Reporting from atlanta — Brandin Cooks was so wide open on a third-quarter pass from Jared Goff on Sunday night that New England coach Bill Belichick said the Rams receiver was “standing there fair-catching the ball in the end zone.”
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty flew in from the back side, lunged at Cooks and jammed his hand into the receiver’s left biceps hard enough to jar the ball loose and prevent a 29-yard touchdown.
“You can’t count those McCourtys out,” Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy said, referring to Jason and his twin brother, New England safety Devin McCourty. “They’re damn fast.”
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Two plays after Jason McCourty’s pass breakup, linebacker Dont’a Hightower sacked Goff for a loss of nine yards on third down.
Instead of taking a lead on the pass to Cooks, the Rams settled for Greg Zuerlein’s 53-yard field goal and a 3-3 tie.
The Patriots continued to harass Goff, stuff running backs Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson and swarm Rams receivers with a mix of zone and press man-to-man coverage all game, a comprehensive defensive effort that keyed a 13-3 Super Bowl victory in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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“It was a team effort,” Belichick said. “There is not one guy that can stop the Rams. They have too many good players, too many explosive guys, and they’re too well-coached.
“We played the run competitively. I felt we rushed the passer competitively. I thought we covered competitively. We didn’t give up big plays, which they hit on everybody.”
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Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrates a touchdown by Sony Michel against the Rams inthe 4th quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff watches after throwing an intereption in the fourth quarter as Patriots Adrian Clayton (94) and Duron Harmon celebrate.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks has his pass broken up by Patriots Duron Harmon (center) and Stephon Gilmore in the fourth quarter.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman hoists the Lombardi Trophy after New England beat the Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) sits on the bench behind his teammate after giving up a late game interception.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff is hit by Patriots Dont’a Hightower in the end zone after an incomplete pass in the 3rd quarter.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams losing head coach Sean McVay walks off the field after meeting with Patriots head coach BIll Belichick in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan (15) hugs New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) as the Patriots beat the Rams 13-3 in the Super Bow.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams receiver Robert Woods walks off the field after losing to the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams running back C.J. Anderson, left, and reeiver Josh Reynolds look at the scoreboard late in the 4th quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski catches a pass in front of Rams linebacker Samson Ebukam in the 4th quarter in Super Bowl LIII.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots running back Sony Michel breaks free from the Rams defense in the 3rd quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams receiver Josh Reynolds makes a catch in front of Patriots Jason McCourty inthe 3rd quarter in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes Benz Satdium in Atlanta Sunday.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks (12) was wide open in the end zone but couldn’t hang onto a pass while getting hit by New England Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty (30) in the second half.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman (11) beats Los Angeles Rams linebacker Dante Fowler (56) for a reception in the Super Bowl.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots receiver Julian Edelman leans into Rams defensive back Aqib Talib during first half catch and run in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots defensive lineman Trey Flowers tips a pass that was ultimately completed to Rams receiver Josh Reynolds from Jared in Goff during the first half.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff is harrassed by Patriots defenders as he throws a second half pass in Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks fails to haul in a pass after it is broken up by Patriots defenders Stephon Gilmore and Duron Harmon during the fourth quarter.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore intercepts a pass intended for Rams receiver Brandin Cooks near the end zone during the fourth quarter.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks can’t haul in a pass in the end zone as he is defended by Patriots defensive back Jason McCourty in the third quarter.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) barely gets a pass off under pressure from Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers (98) and outside linebacker John Simon (55) during the second half.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski just misses a pass from Tom Brady as he is defended by Rams linebacker Cory Littleton.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Linebacker Brandon King (36) lies in the confetti on the field after the Patriots defeated the Rams 13-3 in the Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald drags down Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, forcing an incomplete pass during the first half.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski (3) celebrates with offensive lineman Ted Karras (75) after kicking a field goal late in the fourth quarter to give New England a 13-3 lead.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore prevents Rams receiver Brandin Cooks from making a catch in the third quarter.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) intercepts a pass intended for Rams wide receiver Brandin Cooks (12) to end a scoring threat late in the fourth quarter.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams receiver Brandin Cooks walks away as Patriots defensive backs celebrate an interception by Stephon Gilmore to kill a fourth-quarter drive.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore intercepts a Jared Goff pass in the fourth quarter.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots running back Sony Michel dives into the end zone for a two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski hauls in a 29-yard pass to set up a Patriots touchdown.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.
( Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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From fire to lights, Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.
( Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, before he peeled off his shirt, performs during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show.
( Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots cornerback Jason McCourty tries to grab the ball after breaking up a pass intended for Rams receiver Josh Reynolds during the first half.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times )
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Rams defensive end John Franklin-Myers (94) and defensive tackle Ethan Westbrooks sack Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and forces him to fumble in the first half.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams linebacker Cory Littleton intercepts a pass intended for Patriots receiver Chris Hogan in the first quarter.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times )
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Patriots middle linebacker Kyle Van Noy sacks Rams quarterback Jared Goff for a loss in the first half.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise takes down Rams running back C.J. Anderson for a loss in the first half.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski can’t catch a pass while defended by Rams cornerback Aqib Talib during first-quarter action.
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times )
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Patriots fans outnumber Rams fans at the Marta train stop near Mercedes-Benz Stadium before Super Bowl LIII.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams tight ends Tyler Higbee (89), Johnny Mundt (82) and Gerald Everett (81) take the field to warm up for Super Bowl LIII.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Rams running back Todd Gurley jogs around the field during warmups for Super Bowl LIII.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Patriots fans yell for players during warmups before Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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The Patriots sacked Goff four times for a loss of 31 yards, hit him seven other times and broke up eight of his passes.
They had seven tackles for loss.
And they came up with a huge play in the fourth quarter when cornerback Stephon Gilmore intercepted a Goff pass at the Patriots four-yard line with 4 minutes 17 seconds left to preserve a 10-3 lead.
New England blitzed on 50% of its defensive plays and pressured Goff 14 times.
The Patriots sent six rushers on Gilmore’s interception, with Duron Harmon’s safety blitz forcing Goff into a quicker release.
“Our defensive line put some great pressure on the quarterback,” Gilmore said. “I knew once they get down near the goal line, they like to take shots. I was able to get zone vision on it, and I knew he was going to chuck it up, and I made a great play.”
Harmon is usually an extra defensive back in nickel and dime packages, but he played most of the second half in place of Patriots starting safety Patrick Chung, who suffered a serious right-arm injury when he hurled his body into Gurley while making a tackle early in the third quarter.
The arm of Chung, the team’s second-leading tackler and a veteran whom teammates consider the heart and soul of the defense, was placed in an air cast, and he later returned to the sideline with his arm in a sling.
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“Patrick is one of the warriors on our team,” Gilmore said. “He laid it all on the line. You watch that play, he came in full speed. When you see a guy like that coming in and putting his body on the line not caring, you want to fight more for your teammates. We responded well.”
In Harmon, the Patriots had the right player to fill Chung’s void.
“Duron is the closer,” Jason McCourty said. “This guy has made so many huge plays, not only this season, but his whole career.
“When he goes in, no one bats an eye. It’s not like, ‘Oh man, Duron’s in the game.’ This guy has played so much meaningful football. He’s not new to this. He stepped right into the moment.”
Mike DiGiovanna is a former sports writer at the Los Angeles Times who contributed to the coverage of the Dodgers, Angels and Chargers. He won Associated Press Sports Editors awards for feature-story writing in 2017 and game-story writing in 2001 and Orange County Press Club Awards for feature and game-story writing in 1996 and 1997. A native of East Lyme, Conn., and a graduate of Cal State Fullerton, he began writing for The Times in 1981 and retired in 2025.
