Patriots score 13-3 victory
Lawrence Guy of the New England Patriots kisses the NFL championship trophy after his team won the Super Bowl Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, 13-3. (AP photo)
(AP) — In a Super Bowl short on scoring, it was the New England Patriots’ defense that set the tone.
The Patriots battered and bewildered quarterback Jared Goff and the Rams, stopping the NFL’s second-ranked scoring team en route to a 13-3 Super Bowl victory Sunday in Atlanta.
“They played unbelievable,” New England quarterback Tom Brady said of the Patriots’ defense.
The Rams’ 3 points equaled the fewest scored in a Super Bowl.
When Goff began to find his groove late in the fourth quarter and the Rams trailing 10-3, Los Angeles drove inside New England’s 30 for just the second time in the game. But the momentum proved to be short-lived.
Safety Duron Harmon combined with cornerback Stephon Gilmore to break up what would have been a touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks. Then, on the next play, Harmon pressured Goff on a blitz and forced him into a throw into coverage that was intercepted by Gilmore.
New England’s offense took it from there, sealing the victory with a 9-play, 72-yard drive that ate up 3:05 and ended with a 41-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski.