Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman played a great game in Super Bowl 53, catching 10 passes for 141 yards against the Rams. But was he most deserving of the Super Bowl MVP award?
The primary reason New England won its sixth Super Bowl is its defense, which held Los Angeles' No. 2-ranked scoring offense to just three points in a 13-3 win. The Rams averaged 32.9 points per game during the regular season. Quarterback Jared Goff had been sacked just once in the postseason, and the Patriots were able to sack him twice in the first four minutes of the game, finishing with four total, along with 12 quarterback hits.
New England held LA to its fewest points in a game since Sean McVay arrived as coach two years ago, so where's the love for the guys who made this possible? Edelman certainly made an impact, especially in keeping drives alive, but the story of the game was the Patriots' defense.
The offense only scores 13 points and they give MVP to Edelman but the D only gave up 3 points and Gilmore had forced a fumble, a int, 3 PBUs and 5 Tackles!?! Smh no respect for the masterpiece on Defense!
— Calais Campbell (@Campbell93) February 4, 2019
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Let's point out some of the Patriots defensive players who were worthy of Super Bowl 53 MVP honors.
Dont'a Hightower, LB
Hightower finished with two sacks, one pass breakup and three quarterback hits. He also nearly recorded an interception and just missed a fumble recovery. He was everywhere against the Rams, just like he had been in New England's previous Super Bowl victories.
Hightower made the tackle of Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch at the goal line on the play before Malcolm Butler's memorable interception in Super Bowl 49. He also had the strip-sack of Matt Ryan that started New England's comeback vs. the Falcons in Super Bowl 51. (He missed Super Bowl 52 due to injury). Those plays obviously don't factor into the MVP decision for Super Bowl 53, but they illustrate Hightower's knack for showing up in big moments.
Kyle Van Noy, Hightower's teammate, told reporters Hightower should have won Super Bowl MVP, although he said Edelman was a deserving winner.
"That man right there, he plays hell of a games in Super Bowls," Van Noy said of Hightower. "He’s a dog, and I try to be a dog. We’re elite football players. We believe it. We have teammates who are elite and we’re all on point. We communicated well, and we executed the game plan at an amazing level. Look at the scoreboard. It feels amazing."
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Kyle Van Noy, LB
Speaking of Van Noy, he also was worthy of Super Bowl MVP honors. He was one of just four Patriots defenders (the McCourty twins and cornerback Stephon Gilmore being the others) who played every snap. He finished with three QB hits and recorded a huge sack on a third down just before halftime.
Van Noy's stats don't jump off the page, but his impact was felt throughout the game.
Stephon Gilmore, CB
As Jaguars defensive lineman Calais Campbell pointed out in the tweet above, Gilmore filled up the stat sheet. He recorded five tackles (second on the team), the only interception for the Patriots, a forced fumble and a team-leading three pass deflections. After the game, coach Bill Belichick credited Gilmore for his ability to cover Rams receiver Brandin Cooks, saying that was the plan heading into the matchup.
Although Cooks still had a strong game (eight catches for 120 yards on 13 targets), his longest reception went for only 24 yards; Gilmore was able to limit Cooks from going over the top for a huge play. Gilmore also made several important plays that prevented the Rams from continuing drives.
Incredible play by Stephon Gilmore on Brandin Cooks #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/yppr8Lh8yi
— Evan Marinofsky (@emarinofsky) February 4, 2019
The subtle grab by Stephon Gilmore on the play before his interception should not be glossed over. By the letter of the law, it's a flag. But it's not a blatant PI. It prevents Cooks from getting his inside arm to the catch point fast enough. And then Harmon finishes the play pic.twitter.com/YF5JDnkqF2
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) February 4, 2019
WATCH: Gilmore discusses his massive INT
Who should have won Super Bowl MVP?
Of all Patriots players in Super Bowl 53, Hightower had arguably the biggest impact. And had he been able to recover that fumble or complete his dropped interception, his stats might have been impressive enough for him to take MVP honors.
Still, Hightower was able to fill the stat sheet despite missing some snaps due to a hand injury, which he suffered while trying to recover the fumble.
Edelman was not a bad choice, as he did have a big game. But somebody on that defense deserved to be recognized. It leads one to wonder whether the NFL should consider adding an award and splitting MVP honors between an offensive player and a defensive player, just as the league does for its offensive and defensive players of the year in the regular season.
It's the old cliche: "Defense wins championships." So why not give one of these players the recognition he deserves?
