Super Bowl LIII lessons
Super Bowl LIII will not be remembered as the most entertaining or high-octane championship game in NFL history, but it provided fans and experts with a few key takeaways.
In such a historically low-scoring game, in which the Patriots won 13-3, it is hard to pinpoint what we learnt apart from the fact that the defence was elite, and the offence was not.
But by delving deeper into the contest, there were three key factors of the game that stood out to me.
1. Scoring is not the only way to apply pressure offensively Entering the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, New England and Los Angeles were two of the of the highest ranked offences in the league.
Great quarterbacks, game-winning wide-receivers and running-backs on both sides led by two of the best coaches in the NFL provided a recipe for high scoring.
But with one of the greatest defensive coaches ever (Bill Belichick) on one side and the reigning defensive player of the year (Aaron Donald) on the other, it did not play out that way.
Neither team could find the end-zone through the first three quarters, so for those just looking at the score, they would say it was a pretty even game.
Watching it though, the Patriots were on top from start to finish.
Excluding Tom Brady’s interception and fumble in the first quarter, New England looked dangerous offensively and should have scored multiple times.
Source: TRIB Live
In five of their first 10 drives before Sony Michel’s touchdown in the fourth quarter, the Patriots passed the Rams 40-yard line and were seemingly ready to break the game open.
Of course, there is nothing like scoreboard pressure, but what New England was doing was almost just as effective.
Being able to drive the ball down the field and get into scoring positions meant LA were feeling the heat. There is only so long a team can hold an offence that is threatening, hence the touchdown with seven minutes to play in the last.
On the other side, it was the complete opposite. Jared Goff was a shell of his regular season self, unable to find any continuity or free-flowing football at any point. Their running game was not existent and key players were down on the day.
What this meant was that there was no pressure on the New England defence. The Rams entered the Patriots 40 only three times, once for a field goal, once for an interception and once for a missed field goal.
The first of these came with under four minutes to play in the third, with the other two coming in the last five minutes of the fourth. The defence was never under pressure.
In any sport, scoreboard pressure is key. But giving yourself scoring chances, as Brady did, is just as effective.
Eventually, as is human nature, a mistake will be made, coverages will be missed, or a bit of luck will fall your way and the dam wall will be broken.
2. The right environment can take you a long way Julian Edelman is a product of the right environment and system. The Super Bowl MVP had 10 catches for 141-yards, as he and Tom Brady carried the New England offence throughout Super Bowl LIII.
Source: Grand Forks Herald
This is a stark contrast to what Edelman was throughout his college career and what the Patriots were expecting when they took him in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Playing at quarterback for the College of San Mateo and then Kent State University for three years, he was not invited to the 2009 NFL Combine.
New England conducted individual workouts with him leading up to the draft, leading to him being taken with the 232nd overall pick.
How much can you expect from a 5 ft 10 in, 90kg quarterback taken in the seventh round? For most players in this situation, not much, but Edelman has changed the outlook on players taken late in the draft, alongside his partner in crime, Tom Brady, who was taken with pick 199.
Because he won the MVP, we will focus on Edelman, but what he and Brady have proven is the importance and success of a good environment that is stable and consistent.
The Patriots are the prime example of this in world sport. Robert Kraft at the top as the franchises’ owner since 1994, Bill Belichick as head coach since 2000 and a strong front office supporting them.
Source: Boston.com
Being surrounded by great coaches, players and a strong administration creates confidence in a player such as Edelman. Feeling comfortable in the system creates good play.
In his last five seasons, excluding his injury-ruined 2017 season, he has averaged 935 receiving yards from 86 catches. Not bad for a seventh-round selection.
Environment is key. Pats wide-receiver Danny Amendola is a testament to that. He had three 630+ receiving yard seasons with the Patriots, including two Super Bowls.
In his first season with Miami this year though, he went for only 575 yards and averaged his lowest average yards a catch since 2014, with 9.7. All while his team went 7-9 and the Dolphins missed the playoffs for the ninth time since 2008.
Edelman is a great success story, and it provides an example for future NFL players and current franchises that every pick is valuable with the right leadership and continuity.
3. Put the ball in your best players hands For three-quarters of the Super Bowl, defence dominated the game. Apart from Julian Edelman and Brandin Cooks, both offences were stalled.
For the Pats, who peppered the red-zone consistently, their system was proving partly successful, but not enough to break deep into Rams territory.
In lots of close championship games in any sport, a team’s game plan can take them a long way. But when it comes down to the nitty-gritty and the game is there to be won, the best players need to control the ball and win the contest.
After crossing the Rams 40 yard-line five times and not finding the end zone, something had to change.
On their game-winning drive, Brady went for an 18-yard pass to Gronkowski, a 13-yard pass to Edelman, a 7-yard pass to Burkhead and finally a 29-yard heave to Gronk to set up the Sony Michel touchdown.
Watching it live, it was clear that trust was being placed in the hands of the best players because it was now or never.
In championship games, this is the recipe. The system will put you in positions to win, but to take you over the hump, the top players need to be in control.
With 18-seconds left of Game 6 in the 1998 NBA Finals, down one, what are Chicago going to do? Put the ball in Michael Jordan’s hands and let him win the game.
Source: NBA.com
Ball movement and spacing got them to within striking distance, but in the final moments, that has to go out the window and the GOAT go and win the game himself.
Fast forward to the 2014 NBA Finals, Game 7, Miami up two with 40-seconds to play. LeBron James takes the pass from the inbound and clears everybody out. He drives, pulls up at the elbow and drills the game-winner.
These are a few examples of the success in trusting the best player. Will it always come off? No. But in clutch times, when games and championships are on the line, these top tier athletes need the opportunity to take the win, and the Pats proved its importance on Monday.