Super Bowl 53: 3 keys for a Rams victory

If you’re here, your a Ravens fan about to watch Super Bowl LIII, and chances are you’re pulling for the Los Angeles Rams. What do the Rams have to do to win?

1. Make Tom Brady uncomfortable:

The key to winning Super Bowl LIII is simple for the Rams. They have to be able to get to Tom Brady. The Rams defensive front is quite impressive. If the Los Angeles hoist the Lombardi trophy, Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Dante Fowler Jr. and Michael Brockers will have a lot of the credit heaped on them. Brady has lost three Super Bowls. In all three games the opponents’ defensive line made a major impact on the game. Last year Brandon Graham stripped Brady of the ball in a huge play for the prevailing Eagles.

The defensive line of the Rams has to dominate this game. Brady sees blitzes a mile away. What he can’t deal with as well, is quick pressure in his face. If Aaron Donald, who led the NFL in sacks this year, can have his way, Brady will be in trouble. If Donald is kept in check, it will be because of double teams and extra attention from the Patriots. That could be bad news for Brady going against a defensive line with more than one bully.

The Rams defensive front can put the pressure on Brady from more than just hitting him. If the Rams stop the Patriots on the ground, Brady has more work to do. Making the Patriots one-dimensional can help the Rams get into favorable defensive positions. If this is a game where Brady throws the ball a lopsided amount of the time, it steers into the advantage of Los Angeles. It just happens that Brady is the G.O.A.T. so it will be easier said than done.