ATLANTA _ The Patriots' run of brilliance has taken many forms over the years, from shootout wins to heart-stopping last-minute victories _ and some crushing disappointments, too.
This time an old-school defensive gem by Bill Belichick and Brian Flores, the performance of a lifetime by Julian Edelman and yet another clutch performance by Tom Brady produced the latest incarnation of the greatest and longest-lasting dynasty in NFL history.
On a night when the Los Angeles defense mostly foiled Brady's offense, the Belichick-Flores defense stymied the high-flying Rams as the Patriots earned a record sixth title with a 13-3 victory in Super Bowl LIII _ the lowest-scoring game in Super Bowl history.
Brady's sixth ring breaks a tie with former 49ers and Cowboys defensive end Charles Haley for the most by a single player in NFL history. And that's six championships for Belichick, whose mastery of his profession is unrivaled in the modern era.
Belichick and Brady always seem to find a way, no matter the circumstances, and this was no exception. They avenged the crushing disappointment of last year's Super Bowl loss to the Eagles by winning their second Super Bowl title in the last three years, their third in the last five seasons and their sixth (in nine appearances) in 18 seasons.
Brady, 41, tamped down any notions that this might be his final NFL game after a brilliant 19-year run, saying earlier in the week that there is no chance he'll retire.
And why should he?
Brady already has put together the most decorated career in NFL history. He wants to play into his mid-40s and thinks he can keep winning championships until then.
There's nothing to suggest that's not possible. Not with him continuing to come up with big plays the way he did Sunday night, even if this wasn't his most awe-inspiring performance.
He did just enough to win.
Again.
With the Rams relentlessly confounding him and limiting his options through most of the game, Brady's clutch gene kicked in on the Patriots' touchdown drive, which didn't come until the fourth quarter. Two softly thrown passes to Rob Gronkowski, the second a 29-yard gain to the Rams' 2 that set up Sony Michel's rushing touchdown, proved to be the difference.
Brady led a nine-play, 72-yard drive to give the Patriots a 13-3 lead with 1:12 to play as Stephen Gostkowski's 41-yard field goal all but ended it.
This certainly was not the game anyone had expected from a matchup featuring two of the most vibrant offenses in the NFL.
The Patriots were coming off a 37-31 overtime win over the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, a game in which it seemed the Patriots scored every time Brady got the ball. The Rams got past the Saints, 26-23, in overtime in the NFC Championship Game, with Jared Goff doing just enough to get his team in position for a first Super Bowl run under second-year coach Sean McVay.
But it was defensive coordinators Wade Phillips of the Rams and the Belichick-Flores defense of the Patriots that took center stage as the defensive coaches called an absolutely brilliant game.
Phillips mixed up his man-to-man and zone coverages to consistently fool Brady, whose only reliable target was Julian Edelman, who led all receivers in the first half with seven catches for 93, including six receptions for first downs. He finished with 10 catches for 141 yards and was named MVP.
The Rams' defense had been vulnerable through several points of the regular season, with many questioning whether the 71-year-old Phillips was more ready for retirement than a Super Bowl run.
But Phillips made Brady look ordinary. Brady was 15-for-25 for 160 yards, no touchdowns and a first-quarter interception as the Patriots were held to one field goal in the second-lowest-scoring first half in Super Bowl history. You had to go back to the Steelers-Vikings matchup in Super Bowl IX, when Pittsburgh had a 2-0 lead over Minnesota, to find a lower-scoring Super Bowl.
Phillips did a masterful job in getting the Patriots out of their preferred style of play, which features a more balanced attack with a heavier dose of the run. Gronkowski, playing what might be his final NFL game as he ponders retirement, had four catches for 40 yards in the first half before finishing with six for 87.
The Patriots' defense was equally brilliant against the Rams as Flores, who will become the Dolphins' head coach on Monday, pitched a first-half shutout. That's the first time in McVay's first two seasons as head coach that that has happened. Including the first drive of the third quarter, Goff was 0-for-6 on third-down attempts.
Goff wound up throwing a killer fourth-quarter interception, giving Brady the chance to salt away yet another championship and add to the incredible legacy.
A legacy we may never see again.
