Here’s a roundup of notes, reactions and observations from “Super Bowl LIII Champions: New England Patriots,” a documentary made by Cinedigm and NFL Films which chronicles the Patriots’ run to Super Bowl LIII.
The bulk of the movie focused on the team’s playoff run. Thus, our notes will do the same.
- “It’s supposed to be hard. It is hard. Don’t feel sorry for yourself,” Bill Belichick told his team during training camp. Is there any other way the coach would start a season? It’s Belchickian advice.
- Tom Brady takes a page out of Belichick’s book. He seems to completely ignore a high-five attempt from a Jaguars fan.
- “That’s the ugliest broken tackle you will ever see,” linebacker Kyle Van Noy said on the sideline during the team’s 37-31 win over the Chiefs. Brady was scrambling in the fourth quarter and broke a tackle from linebacker Ben Niemann in the backfield. Brady then dove into the end zone for a rushing touchdown. Van Noy may be one of Brady’s fiercest defenders, but he’s not afraid to tell it like it is.
- Fittingly, Belichick was shown working closely with pass rushers during the playoff opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. He was constantly coaching some of the individuals and, at times, the group as a whole. The Patriots shut down L.A.’s offense with seven quarterback hits and two sacks.
- Julian Edelman’s message against the Chargers was incessant: “Do not get content.” He was determined to keep the Patriots charging on offense. “All night long, like Lionel Richie,” he quipped. As Edelman racked up nine receptions for 151 yards, — “You beautiful son of a [expletive]” – James Develin to Julian Edelman
- Before the AFC championship game, Devin McCourty completely changed his tact for his pre-game pump-up speech. “I had this whole speech about the people that doubted us, proving them wrong, doing all that. Then I realized that [expletive] don’t matter. Tonight, it’s about us, our journey. Trust in each other. Love each other. Play for each other tonight.”
- A little football nerd-ing: Sammy Watkins beat Stephon Gilmore on a deep route during the AFC championship game. Because of the strong camera work by NFL Films and Cinedigm, it became clearer that he improvised on the route. He seemed to be running an out route when Patrick Mahomes rolled to his right. Knowing he would be useless on the opposite sideline, Watkins peeled upfield to beat Gilmore for a 54-yard catch.
- “I don’t think I touched it,” Julian Edelman said to Tom Brady while referees discussed whether he touched a punt in the fourth quarter, which was called a touchdown and reversed to give the ball back to New England. Clearly, even Edelman wasn’t completely sure about the controversial call. McCourty was also clearly tense with uncertainty: “It’s so close. I just don’t know what they’re going to do.” After the officials changed the outcome of the play, Andy Reid yelled at an official, “How could you overturn that?” The official responded, “It was without a doubt.”
- “Good game, bro” Lucas said to Edelman. “Hey, I respect you, bro.” The game wasn’t over. Lucas’ kind words came after the Chiefs intercepted Brady in the fourth quarter for the second time. But the call came back, because linebacker Dee Ford was lined up offsides. Soon after, Rex Burkhead’s touchdown gave New England the lead.
- “They said I was lined up offsides. Was it?” Ford asked a teammate on the sideline.
- In the final moments of regulation, Harrison Butker lined up for the game-tying field goal. Meanwhile, Edelman was screaming on the sideline during the final kick: “Wide left. Wide right.” It didn’t work, but it’s a completely savage move by Edelman.
- During the warmups before Super Bowl LIII, Brady looked unbelievably loose. (It was almost like he’d been there eight times.) “Come on boys, let’s have some fun,” he said. “… It’s our kind of night.”
- “A lot of Pats fans,” a Rams coach said before the game. It’s true. It was practically home field advantage during the Super Bowl in Atlanta.
- I still have no idea what Brady was doing on that first throw of the Super Bowl. What did he see? What didn’t he see? This documentary shed no light on the play. “I won’t make another mistake all night,” Brady said later, probably on the following drive.
- We got a close look at what Belichick said to coaches and players in the second half. He addressed the defense in the third quarter: “We’ve got to get back on the line of scrimmage, get the call, get lined up. We missed the double. We missed the post. We’ve just got to get it communicated and play faster. Alright? We’d have no problems with anything if we can just get it lined up and do it. Keep playing vertical in the pass rush. Keep playing vertical in the running game. … We’re OK but we’ve got to play quicker with better communication.” Then Belichick addressed defensive play caller Brian Flore, still in his first season in the job, and defensive line coach Brendan Daly in the fourth quarter: “We’ve got about maybe 15 calls left in this game. Let’s go through and get them right here. Let’s just know what we’re going to call here, make sure we have the right personnel in the game.” And finally he returned to his defense with a few more thoughts: “We don’t have much left here. Let’s get it right. Let’s make sure we’re straight on the doubles and straight on the calls, OK? They really can’t beat us. We just can’t screw up now. If we’re on it, they don’t got anything. Make sure we got it right.”
- Here’s what Tom Brady told the Patriots in the huddle before his final drive of Super Bowl LIII: “If we ever get a choice, stay in-bounds. No penalties and let’s just knock the [expletive] out of them. We’ve worn them out.” That’s what they did, with 26-yard runs from Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead on the drive, which finished with a field goal from Stephen Gostkowski. That put the Patriots at 13-3, essentially ending the game.
- Bill Belichick getting dunked in ice will never get old.
