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Super Bowl LIII: New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Rams live on Sky Sports

Sky Sports NFL previews are powered by the guys at Pro Football Focus; watch Super Bowl LIII live on Sky Sports USA (407) from 10pm on Sunday

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Get ready for the greatest show on earth! The New England Patriots take on the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. Watch live on Sky Sports USA.

We preview Sunday's Super Bowl, with the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams facing off in Atlanta.

We are live on Sky Sports USA (channel 407) from 10pm on Sunday for an hour and a half build-up. Here is a look ahead to what you can expect on the evening the NFL season comes to an end...

NFL Super Bowl LIII

New England Patriots vs Los Angeles Rams, KO 11.30pm

Form guide

New England (11-5 in the regular season) are arguably a 'surprise' Super Bowl participant after being written off behind a group of other red-hot teams around the league. They started 1-2, lost another two games in a row in December, and Tom Brady had a few bad stretches, finishing with his most interceptions (11) since 2013 and lowest passer rating (97.7) since 2014.

Brady: Still defying the doubters
Brady: Still defying the doubters

A sixth-round draft choice in 2000, 19 years and five Super Bowl titles later, Tom Brady still has a score to settle...

All of that said, they did what they always do and absolutely demolished the visiting Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional round before knocking off the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. New England's offense is as good as ever - they've scored 78 points in two playoff games - but the defense will be a concern against the ruthless Rams. The Pats gave up 28, then 31 points in the two postseason wins.

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Tom Brady is set for his ninth Super Bowl, looking to win his sixth! The G.O.A.T talks to Coach Rob Ryan in an exclusive interview for Sky Sports - watch on Sky Sports USA on Sunday.

The Rams (13-3), meanwhile, started out the season better than anyone, winning eight in a row and lighting up the scoreboard in the process. Their only three losses in the season came in New Orleans, in Chicago, and to a desperate Eagles team in December, but outside of that were unstoppable. LA boasted the second-best yardage and scoring offense, and their opportunistic defense managed the third-most takeways (30).

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McVay's remarkable Rams turnaround

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In the playoffs, Los Angeles beat up the Cowboys, rushing for 273 total yards (a franchise postseason record) before getting their revenge against the Saints in New Orleans. Although the game will always be remembered for the last-minute 'no-call', the Rams managed to hold Drew Brees to 249 yards, the rushing attack to 48 yards, and came back from 13-0 behind on the road: they are certainly worthy NFC Champions.

Super Bowl LIII
Super Bowl LIII

Get Sky Sports USA to see Super Bowl LIII this Sunday. Find out more here.

Stat Attack

If the Patriots win, it will be their sixth title, tying the Steelers for the most ever, Bill Belichick will become only the third head coach ever to win six championships, and Brady will have won the most Super Bowls ever by one player (six).

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If the Rams win, Sean McVay (33 years old) will become the youngest ever coach to win the Super Bowl, and Jared Goff will be the first quarterback selected No 1 overall to win it all within his first three seasons.

QUIZ: Patriots or Rams?
QUIZ: Patriots or Rams?

Still don't know who to support in the Super Bowl? Take our eight-question quiz to help you decide...

Ones to watch

This won't be Tom Brady's last NFL game, but at 41-years-old, you never know if it will be his last Super Bowl. Whether he wins or loses on Sunday, Brady could retire now and go down as the greatest of all time. He will be making his record ninth Super Bowl start, is the only starting QB to win five of them, and the only player ever to be Super Bowl MVP four times. He is the all-time leader in every Super Bowl and playoff passing stat you can think of, and proved still 'has it all' with an unbelievable comeback performance in Kansas City.

courtesy of Pro Football Focus
Image: courtesy of Pro Football Focus

New England running back duo Sony Michel and James White will be crucial, despite Rex Burkhead banging in a pair of late TDs against the Chiefs. Michel already has five rushing touchdowns this postseason, the most ever by a rookie in one postseason. White has the most catches this postseason (19), and has come up big in previous Super Bowls, scoring four touchdowns in his last three.

courtesy of Pro Football Focus
Image: courtesy of Pro Football Focus

Rob Gronkowski, while he may not be at his statistical best, still has the most receiving yards (1,076) and touchdowns (12) ever by a tight end in the postseason, while Julian Edelman recently joined Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as the only players with at least 100 playoff catches. Brady has plenty of options.

Speaking of options, Rams QB Jared Goff has a plethora of his own, and a similarly excellent backfield. Goff ranked fifth in passing yards (4,688), sixth in touchdowns (32) and eighth in passer rating (101.1) this season, helped in a large way by his outstanding running game featuring Todd Gurley.

courtesy of Pro Football Focus
Image: courtesy of Pro Football Focus

Gurley led the NFL with 21 touchdowns (17 rushing, four receiving) in 2018 after being named Offensive Player of the Year and managing 19 TDs in 2017. He's also scored in each of the team's two postseason outings so far. But amazingly, C.J. Anderson has been the star in recent weeks after a Gurley injury slowed him down. Anderson's 481 postseason rushing yards since 2014 are the most by any NFL player.

On the outside, Goff turns to Robert Woods (86-1,219-6) and former Patriot Brandin Cooks. Cooks became the first player in NFL history to record three 1,000-yard seasons with three different teams in consecutive seasons after his offseason move to LA had followed a trade from New Orleans to New England. He was huge in the Championship game, leading the team with seven catches and 107 receiving yards.

courtesy of Pro Football Focus
Image: courtesy of Pro Football Focus

Arguably the greatest defender in the league, Aaron Donald, will cause havoc from defensive tackle, and he has joined Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor as the only defenders to record 20-plus sacks and reach the Super Bowl in the same year. Alongside his 20.5 sacks, Donald managed 25 tackles for losses and 41 QB hits.

Alongside him, Ndamukong Suh has managed at least one sack in three of his past four playoff games and once told Sky Sports his favourite QB to take down is Brady - he will look to 'smash' him again on Sunday.

Finally, if it comes down to kickers, these teams boast two of the best. Stephen Gostkowski is Mr Consistent, having converted over 87 percent of his kicks during his 13 seasons in New England, while Greg 'the Leg' Zuerlein just nailed a 57-yard clutch kick in overtime last week, the longest game-winner in postseason history.

@PFF will provide a host of in-depth analysis throughout the season across Sky Sports platforms including our live coverage on Sunday and throughout our weekly build-up and reaction on www.skysports.com/NFL

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