Rams beat Saints, Patriots beat Chiefs, setting Super Bowl LIII matchup
Jan 21, 2019, 12:00 AM
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 20: Tommylee Lewis #11 of the New Orleans Saints drops a pass broken up by Nickell Robey-Coleman #23 of the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
by Andrew Pasquini – Sports 1140 KHTK
Championship Sunday was everything it was hyped up to be as it gave us two overtime games setting up a Super Bowl matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots.
The Rams got some help from the referees late in the fourth quarter with the game tied 20-20. The Saints had the ball at the Rams 13-yard line with 1:48 left in the game and the Rams only had one timeout remaining. Drew Brees threw a pass intended for Tommylee Lewis on third down that fell incomplete thanks to what should have been a pass interference against Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman that would have given the Saints a first down and allowed them to run the clock out and kick a field goal as time expired.
Instead, the Saints had to kick a field goal with 1:41 left to give themselves a 23-20 lead. The Rams would drive down the field and tie the game with a Greg Zuerlein field goal with 15 seconds remaining, sending the game to overtime. The Saints started with the ball but a great pass rush from Dante Fowler forced Brees to throw a floater that was intercepted by John Johnson. Zuerlein would then hit a 57-yard field goal to give the Rams a 26-23 win over the Saints in overtime to advance to the franchises’ first Super Bowl since 2001.
Greg Zuerlein has ice in his veins ❄️
The field goal that sent the @RamsNFL to the Super Bowl. #LARvsNO pic.twitter.com/5GNx1OJGpN
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 20, 2019
2:03 left in the game. Patriots down four. Three timeouts. We’ve seen Tom Brady do it be and we saw him do it again. Down 28-24, Brady led the Patriots on a six-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a Rex Burkhead four-yard touchdown run with 39 seconds remaining to give the Patriots a 31-28 lead.
Unfortunately for Patriots fans, 39 seconds was all Patrick Mahomes needed to march the Chiefs down the field to tie the game with a field goal to send it to overtime. The second-year quarterback led the Chiefs on a four-play, 48-yard drive to set up a 39-yard field goal from Harrison Butker to send the game to overtime.
Brady had enough magic in the tank for overtime though, leading the Patriots down the field with a 13-play, 75-yard drive to give the Patriots a 37-31 win in overtime. Rex Burkhead finished the drive with a two-yard run up the middle for a touchdown. The win gives the Patriots their third-consecutive AFC Championship.
Super Bowl LIII will feature a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVI when the Patriots defeated the then-St. Louis Rams to give Tom Brady and Bill Belichick their first Super Bowl championship.
