New England Patriots win Super Bowl LIII 13-3
The New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 to become the champions of Super Bowl LIII. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady secured the sixth championship ring of his career, giving Boston its second major league championship in less than six months.
Follow along with updates as they happened below:
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on team's victory
Bill Belichick spoke with reporters after Sunday night's win.
Watch his remarks in the video below:
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski reacts to Super Bowl win
Gronk spoke with CBS Boston after Sunday night's win.
Watch his remarks in the video below:
Patriots' McCourty twins make history
11:01 p.m. - Patriots defensive backs Devin and Jason McCourty made history tonight by becoming the first set of twins to win the Super Bowl. They're the first set of twins to ever play on the same team during the football championship game, regardless of the outcome.
Jason, who was traded to New England in the offseason from the Cleveland Browns, made his first career appearance in the championship game on Sunday after 10 years in the NFL. Brother Devin has been a more frequent visitor to the postseason; he's won two Super Bowls with the Patriots in 2015 and 2017.
Rams Head Coach: "I definitely got out-coached"
10:53 p.m. - Rams coach Sean McVay took responsibility for Los Angeles' Super Bowl loss, saying "it was mostly a result of me doing a poor job calling the plays and not giving us a chance to win."
The 33-year-old, who is the youngest head coach to ever make a Super Bowl, described his post game feeling as "numb."
"I don't know how you ever get over this," he said.
Boston celebrates after Super Bowl title
10:51 p.m. - Patriots fans took to the streets of Boston to celebrate New England winning their sixth Super Bowl title. A little over three months ago, fans were in the same place, just outside Fenway Park, to celebrate another Boston championship.
Here's a look at fans on the famed Lansdowne Street in downtown Boston:
The Patriots accept the Vince Lombardi Trophy
10:46 p.m. - The Patriots accepted the Vince Lombardi trophy, with team owner Robert Kraft, coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady and game MVP Julian Edelman giving remarks.
"Two men are the best of what's ever been done in the history of the NFL," Kraft said of Brady and Belichick. "Through their hard work and great leadership I am honored to say for the 6th time we are all Patriots and once again the Patriots are world champions"
"It's all about the players," Belichick said. "They work so hard all year. They competed every week and they competed today. They competed like champions."
Brady, joined by his children, said that the "support here was like a home game," noting that his children motivated him.
Even after being named MVP, Edelman said he "was just trying to go out and have a good week of practice and do my job. Sometimes the cookie just crumbles that way."
Vince Wilfork walks with the Vince Lombardi trophy
10:29 p.m. - Vince Wilfork, the former football tackle, walks the Vince Lombardi trophy down the field, letting Patriots players touch and kiss the legendary award.
Julian Edelman named Super Bowl 2019 MVP
10:19 p.m. - Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman wins the Super Bowl MVP award after a 10 reception, 141 yard performance that saw him outplay the Rams offense in the first half. Edelman finished the game just 75 yards shy of beating the record for most Super Bowl receiving yards. The wide receiver missed the first four games of the 2018 season on a doping suspension.
Tom Brady: "It was an unbelievable year"
10:13 p.m. - The New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady told CBS Tracy Wolfson that his Super Bowl victory was a "dream come true."
"It was an unbelievable year," Brady said on field immediately following the Patriots' win over the Rams. "We fought through it more so than anything."
Brady complimented the Patriots' defense, saying they played "the best game of the year."
Lowest scoring Super Bowl game in history
10:08 p.m. - Super Bowl LIII was the lowest-scoring championship game ever at 13-3. The previous record holder was the 1971 Super Bowl that finished in a 14-7 win for the Miami Dolphins.
The New England Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams
10:04 p.m. - The 17 year challenge: In 2002, the Patriots beat the then-St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl for the first championship under Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Now in 2019, the Patriots duo have secured their sixth championship, beating the Los Angeles Rams. New England is now in a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most titles all time.
Tom Brady cements his place as the winningest Super Bowl quarterback with six rings but also becomes the oldest to win a championship, passing the then 39-year-old Peyton Manning by two years. Bill Belichick also becomes the oldest coach to win, just a year older than Tom Coughlin who won his last Super Bowl at age 65.
Patriots extend lead with Gostkowski field goal
9:59 p.m. - Stephen Gostkowski extends the Patriots lead with a 41-yard field goal with 1:12 left in the fourth quarter. New England caps off a nine play, 72-yard drive to lead the Rams 13-3.
Patriots interception stops Rams drive
9:45 p.m. - After driving down the field behind Jared Goff's two 27 and 44 yard passes, the Rams stopped short in their attempts to level the score. Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore makes the catch intended for the Rams' Brandin Cooks to give the ball back to New England with 4:17 left in the game.
Minnesota Sheriffs boo this year’s halftime show
9:43 p.m. - Sheriffs in Minnesota apparently weren't a fan of this year's halftime show led by Maroon 5. In a tweet, the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association warned that "anybody drinks and drives tonight, our state's deputies will make you relive this halftime show on the way to jail."
Patriots get their first touchdown
9:37 p.m. - The Patriots scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl 2019 with 7:00 left in the fourth quarter for a 10-3 lead over the Rams. Sony Michel hauled a two-yard touchdown during the first red zone series by either team. The rookie running back has the most postseason touchdowns by a rookie and is the first Patriots rookie to ever score a Super Bowl touchdown. Stephen Gostkowski nailed the extra point to give the Patriots a seven point lead.
Drones light up the sky during during halftime
9:34 p.m. - The Pepsi Halftime Show used 150 individually lit drones to light up the sky during Maroon 5's performance, according to a statement from Intel. The lantern-like drones flew into the air as Adam Levine begun signing "She Will Be Loved" and spelled out "ONE" and "LOVE" for the remainder of the show.
Watch the drones light up the performance here:
After three quarters, the lowest score in Super Bowl history
9:22 p.m. - With a 3-3 score heading into the fourth quarter, the Patriots and Rams are now responsible for the lowest scoring Super Bowl through three quarters. This is also the first Super Bowl ever with no touchdowns through three quarters.
Defense-driven football
9:11 p.m. - Tonight's Super Bowl mirrors a 1973 matchup when Dallas led Detroit 3-0 going into the fourth quarter. The game, which aired on CBS, ended in a 5-0 Cowboys win. As it stands, Super Bowl 53 is set to be the lowest-scoring ever by 15 points.
The Patriots and Rams are tied, 3-3
9:09 p.m. - With 2:11 left in the third quarter, Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein hits a 53-yard field goal to tie the game 3-3 against the Patriots.
The field goal is the second-longest in Super Bowl history by one yard.
Goff sacked after a missed touchdown
9:08 p.m. - The Rams' quarterback Jared Goff is sacked after Los Angeles's first touchdown attempt of the game. There's just over two minutes left in the third quarter.
The Rams’ Johnny Hekker sets punt record
8:54 p.m. - Rams kicker Johnny Hekker sets an NFL record for the longest punt in a Super Bowl, with a 65-yard punt in the third quarter. The six-year veteran has eight punts in the game so far, which is three shy of the Super Bowl record set in 2000 by the New York Giants.
Halftime show goes on without controversy
8:47 p.m. - Maroon 5 headlined the Super Bowl 2019 Pepsi Halftime Show, playing hits like "Harder to Breathe", "This Love", and "Sugar." The band was joined by rapper Travis Scott and Atlanta native Big Boi.
Amid controversy, frontman Adam Levine performed "Girl Like You," a song that features rapper Cardi B. Instead, Levine sung the pop song supported by a diverse gospel group. Cardi B declined to perform the halftime show to highlight her support for Colin Kaepernick.
The 2019 halftime show was without a headliner until less than three weeks ago when Maroon 5 was officially announced. A Change.org petition garnered more than 100,000 signatures asking Maroon 5 to drop out of the show.
In a recent interview, frontman Adam Levine say he "expected" the controversy and spoke with "many people" before committing to perform in the NFL's big halftime show.
NFL commercial brings together the league’s greats
8:29 p.m. - The NFL brought together the greatest players of all time in one commercial filled with football gems. Using the setting of the league's 100th anniversary gala, Joe Montana refuses to pass to long-time rival Michael Irvin and Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady hands his five Super Bowl rings to Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield in a 'Get out there, old man' moment. Teams around the league showed their support for their players as Twitter buzzed over the spot.
At the half, the second-lowest scoring Super Bowl ever
8:17 p.m. - At the half, Patriots' Julian Edelman has outperformed the Rams' offense on all counts, leaving New England to lead 3-0. The wide receiver finishes with seven receptions for 93 yards and six first downs. Los Angeles has been held to five completions for 57 yards and two first downs.
Forced to punt on six straight series, the Rams are still scoreless in the second-lowest scoring Super Bowl half ever.
Gronkowski misses Brady’s pass
7:56 p.m. - Attempting to convert a 4th and 1, Tom Brady throws to tight end Rob Gronkowski in double coverage who misses the ball. The Rams take over on the 32 yard line with 1:13 left in the half.
Rams give possession back to the Patriots
7:41 p.m. - Rams' Jared Goff avoids two Patriots defenders trying to keep the play alive but New England linebacker Kyle Van Noy brings the quarterback to his knees on 3 and 2nd. The Rams are forced to punt for the fifth time this half.
Penalty on New England
7:37 p.m. - Referees just called a holding penalty on Patriots' inside linebacker Albert McClellan with a little over six minutes left in the second quarter. The Rams were awarded 10 yards.
Patriots FG – Take the lead 3-0 in the second quarter
7:24 p.m. - The Patriots' Stephen Gostkowski hits a 42-yard field goal with 10:29 left in the second quarter to give New England the first score of the Super Bowl and a 3-0 lead.
Patriots' wide receiver Julian Edelman moved into second all-time for most postseason receiving yards in NFL history during the second quarter, passing Michael Irvin. He now sits behind Jerry Rice who has 2,245 yards.
Bud Light – Game of Thrones commercial team-up
7:18 p.m. - Bud Light partnered with Game of Thrones for a commercial teasing the award-winning television series' eighth season on HBO.
First quarter ends with no points scored
7:12 p.m. - The first quarter of the 2019 Super Bowl has ended with neither team able to score any points. The Patriots had 22 plays for 122 yards, while the Rams had 9 plays for 29 yards. Despite the Patriots having the ball for over 11 minutes, the score stands at 0-0.
Tom Brady sacked - First in 2019 postseason
7:08 p.m. - New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady suffered his first sack of the team's postseason run with less than a minute left of the quarter to go. New England recovers the ball to continue their drive.
The Kings send their support to The Rams
7:04 p.m. - Los Angeles' hockey team, the Kings, sent a message of support to the Rams on Twitter Sunday.
Patriots miss their first field goal
6:58 p.m. - Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski misses a 46-yard field goal, denying New England their first score of the game. His kick was the first to be missed all season in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and his third consecutive Super Bowl with a missed kick.
Patriots call the first time out of the game
6:51 p.m. - The New England Patriots call the first time out of the game while they sit on their 48th yard line. The team has already suffered their first interception of the game at the hands of Rams' linebacker Cory Littleton.
New Orleans season highlights shown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium
6:43 p.m. - At kickoff, the New Orleans Saints posted their 2018 season highlights with the promise of "more to come." Despite protests from many Saints fans after a controversial no-call that ended their Super Bowl hopes in the NFC Championship, the NFL would not replay the game.
Rams pick off Tom Brady
6:36 p.m. - The Rams' linebacker Cory Littleton picks a pass thrown by Patriot's Tom Brady for the game's first interception. Tom Brady's first pass attempt in Super Bowl LIII results in an interception.
The turnover resulted in three downs and a punt.
Rams win the coin toss and defer
The Rams win the coin toss and elect to defer to the second half. The Patriots will start on offense.
Gladys Knight sings the Star Spangled Banner
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Gladys Knight delivered the Star Spangled Banner to kick off the 2019 Super Bowl. Right as she finished, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flew over Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Her performance lasted just over two minutes, according to Sports Line.
The Patriots' unlikely fan base: St. Louis
The New England Patriots will have an unlikely cohort of fans this Sunday: St. Louis residents.
Seventeen years after the Patriots beat the then-St. Louis Rams, allegiances have changed in the Gateway City. Three years ago, the Rams moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles, leaving unpaid debts and bruised feelings, according to The Associated Press.
At one sports bar chain around St. Louis, Patriots fans will enjoy discounted pitchers of beer for every New England touchdown and photos of Stan Kroenke, the Rams owner, will grace the bar's dartboards and urinals, according to the AP.
"It's just something kind of fun we can add to the mix and hopefully give St. Louisans some solace as they watch the game," Justin Boyd, marketing director of the bar, told the AP.
After a multi-year losing streak kicked off by a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots, Kroenke began looking for a new home for the Rams in 2015, according to the AP. A $1 billion offer from St. Louis to build a new stadium in 2016 wasn't enough; in 2016 the Rams announced they'd be leaving St. Louis for California.
St. Louis didn't take the news well. The departure kicked off a series of lawsuits, one of which alleged that the move violated a 1984 league guideline that was established after the raiders moved to Los Angeles from Oakland, according to the AP. The case is still pending. After a class-action lawsuit, the Rams agreed to pay $24 million to personal seat license holders, according to the AP.
One radio host, Randy Karraker of ESPN's The Fast Lane, estimated that 90 percent of St. Louis residents are against The Rams.
"It's impossible to derive pleasure from that game," Karraker told the AP. "I hate the Patriots for what they have done to football, and I hate the Rams. So it's a no-win situation for me."