Super Bowl LIII: Rams defense will be crucial

The stage has been set for Super Bowl LIII as the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots get set for their head to head matchup.

As the success of both the Rams and Patriots revolves around their high-powered offense, the biggest factor that could determine who takes home the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LIII will be how well the Rams defense can get to Tom Brady through both pressure and hitting him.

Patriots struggle under pressure

When you look at the few times the Patriots have struggled in the past in the playoffs and the Super Bowl, it was against teams like the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos and New York Giants, who all brought a ton of pressure. In two losses against the Ravens, Brady was hit 14 total times, forcing him into six turnovers (five interceptions and one lost fumble).

In Super Bowl XLVI, the Giants hit Brady eight times, including sacking him twice, while forcing him into throwing an interception. One of the hits forced an intentional grounding call against Brady in the end zone for a safety.

Aaron Donald key for Rams

Fast forward to Super Bowl LIII and the Rams will be looking for that same type of success from their defense – a defense that is led by All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald was a force for the Rams defense all season, recording a league-high 20.5 sacks.

Along with a league-high 20.5 sacks, Donald also forced four fumbles during the regular season. Despite not posting a sack during the playoffs, Donald’s presence is still felt as teams as both the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints built offensive game plans using a combination of tight ends/wide receivers to block.

This has forced mid-season acquisition Dante Fowler and former All-Pro Ndamukong Suh to step up. In the two playoff wins, the two defensive linemen have combined for three total sacks.

On Sunday, February 3, 2019, the Rams’ defensive pressure will play a key role in who wins Super Bowl LIII. The big question is: can the Patriots build a game plan to slow down Donald, Suh, Fowler and the rest of the Rams defense?