Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, left, shakes hands with New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick at opening night for Super Bowl LIII last Monday in Atlanta.ATLANTA – Hey, have you guys been here before?
For most of the New England Patriots, the answer is many times.
For most of the Los Angeles Rams, the answer is never.
So if experience turns out to be a factor in Super Bowl LIII tonight at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the overwhelming edge is with the 2 1/2-point favorites from Massachusetts who are 5-3 in NFL title games with Tom Brady at quarterback and coach Bill Belichick on the sideline.
The Rams, whose past two Super Bowl trips as a franchise came in the 1999 and 2001 postseasons, when they were based in St. Louis, have four players on their roster who have gotten this far, all with other teams. The Patriots have that many Super Bowl veterans on their defensive line alone.
“Probably, throughout the week, it gives them an advantage,” said Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth, who is finishing up his 13th NFL season, though it’s his first that will end in February.
“They kind of know this week,” Whitworth said of the Patriots. “They know when things are a little anxious, when to kind of (say), ‘Hey, turn it on and get ready to play.’ They probably have a process and plan for the week.”
Athletes in every sport talk about how helpful a comfort zone can be. It’s even more pronounced when it accompanies events such as this one, which, for better or worse, transcends football.
Brady and most of his teammates are in their third straight visit, and they barely flinched at all the attention, media demands and alterations to the norm they encountered leading up to the game – although they were taken aback somewhat this past Monday by the cacophony and circus atmosphere of what was once simply media day but is now dubbed opening night.
Aside from C.J. Anderson, Brandin Cooks, Sam Shields and Aqib Talib, this is uncharted territory for the Rams.
However, Los Angeles coach Sean McVay tends to dismiss the theory that experience is a major factor in preparation. Using quarterback Jared Goff as an example, McVay could have been speaking for his entire squad, which has made a sensational turnaround in his two seasons in charge.
“He’s an unfazed quarterback,” McVay says. “I think his way to have success and handle adversity the same demonstrates that poise and confidence you want from your quarterback.”
Nowhere is the experience comparison more uneven than behind center. Brady, 41, already is the oldest quarterback to start a Super Bowl. Goff is 24 and will become one of the youngest.
Well, maybe nowhere is an exaggeration, because Belichick, at 66, could become the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl. He has worked 41 postseason games, with 30 victories, most among head coaches in NFL history. He’s the only head coach with five Super Bowl rings.
McVay is half his age and in his first NFL title game, the youngest coach to lead a team into the Super Bowl.
But each game is its own, and it’s not unreasonable to expect a competitive matchup despite the gaps in experience.
The Rams’ past two trips to the big game were tight affairs in which they beat the Tennessee Titans and lost to New England. In all of the Patriots’ eight previous Super Bowl appearances in the Belichick & Brady era, the result was in doubt until the final moments with the largest margin (either way) the eight points the Philadelphia Eagles beat them by a year ago.
So to expect a romp tonight seems foolhardy.
“It would be nice to get one of those,” Patriots receiver Chris Hogan. “But the idea is to win, no matter how you do it.”