Super Bowl LIII live: Score updates, analysis, play-by-play on Patriots vs. Rams

ATLANTA — Super Bowl LIII between the NFC champion Los Angeles Rams and AFC champion New England Patriots, played Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, is now complete.

FINAL SCORE: PATRIOTS 13, RAMS 3

New England prevails in a shockingly low-scoring game but ties the Pittsburgh Steelers' record by winning a sixth Lombardi Trophy. The Patriots' 10-point winning margin is their largest ever in a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Rams tied the 1971 Dolphins for fewest points scored in a Super Bowl. Miami lost Super Bowl VI to Dallas 24-3. The teams' collective 16 points are the fewest ever in a Super Bowl. Super Bowl VII (Dolphins 14, Redskins 7) was the previous record.

No good

Zuerlein misses from 48 as the Rams hoped to post two quick scores.

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PATRIOTS 13, RAMS 3

Stephen Gostkowski connects from 41 yards, virtually putting this game on ice for New England with 72 seconds remaining.

46-year gap?

With a win, New England would become the first team since the 1972 Dolphins to win the Super Bowl one year after losing it.

Shades of Harrison

Seeing Patriots starting S Patrick Chung on the sideline with an injured arm is a reminder of Rodney Harrison's broken arm against the Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. New England won that game 32-29.

UGA RB comparison

After that 26-yard run by former Georgia Bulldog RB Sony Michel, he has 80 total yards today, 46 more than fellow ex-Dawg Todd Gurley.

Pats pick

CB Stephon Gilmore, the Patriots' only Pro Bowler this season aside from Tom Brady, makes a huge interception of Jared Goff on a ball left short to Brandin Cooks after L.A.'s offense finally showed signs of life on a 48-yard drive. With 4:17 to go, New England leads by seven, and both teams have a pair of timeouts. Goff has one TD pass in the postseason.

PATRIOTS 10, RAMS 3

The longest play of the game, Brady-to-Gronk for 29 yards, sets up the first red-zone play of the game for either team, and Patriots RB Sony Michel immediately capitalizes — extending his own rookie record with his sixth rushing TD of these playoffs.

Brady shut out

Tom Brady has never failed to throw a TD pass in his previous eight Super Bowl starts. His current 60.5 QB rating is well below his previous low of 82.5 in the Super Bowl LII loss to the Giants.

Overly conservative Rams?

L.A. just hasn't tried to strike downfield tonight. Jared Goff's longest completion of the game is only for 18 yards. Most of his throws have seemingly been to the boundary and of the short variety. Why not take a shot deep over the middle, especially with Patrick Chung out and Duron Harmon subbing?

END OF THIRD  QUARTER: PATRIOTS 3, RAMS 3

This is the first Super Bowl ever without a TD through three quarters and also the lowest-scoring of all time at this point.

PATRIOTS 3, RAMS 3

Greg Zuerlein hits from 53 yards to knot the game after L.A.'s 10-play, 42-yard drive, their longest march of the game.

Rams WRs quiet

Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks averaged 151.4 combined receiving yards in the regular season. Tonight? Just 75 so far.

Fact check

The Rams' fewest points scored in the McVay era came during this season's 15-6 Week 14 loss at Chicago.

Goff vs. Hekker

L.A.'s Johnny Hekker now has a season-high eight punts — and just set the Super Bowl record by booting a 65-yarder, besting the previous mark of New England's Ryan Allen, Hekker's former teammate at Oregon State. Meanwhile Rams QB Jared Goff has five completions in 15 attempts.

Super Bowl best for Edelman

After a 27-yard gain, the longest of the night, Julian Edelman now has 120 receiving yards. His previous Super Bowl high was 109 in Super Bowl XLIX against Seattle.

Third-down woes

The Rams are now 0-for-7 trying to convert on third down today. They hit on a 45 percent clip in the regular season.

Chung out

Patriots S Patrick Chung walked to the locker room with what appears to be a painful arm injury. An air cast was applied. Expect Duron Harmon to go the rest of the way in his stead. Chung has been declared out.

Gurley sighting 

After gaining 10 yards on his first three carries, Todd Gurley has 21 on his first two rushes after halftime.

Adjustments

After what was probably the worst first half of Rams coach Sean McVay's NFL head coaching career, how does L.A. adjust as it takes possession to start third quarter?

Enter stage light

Maroon 5 time ...

END OF FIRST HALF: PATRIOTS 3, RAMS 0

The second-lowest scoring first half in Super Bowl history is over. (Pittsburgh led Minnesota 2-0 in Super Bowl IX back in 1975.)

Patriots: 40 plays, 195 yards, 12 first downs ... 3 points

Rams: 22 plays, 57 yards, two first downs ... 0 points

Rams hold

The Pats go for it on fourth-and-1 from L.A.'s 32, a spot where Gostkowski would likely convert for three. But Brady's pass to Gronkowski falls incomplete, and the Rams have the ball and two timeouts to play with.

Big cheer for Vinatieri

The Patriots kicking sniper from Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII and XXXIX, Adam Vinatieri, is on the field during the commercial break talking to Hall of Famer Morten Andersen. Huge ovation for Vinatieri.

Punt-a-thon part deux

Johnny Hekker has already punted five times for the Rams, second most for him this season. He had seven against Green Bay in Week 8.

Van sack

That was Patriots LB Kyle Van Noy's third sack of the postseason, giving him the team lead. He had 3½ in the regular season.

Punt-a-thon

There was one combined punt in the Patriots' Super Bowl LII loss to Philly. There have already been six today.

Gurley a ghost again?

Is it happening again? The Rams' all-pro tailback has one touch so far while backup C.J. Anderson has three. Obviously early, but notable following Gurley's disappearing act in the NFC title game. Coach Sean McVay said his offense's top player was a full go entering the Super Bowl.

Impact players?

One of my more interesting assignments this week was ranking the 53 most impactful players for Super Bowl LIII. I'll felt odd about having Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald relatively low and Sony Michel and Julian Edelman listed just after the quarterbacks. But so far, it's playing out. READ MORE

PATRIOTS 3, RAMS 0

Gostkowski connects from 42 yards to break the ice and get New England on the board. But did Rob Gronkowski get hurt while setting up that field goal? Something to obviously monitor.

Dilly Dilly

In case you're just here for the commercials, here's the latest from the Bud Light Kingdom. READ MORE

Meanwhile, in New Orleans ...

... Saints fans are protesting the Super Bowl. Can you blame them? READ MORE

Stats after one quarter

Patriots: 22 plays, 113 yards, eight first downs ... 0 points

Rams: Nine plays, 29 yards, 1 first down ... 0 points

END OF FIRST  QUARTER: PATRIOTS 0, RAMS 0

A scoreless opening period winds up extending an odd Super Bowl trend for the five-time champion Patriots — they've never scored a first-quarter TD in nine Super Sunday appearances during the Brady-Belichick era.

Pat on ex-Pat crime

Looks like New England has found a matchup it likes. WR Julian Edelman has three catches for 43 yards already working mostly against Rams CB Aqib Talib, Edelman's former Patriots teammate.

Poor punt

Welp. L.A.'s Johnny Hekker is probably the NFL's best punter ... and his first put the Pats inside their own 20 (but only at the 19). But that was an ugly 28-yarder on his first effort of the night. READ MORE

Broken record

Rob Gronkowski's 19-yard catch was his 18th career Super Bowl reception, most in the game's history.

Rough ratio

As the Rams take possession for the second time, they've run three plays to New England's 15 thus far in opening quarter.

Still scoreless

Pats K Stephen Gostkowski, who's playing in his sixth Super Bowl, missed one FG and one PAT last year in the loss to Philadelphia. He's 0-for-1 tonight after being wide left from 46 yards.

Prop bets

Lots of good ones for Super Bowl LIII. My colleague A.J. Perez will be following that action. READ MORE

A little history for Edelman?

Patriots WR Julian Edelman already has one catch for 11 yards. He just needs 34 to take over second place in all-time playoff receiving yards, trailing only Jerry Rice.

Ram tough 

Expect the Patriots to try everything possible to limit defensive player of the year Aaron Donald tonight. Ndamukong Suh and Dante Fowler are among those who need to give big nights.

Oops 

That was Tom Brady's sixth career Super Bowl INT. New England is 3-1 in Super Bowls in which he's picked off. First time in Brady's playoff career that his first pass in a game was swiped.

Ground assault

New England has gone run-heavy in its last four games, averaging nearly 184 yards on the ground in those four wins. First four plays tonight were rushes.

And we're off

Rams K Greg Zuerlein told me earlier this week he didn't want to mess with Patriots K Cordarrelle Patterson. Zuerlein was lucky to make the tackle and limit that return to 38 yards.

Coin toss

Rams win the first battle of the night, guessing right on the coin toss. They'll kick.

History

The Patriots are the third team, joining the 1971-73 Dolphins and 1990-1993 Bills, to reach three consecutive Super Bowls. Miami's 1972 team was the last to win on Super Sunday one year after losing the big game.

National anthem

Beautiful rendition performed by Gladys Knight. And thankful that's all we need to say about it. Game on.

The roof is open

The oculus roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium has been opened for the pre-game festivities. Quite cool. 

The roof will close again for the actual game.

Pro-Pats

Even though Rams coach Sean McVay grew up in suburban Atlanta, today's crowd definitely seems skewed in favor of the Patriots. Large cheers erupted when Tom Brady and Co. took the field for warm-ups, while the Rams were booed fairly lustily for what's supposed to be a "neutral site."

Inactive list

Not playing today ...

Patriots: DB Obi Melifonwu, DB Duke Dawson, DL Keionta Davis, OL James Ferentz, TE Stephen Anderson, DE Derek Rivers, DL Ufomba Kamalu

Rams: DB Darious Williams, RB Justin Davis, OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, OLB Trevon Young, OL Jamil Demby, DT Sebastian Joseph-Day, DT Tanzel Smart

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Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis