Super Bowl LIII was a highly anticipated event, just like all of the past Super Bowls, but many would agree that the turnout was disappointing. Not only was the game very slow and boring to most fans, but it even managed the lowest TV rating for the Super Bowl in over a decade. The Super Bowl also had a lower attendance of 70,081 people, less than the 73,019 who went to the MLS Cup at the end of 2018. Despite how lackluster it may have been in real-time, upon reflection, maybe it was a special game.

February 3rd wasn’t the first time the New England Patriots have entered the Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a season’s conclusion. It marked the tenth Super Bowl for the team and their sixth win. Their opponent, the Los Angeles Rams, has only been in four, Super Bowl LIII included, and sadly for them, the Patriots defeated the Rams 13-3. The Patriots had only three points at halftime, and the Rams were scoreless until the third quarter, when the two teams entered a tie; it wasn’t until the final quarter when the Patriots pull ahead and asserted their true dominance.

Dan Styles, a coach for the BJHS football team, said of the New England Patriots: “The proof is in the results they have produced. […] I truly believe that the Patriots have maintained a tremendous level of success because they focus more on ‘TEAM’ than ‘talent.’ Their roster is loaded with many players no other teams wanted, but are simply guys willing to focus on doing their job to the best of their ability.”

He also had an unexpected perspective on the supposed ‘boringness’ of the game. “The game may have seemed boring to some, but to those who understand the complexity of the ‘chess match’ that took place on each and every play, the game was indicative of two teams who showed they were extremely well-versed in their opponent’s strengths and limited weaknesses, and was enjoyable to watch. Not every game must highlight high-scoring offenses to be exciting to watch. The contest between the ‘irresistible force and the immovable object’ narrows the chance of victory down to minute details where anything less than perfect execution results in a win or loss.”

For a true lover of high level football, maybe the Super Bowl was a master class in effective play calling and possibly even worth a second viewing.