Super Bowl LIII: Football fans are dangerously close to the actual game
We are getting dangerously close to kickoff of Super Bowl LIII.
The two weeks of hype for the showdown at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta are grinding to a halt.
So, who do you got?
Will it be the upstart Los Angeles Rams, led by a coach eight years younger than Tom Brady and a quarterback coming of age?
Or, will the B&B Lombardi Factory produce another Super Bowl win for New England?
Before kickoff on Super Sunday, fans will find out the next Pro Football Hall of Fame class (here are the 15 finalists) and which players earned the league's most prestigious awards (MVP, defensive player of the year, the top rookie awards, the Walter Payton Man of the Year) at NFL Honors on Saturday night.
Here are your essentials for the Super Bowl:
Super Bowl LIII
- New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m. ET (CBS)
- SUPER BOWL LIII: Get in-depth coverage of Patriots-Rams right here.
- Picks and predictions: Our NFL staff is almost unanimous in thinking one team has the advantage on Super Bowl Sunday.
Super Bowl storylines
- Hate Brady all you want, but he's the GOAT: Tom Brady has taken the Patriots to nine Super Bowls in his 18 seasons as a starter. Hate him for that if you will, but that's hard. It's almost easier to admire him.
- Goff might be right for Super Bowl stage: No one will mistake the young and cool-headed Jared Goff for his QB counterpart in Tom Brady. But maybe that's a good thing for the Rams.
- Gurley in curious position for Super Bowl: Despite the praise he is hearing from the Patriots, Todd Gurley finds himself in an odd position as he prepares for his first Super Bowl.
- Son of Bum is an NFL treasure: Wade Phillips is in his 41st NFL season, and the L.A. Rams are his 10th team. Two years after being cut loose by the Broncos, he is back in the Super Bowl.
- Twin teammates set to make Super Bowl history: The McCourty brothers are not only the first set of twins to play in a Super Bowl but also the first twin teammates in the NFL since in 1926.
- Improbable Super Bowl path? Why Rams RB doesn’t see it that way: After he was released three times in the last calendar year, C.J. Anderson is happy to carry a key role for the Rams.
- McVay has drawn Nick Saban comparison: At 30, the Rams' Sean McVay became the youngest head coach in modern-day NFL history. Now he can become the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl.
- What happens the night before? Have you ever wondered what an NFL team does the night before the Super Bowl? It's an evening full of ice cream, cooking shows, melatonin, and of course, Fortnite.
- Old school vs. new school: Bill Belichick vs. Sean McVay is the ultimate battle of the minds.
- Halftime show controversy: Believe it or not, Adam Levine said he expected there to be a little controversy with Maroon 5 performing.
- You're about to watch the future of the NFL: While the Patriots may win, but Jared Goff, Sean McVay and the Rams are the future.
- Rams star arranged for janitor's Super Bowl trip: Rams WR Brandin Cooks arranged for the team custodian and his son to be in Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII.
- Gronk's gonna Gronk: The Patriots' star tight end is living the dream at Super Bowl as his retirement decision looms.
- Family feud: Super Bowl tests Pats WR, Rams legend: Matthew Slater's father has been one of his biggest supporters, but Jackie Slater was also a Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman for the Rams.
- Patriots player strolls Atlanta, gets tour from stranger: If you were walking around Atlanta on Sunday night, you might have seen Patriots WR Julian Edelman out for a stroll.
- Sex, drugs and the Super bowl: While this week has been free of controversy for the Rams and Patriots, history tells us the environment at the Super Bowl contributes to poor judgment.
- Welcome (back) to Atlanta: Deion Sanders was back in the A-T-L where his Prime Time professional career began.
SUPER BOWL PICS: Opening Night | One great photo from every game | Rings | 53 big impact players
Rankings of Super Bowl stuff
- Super Bowl LIII 1-53 power rankings: Who's likeliest to make significant impacts? Ranking 53 top players in the big game.
- Ranking the 53 greatest players in Super Bowl history: Think Tom Brady made the list?
- Ranking all 52 Super Bowl games: The Patriots might figure in prominently here.
- The 53 greatest Super Bowl moments: Spoiler alert: The top two moments come from games involving the Patriots.
- Brady's greatest Super Bowl plays: No. 1 might surprise you.
- Ranking Patriots' Super Bowl teams: There are 11, so which was the best?
In non-Super Bowl LIII-related news
- A legend hangs up his cleats: After a Hall of Fame-caliber career, Julius Peppers has announced his retirement after 17 years in the NFL.
- Goodell won't give NFL fans honest answers: Whether it was addressing the no-call in the NFC title game or discussing Colin Kaepernick, Roger Goodell continued to provide few answers.
- Saints fans hold anti-Super Bowl parties: If TV ratings are down for Super Bowl LIII, disgruntled New Orleans Saints fans are hoping they’re to blame.
- Goodell: Technology won't solve NFL officiating issues: Acknowledging that a penalty should have been called against the Rams vs. the Saints, Roger Goodell said the NFL will mull instant replay changes.
- Mayfield blames in-house 'drama' for Browns' poor start: Seemingly taking another shot at ex-coach Hue Jackson, Baker Mayfield said the Browns couldn't over come "distractions" within the building early on.
- NFL players' protests have subsided, but their work continues: The Players Coalition awards $2 million in grants to six groups, including two that specifically address education and economic disparity.
- Patrick Peterson apologizes for trade demand: The Cardinals cornerback took the moment on the 16th hole of TPC Scottsdale to apologize over the speakers for his trade demand back in October.
- PED offender hired by Texans for strength staff: Brian Cushing, who was suspended twice for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, was hired as an assistant strength coach.
- Ex-NFL great had most severe form of CTE: As the Super Bowl week continues in Atlanta, the family of the man known as "Mr. Falcon" is coming to terms with the damage that football can do to its players.
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