New England Patriots to Face Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII

For the third straight year and the ninth time in Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s career, the New England Patriots are going back to the Super Bowl.

The Patriots, who lost to the Philadelphia Eagles last year, will get another chance for Brady to add an unprecedented sixth championship ring. But they’ll have to beat the surging Rams, who beat the New Orleans Saints in Sunday’s NFC championship game.

Sunday marked the first time in NFL history that both conference championship games went to overtime, as the Chiefs kicked a field goal in the final seconds of the fourth quarter to tie the game 31-31. But after the Patriots won the overtime coin toss, Brady led the Pats offense down the field to the game-winning touchdown, while a potential interception by the Chiefs was called back by an offsides penalty.

Super Bowl LIII will see the 66-year-old Bill Belichick, the most decorated head coach in NFL history, go up against Sean McVay, who turns 33 later this week and will be the youngest head coach ever to take the field in a Super Bowl. Belichick and McVay have not competed against each other as head coaches.

The last time the Patriots and Rams faced off was back in December 2016, when New England won 26-10 over then-Rams head coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher was fired nine days later, leading to McVay’s hiring.

Brady’s first Super Bowl victory came against the Rams back in 2002, when the Rams were based in St. Louis. The Patriots won that game 20-17. This is also the second major pro sports championship contested between teams from Los Angeles and Massachusetts in the past four months: Back in October, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox competed in the World Series, with the Red Sox winning the championship in five games.