High kicking, low scoring marred game
ATLANTA – The NFL capped off one of the highest-scoring seasons in league history with the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history.
Leave it to the Patriots, who averaged 27.2 points this season, and the Rams, 32.9, to cobble together just 16 combined on the biggest stage with the Patriots prevailing 13-3 for their sixth championship.
The previous lowest-scoring Super Bowl game was Super Bowl VII, 46 years ago, when Miami and Washington combined for 21 points on Jan. 14, 1973, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Super Bowls LI and LII featured 62 and 74 points, respectively, before Feb. 2’s unexpected defensive faceoff.
The Patriots and Rams also set Super Bowl records with:
❚ The lowest scoring total for a winning team and a tie for the lowest scoring total for a losing team.
❚ The second-lowest-scoring first half. The 3-0 score was topped only in Super Bowl IX. The Steelers led the Vikings 2-0 at halftime, en route to Pittsburgh’s 16-6 win and first franchise championship.
❚ The fewest points through three quarters. The six points in the 3-3 tie entering
the fourth quarter beat the previous combined low of nine, also from Super Bowl IX.
❚ The longest punt. Rams all-pro punter Johnny Hekker booted one 65
yards, breaking the record by 1 yard.
❚ The second-longest field goal. Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein connected from 53 yards with 2:11 to play in the third quarter, Los Angeles’ first, and only, points of the
night. The opposite of Hekker, he was a yard shy of the 54-yard Super Bowl record from Super Bowl XXVIII.
Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, the game’s MVP, also secured another place in NFL postseason lore by passing Michael Irvin for second-most receiving yards in postseason history.
Irvin had 1,315 career yards while postseason all-time receiving leader Jerry Rice had 2,245. Edelman entered the day with 1,271, 45 yards shy of second place. He cruised past Irvin’s total before halftime and finished with 141 yards on 10 catches to bring his total to 1,412.
Some other Super Bowl milestones from Elias Sports Bureau via the NFL:
Most games, winning team: 6, Tom Brady
Oldest starting QB, winning team: 41, Tom Brady
Most games, winning team, head coach: 6, Bill Belichick
Oldest head coach, winning team: 66, Bill Belichick
Fewest points, game, winning team: 13, New England
Fewest touchdowns, game, both teams: 1, New England (1) vs. LA Rams (0)
Fewest PATs, game, both teams: 1, New England (1) vs. LA Rams (0)
Most consecutive drives ending with a punt, game, team: 8, LA Rams