After winning the NFC championship with a last-second field goal in overtime, the Los Angeles Rams did not know their Super Bowl opponent.
Players and coaches watched the AFC championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots on their phones until their chartered plane took off from New Orleans. Shortly after they were airborne, they learned it would be the Patriots – and it was something to contemplate amid their celebratory flight home.
New England Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady have won five Super Bowls in eight appearances.
“They’ve been doing it as consistently as any organization in the history of this league,” said Rams Coach Sean McVay.
McVay has history with the Patriots. He was an assistant for Washington teams that practiced against the Patriots, and he remains friends with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and other staff members.
During the last offseason, McVay got to know Belichick and helped put the finishing touches on the trade that brought receiver Brandin Cooks to the Rams.
Players are looking forward to playing against Brady, who again engineered a comeback in the 37-31 overtime victory over the Chiefs.
“It’s an honor, honestly, he’s the all-time great,” safety John Johnson said in the locker room. “He’s beatable though.
“So, I mean, you just can’t go in there with the mindset of, ‘Oh, it’s Tom Brady.’ He’s definitely beatable, so we’re going to go in there and give it a go.”
The Rams will practice three times this week before departing for Atlanta, where they will prepare for another week.
“When you’re playing the Patriots, you need all the time you can get,” punter Johnny Hekker said. “They’ve been in these games very consistently for the last decade for a reason.”
The two-week window could help running back Todd Gurley, who had only 10 yards on four carries, and could not hold onto two passes, in the Rams’ 26-23 victory over the Saints.
Gurley said after the game that his performance was “sorry as hell.” He was sidelined for the last two regular-season games with a left knee injury. He returned to rush for 115 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round.
Gurley is healthy, McVay said, citing his short but physical touchdown run in the second quarter. He also said Gurley did a good job in pass protection on key drives.
“I should’ve gotten Todd a little bit more involved,” McVay said. “But again, like the flow of the game, we’ve got to do kind of what we think is in our best interest.”
McVay complimented Gurley for “the ownership that he talks about with regards to, ‘I’ve got to play a little bit better.’ ”
He said that Gurley would have a larger role in the Super Bowl.
“He’ll get a chance to make a big-time contribution and have a big role in our game against the Patriots,” McVay said.
The Rams will install the majority of their game plan this week so players will not be affected by “the distractions” that are part of Super Bowl week, he said.
“We want them to be able to go play, be decisive,” McVay said. “So, it’ll be more similar to a normal game week, with the addition of tightening things up that following week.”
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