The NFL season can go by so quickly.
One day, it’s preseason, and fans of the Washington Redskins join fans of the 31 other clubs in believing this could be the year for their teams.
Autumn speeds by, and suddenly it’s the dead of winter and the NFL playoffs have been reduced to the final two teams.
The 2018-19 season has reached that final stage now, and Super Bowl LIII has arrived. Here’s everything you could want or need to know before the game.
Teams: No. 2 Los Angeles Rams (NFC champion, 13-3 regular season) vs. No. 2 New England Patriots (AFC champion, 11-5 regular season)
When: Sunday, Feb. 3
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
TV channel: CBS
Streaming: CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports mobile app will stream the game for free
Commentators: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (color), Tracy Wolfson (sideline)
Radio: 106.7 The Fan (Westwood One)
Kickoff time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Halftime show: Maroon 5 featuring special guests Travis Scott and Big Boi
National anthem singer: Gladys Knight
What to watch for: The Patriots are favored by 2.5 points after the Rams opened as one-point favorites immediately after the conference championship games … The Rams claim running back Todd Gurley is healthy, but in the NFC Championship Game they only gave him four carries and three targets in the passing game. Second-stringer C.J. Anderson got the bulk of the carries instead. It will be important to see how Gurley is used in his first Super Bowl. … The Rams and Patriots were second and fourth in scoring offense, respectively, during the regular season. In the postseason, New England has averaged the most yards per game (511.0) and Los Angeles was second (418.5). … Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are 5-3 in Super Bowls: 1-3 against NFC East opponents and 4-0 against the rest of the NFC. The Rams play in the NFC West. … Not only is the matchup a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVI, Brady’s and Belichick’s first win, it is the second straight championship game or series in the four major sports to pit Boston versus Los Angeles. The Red Sox beat the Dodgers in five games in the 2018 World Series.
• Staff can be reached at 202-636-3000.
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