Super Bowl 2019 Preview: Who Has The Better Offense, Rams Or Patriots?

The NFL’s rules have shifted over the years to favor offense more than ever. Teams are now able to attack more parts of the field more effectively than in the past, and defenses have had trouble adjusting at times.

It makes sense, then, that both teams playing in Super Bowl LIII were near the top of the league in offense. The Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots were among the most prolific scoring teams in football in 2018, but who did it better?

Pretty much all statistical evidence favors the Rams, at least on paper. Both quarterbacks had similar statistical outputs in the regular season, but Rams QB Jared Goff had a slightly better season than Tom Brady. He finished the year completing 64.9 percent of his passes for 4,688 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, with a 101.1 passer rating.

Brady, meanwhile, hit on 65.8 percent of his passes for 4,355 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, with a 97.6 passer rating.

Goff had a significantly better supporting cast around him in 2018. Receivers Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks both eclipsed 1,200 receiving yards, while running back Todd Gurley ran for 1,251 yards and 17 touchdowns.

The Patriots dealt with injuries and suspensions at the skill positions all year. No running back or receiver had more than 1,000 yards; their top pass-catchers were Julian Edelman and running back James White. Sony Michel had a nice rookie year running the ball, with 931 yards and six touchdowns.

In total, the Rams averaged more points, total yards, passing yards and rushing yards per game than the Patriots. It is difficult to find an offensive stat the Patriots were better at than the Rams in 2018. The Rams were even slightly better at converting third downs in the regular season than the Patriots.

It should also be noted that the Rams were 10th in strength of schedule, while the Patriots were 22nd.

One thing the Patriots were indisputably better at in 2018 is protect their quarterback. Brady was only sacked 21 times in 2018, as opposed to 33 times for Goff.

Of course, none of this could matter in Sunday’s game. New England’s defense could force Goff into mistakes, or LA’s defense could put consistent pressure on Brady to lessen his effectiveness. Strange things tend to happen in Super Bowls.