Super Bowl 53: Staff predictions see a Patriots beat down of Rams

The Patriots and Rams play in Super Bowl 53 or whatever the Roman numerals are for it. Who wins? This is what our staff thinks.

Super Bowl 53 is upon us. Maybe the Seahawks are not involved this season but maybe next? With a little luck Seattle will get there. No matter, 12s will have a rooting interest. We can either hate Tom Brady and the Beli-cheats or hate the intra-division Rams. The choice is yours.

But how will the game unfold? Here are the 12th Man Rising staff’s (most likely wrong) predictions.

Kevin Daggett (co-host of the 12th Man Rising podcast)

Nice to see the Patriots back in the Super Bowl. I mean it has been a whole year right? Ridiculous actually. I should hate Tom Brady mainly because he took Drew Bledsoe’s job due to an injury but for some reason I like his underdog story. Also, Bill Belichick is a genius when it comes to putting teams together and should get credit. That said, I do not like the Pats. As a Seattle native, it’s really a sin to root for an LA team. When Gary Payton went to the Lakers I thought the end was coming and almost went back to drinking. That said, when we knew the Rams would win the NFC West, I started to support them after the Seahawks. My prediction is complete emotional and I would not put money on it but boy, I hope the Rams kill ’em!

Prediction: Rams 42 Patriots 17

Luke Allen (contributor and Expert at Ink on Indy)

Well, this was the worst Super Bowl match up possible. The team that broke our hearts in Super Bowl XLIX versus our fiercest division rival – great. I can’t root for Tom Brady, but I can’t root for the Rams. I guess I’m just rooting for a good game…and I’m definitely hoping it reaches overtime. Buffalo Wild Wings is promoting FREE WINGS if the Super Bowl makes it to overtime. Unfortunately, I have to pick a winner and I’ll put my money on Belichick and Brady. This game is just too big for Jared Goff and the inexperienced, young Rams to go toe-to-toe with the Patriots, who have made the Super Bowl the past 42 years.

Prediction: Patriots 37 Rams 31 in overtime

Karley Sibert (contributor)

I see Super Bowl LIII coming down to the last few minutes of the game. Even with a revolutionary young coach like Sean McVay, his young fire-power offense and their stacked defense, they’re going to have a hard time stopping Tom Brady and his luck with post-season garbage time. It really could go either way and I expect it to be a close game but I believe the Patriots 19-year dynasty in the making has the edge.

Prediction: Patriots 27 Rams 24

Todd Vandenberg (co-expert)

There’s what I’d like to see, and then what we will see. I’d like to see Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh sandwich Brady about a dozen times. I’d like to see Julian Edelman get leveled coming across the middle. And I’d like to see Todd Gurley healthy and chewing up huge chunks of Patriots territory.

What we will see is five terrible roughing the passer penalties on the Rams, and an ejection for Suh. We’ll see Rob Gronkowski blowing up Lamarcus Joyner in the end zone at least twice. We’ll see one of the best, and best cheating, coaches of all time go ballistic on the sidelines at the one call that goes against him.

Prediction: Rams 43 Refs 38 (though Todd thinks the NFL will allow the Patriots to win)

Lee Vowell (co-expert)

The Rams gave up the third-most yards receiving to opposing tight ends in 2018. This is not the trend you want to have when facing the Patriots. Los Angeles also a porous defense overall, which is weird when you think about all the individual talent they have. The biggest concern I have is the Rams linebackers going up against the crossing patterns of the Patriots. Brady may just keep edging New England down the field for score after score. And the Seahawks showed you could run against the Rams, too. The only hope the Rams have is if Sean McVay designs an offensive game plan that keeps New England off balance and the Rams keep scoring points, too. Basically, just like the Eagles did to the Patriots in last season’s Super Bowl.

Prediction: Patriots 38 Rams 28