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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 2019)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL JANUARY 30, 2019 5B BIG GAME Preview The Rams Go Marching In In a nail-biting, overtime victory, the Los Angeles Rams punched their ticket to Super Bowl LIII. While Jared Goff and company didn’t lead the NFC Championship game un- til the clock ticked zero, they defeated the Saints after an incredible 57-yard fi eld goal from kicker Greg Zuerlein. The Championship game in New Orleans set the stage for a rematch from Nov. 4, 2018. In the previous matchup, the Saints handed the Rams their fi rst loss of the season with a 45-35 victory. The Los Angeles Rams would go on to complete the regular season with only three losses. They now aim to bring a Super Bowl trophy back to L.A. for the fi rst time since the Raiders won it all in 1984. Little Worry While most of the sports nation feared the Rams had burned out with two late-season losses, the team adamantly studied their opponents and made a success- ful playoff push. After closing out the regular season with dominant victories over the Cardinals and 49ers, the Rams would obtain their fi rst playoff win since 2004 against the Dallas Cowboys. Their hard-fought victory over the Saints proves their offense, defense and special teams can show up when everything is on the line. Big Moves The Los Angeles Rams relied on several key additions to win The Big Game Matchup the crown of NFC Champions. Here are a few of the key ad- ditions and free-agency moves that paid off. Brandin Cooks: The Rams acquired Cooks from the New England Patriots and instantly added a downfi eld threat to their stellar offense. He ended the 2018 regular season as 14th for most receiving yards at 1,204. Ndamukong Suh: The over- sized defensive lineman added a new level of terror for opposing offenses. Teaming up with powerhouse Aaron Donald has proven to be a successful mixture of distraction and yard-stopping tackles. His regular season stats include 36 solo tackles. C.J. Anderson: While star-run- ning back Todd Gurley was dealing with a knee injury, the Rams signed the veteran Anderson on Dec. 18. After unsuccessful stints with both the Panthers and Raiders this year, Anderson became a key contributor to the Rams offense, creating an interesting depth alongside Gurley. Running Back Matchups Both the Rams and Patriots have extensive weapons when it comes to passing. Tom Brady and Jared Goff relied on an impressive stable of receivers to reach Super Bowl LIII. The Patriots added depth to their stellar offense when choosing Sony Michel as the 31st overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Rams also have a balanced running game thanks to Pro-Bowler Todd Gurley and the recent acquisi- tion of C.J. Anderson. While the competing quarter- back’s arms may get much of the glory, don’t count out the importance of the impressive stable of running backs. Sony Michel Michel’s fi rst season as a pro- fessional was limited after suf- fering a knee injury in training camp. In addition to missing the entire preseason, he wasn’t cleared for action until Week 2, when the Patriots were upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Two weeks later, the running back would become the fi rst rookie RB for the patriots to top 100 yards on the ground. Then, during the regular season match-up against the Kansas City Chiefs, he would add two-rushing touchdowns to the high-scoring 43-40 victory. His role in the post-season was just as impressive as he would rush for 129 yards and score three touchdowns against the Los Angeles Chargers in the Divisional Playoff game. In the AFC Championship game, he was able to put up 113 yards and two touchdowns against Kansas City’s defense. He should have a good match- up against the Los Angeles Rams, who were ranked 23rd for their rushing defense. Gurley and Anderson: A Pack- age Deal Todd Gurley had an impressive outing in the regular season, racking up over 1,200 yards. A nagging injury caused him to miss the last-two games of the year and seemed to limit him in the victory over the Saints in the NFC Conference competi- tion, where he only rushed for 10 yards on four attempts. In late December, the Rams ac- quired C.J. Anderson to provide insurance while Gurley healed. In the Divisional Championship game, he achieved 123 yards and two touchdowns. His performance against the Saints was limited to 44 yards while never making it in the endzone. The Rams will be faced with creating a strategy to employ both running backs to keep up with Brady’s high-octane offense. Both the New En- gland Patriots and Los Angeles Rams fought diffi cult battles during their Divisional Champi- onship games. While the Rams’ game fea- tured a potentially controversial missed call for pass inter- ference, the team earned its way into Super Bowl LIII. The Rams’ impres- sive 8-0 beginning into the season showcased their adversity on the fi eld in both offense and defense. It was special teams who really shined during the NFC Championship game after a fake punt led to a fi rst down and a booming 57-yard fi eld goal clinched the win in overtime. The Patriots struggled early in the season with a few losses that embarrassed them and led many to believe their reign as a dominant force in the NFL was threat- ened. It didn’t take long for the team to pull together and beat out enough of the competition to secure a playoff berth and a fi rst-round bye. Now that the stage is set for Atlanta, here are a few exciting factors that the teams must overcome to hoist the trophy. Experience The New England Patriots are well-versed in the Super Bowl experience, while most of the forces behind the Rams will be mak- ing their fi rst visit. There are vast differences in age and foot- ball experience between both quarterbacks and coaches. It should give an interesting edge to how each team calls plays and executes. One person the Rams can look to for guidance is their knowledgeable defen- sive coordinator, Wade Philips. He was a contributor to the Broncos’ victory in Super Bowl L. Defense The Rams have a powerful entity on their defensive line in Aaron Donald and The Battle Under Center The stage is set for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. After a historical night in which both confer- ence champi- onships went into overtime for the fi rst time in NFL history, the Los Angeles Rams will face off against the New England Patriots. The Rams will be faced with unfamil- iarity with a game of this magnitude, while the Patriots will go into the game with experience. With both teams featuring explosive offenses, it will be up to the defense to maintain the quarterbacks under center. Here’s a look at how the two competitors led their teams to Super Bowl LXIII. Brady Does it Again Tom Brady is no stranger to late-fourth quarter comebacks in big games. In the Conference Championship game, he found his team trailing to the Kansas City Chiefs with just under two minutes left. After strategically picking apart the de- fense with short completions, the Patriots would ultimately score and lead the game 31-28. In an incredible turn of events, the Chiefs were able to tie the game with a fi eld goal in under a minute. Going into overtime, the 41-year-old quar- terback received the ball and steadily sent his team downfi eld, eventually scoring a game-winning touchdown with the efforts of his running back. Brady’s ability to fi nd open receivers and his time-management skills make it impos- sible to count him out. After two embarrassing losses early in the season, critics and fans had already begun dismissing the Patriots as Super Bowl contenders. However, after a steady stream of impressive wins, Brady and company Our friendly low overhead location, low pressure approach ensuring our customers the best possible pricing, selection and service. clinched their 10th straight AFC East division title and will fi nd them- selves on the grandest stage on Feb. 3. Tom Brady fi nished the reg- ular season with 4,355 yards and 29 touchdowns. Jared Goff’s First Super Bowl Goff gained the reigns of the Los Angeles Rams in 2016 and quickly led his team to a playoff run in 2017 before winning the conference championship this year. It will be interesting to see how the pres- sures of the big game and experience of the opposing quarterback will affect his performance. In the NFC Conference game, the Rams didn’t lead the Saints until the game-win- ning fi eld goal in overtime. However, Goff had an impressive night under the lights of national television with 297 yards and a passer rating of 83.0. The quarterback and coach combination for both teams should be widely acknowledged as each team featured seasoned veterans or fi rst-time contenders. Our service department is OPEN SATURDAYS for convenience: 8am-5pm A Brad’s Buy is a Better Buy! DRIVE A LITTLE Ndamukong Suh. The Patriots line will have trouble keeping them contained to give Brady enough time to execute the pre- cision passing he is known for. On the other side, New England found a way to put pressure on Patrick Mahone during its championship com- petition, ultimately sacking him four times. Kicker Big games sometimes come down to the leg of a kicker. This year, the season was plagued with missed opportunities, like Cody Parkey from the Chicago Bears and the now infamous, “Double Doink” kick that eliminated them from playoff conten- tion. The Rams’ Greg Zuerlein proved himself to be effi cient under pressure by knock- ing in a 57-yard winner. 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