Super Bowl 53: NFL Spin Zone staff picks, score predictions

Super Bowl 53 is upon us and members of the NFL Spin Zone staff have their picks and predictions for the New England Patriots-Los Angeles Rams showdown.

Not without plenty of controversy — sorry, Saints fans — we’ve arrived at Super Bowl 53. The young, upstart Los Angeles Rams will represent the NFC and take on the dynastic New England Patriots. Still led by Tom Brady at quarterback and head coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots look to add their sixth Lombardi Trophy of this era.

At the same time, however, the Rams are of the mind of starting a dynasty of their own. While many of the moves they made building their current roster in the 2018 offseason are short-term, win-now moves, it’s paid off and they hope it’s the start of something big behind head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Jared Goff.

Everyone has an opinion regarding how Super Bowl 53 will play out. So, rather than looking at one writer on the NFL Spin Zone staff to offer their picks, we opened the floor to let multiple voices be heard. As such, let’s get into the NFL Spin Zone picks and score predictions for Super Bowl 53 between the Patriots and Rams.

Randy Gurzi, Contributor (National)

Super Bowl 53 pits the past vs. the present as Tom Brady and the New England Patriots take on Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams. New England enters the favorite as Brady and company look for Super Bowl win No. 6. As for the Rams, they haven’t won it all since their days in St. Louis as the Greatest Show on Turf.

The Pats will do all they can, but Los Angeles just has too many weapons on offense. Look for them to seal this one with a late touchdown from superstar running back Todd Gurley as the legend of Sean McVay continues to grow.

Final Score: New England 30, Los Angeles 38

Carl Naimoli, Contributor (Philadelphia Eagles)

The Patriots find themselves in their third consecutive Super Bowl against another high powered NFC offense in the Rams. This game doesn’t feature much defense as both teams move up and down the field with ease. In the end, the Patriots experience is too much for the young Rams team. Tom Brady ends Sunday night with his sixth Super Bowl victory and yet another MVP Trophy.

Final Score: New England 40, Los Angeles 31

Maurice Moton, Contributor (Oakland Raiders)

The extra week off should help running back Todd Gurley, who didn’t look like himself in the NFC Championship Game and only logged four carries for 10 yards and a touchdown. He’ll return to form alongside C.J. Anderson, and the tandem will gouge the New England Patriots front seven for 140-plus yards. The Tom Brady-Julian Edelman combo keeps the Patriots within striking distance, but cornerback Marcus Peters picks off a late fourth-quarter pass to seal a Rams victory.

Final Score: New England 28, Los Angeles 34

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JANUARY 20: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates with the NFC Trophy as General Manager Les Snead and Jared Goff #16 look on after defeating the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /

Larry Brake, Contributor (Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars)

Defense will be the key to the Rams winning the Super Bowl. The Rams defensive front will be the difference in the game. Aaron Donald will wreak havoc all game long while frustrating Tom Brady. I suspect the game will be similar to the Jacksonville-New England game of Week 2. The Rams offense will start slow, but after making adjustments, will control the clock to keep Brady on the sideline.

Final Score: New England 17, Los Angeles 21

Todd and Dan Salem, Contributors (NFL Sports Debates)

Todd Salem: The New England Patriots duped us. They duped us into thinking the dynasty was dead. It wasn’t so bad as to see them lose the AFC East. Even skeptics knew that wasn’t going to happen. But it was evident in their inability to win road games. It was dead when Tom Brady looked…ordinary. They duped us.

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Once the postseason began, everything looked dynastic once again. Brady was slinging the ball around like he was 36 again. Rob Gronkowski was a threat. The Patriots defense looked well beyond the league-average unit it was during the regular year. Some fortune along the way has now brought this dynasty back to the Super Bowl. After a brief few minutes where opening lines had it as an underdog, New England is back where it belongs: the favorite to win the Super Bowl.

It was a circuitous route to get here this season. New England probably has the smallest coaching advantage it has ever had in this biggest of games. It probably has the smallest edge it has ever had in terms of offensive potency (if it has an edge there at all). The best defensive player in the game is not a member of the Patriots. The better kicker is not a member of the Patriots. The margins are slim; the differences minuscule. This is when experience matters.

Los Angeles is perhaps the most talented team in the league. That doesn’t make it the best, at least not yet.

Final Score: New England 30, Los Angeles 25

Dan Salem: For 10 weeks of the 2018 season the Rams and Patriots were not in the same league. Los Angeles was outright dominant, while New England kept squeaking by and winning at home. Each team had a different energy, until the final month of the season began.

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The Patriots rose to their usual championship level, which carries them into Super Bowl 53 as slight favorites. The Rams dealt with injuries and showed they were in fact human, before clamping down and rising up to be the best team in the NFC. New England obviously holds the experience edge, but that didn’t matter last year or for three quarters the year before in the Super Bowl.

Defense wins championships and the Rams have a great defense. The Patriots have played great defense at times, but have failed to stop the best offenses like Kansas City. With Los Angeles putting Tom Brady on his back and their running game clicking, the Rams keep New England’s offense off the field when it matters most. Los Angeles wins the Super Bowl.

Final Score: New England 24, Los Angeles 35

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 30: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots of the New England Patriots warms up during Super Bowl LIII practice at Georgia Tech Brock Practice Facility on January 30, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Dan Schmelzer, Contributor (NFL Draft, NFL)

Stopping the run has been an issue for the Rams all season long. They have been better in this area during the playoffs, but they have put more of an emphasis on their run defense by playing a lot with eight men in the box. If they load the box against Brady, he will tear them apart. If they don’t, the Patriots have proved that they can run the ball well and the Rams rush defense is not scary when they are in base. Having a smart and experienced quarterback helps tremendously against a team like this.

Gurley is a matchup nightmare for the Pats slower linebackers and the Rams offense as a whole is tough for anybody to stop. However, I don’t see the Rams stopping Brady and Co. often in this one. Should be close, but give me the Patriots.

Final Score: New England 35, Los Angeles 27

Dan Parzych, Contributor (National)

The Los Angeles Rams have been in a win-now mode dating back to the offseason after watching them make all sorts of addition on both sides of the football, whether it was Brandin Cooks or Ndamukong Suh.

Some football fans are concerned over the inexperience by the Rams since this will mark the ninth Super Bowl appearance for the New England Patriots under Tom Brady, but also Sean McVay got two weeks to prepare for this battle. If Los Angeles comes out firing, and ends up blowing out New England, don’t be surprised one bit.

Final Score: New England 20, Los Angeles 48

Caleb Pierson, Contributor (NFL)

To almost no surprise, Tom Brady and the Patriots will be playing for another Super Bowl ring. On the other side of the field, we will see the Rams, who went all out this offseason to get here. The Rams will be led by their young quarterback who will look to start his own dynasty, Jared Goff. On paper, it appears to be a very good matchup with a blend of youth and vets on both sides of the ball.

The Rams high flying offense should give the Patriots defense fits, but we should never count out Brady. I think this will be a close matchup with the Patriots experience being the difference maker. Patriots win on the heels of Super Bowl MVP Sony Michel, who will continue his elite playoff run.

Final Score: New England 38, Los Angeles 35

Carlos Nazario, Contributor (Chicago Bears)

While everyone talks about how Tom Brady is the GOAT among quarterbacks, Bill Belichick is the GOAT of head coaches. He consistently takes away a team’s best option. Yes, I know that didn’t happen last year, but I don’t expect lightning to strike the same place. I expect he’s been watching game films of what the Chicago Bears did to Los Angeles and make a gameplan based on that.

I feel sorry for Todd Gurley. He hasn’t played much in the playoffs and that will continue in the Super Bowl. Brandin Cooks will be a non-factor and the Patriots will dare Jared Goff to beat them. He won’t be able to do it and New England will get its sixth Super Bowl title.

Final Score: New England 27, Los Angeles 21

Cody Williams, Editor

Young vs. Old, Past vs. Future, take your pick for the narrative you want to choose for Super Bowl 53. Whatever your forte, this is one of the hot young teams in the league in the Rams going up against the team that’s seemingly always in the Big Game, the Patriots. And, lo and behold, the Patriots slow-played us to get to this point, waiting to flip the switch until the playoffs.

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Having said that, this might be the rare case where Bill Belichick is simply outmatched. While you take Tom Brady over Jared Goff 100 times out of 100, I take the Rams offensive firepower and scheme over the Patriots more often than not. With the LA defense making some splash plays and with their offensive prowess, I think they redeem themselves from losing to New England in 2001 and get the win in Atlanta.

Final Score: New England 28, Los Angeles 38

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