Reporting from atlanta — The dynasty was doomed — for like the 10th time — as recently as seven weeks ago.
New England had just lost consecutive games to fall to 9-5. At that point, it appeared the Patriots would be required to play on wild-card weekend, a foreboding task that finally would crush the kingdom.
“It doesn’t ever get old,” center David Andrews said Sunday night after New England’s 13-3 victory over the Rams. “It’s the most amazing feeling in the world. It’s the most gratitude feeling in the world to be a part of this team.”
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It doesn’t get old for the Patriots. To the rest of the football world, however, New England’s success feels ancient, far more dated than the 18 years since Bill Belichick secured the first of his six titles as the team’s coach.
The Patriots have outlived multiple expiration dates, their dynasty supposedly dying for at least a decade.
For this latest run, they rallied around “We’re still here,” a slogan that suggested somebody expected them to be gone by now.
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Silly somebody.
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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)
“We don’t do it to say, ‘I told you so,’ ” special-teams player Matthew Slater said. “We do it for one another.”
So, can the Patriots do it again next season? Waging against them would seem to be as risky an investment as the $3.8 million Bettor X reportedly had riding on the Rams on Sunday.
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Yes, New England has the same type of roster-reshaping personnel decisions every team faces. And the Patriots just lost their defensive signal caller, Brian Flores, who became Miami’s coach.
But Belichick and Brady aren’t going anywhere, the NFL’s oldest rock-star coach and quarterback saying in recent weeks they plan on staying around longer than their opponents care to ponder.
Hey, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are touring in 2019 too, and playing a bunch of NFL venues even, including Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
“It’s my job to try to keep it together,” team owner Robert Kraft told the NFL Network. “You know, they’re both independent people. But, I will say this, I think they both love what they do. And they’re in control of their lives, so they don’t have to do anything. And, to be honest, I only want it if it’s something they want.”
The case easily could be made that Belichick is the greatest NFL coach. It’s an indisputable fact that he hasn’t been selected coach of the year since 2010, which is stunning.
He’s 66 and just became the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl, doing so with a team that had only two players selected to the Pro Bowl, one fewer than the New York Giants.
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Each of the Patriots’ five losses in 2018 came against a team that did not reach the playoffs. They lost consecutive games twice and, for a week in late September, had a losing record.
The night before Super Bowl LIII, the “Miami Miracle” — a 69-yard, game-deciding fire drill that featured one forward pass and two backward ones — was deemed the league’s play of the year. New England was on the wrong end of the miracle.
A year ago at this time, Belichick was not answering questions about the decision to not play Malcolm Butler. On Monday, he was at the annual Super Bowl-winner news conference sharing jokes about plumbers.
“Coach makes it a … it’s a challenging football environment,” Brady said Sunday. “The pressure’s always on and, for moments like this, you have to rise to the occasion.”
Brady already was the oldest quarterback to win an NFL playoff game before he became the oldest to win a Super Bowl.
He and the Patriots began this run in 2001, when the Rams were still in St. Louis and TB12 was not a logo.
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Brady had rough moments in the AFC title game and Super Bowl LIII, missing receivers badly at times and appearing more immobile than ever. His first pass Sunday was intercepted.
But, in both games, he threw ridiculously precise passes late to secure victory when defeat could have been a reasonable outcome.
“I’m tired of talking about Brady,” linebacker Dont’a Hightower joked after the Super Bowl. “I won one today. We all got one. …This is a team thing, so it feels good to win.”
The biggest piece of offseason uncertainty for the Patriots is tight end Rob Gronkowski, who could retire.
Left tackle Trent Brown, defensive lineman Trey Flowers, receivers Chris Hogan and Cordarrelle Patterson, and defensive back Jason McCourty are free agents.
So are kicker Stephen Gostkowski and punter Ryan Allen, who have been key components of the Patriots’ successful special-teams play, which has been a constant during the their march to six Super Bowls.
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“We have been in these situations so many times before in big games and we don’t really blink,” Hogan said. “We practice these situations. We run these situations. We know how to execute in these situations.”
Whatever roster shakeout comes over the next few months, the Patriots won’t be timid. Belichick, quite famously, sent away Drew Bledsoe, Richard Seymour and Randy Moss, among many others.
He nearly traded Gronkowski before the 2018 draft but decided against it. On Sunday, the veteran tight end had the key fourth-quarter catch that set up the game’s only touchdown.
That’s the way fate just seems to work out for the Patriots, who, rather machine-like, have built a dynasty in a league that instituted a salary cap to discourage such things from happening.
“I remember when I first came to this team in April, there was a whole media spectacle that it wouldn’t be any fun here,” McCourty said. “It’s my third organization and my 10th season. I haven’t had more fun than this season.”
Jeff Miller is the former Chargers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times. He previously spent 20 years as a sports columnist for the Orange County Register and, before that, the Miami Herald. He also served as the Angels beat writer for The Times and the Register. His other stops include the Palm Beach Post and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
