ond-longest field goal in a Super Bowl.COIN TOSSMcVay deferred after winning the coin toss. In their previous two playoff games, the

For the first 30 minutes of their Week 5 game against the Washington Redskins White LaAdrian Waddle Jerseys , the New England Patriots offense was unable to get going. While it did have some good moments and scored 12 total points to take a lead into the second half, the unit’s pass-centric approach allowed for the opponent to take advantage of some shaky pass protection while not having to focus on a running game that saw only seven carries.The second half, however, was a different story as New England was able to effectively move the football down the field and score touchdowns on three of its first four possessions. While better execution across the board played a role in it, so did a commitment to running the football: the Patriots ran 15 times on 27 plays between the second half kickoff and taking a 33-7 lead in the early fourth period.How was the unit able to get its running game going? Let’s take a look at the film to find out.1-10-NE 25 (15:00) S.Michel up the middle to NE 27 for 2 yards (C.Holcomb).The first play of the second half already was a sign of things to come for the Patriots and their rushing attack. Aligning in a 21-personnel group with two backs — Sony Michel (#26) and Jakob Johnson (#47) — and tight end Matt LaCosse (#83) on the field, the Patriots used some pre-snap motion against Washington’s zone coverage: Johnson was moved into the backfield after originally aligning split out to the right side of the formation.New England then called a run out of the I-formation that went for only two yards, but showed that the Patriots were onto something with Johnson on the field as a lead blocker:NFL Game PassThe blocks were actually set up well up front against the Redskins’ 3-4 Okie Front (the nose tackle playing 0-technique over the center, with the ends in 4-technique spots over the offensive tackles): by the time Michel was handed the football, almost every player in the front seven was accounted for with the offensive line using single blocks on the left side of the line and at right tackle, and a combo block up the middle.Johnson read the play well and took on linebacker and former Patriot Jon Bostic (#53). This left one player open, and he was the one making the tackle after just two yards: rookie Cole Holcomb (#55) was able to get away from right guard Shaq Mason (#69) who failed to secure him after peeling off his originally double team. At that point, however, Michel was already on the ground after center Ted Karras (#75) had been unable to keep his position against nose tackle Tim Settle (#97).While the execution was far from perfect, the plan itself was sound and gave New England a foundation upon which to build.1-10-WAS 49 (13:01) S.Michel left tackle to WAS 44 for 5 yards (C.Holcomb).Three plays later, the Patriots again had the same 21-personnel group on the field and moved Jakob Johnson (#47) into the backfield before the snap. While he did not align in a traditional I-formation set but rather off-set to the weak side of the formation, the undrafted rookie’s presence again proved crucial to the success of the play — a first down run that went for five yards and set up a manageable second down situation:NFL Game PassAt the snap, the Patriots’ offensive line moved to the right but the team was actually using a split-zone scheme up front: while four members of the line and tight end Matt LaCosse (#83) moved to the right, right guard Shaq Mason (#69) and Johnson served as the lead blockers in the opposite direction. This movement forced Washington’s off-the-ball linebackers to hesitate just one bit before attacking — and New England took advantage.As the first blocker across the formation, Mason took on strong side linebacker Ryan Anderson (#52) to seal off the edge. Johnson, meanwhile, went up against Jon Bostic (#53) again to create a nice alley for Michel to run through and get to the second level. While LaCosse ultimately failed to hold his block long enough, allowing Cole Holcomb (#55) to get open and chase the ball carrier down, the runner was already through the initial line of blockers before he got tackled.2-5-WAS 44 (12:17) S.Michel right tackle to WAS 33 for 11 yards (J.Norman).The very next play was more of the same for the Patriots: the team employed a 21-personnel package and Jakob Johnson (#47) was motioned into the backfield before the snap. The fullback again aligned off-set to the right, but this time on the strong side of the formation behind tight end Matt LaCosse (#83). The formation itself was not the only difference to the last run, however, as New England also used a different blocking scheme.While running split-zone on first down, the Patriots now went with a straight up man-to-man scheme:NFL Game PassThe play itself was simple smash-mouth football, and perfect execution across the board. Right guard Shaq Mason (#69) was able to successfully peel off his combo block with center Ted Karras (#75) to get to the second level; LaCosse and right tackle Marcus Cannon (#71) were able to create an opening on the line; Johnson was able to get enough on Jon Bostic (#53) to prevent him from having an impact on the play; Julian Edelman (#11) eliminated safety Landon Collins (#20).Of course LaAdrian Waddle Jerseys 2019 , running back Sony Michel (#26) cannot be forgotten either. The second-year man, who had his best game of the season as both a runner and a receiver out of the backfield, read his blocks perfectly and quickly burst through the initial line of blockers into the second level. He did not slow down once there, which allowed him to gain an additional six yards after first being contacted.1-10-NE 27 (6:40) S.Michel left tackle pushed ob at WAS 48 for 25 yards (M.Nicholson).After using their fullback extensively on their first drive of the second half — one that ended with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Brandon Bolden to put the team up 19-7 — the Patriots went with two tight ends on the second series. The results again were positive, as the execution up front and the holes it created allowed the offense to march down the field for another touchdown. Once again, the running game played a pivotal role.The third play of the series, a 1st and 10 from New England’s 27-yard line, was the biggest of the entire drive as Sony Michel (#26) was able to take the football for a gain of 25 yards out of a 12-personnel formation. Before the snap, tight end Ryan Izzo (#85) motioned closer to the formation after originally aligning split out wide to the right and he would make a key block to help Michel get into the defensive backfield and more:NFL Game PassWhile the offensive line shifted to the right after the snap, Izzo actually pulled across the formation to take on weak-side contain player Ryan Kerrigan (#91). The second-year tight end did a good job by not overrunning the defender, and chipping him just enough to take him out of the play and open a hole for Michel. And with both left tackle Marshall Newhouse (#72) and left guard Joe Thuney (#62) holding their blocks, a path was open.Newhouse in particular deserves a mentioned here. The left tackle, who is filling in for an injured Isaiah Wynn, did not have his best game as a pass protector, but made some good blocks in the running game; this was one of them: the 31-year-old briefly helped Thuney against 3-technique defensive end Jonathan Allen with a chip before moving up the field to take on Cole Holcomb (#55).Had Newhouse not been able to make that block on Holcomb, the play would likely not have gone for 25 yards. He did, however, which allowed Michel to get free after patiently letting his blocks develop and reading the holes very well. Once out in the open, the former first-round draft pick showed his burst by outrunning Holcomb and taking the football down the field for some significant yardage.This play and the three others illustrated above are good examples of how the Patriots were able to kickstart their struggling ground game against Washington: the execution up front worked well and the scheme put players in a position to be successful; Michel read his blocks and followed them; additional blockers — be they tight ends or fullback Jakob Johnson — also helped win the battle at the line of scrimmage.All in all, New England has a lot to feel good about coming out of this game and the development of the ground attack. ATLANTA (AP) 鈥?Defenses dominated what was supposed to be a super shootout until Tom Brady led one classic drive to win the New England Patriots their record-tying sixth Super Bowl.Brady threw two perfect passes to Rob Gronkowski to set up rookie Sony Michel‘s 2-yard score 鈥?the only touchdown in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever. That put New England up 10-3. A late field goal clinched the win over the Rams 13-3.In a season in which all sorts of offensive records were set, this Super Bowl rewrote the defensive record book."Finally got a touchdown and the defense played the best game of the year," Brady saidNo Super Bowl had gone into the fourth quarter without a touchdown. This one did, tied 3-3 鈥?even though these teams combined to average over 60 points a game.When the Patriots needed a score, Brady, the oldest winning quarterback in a Super Bowl at 41, completed four straight passes, including a pair covering 47 yards to Gronkowski.聽The second聽, on which the star tight end beat two defenders White David Andrews Jerseys , ended at the Los Angeles 2, the only time either team was inside the 20-yard line. Michel ran off left tackle for his sixth postseason touchdown."He knows to trust in me and throw that ball," Gronkowski said, "and I'm going to grab it."Julian Edelman, the outstanding receiver who missed the 2017 season with a knee injury, was the game's MVP with 10 receptions for 141 yards.With 4:17 left,聽All-Pro Stephon Gilmore聽picked off an ill-advised pass by Rams quarterback Jared Goff, who seemed overwhelmed by the big stage all night, at the New England 2.Stephen Gostkowski made a 41-yard field goal with 1:12 remaining, completing a 72-yard march that took more than three minutes off the clock and included 26-yard runs by Michel and Rex Burkhead.It was a workmanlike conclusion for the Patriots (14-5), whose losses all came away from New England. They beat the top two offenses in the Chiefs and Rams (15-4) in the postseason, and tied Pittsburgh for most Super Bowl titles.The Patriots were terrific all game on defense, allowing the fewest points in a Super Bowl (tied with Dallas in 1972 against Miami)."We're a relentless team," linebacker Dont'a Hightower said. "We didn't give up. A lot was thrown at us. When we play like we did tonight, we can't be beat."The Rams, who reached the NFL championship game with the aid of a major officiating error in the conference title victory at New Orleans, never really threatened to reach the end zone."Last time I checked, defense wins championships," Rams running back C.J. Anderson said.At 66, Bill Belichick became the oldest winning Super Bowl coach. The Patriots beat the Rams, then representing St. Louis, to begin their dynastic run in the 2002 game. They also have beaten Carolina and Philadelphia (2004 and '05, the last repeater); the Seahawks in 2015; and the Falcons in 2017 in the only overtime in Super Bowl history.They have lost three times, including to Philadelphia a year ago. New England is the first team since the 1972 Dolphins to win a Super Bowl the year after losing one.How the Patriots accomplished it was atypical. The 10-point margin was their biggest in winning a championship.Brady, who has won four Super Bowl MVP trophies, wasn't particularly sharp 鈥?except when throwing to Edelman. He was the steadiest offensive player on the field, finishing with 10 catches for 141 yards."It just matters that we won," Edelman said. "It was a crazy year. We had a resilient bunch of guys."Brady passed Charles Haley to become the only player with six Super Bowl titles.All those suspicions about the Patriots declining this season became moot as the defense made the 24-year-old Goff look awful and turned All-Pro running back Todd Gurley into a nonfactor.While it was anything but odd to see New England celebrate a championship David Andrews Jerseys 2019 , the manner it earned this one was startling. The 2 1/2-point favorite Patriots moved the ball well, ran down the clock, but made uncharacteristic gaffes on offense. Goff and the Rams made more.LA's second-ranked offense managed just 57 total yards for the half. The Rams were completely overmatched on the line and were particularly unable to handle the elusive Edelman, who had seven receptions for 93 yards.Coach Sean McVay, whose Rams never had been blanked in a first half, let out a long, deep sigh just before halftime, recognizing how badly his team was manhandled, even though it trailed just 3-0.It was the lowest score at halftime since Super Bowl 9, which Pittsburgh led 2-0 over Minnesota.McVay, the youngest Super Bowl head coach at 34, admitted he was outcoached. He had no answers as Gurley, coming off knee issues, managed 35 yards rushing, Goff went 19 for 38 for 229 yards and was sacked four times. Brandin Cooks, a Patriots receiver last season, did have eight receptions for 120 yards.KICKING GAMEGostkowski's 46-yard miss wide left in the first quarter was the first unsuccessful field goal in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Falcons, by an NFL player all season. The 13-year veteran also missed a field goal and extra point in the 2018 Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia.But he gave the Patriots a 3-0 lead with a 42-yarder in the second quarter.The Rams' Johnny Hekker had a 65-yard punt in the third quarter, the longest in a Super Bowl. It was his eighth punt of the game 鈥?with 1 1-2 periods remaining 鈥?the most for LA in McVay's two seasons in charge.Greg Zuerlein tied it with 2:11 left in the third quarter on the first drive on which Los Angeles gained more than one first down. His 53-yarder was the second-longest field goal in a Super Bowl.COIN TOSSMcVay deferred after winning the coin toss. In their previous two playoff games, the Patriots marched right downfield to a touchdown with the opening kickoff, setting an immediate tone. This time, after Cordarrelle Patterson‘s 38-yard kickoff return and four successful runs, Brady's first pass was tipped by receiver Chris Hogan and cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman. Linebacker Cory Littleton made a diving interception; it was the first time Brady was picked on his initial throw in a postseason game.INJURIESNew England lost safety Patrick Chung on the third play of the second half when his right forearm was caught between Gurley's shoulder pad and the helmet of teammate Jonathan Jones. Chung writhed in pain before walking off with an air cast on.