What a year this was in New England sports! As we move into 2020, join NESN.com in looking back at the top five moments of 2019.
The New England Patriots have had one of the most dominant stretches in professional sports over the last 19 years, and Super Bowl LIII only continued that trend.
Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Co. took on Jared Goff, Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams in New England’s ninth Super Bowl appearance of the Brady-Belichick era. It wasn’t the flashiest of performances, but the Patriots got the job done, defeating the Rams 13-3 on Feb. 3, 2019.
New England had one of the NFL’s better offenses all season, averaging 27.3 points per game, good for fourth in the league. But it was the Patriots’ defensive unit that shined on the biggest stage, holding the high-powered Rams to just three points.
After posting only three first-half points themselves, the Patriots allowed a third-quarter field goal, which resulted in a 3-3 game entering the fourth quarter. But old reliable, Rob Gronkowski, came through in the clutch when New England needed him most.
With just under 10 minutes left, Brady and the Patriots marched down the field, completing a five-play, 69-yard drive that ended in a Sony Michel touchdown. The drive’s big gain came in the form of a 29-yard completion to Gronkowski that got the Patriots down to the Rams’ 2-yard line. The tight end also made an 18-yard grab to begin the drive.
To say Gronkowski made a huge impact in his final game would be an understatement, but one way or another, he and his teammates helped deliver the Patriots’ third Lombardi Trophy in five years. For that reason, the win comes in at No. 1 on our list of the top five Boston sports moments of 2019.
Relive the Patriots’ Super Bowl LIII victory in the video below courtesy of the NFL.
