Super Bowl 53 may have been a punter’s duel, defensive battle, or what have you. Some of you called it ‘boring.’ I thought it was fan-fucking-tastic. A pure chess match between two stud head coaches. Just when it looked like all the momentum was behind Sean McVay in the year 2018, Bill Belichick out-coached him at every turn. There would be no torch-passing that night. Belichick reminded everyone of just who daddy is.
Praise was sung for the MVP Julian Edelman. No qualms with that, as the dude chipped away at the Rams defense before it finally broke. I thought Sony Michel deserved some love for capping off one of if not the greatest rookie postseason of all time. Rob Gronkowski made a few big boy catches, including one that sent the Pats to the two-yard line and set up the only touchdown of the game (a Michel run). Then, you had the big story of Tom Brady getting his sixth ring.
The stars were indeed out for the Patriots on Sunday night. But, there’s a class of guys who aren’t getting the respect they deserve for their key contributions to the game.
Ryan Allen
Rams punter Johnny Hekker gets all the pub for breaking the previous record for longest punt in the Super Bowl, but Allen had a doozy of a game himself. Allen kept the Pats in the field position game before they ultimately scored and put away the Rams for good.
James Develin
Damn it I love a good Grade A fullback. Develin has been that rock for the entire season. You probably noticed him most throwing the key block that allowed Michel to get into the end zone. But, there’s a reason Belichick, who shifted away from using a traditional fullback before Develin made his impact, uses him the way that he does. He could be the best fullback in the game.
Stephon Gilmore
So far, John Fox is the only guy on ESPN say that Gilmore should have been in legitimate consideration for the MVP honors. Gronk’s catch and Michel’s touchdown were HUGE on that drive and essentially put the game out of reach for the Rams. But, Gilmore’s interception may have kept the momentum of the entire game from shifting in favor of the Rams.
Jason McCourty
If Gilmore’s interception wasn’t the biggest defensive play of the Super Bowl, then McCourty’s breakup in the end zone was. That literally kept a Rams touchdown off the board. How crazy was it?
1. How did Jason McCourty save a potential Brandin Cooks TD?
Jason McCourty covered 19.5 yards in 2.4 seconds to get within 0.8 yards of Cooks at pass arrival (18.86 MPH top speed). McCourty was 19.2 yards away from Cooks when Goff released the ball.#GoPats | @McCourtyTwins pic.twitter.com/NuWWqwDPiJ
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) February 4, 2019
Cordarrelle Patterson
Finally, gotta give a shout out to Patterson. In a game during which every inch mattered, he had a solid game returning the ball. They even got him involved on offense a few times. He played tough football, lowering his head and taking on tacklers, and he definitely helped set the tone for what would be an incredibly physical game.
For my Super Bowl 53 recap, click here.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Subscribe to our Patreon. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube.
