16]
The NFL unveiled the official logo for Super Bowl LIII in February 2018; it is a navy blue-tinted version of the design that was introduced at Super Bowl LI, and the overall branding of the game featured use of blue and red. The host committee logo featured a stylized overhead rendition of Mercedes-Benz Stadium's roof.[17]
Teams
[edit]New England Patriots
[edit]The Patriots finished the 2018 season with an 11–5 record to earn the #2 seed in the AFC and their 17th season with at least ten wins in their 19 years under 66-year-old head coach Bill Belichick. They went on to join the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills as the only teams in NFL history to ever reach three consecutive Super Bowls. Though the team had only two Pro Bowl selections, they scored 436 points (fourth in the league) while giving up only 325 (seventh fewest).[18]
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady earned his 14th Pro Bowl selection at age 41, finishing the season with 4,355 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, with only 11 interceptions, while also rushing for 35 yards and two more scores on the ground.[19] These totals made him just the second quarterback in NFL history to amass 70,000 career passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. His top receiver from the previous season, Brandin Cooks, was traded to the eventual Super Bowl rival Rams, but Julian Edelman, who not only had missed the previous season with a torn ACL injury but was suspended for the first four games of the regular season after testing positive for PEDs, returned to catch 74 receptions for a team-leading 850 yards and six touchdowns, while also returning 20 punts for 154 yards.[20] Other key receivers included Chris Hogan (35 receptions for 553 yards and three touchdowns) and Josh Gordon (40 receptions for 720 yards and three touchdowns), though Gordon would end up leaving the team to focus on his mental health after 11 games when faced with a suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Tight end Rob Gronkowski added 47 receptions for 682 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, the running game featured a dynamic new weapon, rookie halfback Sony Michel, who lead the team with 931 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns, along with veteran James White who racked up 1,176 yards from scrimmage while leading the team in receptions (87) and total touchdowns (12). On special teams, receiver Cordarrelle Patterson returned 23 kickoffs for 663 yards and a touchdown, an average of 28.8 yards per return (third in the NFL), while also catching 21 passes for 247 yards, rushing for 228 yards and scoring four touchdowns on offense.[18]
On defense, defensive end Trey Flowers led the team with 7.5 sacks and also forced three fumbles. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy led the team in total tackles (92), while also recording 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. In the secondary, safety Duron Harmon led the team in interceptions for the second year in a row with four, while Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore intercepted two passes and forced two fumbles. Safety Patrick Chung also made an impact with 84 total tackles to go with an interception and a fumble recovery.[18] The Patriots secondary also featured twin brothers Jason McCourty and Devin McCourty, who both had an interception each. Devin had 82 tackles, while Jason had 70.[21]
Los Angeles Rams
[edit]The Rams finished the 2018 season earning the #2 seed in the NFC, before knocking off the fourth seeded Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round and top seeded New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship to earn their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history.[22] The Rams went from 2004 to 2016 without recording a winning record. After relocating from St. Louis back to Los Angeles and posting a dismal 4–12 season in 2016, the team's fortunes changed with the hiring of 30-year-old head coach Sean McVay, the youngest head coach in NFL history.[23] Under McVay and second year quarterback Jared Goff, who recovered from a lackluster winless rookie season to record a triple digit passer rating, the Rams improved to an 11–5 record in 2017. Then in 2018, they won their first eight games and finished the year with a 13–3 record, tying the Saints for the best record in the NFC. New Orleans won the top seed since they had defeated the Rams in the regular season.
The Rams offense ranked second in the NFL in both points scored (527) and yards gained (6,738).[24] Goff continued to improve in his third season, setting new career highs in passing yards (4,688, fourth in the NFL), passing touchdowns (32), passer rating (101.1), rushing yards (108) and rushing touchdowns (two). His top receiver was Robert Woods, who caught 86 passes for 1,219 yards and 6 touchdowns. Brandin Cooks, an off-season pickup from the Patriots via trade, also made a big impact with 80 receptions for 1,204 yards and 5 scores. The team's #3 receiver, Cooper Kupp, suffered a season ending injury after catching 40 passes for 566 yards in 8 games, forcing Goff to rely heavily on other targets like Gerald Everett (32 receptions) and Josh Reynolds (29). Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley was the team's leading rusher with 1,251 yards (fourth in the NFL) and 17 touchdowns, while also catching 59 passes for 580 yards and five more touchdowns. His 17 rushing touchdowns led the league, while his 22 total touchdowns gave him 132 points, fifth in the NFL. Running back C. J. Anderson, who made the Rams his third different team in 2018 after signing up with them in December, also was a key aspect of the running game, finishing the season with 405 yards and leading the team in rushing in both of their playoff victories. On special teams, JoJo Natson returned 26 punts for 280 yards, while kicker Greg Zuerlein made 87.1% of his field goals, including a franchise postseason record 57-yard kick to defeat the Saints in overtime in the NFC championship game.[25]
The Rams defense featured Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who led the league in sacks with 20.5, as many sacks as the rest of the team combined. He also had 59 tackles (25 for loss), four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Veteran defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh was second on the team with 4.5 sacks, while also getting 59 tackles and recovering two fumbles. Pro Bowl linebacker Cory Littleton led the team in total tackles with 125, while also picking up four sacks, three interceptions and blocking two punts. The Rams also had a strong secondary, led by John Johnson (119 tackles and four interceptions), Marcus Peters (three interceptions), Lamarcus Joyner (78 tackles) and Aqib Talib.[26]
Playoffs
[edit]In the playoffs, the Patriots earned a first-round bye as the AFC's second overall seed. In the divisional round, they defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 41–28, scoring touchdowns on five of their first six possessions. Brady passed for 343 yards and a touchdown, while running back Sony Michel rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns.[27] They then defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 37–31 in the AFC Championship Game, scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime. The Patriots held a 14–0 lead at halftime, before the Chiefs rallied to take the lead 21–17 in the fourth quarter. From there, both teams took turns taking the lead, until the Chiefs forced overtime with a 39-yard field goal by Harrison Butker to tie the game 31–31. The Patriots won the coin toss to start their offense for overtime, where Rex Burkhead scored a two-yard touchdown to win the game. Michel ended up rushing for a combined total of 242 yards and five touchdowns in the Patriots' two playoff games, setting an NFL record for postseason rushing touchdowns by a rookie.[28] The Patriots defense held Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce, who had both gained over 1,300 receiving yards during the season, to a combined total of just four receptions for 65 yards.[29]
Meanwhile, the Rams also had a first-round bye as the NFC's second overall seed. They started off the divisional round by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 30–22. The Rams gained 273 yards on the ground with running backs Todd Gurley and C. J. Anderson rushing for over 100 yards each.[30] They then defeated the New Orleans Saints 26–23 in the NFC Championship Game, scoring a game-winning field goal in overtime. The Saints jumped out to an early 13–0 first quarter lead, before the Rams rallied to close the lead to 13–10 at halftime. In the fourth quarter, Greg Zuerlein tied the game at 20–20, with just over 5 minutes remaining. The Saints moved the ball to the Rams' 13 yard line, but could not gain a first down. On third down, quarterback Drew Brees threw a pass to receiver Tommylee Lewis, who was covered by Nickell Robey-Coleman. Though Robey-Coleman knocked Lewis to the ground early and the pass fell incomplete, the obvious penalty was not called and the Saints' Wil Lutz kicked a 31-yard field goal to take the lead. The Rams took possession and sent the game to overtime with a 48-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein. Although the Rams lost the coin toss and had to start their defense for overtime, Brees threw an interception on the Saints' first drive and Zuerlein kicked a 57-yard field goal to win the game.[31]
Pre-game notes
[edit]The game was a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVI between the Patriots and the Rams; the Rams at the time were based in St. Louis.[32] However, only one player, Patriots starting quarterback Tom Brady, remained on either roster from that contest. Bill Belichick, the Patriots' head coach in the previous contest, also remained in that position for this game.[33] Super Bowl LIII featured record setting age differences between each team's starting quarterbacks and head coaches, pitting 41-year-old Brady against 24-year-old Jared Goff, as well as 66-year-old Belichick against 33-year-old Sean McVay.[34]
The then-St. Louis Rams won their only prior Super Bowl title in Atlanta, Super Bowl XXXIV, hosted at the now-demolished Georgia Dome in 2000, which was located adjacent to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.[35][36]
As the designated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Rams elected to wear their royal blue and yellow throwback uniforms for the game, which they have previously worn for six home games including a home playoff game during the 2018 season.[37][38][39] The Patriots wore their standard white away uniforms.[40]
Gambling establishments had the Patriots as 2 ½ point favorites and projected 56 total points would be scored.[41]
Boston and Los Angeles teams of other professional sports have met in the championship rounds, popularizing the "Beat L.A." chant and the hashtag "#BeatLA".[42][43] The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have contested a record eleven NBA Finals since the Lakers moved from Minneapolis in 1960. Furthermore, Los Angeles Galaxy and New England Revolution have contested three MLS Cups.[44] The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers faced off in the 2018 World Series, and with the Patriots and Rams meeting in Super Bowl LIII, it was only the second time in 50 years that two cities' MLB and NFL teams have competed for the league title in the same season (or calendar year), the first time being in 1969 when the New York Jets and Baltimore Colts competed for Super Bowl III in January 1969 followed by the 1969 World Series featuring the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles.[45][46] The Patriots faced another Los Angeles-based team in the same playoffs, the Chargers in the divisional round, en route to their Super Bowl meeting with the Rams.[47][48][49]
Associated events
[edit]Pre-game events and entertainment were centered around downtown Atlanta, with State Farm Arena having hosted Super Bowl Opening Night, the Georgia World Congress Center hosting the Super Bowl Experience and Super Bowl Live at Centennial Olympic Park. State Farm Arena also hosted the inaugural Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest, a three-night concert series that was headlined by Ludacris and Migos (night 1), Aerosmith and Post Malone (night 2), and Bruno Mars and Cardi B (night 3).[50][51][52] The show competed with a "Super Saturday Night" concert held by DirecTV at a temporary venue near Atlantic Station, headlined by the Foo Fighters and featuring Roger Taylor, Zac Brown, Tom Morello, Perry Farrell and Dave Koz as special guests.[53]
The NFL officially launched its centennial commemorations at Super Bowl LIII, ahead of its 100th season.[54][55][56] A themed, two-minute advertisement was aired during the game.[57][58]
Broadcasting
[edit]United States
[edit]Television
[edit]Super Bowl LIII was broadcast by CBS as part of an annual rotation between the three main broadcast television partners of the NFL. It was the 20th time CBS broadcast the game.[59]
Jim Nantz served as play-by-play announcer and Tony Romo worked his first Super Bowl as color commentator.[60] CBS' coverage utilized a total of 115 cameras, including 8K resolution cameras (for the first time in a U.S. network sports telecast) in the end zones, as well as field-level and "up close" augmented reality graphics (with the latter generated by a wireless, handheld camera).[61][62]
As with CBS's previous Super Bowl (Super Bowl 50), ESPN Deportes aired a Spanish-language broadcast of the game, the second out of three Super Bowls the network would eventually sub-license.[63]
Advertising
[edit]With a base price slightly higher than $5 million for a 30-second ad, the cost of commercial time remained even with the previous three events. There were fewer spots sold overall in comparison to the previous Super Bowl; CBS aired more than double the number of promos for its own programming (as well as that of its subscription service CBS All Access) than NBC did at Super Bowl LII.[64] Despite this, Kantar estimated its total revenue to be the third-highest in Super Bowl history, at $382 million.[65]
Perennial Super Bowl advertiser Anheuser-Busch made its largest-ever advertising purchase for a single game, with a total of eight different commercials of various lengths (covering five-and-a-half minutes of airtime) across seven product brands, including three being advertised during the game for the first time.[66][67] Mercedes-Benz aired a minute long ad for the 2019 A-Class Sedan featuring cameos by Ludacris.[68] Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures aired a half-minute long Teaser for highly anticipated Avengers: Endgame.[69] CBS rejected an ad from medical cannabis company Acreage Holdings advocating for legalization.[70]
For the first time in its history, the NFL itself won USA Today's Super Bowl Ad Meter survey determining the best commercial aired during the game, with an advertisement launching a campaign celebrating its 100th season.[71]
Lead-out programs
[edit]CBS's lead-out program was the series premiere of the talent competition series The World's Best.[72] After late local programs, CBS also aired a special Sunday-night episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[73]
Ratings
[edit]Initial overnight Nielsen Ratings measured a 44.9 rating for the game, down 5% from the previous year and the lowest rating for a Super Bowl since Super Bowl XLIII ten years prior.[74] 98.2 million viewers were measured, the fewest since Super Bowl XLII.[75] Jemele Hill of The Atlantic attributed the low ratings "to the game being the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever, moderate national interest in the Rams, the lingering bad taste from the huge blown call in the NFC Championship Game, and Patriots fatigue".[76] In New Orleans, whose Saints had lost the NFC Championship in part because of the blown call, ratings were down 51% compared to Super Bowl LII as Louisianans boycotted and refused to watch the game.[77] Outside the Boston market, where the 57.1 overnight rating was the highest among local markets, the highest-rated markets were in Richmond, Virginia and Buffalo, New York (the latter having traditionally high ratings for sporting events and being the home of the Patriots' division rivals the Buffalo Bills); Los Angeles was near the national average.[78] A downturn of approximately 5% was noted during the halftime show.[78] The fewer television viewers did not migrate to online or mobile platforms; viewership online and on mobile only totaled 2.5 million viewers, which was not an appreciable enough change to affect the overall viewership decline.[79]
Streaming
[edit]Digitally, this was the first Super Bowl available through CBS's subscription service CBS All Access.[80] The game was also available via the CBS Sports app, CBSSports.com, the Yahoo! Sports app, Tumblr app, the NFL app.[81] The Yahoo! Sports app and Tumblr app streams were part of a long-term deal between then NFL and Verizon Media.
Radio
[edit]The game was broadcast on radio nationally on Westwood One. SiriusXM carried the game in eight languages and hometown broadcasts from Boston's WBZ-FM and Los Angeles's KSPN and KCBS-FM, along with the main feed on Sirius XM NFL Radio.[81]
International
[edit]In Canada, the game was aired by CTV, CTV 2 and TSN.[82] Unifor purchased time on the Canadian broadcast to air an attack ad criticizing General Motors' decision to close the Oshawa Car Assembly plant, defying demands from the company to pull the ad because they deemed it to be misleading.[83][84]
In Australia and New Zealand, ESPN Australia aired an ESPN-produced broadcast of the game that featured the Monday Night Football commentary crew of Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten and Booger McFarland (McFarland was in the booth rather than the Booger Mobile, the controversial sideline vehicle he used that was abandoned before the end of the 2018 MNF season).[85] It would prove to be Witten's last commentary appearance for the time being, due to his unretirement and return to the Dallas Cowboys. Additionally in Australia the game was broadcast for the second year in a row by Melbourne Radio Station 1116 SEN and commentated by Gerard Whateley.[86]
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the game was broadcast on the free-to-air channel BBC One, and paid-subscription channels Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports USA.[87][88]
Entertainment
[edit]The musical artists who agreed to perform at the show—including Gladys Knight, Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi—were criticized by media outlets, other artists and members of the public for performing at Super Bowl LIII because of the NFL's alleged blacklisting of Colin Kaepernick for protesting police brutality by kneeling during the pre-game national anthem.[89][90][91][92] Several artists, including Jay-Z and Cardi B, turned down offers to perform at the game in support of Kaepernick.[93]
Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies became the first male cheerleaders to perform at a major US sporting event.[94] Scott Winer was the first openly gay cameraman to film the Super Bowl.[95]
Pre-game
[edit]The NFL had Mercedes-Benz Stadium's retractable roof open for the pre-game ceremonies and closed it prior to kickoff.[96]
Atlanta natives Chloe x Halle performed "America the Beautiful".[97] Gladys Knight, also from Atlanta, performed "The Star-Spangled Banner".[98][99][89] D.C. resident Aarron Loggins performed a sign-language interpretation for both songs.[100]
Bernice King—the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr.—and civil rights movement leaders Andrew Young and John Lewis participated in the coin toss ceremony. King had the honors of flipping the coin.[101][102]
Halftime show
[edit]On January 13, 2019, the NFL announced that pop band Maroon 5 would headline the Super Bowl LIII halftime show. They were joined by Big Boi of Outkast and Travis Scott as guests.[103][104][90] A short clip featuring the cast of SpongeBob SquarePants and a clip from the 2001 episode "Band Geeks" was aired as a tribute to series creator Stephen Hillenburg, who died in November 2018 due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).[105] The full clip of the "Sweet Victory" song, including a dedication to Hillenburg, was played inside the stadium prior to the game.[106]
Game summary
[edit]First half
[edit]The Patriots received first possession as Cordarrelle Patterson returned the opening kickoff 38 yards to the Patriots' 39-yard line and the team picked up 27 yards with their next five plays. On quarterback Tom Brady's first pass attempt of the day, cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, who was notable for a non-call on pass interference in the NFC Championship two weeks earlier, deflected a pass intended for wide receiver Chris Hogan, allowing linebacker Cory Littleton to make an interception, setting the Rams up at their own 27-yard line. The turnover had no avail, as the Patriots forced a three-and-out and the game's first punt. The Patriots drove 45 yards in 11 plays, the longest a 19-yard catch by tight end Rob Gronkowski. Placekicker Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal attempt from 46 yards, still keeping the game scoreless. The Rams picked up a first down at the Patriots' 49-yard line on the very next play but were again unable to move the ball beyond that point and again, the Patriots threatened to score when Brady completed a 25-yard pass to Julian Edelman at the Rams 45-yard line. But on the next play, Brady was strip-sacked by Rams defensive end John Franklin-Myers, but Patriots center David Andrews recovered the fumble. However, the team was only able to get as far as the Rams' 40 before fourth down and had to punt with 18 seconds left in the first quarter.
After forcing another three-and-out to start the second quarter, the Patriots managed to drive 39 yards in seven plays, most of which came from another 25-yard completion from Brady to Edelman. Gostkowski finished the possession with a 42-yard field goal, giving New England a 3–0 lead with 10:29 left in the second quarter. After the next three drives ended in punts, the Patriots took the ball and drove 36 yards to the Rams 32-yard line. New England elected to go for a 4th-and-1 conversion instead of a field goal, but Brady's pass to Gronkowski was broken up by safety John Johnson, turning the ball over on downs with 1:13 left in the half. Los Angeles could not get the ball past midfield, so they punted it back to New England to end the half.
The two teams went into their locker rooms with the Patriots leading, 3–0, the second lowest halftime score in Super Bowl history and the lowest since the 2–0 halftime score in Super Bowl IX after the 1974 season.[107] In the entire first half, the Rams had gained just 57 yards and two first downs, both record lows for coach Sean McVay. This was also the first time that McVay's Rams had ever been shut out in a first half.[108]
Second half
[edit]The defensive duel continued into the second half as both teams punted twice (one of them was a Super Bowl record 65-yard punt by the Rams' Johnny Hekker). With 6:33 left in the third quarter, the Rams opened their first drive of more than five plays and their first not to end in a punt, moving the ball 42 yards in 10 plays. On the third play of the drive, Rams quarterback Jared Goff completed a 15-yard pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks and later made his first third-down conversion with an 18-yard pass to Robert Woods on 3rd-and-6. On 3rd-and-7 from the Patriots' 26-yard line, Goff was sacked for a 9-yard loss by Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower, but Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein was able to kick a 53-yard field goal, the second-longest in Super Bowl history, to tie the game at 3–3 with 2:11 left in the third quarter. It would be their only score. The Patriots took the ball back and drove to the Rams' 44-yard line but could not go any further and had to punt on the first play of the fourth quarter. For the first time in Super Bowl history, both teams had gone three quarters without scoring a touchdown.[109]
After forcing the Rams to punt, the Patriots mounted the longest drive of the game as Brady completed an 18-yard pass to Gronkowski, a 13-yard pass to Edelman, a 7-yard pass to running back Rex Burkhead and a 29-yard pass to Gronkowski, bringing them to the Rams' 2-yard line. Running back Sony Michel finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run for the game's only touchdown, extending his rookie postseason rushing touchdown record to six and giving New England a 10–3 lead with 7 minutes left in regulation. On the first play of Los Angeles' next drive, Goff completed a 19-yard pass to Cooks and later converted a 3rd-and-9 with an 11-yard throw to wide receiver Josh Reynolds. On the next play, his 17-yard completion to Woods moved the ball to the Patriots' 27-yard line. However, on the next play, Goff's potential game-tying touchdown pass to Cooks was broken up by cornerback Stephon Gilmore and safety Duron Harmon, and then Goff threw a pass that was intercepted by Gilmore on the 3-yard line with 4:17 remaining.[110]
The Rams needed to force a punt or turnover; however, they were unable to contain the Patriots on the ground. On the second play of the Patriots' possession, Michel stormed through the line for a 26-yard run. After he picked up 10 more yards with his next two carries, Burkhead's 26-yard run gave the Patriots a first down on the Rams' 33-yard line. Three plays later, Gostkowski succeeded on a 41-yard field goal, giving the Patriots a 13–3 lead with 1:12 left on the clock. Taking the ball back on their own 25, Goff completed a 10-yard pass to Woods, as well as completions to Cooks for gains of 24 and 21 yards, moving the ball to the Patriots' 30-yard line. With 8 seconds left, the Rams decided to kick a field goal, which would have been followed by an onside kick attempt, but Zuerlein missed wide left from 48 yards, securing the Patriots' sixth Super Bowl title.[111]
Totals
[edit]Brady completed 21 of 35 passes for 262 yards, with one interception. Edelman was his top target with 10 receptions for 141 yards, while Gronkowski made six receptions for 87 yards in his final game with the Patriots. Michel was the top rusher of the game with 94 yards and a touchdown. Gilmore had five solo tackles and an interception. Goff finished the day 19-for-38 passing, for 229 yards and an interception. Cooks was his top receiver with eight receptions for 120 yards. Littleton had 10 tackles (six solo) and an interception. Hekker punted nine times for 417 yards, an average of 46.3 yards per punt, and put five punts inside the 20. The Rams were only the second team in Super Bowl history to not score a touchdown, the first having been the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI after the 1971 season.[112]
Brady became the first player in NFL history to win six Super Bowls, surpassing Charles Haley's only NFL record of five.[113] Brady, also, at age 41, became the oldest quarterback to win and appear in a Super Bowl (although he did not play, the oldest quarterback ever to appear in a Super Bowl was Steve DeBerg in Super Bowl XXXIII at the age of 45), and, at the time, Bill Belichick was the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl, at age 66, until Bruce Arians surpassed that record at age 68 in Super Bowl LV.[113][114] Edelman was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player,[115] and he was the first wide receiver to win the award since Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII after the 2008 season.[116] Despite holding the Rams to just three points, no Patriots defender received a vote.[117]
Box score
[edit]Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patriots (AFC) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 13 |
Rams (NFC) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
- Date: February 3, 2019
- Game time: 6:32 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 70,081
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson, Gene Steratore, Evan Washburn and Jay Feely
- Recap, Gamebook
Scoring summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Final statistics
[edit]Statistical comparison
[edit]Statistic[118] | New England Patriots | Los Angeles Rams |
---|---|---|
First downs | 22 | 14 |
First downs rushing | 6 | 2 |
First downs passing | 12 | 11 |
First downs penalty | 4 | 1 |
Third down efficiency | 3/12 | 3/13 |
Fourth down efficiency | 0/1 | 0/0 |
Total net yards | 407 | 260 |
Net yards rushing | 154 | 62 |
Rushing attempts | 32 | 18 |
Yards per rush | 4.8 | 3.4 |
Yards passing | 253 | 198 |
Passing–completions/attempts | 21/35 | 19/38 |
Times sacked–total yards | 1–9 | 4–31 |
Interceptions thrown | 1 | 1 |
Punt returns–total yards | 2–2 | 2–12 |
Kickoff returns–total yards | 1–38 | 1–27 |
Interceptions–total return yards | 1–0 | 1–0 |
Punts–average yardage | 5–43 | 9–46.3 |
Fumbles–lost | 1–0 | 1–0 |
Penalties–yards | 3–20 | 9–65 |
Time of possession | 33:10 | 26:50 |
Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
Records set[citation needed] (Unless noted as "NFL Championships," all records refer only to Super Bowls) | ||
---|---|---|
Most appearances, team | 11 | New England Patriots |
Fewest points scored, winning team | 13 | |
Most consecutive drives ending with a punt | 8 | Los Angeles Rams |
Fewest touchdowns, first 3 quarters (both teams) | 0 | Super Bowl LIII |
Fewest touchdowns (both teams, game) | 1 | |
Fewest PATs (both teams, game) | 1 | |
Fewest kickoff returns (both teams, game) | 2 | |
Fewest points, first 3 quarters (both teams) | 6 | |
Fewest points (both teams, game) | 16 | |
Most appearances, player | 9 | Tom Brady (New England) |
Most appearances, starting player | 9 | |
Most wins, player | 6 | |
Most pass attempts, player (career) | 392 | |
Most pass completions, player (career) | 256 | |
Most passing yards, player (career) | 2,838 | |
Oldest quarterback, player | 41 years, 183 days | |
Oldest quarterback, starting player | 41 years, 183 days | |
Oldest quarterback to win | 41 years, 183 days | |
Most appearances, head coach | 9 | Bill Belichick (New England) |
Most appearances, coach | 12 | |
Most appearances, any capacity | 12 | |
Most won, head coach | 6 | |
Most won, coach | 8 | |
Most won, any capacity | 8 | |
Oldest head coach, winning team | 66 years, 293 days | |
Most appearances, kicker | 6 | Stephen Gostkowski (New England) |
Most receptions, tight end (career) | 23 | Rob Gronkowski (New England)[119] |
Youngest head coach | 33 years, 10 days | Sean McVay (Los Angeles) |
Longest punt | 65 yards | Johnny Hekker (Los Angeles) |
Records tied | ||
Most wins, team | 6 | New England Patriots |
Most first downs by penalty, team | 4 | |
Fewest touchdowns scored, winning team | 1 | |
Fewest points, first half | 0 | Los Angeles Rams |
Fewest points scored, team | 3 | |
Fewest touchdowns scored, team | 0 | |
Fewest points, first quarter (both teams) | 0 | Super Bowl LIII |
Fewest passing touchdowns (both teams) | 0 | |
Fewest fumbles lost (both teams) | 0 | |
Most NFL championships won, head coach | 6 | Bill Belichick (New England) |
Most NFL championships won, player | 6 | Tom Brady (New England) |
Most receptions, first half | 7 | Julian Edelman (New England) |
Most field goals, career | 7 | Stephen Gostkowski (New England) |
Individual statistics
[edit]Patriots passing[118] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
Tom Brady | 21/35 | 262 | 0 | 1 | 71.4 |
Patriots rushing[118] | |||||
Car2 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Yds/Car | |
Sony Michel | 18 | 94 | 1 | 26 | 5.2 |
Rex Burkhead | 7 | 43 | 0 | 26 | 6.1 |
Julian Edelman | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 8.0 |
Cordarrelle Patterson | 2 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 3.5 |
James White | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2.0 |
Tom Brady | 2 | −2 | 0 | −1 | –1.0 |
Patriots receiving[118] | |||||
Rec4 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Target5 | |
Julian Edelman | 10 | 141 | 0 | 27 | 12 |
Rob Gronkowski | 6 | 87 | 0 | 29 | 7 |
Rex Burkhead | 2 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
Cordarrelle Patterson | 2 | 14 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
James White | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
Chris Hogan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Sony Michel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Rams passing[118] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
Jared Goff | 19/38 | 229 | 0 | 1 | 57.9 |
Rams rushing[118] | |||||
Car2 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Yds/Car | |
Todd Gurley | 10 | 35 | 0 | 16 | 3.5 |
C. J. Anderson | 7 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 3.1 |
Robert Woods | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 5.0 |
Rams receiving[118] | |||||
Rec4 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Target5 | |
Brandin Cooks | 8 | 120 | 0 | 24 | 13 |
Robert Woods | 5 | 70 | 0 | 18 | 10 |
Josh Reynolds | 3 | 28 | 0 | 11 | 7 |
C. J. Anderson | 2 | 12 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
Todd Gurley | 1 | −1 | 0 | −1 | 2 |
Gerald Everett | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1Completions/attempts
2Carries
3Long gain
4Receptions
5Times targeted
Starting lineups
[edit]New England | Position | Position | Los Angeles |
---|---|---|---|
Offense[118] | |||
Chris Hogan | WR | Josh Reynolds | |
Julian Edelman | WR | Robert Woods | |
Trent Brown | LT | Andrew Whitworth | |
Joe Thuney | LG | Rodger Saffold | |
David Andrews | C | John Sullivan | |
Shaq Mason | RG | Austin Blythe | |
Marcus Cannon | RT | Rob Havenstein | |
Rob Gronkowski | TE | Tyler Higbee | |
Tom Brady | QB | Jared Goff | |
Sony Michel | RB | HB | Todd Gurley |
James Develin | FB | WR | Brandin Cooks |
Defense[118] | |||
Deatrich Wise Jr. | RE | DE | Michael Brockers |
Malcom Brown | DT | NT | Ndamukong Suh |
Lawrence Guy | DT | Aaron Donald | |
Trey Flowers | LE | WILL | Dante Fowler |
Kyle Van Noy | LB | OLB | Samson Ebukam |
Dont'a Hightower | LB | ILB | Cory Littleton |
Stephon Gilmore | RCB | ILB | Mark Barron |
Jonathan Jones | DB | SS | John Johnson |
Devin McCourty | S | FS | Lamarcus Joyner |
Patrick Chung | S | CB | Aqib Talib |
Jason McCourty | LCB | CB | Marcus Peters |
Officials
[edit]Super Bowl LIII had seven officials.[120][121] The numbers in parentheses below indicate their uniform numbers.[122] John Parry became the second referee in a row to retire after officiating the Super Bowl after Gene Steratore, who retired after Super Bowl LII.
- Referee: John Parry (132)
- Umpire: Fred Bryan (11)
- Down judge: Ed Camp (134)
- Line judge: Jeff Bergman (32)
- Field judge: Steve Zimmer (33)
- Side judge: Eugene Hall (103)
- Back judge: Terrence Miles (111)
- Replay Official: Jim Lapetina
- Replay Assistant: Chad Adams
- Alternate Referee: Ron Torbert (62)
- Alternate Umpire: Mark Pellis (131)
- Alternate Wing: Tom Stephan (68)
- Alternate Deep: Michael Banks (72)
- Alternate Back Judge: Rich Martinez (39)
Celebration
[edit]On the morning of February 5, the Patriots celebration duck boat parade was held in Boston, starting at Boylston Street and ending at City Hall Plaza.[123] The date of the parade was unseasonably warm for New England. The high temperature for the day was 65 degrees Fahrenheit, with a low of 40. Temperatures in Boston during this time of year average in the mid to low 40's. It was attended by an estimated 1.5 million fans.[124]
References
[edit]- ^ Zarpentine, Bryan (February 11, 2022). "Ranking the 10 worst Super Bowls of all-time". Franchise Sports. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ Bergman, Jeremy (February 3, 2019). "Patriots WR Julian Edelman named Super Bowl LIII MVP". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Patten, Dominic (February 3, 2019). "Super Bowl Viewership Falls To Lowest Since 2008 In Historically Low Scoring Game". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Kaduk, Kevin (February 4, 2019). "Super Bowl LIII wasn't the worst of all time, but it's up there". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ Helmkamp, Jon (February 8, 2021). "This was pretty close to being the least-entertaining Super Bowl ever". Deadspin. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ Zarpentine, Bryan (February 11, 2022). "Ranking the 10 worst Super Bowls of all-time". Franchise Sports. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
- ^ Bracy, Timothy (January 15, 2019). "The 10 Worst Super Bowl Games of All Time". Men's Journal. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ Barnwell, Bill (February 4, 2019). "You just witnessed the greatest defensive performance in Super Bowl history: Here's how the Patriots did it". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ Iannazzone, Al (February 4, 2019). "Super Bowl LIII turns into a defensive struggle for Patriots, Rams". Newsday. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022.
- ^ Kilgore, Adam (February 4, 2019). "'The best to ever do it': How Bill Belichick out-coached Sean McVay in the Super Bowl". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ Benoit, Andy (February 6, 2019). "The Super Bowl 53 Tale of the Tape: Two Dominant Defenses, Gurley's Disappearance, and the Real MVP". SI.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022.
- ^ Wagner-McGough, Sean (May 19, 2015). "Finalists for 2019, 2020 Super Bowls: Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, Tampa". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Triplett, Mike (May 19, 2015). "Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, Tampa eye 2019, 2020 Super Bowls". ESPN. Archived from the original on December 5, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Rosenthal, Gregg (May 24, 2016). "Atlanta, South Florida, L.A. chosen to host Super Bowls". NFL.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Brinson, Will (May 24, 2016). "NFL awards future Super Bowls to Atlanta, South Florida and Los Angeles". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ Teope, Herbie (May 24, 2018). "Arizona, New Orleans chosen as Super Bowl hosts". NFL.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Tucker, Tim (February 7, 2018). "LEADOFF: Atlanta's Super Bowl gets a second logo from NFL". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c "2018 New England Patriots Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ Triplett, Mike (December 19, 2018). "Patriots' Tom Brady ties NFL record with 14th Pro Bowl selection". ABC News. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ Shook, Nick (April 3, 2018). "Rams acquire Brandin Cooks in trade with Patriots". NFL.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Stapleton, Art (February 4, 2019). "'Surreal' Super Bowl reality for McCourty twins even more special than childhood dream". North Jersey. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ "2018 NFL Playoff Standings". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ "Cleveland/St. Louis/LA Rams Team Encyclopedia". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ "2018 NFL Standings & Team Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ Lyles, Harry (January 20, 2019). "Greg Zuerlein's 57-yard field goal sends the Rams to Super Bowl 53". SBNation.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "2018 Los Angeles Rams Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ Miller, Jeff (January 14, 2019). "Chargers are done early in 41–28 loss to Patriots". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ Goss, Nick (January 21, 2019). "Patriots' Sony Michel sets NFL rookie record with incredible playoff run". NBC Sports Boston. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ Duffy, Kevin (January 21, 2019). "Patriots defense erases Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Los Angeles Rams defeat Dallas Cowboys, advance with 30–22 victory". CBS News. Associated Press. January 13, 2019. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ Kilgore, Adam; Boren, Cindy (January 20, 2019). "Rams beat Saints in NFC championship, advance to Super Bowl". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ White, R.J. (January 20, 2019). "Patriots vs. Rams: How to watch Super Bowl 53 on TV, stream, date, location, more details". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
- ^ Iyer, Vinnie (January 21, 2019). "Patriots-Rams Super Bowl rematch brings Tom Brady, Bill Belichick full circle". Sporting News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ Rollins, Khadrice (January 21, 2019). "Super Bowl LIII Features Record-Setting Age Gaps Between Quarterbacks and Coaches". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
- ^ Locker, Melissa (February 2, 2019). "Super Bowl 2019: Time-lapse map shows Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Arena replacing the Georgia Dome". Fast Company. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ "Super Bowl LIII: Why is Atlanta Forgetting Lightning?". Bloomberg.com. CityLab. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on February 2, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ Los Angeles Rams [@RamsNFL] (January 20, 2019). "Oh by the way... WE WEARING THROWBACKS AT THE SUPER BOWL!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Benjamin, Cody (January 20, 2019). "2019 Super Bowl jerseys: Los Angeles Rams to wear blue and yellow throwback uniforms". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
- ^ DaSilva, Cameron (January 20, 2019). "Rams announce which uniforms they'll wear in Super Bowl LIII". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
- ^ Benjamin, Cody (February 3, 2019). "2019 Super Bowl jerseys: Road whites for Patriots, blue-and-yellow throwback uniforms for Rams". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Patriots vs. Rams". Vegasinsider.com. February 3, 2019. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
- ^ Leger, Justin (February 3, 2019). "Red Sox wish Patriots luck in Super Bowl LIII: 'Beat L.A. again'". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Semuels, Alana (October 28, 2017). "How My Father (Maybe) Started the Timeless 'Beat L.A.!' Chant". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "MLS Cup Winners List | All of Past US Soccer Champions (1996–2018)". SkyRockLiving. March 9, 2018. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ Garro, Adrian (January 21, 2019). "For the first time in 50 years, the Super Bowl and World Series will feature the same two 'cities'". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ McArdle, Tommy. "Red Sox congratulate the Patriots on 'ending that 3-month Boston championship drought'". Boston. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ "Red Sox stars react to Patriots AFC Championship win". Bosox Injection. January 21, 2019. Archived from the original on January 22, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
- ^ McCarriston, Shanna (January 13, 2019). "Boston vs. LA, again: How fandom around Patriots, Chargers differs". Sporting News. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
- ^ Banks, Don (January 21, 2019). "Snap Judgments Conference Championships". New England Patriots. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
- ^ Bowenbank, Starr (November 7, 2018). "First-Ever Bud Light Super Bowl Festival Taps Cardi B, Bruno Mars, Migos & More: Exclusive". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Road to Super Bowl LIII: Atlanta's downtown cluster a perfect fit for NFL". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ "Super Bowl 53: Post Malone will join Aerosmith at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on December 6, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
- ^ Ruggieri, Melissa. "Super Bowl 53: Foo Fighters stock Super Saturday Night show with guests". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "NFL reveals logo, celebration plans for 100th season". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. October 18, 2018. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "NFL prepares to celebrate 100th season in '19". ESPN. Associated Press. October 18, 2018. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ Florio, Mike (October 19, 2018). "NFL unveils 100th season logo". ProFootballTalk.com. NBC Sports. Archived from the original on November 17, 2018. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ "Just about every past and present NFL star showed up in the NFL 100 Super Bowl ad". Yahoo! Sports. February 4, 2019. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Schwartz, Nick (February 4, 2019). "Super Bowl 2019: See the epic 'NFL 100' ad". For The Win. USA Today. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (December 14, 2011). "Update: NBC, CBS And Fox Score Nine-Year NFL Extensions Taking Them To 2022". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2017.
- ^ Pallotta, Frank (February 1, 2019). "Tony Romo is calling his first Super Bowl, but he's not nervous about it". CNN. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022.
- ^ Butts, Tom (January 10, 2019). "CBS Sports to Use 4K, 8K Cameras for Super Bowl LIII Broadcast". TvTechnology. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ "CBS Sports Outlines Tech Innovations for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta". Sports Video Group. January 11, 2019. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ Holmes, Elena (May 22, 2018). "ESPN Deportes picks up Super Bowl Spanish-language rights". SportsPro. Archived from the original on June 6, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
- ^ Fang, Ken (February 4, 2019). "With fewer ads in Super Bowl LIII, CBS had to air more promos". Awful Announcing. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "CBS estimated to take in $382 million on Super Bowl ads: Kantar Media". Reuters. February 4, 2019. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
- ^ "Anheuser-Busch 'to bet even bigger' with Super Bowl LIII ad buy". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ Monllos, Kristina (January 9, 2019). "Anheuser-Busch's Biggest Super Bowl Push Ever: 5 Brands, 7 Products and More Than 5 Minutes of Airtime". Adweek. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
- ^ Levy, George (February 22, 2019). "Mercedes-Benz and the Age-Defying Super Bowl Commercial". Car And Driver. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ Boucher, Geoff (February 3, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame' Super Bowl Ad Shows The End Is Near". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ Helmore, Edward (January 23, 2019). "CBS refuses to run Super Bowl ad for medical marijuana". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "This is every NFL player in 'The 100-Year Game': Ad Meter's winning Super Bowl commercial". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 17, 2018). "'World's Best': CBS' Talent Competition Series Gets Post-Super Bowl Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- ^ "CBS' 'Late Show' Lands Post-Super Bowl Episode". The Hollywood Reporter. November 16, 2018. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
- ^ Concha, Joe (February 4, 2019). "Lowest-scoring Super Bowl becomes lowest-rated championship telecast since 2009". The Hill. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Super Bowl LIII telecast drew 98.2M viewers; lowest in 11 years". UPI. February 5, 2019. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ Hill, Jemele (February 4, 2019). "Kaepernick Has Staying Power". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Scott, Mike (February 4, 2019). "Super Bowl ratings plummet as Who Dats strike back". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ a b Pergament, Alan (February 4, 2019). "Super Bowl rating in Buffalo is No. 3 nationally despite 7 percent decline from a year ago". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Baysinger, Tim (September 26, 2019). "Jennifer Lopez and Shakira to Headline Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show". TheWrap. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
When you add in data from multiple streaming platforms, last night's underwhelming game tallied 100.7 million viewers. That is still down 5 percent from 2018's comparable figures.
- ^ Hayes, Dade (September 4, 2018). "CBS Sports Widens Super Bowl LIII Streaming Scope, Adding All Access And Mobile Networks". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023.
- ^ a b Pedersen, Erik (February 3, 2019). "Live Stream Super Bowl 53: How To Watch Patriots vs Rams On TV, Online, Radio". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "SUPER BOWL LIII Broadcast Details Announced: CTV, CTV2, and TSN Team Up for Super Simulcast". TSN. January 28, 2019. Archived from the original on January 31, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
- ^ "GM trying to 'intimidate' union from airing Super Bowl ad, Unifor says". CBC News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Unifor airs Super Bowl ad despite GM's cease and desist letter". CBC News. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ "Super Bowl LIII live on ESPN with broadcast for Australia & NZ". Mediaweek. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Super Bowl 53 to broadcast LIVE on 1116 SEN". Mediaweek. January 21, 2019. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ "How to watch the Super Bowl in the UK". Tech Advisor. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "NFL: Super Bowl LIII – Media Centre". BBC. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ a b "Gladys Knight defends singing national anthem at Super Bowl". BBC News. January 19, 2019. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
- ^ a b "Super Bowl: Maroon 5, Big Boi and Travis Scott to perform". BBC News. January 14, 2019. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
- ^ Greene, David; Quiroz, Lilly (January 18, 2019). "Even With Rappers Set To Perform, Super Bowl's Halftime Show Remains Tone-Deaf". Morning Edition. NPR. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Carmichael, Rodney (January 19, 2019). "Gladys Knight To Sing The Super Bowl's National Anthem, As A Perilous Fight Endures". Opinion. NPR. Archived from the original on December 26, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Bowenbank, Starr (October 22, 2018). "5 Artists Who Reportedly Turned Down Super Bowl Halftime Show". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Corner, Lewis (February 4, 2019). "History made: Super Bowl's first ever male cheerleaders slay their performance". Gay Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ Jackman, Josh (January 29, 2019). "The Super Bowl is set to have its first ever openly gay cameraman". Pink News. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
- ^ Tucker, Tim (February 3, 2019). "NFL plans closed roof for Super Bowl game, open for pregame festivities". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ Lipshutz, Jason (February 3, 2019). "2019 Super Bowl: Chloe x Halle Perform 'America the Beautiful'". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "Gladys Knight to sing national anthem at Super Bowl LIII". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. January 17, 2019. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Gladys Knight to sing national anthem at the Super Bowl". WIVB. Associated Press. January 17, 2019. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ Klein, Allison (February 7, 2019). "This sign language performance was cut from the Super Bowl broadcast. It's now been viewed online more than 1 million times". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- ^ "The Latest: Rams win coin toss; Super Bowl 53 kicks off". WWMT. Associated Press. February 3, 2019. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ Suggs, Ernie (February 3, 2019). "MLK's daughter and two Civil Rights icons take part in Super Bowl coin toss". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ "Maroon 5 to take center stage at Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show". NFL.com (Press release). NFL Enterprises. January 13, 2019. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Emerson, Bo (January 13, 2019). "It's official: Big Boi to join Maroon 5 at Super Bowl halftime". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on January 13, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
- ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (February 3, 2019). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' Fans React to Super Bowl Halftime Tribute". ComicBook. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Mercedes-Benz Stadium [@MBStadium] (February 3, 2019). "Okay, everybody… Let's get this over with.1, 2, 3… 4...🌊🍍" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Caron, Emily (February 3, 2019). "Patriots-Rams Post Second Lowest Super Bowl Score in History at Halftime". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ Haring, Bruce (February 3, 2019). "Super Bowl LIII First Half: Defense Dominates In A Tight Struggle, With Patriots Up 3–0 Over The Rams". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ "The Latest: Patriots set Super Bowl records with 6th title". Associated Press. February 2, 2019. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^ Buchmasser, Bernd (February 11, 2019). "Film room: Stephon Gilmore's interception was the whole Super Bowl in the making". Pats Pulpit. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ "Super Bowl 2019: New England Patriots beat Los Angeles Rams 13–3 – as it happened". The Guardian. February 3, 2019. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- ^ Thiry, Lindsey (February 5, 2019). "After disappointing Super Bowl, Rams QB Jared Goff has to prove he can bounce back again". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ a b Middlehurst-Schwartz, Michael (February 3, 2019). "Tom Brady sets record for most Super Bowl wins by NFL player with six". USA Today. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Kerr, Jeff (February 7, 2021). "Super Bowl 2021: Bruce Arians becomes oldest coach to win a Super Bowl, second-oldest coach to win NFL title". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
- ^ Brinson, Will (February 3, 2019). "2019 Super Bowl MVP: Julian Edelman cements postseason legacy with MVP effort in Patriots win". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Shapiro, Michael (February 3, 2019). "Who Are the Wide Receivers to Win Super Bowl MVP?". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ Bergman, Jeremy (February 5, 2019). "Zero SB MVP votes cast for Patriots defensive players". NFL.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Super Bowl LIII–National Football League Game Summary" (PDF). NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. February 3, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
- ^ The Patriots Hall of Fame [@thehall] (March 5, 2019). "Rob Gronkowski has the most receptions by a TE in Super Bowl history (23)" (Tweet). Retrieved February 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Gordon, Grant (January 15, 2019). "NFL announces Super Bowl LIII officiating crew". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ Stites, Adam (February 3, 2019). "Who are the Super Bowl 53 officials and how were they chosen?". SB Nation. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "2018–19 National Football League (NFL) Officiating Roster". Referee.com. August 27, 2018. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- ^ "Patriots Super Bowl Parade Draws 1.5 Million Fans Into Boston". WBZ-TV. February 5, 2019. Archived from the original on February 8, 2019. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
- ^ Arsenault, Mark (February 5, 2019). "An estimated 1.5 million jubilant fans show Patriots pride at parade". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.