The New England Patriots outlasted the Los Angeles Rams in the lowest-scoring game in Super Bowl history.
Sony Michel's fourth-quarter touchdown proved the defining play of a game that was dominated by defences. The win, a sixth, sees the Pats equal the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most titles ever and gives quarterback Tom Brady the most-ever Super Bowls for a player.
Here's how it all played out in Atlanta:
Just three seasons after returning to LA from St. Louis, the Rams are heading into big game led by quarterback Jared Goff, running back Todd Gurley, two-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and McVay.
The Rams had been through 13 consecutive non-winning seasons and hadn't won a playoff game in 12 years before they hired McVay, who was 30 at the time. The youngest head coach in modern history immediately engineered a seven-game improvement last season.
He's followed it up by taking them to the Super Bowl for the first time in 17 years. Now 33, McVay would be the youngest coach ever to win a Super Bowl.
He has already coached in more Super Bowls than any other coach (nine going on 10) and already has more wins than any other coach (five with a chance of six).
If the Pats lose, Belichick will also find himself sharing space the top of the losers column with his fourth loss. There are some pretty good names there, though: Don Shula, Bud Grant, Marv Levy and Dan Reeves.
Donald Trump has had his say ahead of today’s big game – of course he has – and says the dangers of the game mean he won’t be encouraging his 12-year-old son Barron to be take up American football.
“I just don’t like the reports that I see coming out having to do with football,” he said on CBS earlier today. “I mean, it’s a dangerous sport and … I thought the equipment would get better, and it has. The helmets have gotten far better but it hasn’t solved the problem.
“So, you know, I hate to say it because I love to watch football. I think the NFL is a great product, but I really think that as far as my son, well I’ve heard NFL players saying they wouldn’t let their sons play football. So. It’s not totally unique, but I would have a hard time with it.”
Tom Brady will become the only person to collect six Super Bowl rings exclusively as a player if the Patriots overcome the Rams tonight.
It was coincidentally with a win against the Rams - who were based in St Louis at the time - at the end of the 2001 season that Brady first got his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a second-year signal caller.
The 41-year-old has given no indication he is ready to bow out yet and thinks he and the team have evolved over time to become a well-oiled machine.
"I think I'm a better player now than I was in 2001, I don't think I was the best player that I could possibly be at that point.
"I think there's been a lot of work and effort over the years to try to get to where I'm at now.
"It's really about playing at a championship level, I think that takes a different shape every year based on how the team is set up.
"My first few years we relied heavily on the defense to keep the scores low in the games, I did my part when I was called upon.
"As things have changed as our offense has developed and grown and we've become more efficient on offense, our defense has had some incredible years and I would say we are a pretty balanced team now."
Speaking of Tom Brady. All you hear when the GOAT comes up in conversation is numbers. And why not, they’re record-brekaing ones after all.
But only one number matters this week. Zero. The chances, he says, that this game tonight will be his last.
So how does he achieve all of these superhuman feats despite being 41-years-old?
Well, I attempted to dig into just that a little earlier this week.
Sean McVay has transformed the fortunes of the Los Angeles Rams but he thinks he is "not even close to being mentioned in the same breath" as New England Patriots supremo Bill Belichick.
The dynasty the Patriots have achieved over the last 18 years is why McVay is reluctant to compare himself with Belichick, widely regarded as one of the finest coaches in any sport.
Speaking at his final press conference ahead of Sunday's showdown between the two teams in Atlanta, McVay said: "I'm certainly not even close to being mentioned in the same breath as coach Belichick with what he's done.
"The wealth of knowledge and experience that he's pulling from is incredible. He's got an ownership and a mastery on offence, defence and special teams.
"You talk about somebody that understands the nuances of the game, the tactical approaches and how to put together a gameplan that is conducive for his players' skillsets.
"But it's also about playing with all three phases working in unison, not necessarily one separate from the other. He's just done such a great job. Those players believe in him. I think he's invested in building a real authentic rapport and caring about the guys."
Rams running back Todd Gurley is the reigning NFL offensive player of the year and, after piling up 1,251 yards in 17 touchdowns in 14 regular-season games, is a candidate to repeat.
So what happened in the NFC Championship game, when he recorded career lows with only five touches for 13 total yards in the controversial 26-23 win over the New Orleans Saints?
Gurley, who missed the end of the regular season with a knee injury, blamed his own sloppy play for those statistics rather than any lingering effects, and McVay has promised to make him a big part of the game plan for Sunday.
But that may just be talk.
When Gurley was sidelined, the Rams turned to CJ Anderson, and the ex-Broncos running back has allowed the Rams to run a series of formations against which the Patriots are known to struggle. He could be just the man for the job.
If you listen to Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, their primary goal on Sunday will be to stop the Patriots' run.
Putting the game in the hands of Brady might seem like a recipe for disaster as far as Los Angeles are concerned, but the Rams want to make New England one-dimensional in order to contain them, and to do so they want to play to their strengths.
While their numbers in the regular-season were not much to write home about, in the post-season they have restricted teams to only 49.0 rushing yards per game - just 2.3 per carry - as they shut down the likes of Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.
If they can do that again, Brady will have to earn his sixth Super Bowl ring.
Ask most folks in Louisiana, and they will tell you the Rams should not be playing in Sunday's showpiece game.
The fallout from their win over the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago has not yet finished, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell admitting the Saints were victims of a blown call from the officials which, if given, would have effectively ended the game with New Orleans ahead.
Goodell said the situation would lead to another review of the NFL's regulations when it comes to using video review, but that is for next season.
New York's main concern tonight will be that the game's outcome is determined by the players, and not anyone in a stripy shirt.
This isn’t just a big game for those on the field tonight, those off it have plenty on their plates also.
You wouldn’t think after a glittering NFL resume that a star quarterback would have anything to prove. But for Tony Romo this second career is proving even better than his first and he’s set the bar startlingly high.
Here’s Jack Rathborn on the making of quite possibly the best commentator in all of sport ahead of the biggest game of his life.
The AFC and especially the NFC championships were clouded by controversy over decisions by the referees.
Will tonight be any different? The NFL have given the Premier League the perfect experiment for the introduction for VAR.
Donald Trump makes his Super Bowl 2019 prediction
The IndependentThe president counts on a long-time friendship with Patriots owner Robert KraftPlease allow a moment for the blog to load
