Julian Edelman was spectacular Sunday in the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII win over the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, catching 10 passes for 141 yards as Tom Brady’s most productive target.
But Shannon Sharpe was more impressed by New England’s defense, which held Los Angeles’ high-powered offense to just 260 total yards and flustered Rams quarterback Jared Goff throughout the Patriots’ 13-3 victory.
As such, Sharpe disagrees with Edelman being named Super Bowl MVP, explaining Monday on FS1’s “Undisputed” that someone from the Patriots’ defense — like cornerback Stephon Gilmore or linebacker Dont’a Hightower — deserved the honor instead.
The Patriots’ defensive effort definitely was the story Sunday, as Bill Belichick and Co. drew up an amazing game plan to shut down the Rams, who ranked second in the NFL in points per game (32.9) and yards per game (421.1) during the regular season.
Gilmore’s interception with 4:17 remaining and the Rams driving essentially sealed the deal, as Stephen Gostkowski kicked a field goal on the Patriots’ ensuing drive to extend New England’s lead to 13-3 with just over one minute left.
The problem is several members of the Patriots’ defense stepped up, making it difficult to single out an MVP performer on that side of the ball, although Gilmore and Hightower are two solid candidates. Thus, Edelman received the extra hardware.
