It’s the oldest quarterback against the youngest coach. The dominant dynasty against the upstart new kids on the block. East (Coast) vs. West (Coast). It’s Super Bowl LIII and The Neersyde is here to break it down and tell you everything you need to know heading into the big game.

The New England Patriots

The Patriots come into the Super Bowl as slight favorites which is no surprise since they are led by perhaps two G.O.A.Ts (greatest of all time) in head coach Bill Belichick and five-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady.

The Pats possess a strong offense led by Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski, running back Sony Michel, and wide receiver Julian Edelman. They get most of their yards running short pass plays and having good runs after the catch. Edelman, their slot receiver, always seems to be open on out routes and finds the perfect spot in zone defenses. Gronkowski is one of the best tight ends at run blocking (sometimes even blocking two guys), and is also great at catching the ball on fade routes over smaller cornerbacks. Michel, a rookie out of Georgia, runs behind one of the most solid o-lines in the league and has done very well late in the regular season and in the postseason. Belichick, of course, is a master of football and always has a game plan that fits his team.

On the defensive side, their blitz has come alive as of late. They hurt every team they have played with their cover 0 which makes it so there are more blitzers than blockers. They are led by playmaker and All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore and defensive end Trey Flowers. On both sides of the ball, the Patriots are a very strong team.  They ended the season ranked 16th defensively overall – 11th in rush defense, allowing an average of 112 yards per game, and 22nd in pass defense, allowing an average of 264 yards a game.

The Los Angeles Rams

The Rams may be lucky to be in this Super Bowl after what most people think was pass interference when cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman almost tackled New Orleans Saints wideout Tommy Lee Lewis and the referees did not call it.

However, the Rams are no slouches. They finished the season 13-3, good enough for the number two seed in the NFC. This is the Rams first Super Bowl since 2002 when the New England Patriots beat them 20-17.

The Rams are led by Head Coach Sean McVay (33), the youngest NFL coach in history to lead his team to the Super Bowl. On offense, Los Angeles is led by quarterback Jared Goff, running back Todd Gurley, and wide receiver Brandin Cooks.  The Rams offense is based on a strong running game by Gurley and CJ Anderson which leads into some big chunk plays off of play action. The Rams defense is also pretty tough as it features Ndamukong Suh on the defensive line along with Aaron Donald, an All-Pro defensive tackle who is leading the league in sacks with 20.5.

The Rams and the Patriots are two very different teams. one team’s quarterback is 24 (Goff) while the other ones is 41 (Brady). Both teams have playmakers that could change the game on any play. The last time the Patriots played the Rams in the Super Bowl in 2002, the Patriots won. It was the first title for Brady, who was in his second year, and Belichick. However, the Rams were in St. Louis then and no one currently playing for the Rams played in that game. Interestingly, Goff was only seven-years-old at the time.

This will be the eighth rematch in Super Bowl history, with the team that won the first time holding a 5-2 record in rematches. Can the Rams buck that trend like the Philadelphia Eagles did last year, or will the Tom Brady get his sixth ring?

We asked some students what their predictions were ahead of the big game.

“I think the Rams will win 31-28 because of their running game,” said seventh-grader Sofia Maciel.

“The Patriots are going to win because they have Tom Brady and a really good offense,” said sixth grader and self-professed Patriots fan Rachel Haueisen.

“I think the Rams will win 38-31 because of their defensive line and coverage,” said seventh grader George Straub.

Now for The Neersyde’s pick. Both teams are obviously very good. The Rams pass rush may be the toughest test for the  Patriots offensive line to date. The Pats’ o-line has yet to let Brady be sacked in these playoffs, though, so something’s got to give. The Patriots have to be able to use shorter routes and get the run game going against the very talented Rams defense. Also, the two-headed monster of Todd Gurley and CJ Anderson should do very well against the Patriots front four.

So, when all is said and one, we think that the Rams will win Super Bowl LIII 30-27 and Todd Gurley will be named the game’s MVP. It should be another great game, so tune into CBS at 6:40 this Sunday night to see the two top teams battle it out on the NFL’s brightest stage.