Reporting from atlanta — The postgame news conference was over, and Rams coach Sean McVay had already blamed himself, saying he’d been completely outcoached. That he felt numb.
The New England Patriots ended what had been an otherwise dream season for McVay and the Rams with Sunday’s 13-3 victory in Super Bowl LIII that sent ageless Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick even deeper into Super Bowl lore.
As McVay headed back to the locker room after the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history, he couldn’t help taking another shot at himself. The Rams’ defense played well. The offense, on the other hand, saved its worst performance for last.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get over it,” McVay said.
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrates a touchdown by Sony Michel against the Rams inthe 4th quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff watches after throwing an intereption in the fourth quarter as Patriots Adrian Clayton (94) and Duron Harmon celebrate.
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks has his pass broken up by Patriots Duron Harmon (center) and Stephon Gilmore in the fourth quarter.
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Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman hoists the Lombardi Trophy after New England beat the Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) sits on the bench behind his teammate after giving up a late game interception.
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff is hit by Patriots Dont’a Hightower in the end zone after an incomplete pass in the 3rd quarter.
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Rams losing head coach Sean McVay walks off the field after meeting with Patriots head coach BIll Belichick in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan (15) hugs New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) as the Patriots beat the Rams 13-3 in the Super Bow.
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Rams receiver Robert Woods walks off the field after losing to the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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Rams running back C.J. Anderson, left, and reeiver Josh Reynolds look at the scoreboard late in the 4th quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski catches a pass in front of Rams linebacker Samson Ebukam in the 4th quarter in Super Bowl LIII.
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Patriots running back Sony Michel breaks free from the Rams defense in the 3rd quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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Rams receiver Josh Reynolds makes a catch in front of Patriots Jason McCourty inthe 3rd quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks (12) was wide open in the end zone but couldn’t hang onto a pass while getting hit by New England Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty (30) in the second half.
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New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) beats Los Angeles Rams linebacker Dante Fowler (56) for a reception in the Super Bowl.
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Patriots receiver Julian Edelman leans into Rams defensive back Aqib Talib during first half catch and run in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Patriots defensive lineman Trey Flowers tips a pass that was ultimately completed to Rams receiver Josh Reynolds from Jared in Goff during the first half.
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff is harrassed by Patriots defenders as he throws a second half pass in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks fails to haul in a pass after it is broken up by Patriots defenders Stephon Gilmore and Duron Harmon during the fourth quarter.
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Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore intercepts a pass intended for Rams receiver Brandin Cooks near the end zone during the fourth quarter.
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks can’t haul in a pass in the end zone as he is defended by Patriots defensive back Jason McCourty in the third quarter.
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) barely gets a pass off under pressure from Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers (98) and outside linebacker John Simon (55) during the second half.
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski just misses a pass from Tom Brady as he is defended by Rams linebacker Cory Littleton.
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Linebacker Brandon King (36) lies in the confetti on the field after the Patriots defeated the Rams 13-3 in the Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald drags down Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, forcing an incomplete pass during the first half.
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Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski (3) celebrates with offensive lineman Ted Karras (75) after kicking a field goal late in the fourth quarter to give New England a 13-3 lead.
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Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore prevents Rams receiver Brandin Cooks from making a catch in the third quarter.
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Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) intercepts a pass intended for Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks (12) to end a scoring threat late in the fourth quarter.
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks walks away as Patriots defensive backs celebrate an interception by Stephon Gilmore to kill a fourth-quarter drive.
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Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore intercepts a Jared Goff pass in the fourth quarter.
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Patriots running back Sony Michel dives into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski hauls in a 29-yard pass to set up a Patriots touchdown.
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Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.
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From fire to lights, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.
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Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, before he peeled off his shirt, performs during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.
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Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty tries to grab the ball after breaking up a pass intended for Rams receiver Josh Reynolds during the first half.
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Rams defensive end John Franklin-Myers (94) and defensive tackle Ethan Westbrooks sack Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and forces him to fumble in the first half.
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Rams linebacker Cory Littleton intercepts a pass intended for Patriots receiver Chris Hogan in the first quarter.
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Patriots middle linebacker Kyle Van Noy sacks Rams quarterback Jared Goff for a loss in the first half.
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Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise takes down Rams running back C.J. Anderson for a loss in the first half.
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski can’t catch a pass while defended by Rams cornerback Aqib Talib during first-quarter action.
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Patriots fans outnumber Rams fans at the Marta train stop near Mercedes-Benz Stadium before Super Bowl LIII.
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Rams tight ends Tyler Higbee (89), Johnny Mundt (82) and Gerald Everett (81) take the field to warm up for Super Bowl LIII.
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Rams running back Todd Gurley jogs around the field during warmups for Super Bowl LIII.
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Patriots fans yell for players during warmups before Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) He could not yet consider the possibility of a return to the Super Bowl next year.
“That’s what’s so sickening about this,” McVay said. “You feel like you missed a great opportunity to try and capitalize on a chance to win a Super Bowl.
“I certainly didn’t do my part and that’s something that just really makes you sick.”
McVay, at 33 the youngest coach to guide a team to a Super Bowl, was not alone. Not Sunday and not through the years.
Belichick, 66, and Brady, 41, have made careers of leaving most Super Bowl opponents wanting.
Sunday’s victory before 70,081 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was the Patriots’ sixth Super Bowl title under Belichick, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most in NFL history. Brady’s sixth Super Bowl win was the most by any player in history.
“We grinded it out,” said Brady, who completed 21 of 35 passes for 262 yards, with an interception. “It was tough. They made every play tough tonight.”
The Rams were making their first Super Bowl appearance since the 2001 season, their first as a Los Angeles franchise since the 1979 season. But the matchup of coaching wits between the wunderkind McVay and the legendary Belichick did not play out.
The Rams produced only 260 yards, 14 first downs and the fewest points in McVay’s two seasons.
The Patriots pressured third-year quarterback Jared Goff, made running back Todd Gurley irrelevant and did just enough on offense to win their second Super Bowl title in the last three years, their third in the last five.
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“We got outplayed,” said Goff, who completed 19 of 38 passes for 229 yards, with an interception. “We got completely outplayed.”
It was the second consecutive ineffective performance by Gurley, who has been nursing a knee injury since mid-December. After having only five touches in the NFC championship game victory over the New Orleans Saints, he gained only 35 yards in 10 carries against the Patriots and caught one pass for minus-one yard.
“They’ve been here three years in a row for a reason,” Gurley said of the Patriots, “and they got the job done again.”
A year after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated them, the Patriots showed the Rams that experience counts in the Super Bowl.
“It’s shocking,” Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said of the ineffectiveness on offense. “It’s just embarrassing. It stings to play that way.”
Said running back C.J. Anderson, who rushed for 22 yards in seven carries: “They played New England football — that’s what they do, they’ve been doing that for years, so nothing changed. We just didn’t execute today, plain and simple.”
The Rams’ defense held Brady mostly in check through the first three quarters, but failed to put immense pressure on the 19-year veteran.
All the while, the Rams braced for the inevitable Brady drive.
“He’s Tom Brady, he’s going to make plays,” Rams linebacker Mark Barron said. “At some point something is going to happen.”
Brady made it happen, with perfection, during a pivotal sequence in the fourth quarter and the score tied 3-3.
Patriots fans had been chanting “Brady, Brady, Brady” during a TV timeout before he gave another prime-time performance, completing a mid-range pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski and then connecting with receiver Julian Edelman and running back Rex Burkhead before Gronkowski hauled in a 29-yard pass near the goal line. Running back Sony Michel’s two-yard touchdown run put the Patriots ahead 10-3 with seven minutes left.
That put the onus on Goff. The 24-year-old had struggled throughout the game, but this was a chance to show he was on par with the legendary Brady.
Goff found receivers Brandin Cooks, Josh Reynolds and Robert Woods for first downs. But one play after Goff just missed on a pass to Cooks, he went back to him again. This time cornerback Stephon Gilmore leaped and intercepted the underthrown pass.
“I knew he was going to throw it up and I knew I had to make a play,” Gilmore said. “I knew he was going to force it up there.
“Our defensive line put a lot of great pressure on him and he chucked it up and I was able to make a play.”
Michel broke free for a 26-yard gain that set up a Stephen Gostkowski field goal for the final points.
For McVay and his players, the defeat was too fresh to deeply reflect on their impressive season. They finished 13-3, won the NFC West for the second season in a row, and defeated the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints in the playoffs.
The annual restructuring of the roster and the look ahead to next season will begin sooner than later.
Several players said the pieces were in place for a return to the Super Bowl.
“Have a little pity party now,” defensive tackle Aaron Donald said, “but get training, get that work in and try to get back to this stage again so we can win.”
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