Super Bowl dust settles nicely for New England, and FredZone!

A lovely line from two-time Super Bowl-winning linebacker Osi Umenyiora at the end of the BBC’s excellent Super Bowl coverage the other night – “the GOATS have beaten the Rams.”

The Greatest Of All Time duo being quite rightly lauded were New England Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick, and Quarterback Tom Brady. They were combining to win a sixth title, and in the end, despite the relatively tight scoreline (13-3), the Rams were outclassed. Outhought. Most certainly outmanoeuvred.

If you fancy the Pats to do it all again next term, they can be backed, right now, at 8/1.

I’ve heard it said, and seen it written, that this was a dull Super Bowl. Sure – if you want points galore, this may not have been for you. But it was utterly engrossing all the same.

A high-scoring Rams offense expertly and bravely tamed by New England, and eventually forced into submission by that one, late, truly magical period of play – Brady’s game-winning drive, resulting in Sony Michel punching in (below) the only touchdown of the match.

Here’s what we said in Super Bowl week about touchdowns, in these very columns;

Running-back Sony Michel is just 23, and arrives at Super Bowl 53 in scintillating form. Shortlist material for any Double Delight/Hat-Trick Heaven First Touchdown Scorer bets ….

The evergreen Brady used his essential offensive weapons – his trusty and faithful retainers – to bring down young Rams’ coach Sean McVay‘s dreams. Julian Edelman. Rob Gronkowski. The afore-mentioned first touchdown scorer Michel.

Here’s what we said ahead of the match about the MVP market – the game’s Most Valuable Player award – and we identified a certain fabulously-priced longshot for your earnest consideration.

How about the game’s MVP (Most Valuable Player). Tom Brady’s the 5/4 fav, with opposite number Jared Goff at 2/1. Todd Gurley 16/1? Edelman 33’s? It was indeed Julian Edelman, with 141 receiving yards, despite being double-teamed at times, who won the coveted accolade – flagged up as a tasty 33/1 shot.

We had a pop at guessing the total points, and here it’s a case of ‘hands up, guilty as charged, M’Lud.’ Our ‘over’ shout was a mile away – but as to the outright, and spread, we were bang on the money.

…. weighing every last detail and popping them all into the melting pot one just has to come down, narrowly, on the side of New England. New England -2.5 at 10/11 … New England outright on the money line at 8/11.

Finally; with the welter of ‘props’ (proposition bets) attched to Super Bowl there are some fabulous little gems to get involved with. This was our suggestion, in another Super Bowl week piece to whet your appetite for the big one;

First Scoring Play

It could all be a bit cagey for a while, with so much at stake. Big plays might just come a little later in the game, so someone might have to settle for a field goal to get the scoring underway. We think that will be New England, and that eventuality can be backed at 10/3. 

The game’s first scoring play was indeed a New England field goal, landing our little fun bet at rewarding odds.

It takes all kinds of games to make up a season, and while what transpired in Atlanta didn’t mirror the offensive explosion that typified much of what had gone before since September, it was gripping nevertheless.

We’d speculated that Rams’ relatively-inexperienced QB Jared Goff might ‘choke.’ I don’t like the word, but he certainly wasn’t himself. I’d sooner congratulate New England for keeping him quiet so successfuly, but there were certainly moments of great uncertainty and indecision on the night.

It was a defensive masterclass from the Pats, with one brilliant, lingering, late dagger to the heart.

This is FredZone, signing off until the early autumn, when just like this glorious sport of NFL – we’ll be back!!

AF