The ninth Super Bowl performance of Tom Brady’s illustrious career was hardly his best, but the 41-year-old quarterback engineered a pair of crucial drives that helped New England secure a 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams to earn a sixth Lombardi Trophy.
Ultimately it was Patriots place kicker Stephen Gostkowski who sealed the victory with a 41-yard field goal with just over a minute to play.
Brady captured his record sixth NFL title by throwing for 262 yards, without a touchdown.
The Patriots matched the Steelers for most Super Bowl wins, with six.
Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman caught 10 passes for 141 yards; he was the day’s only consistent offensive threat.
The New England Patriots are the Super Bowl 53 winners.
For Brady, this game was unlikely to be his last.
The three-time NFL MVP has vowed to return for a 20th NFL season and has stated that he hopes to play until he’s 45.
Patriots coach Bill Belichick faced a gut-wrenching decision with 1:16 remaining in the fourth when he decided to kick a field goal on forth-and-inches rather than attempting to convert the first down and run out the clock.
Gostkowski had previously missed from 46-yards in the first quarter, but Belichick was rewarded for his faith as the game-clinching kick narrowly snuck in around the left upright.
Brady stumbled out of the gate, throwing an interception on the Patriots’ opening drive, but later redeemed himself in the fourth quarter with a five-play, 69 yard drive that ended with a rushing touchdown by rookie running back Sony Michel.
Rams quarterback Jared Goff had a chance to respond on the ensuing drive, but was picked off by Patriots cornerback Stephen Gilmore at New England’s four-yard line with 4:17 remaining.
The Rams, who averaged 32.9 points a game this season, joined the Miami Dolphins —from Super Bowl 6 in 1972— as the only the second team not to muster a touchdown in the title game.
The 13-3 final was the lowest scored Super Bowl in history.
Maroon 5 took the stage for the halftime show at Super Bowl LIII, despite calls to stand down in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick.
Critics dubbed the show ‘disappointing’ despite Adam Levine performing some of the band’s hit songs including Harder to Breathe, This Love and ending the show with a shirtless rendition of Moves Like Jagger followed by fireworks.
Even NBA megastar LeBron James lampooned the show:
Soooooooo…… This halftime show though. That’s all for Travis or nah?!?!?! ?
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 4, 2019
Travis Scott joined the band with a quick tribute to the late SpongeBob Squarepants creator Stephen Hillenburg, before dominating the stage with his song Sicko Mode and crowd surfing.
Adam Levine & Travis Scott salute each other at the Super Bowl.
Adam Levine was widely mocked on social media for what was viewed as a mediocre performance.
Apparently Maroon 5 took a knee during the halftime show? No one here saw it…
— LeGate (@williamlegate) February 4, 2019
I can respect nfl bringing maroon 5 back off the wedding/bar mitzvah circuit. Second chances, etc.
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 4, 2019
the halftime show suckedhttps://t.co/EunIvQmitq
— Jon Caramanica (@joncaramanica) February 4, 2019
Just a reminder, Prince shredded a guitar in the pouring rain for a super bowl, and we got maroon 5’s corny ass show pic.twitter.com/mdSBERSNeQ
— Saiga Trevor (@TrevorTheSaiga) February 4, 2019
Maroon 5’s manager to Adam Levine: “we need you to do something sexy to save this halftime show”
Adam Levine: pic.twitter.com/9SULGG65X4
— Auburn Athletics Grief Counselor (@sheabooskyy) February 4, 2019
Maroon 5… you had ONE job. You could’ve made history. You had ONE job. pic.twitter.com/GdiFwwlzDe
— Bex (@beckycali) February 4, 2019
Despite promises to ‘honour social justice’, Maroon 5’s #SuperBowl Halftime performance is surprise-free, trite, and soulless https://t.co/XpPAaO0ZOC pic.twitter.com/cokaaB5oMS
— NME (@NME) February 4, 2019
This was the Maroon 5 of Super Bowls
— Jesus Christ (@SonOfGodAndMan) February 4, 2019
there was a football game at the Maroon 5 concert tonight
— Auburn Athletics Grief Counselor (@sheabooskyy) February 4, 2019
This game deserved Maroon 5. #SuperBowl
— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) February 4, 2019
maroon 5 is a Facebook mom band
— Jimmy Whetzel (@JimmyWhetzel) February 4, 2019
The best thing about the halftime show was everyone making fun of Maroon 5 https://t.co/5HQpcotxRx pic.twitter.com/KckIT5AqnA
— Mashable (@mashable) February 4, 2019
One team doesn’t get to win, the other team has to have dinner with Trump, and we all had to watch Maroon 5, so everybody loses today.
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) February 4, 2019
Maroon 5 and Justin Timberlake racing to put out the worst performance #SuperBowl #PepsiHalftimeShow pic.twitter.com/JoeBeQLTmw
— lémon (@BeyonceSlayonce) February 4, 2019
-Justin Timberlake: I have the worst #HalftimeShow in SB history.
-Maroon 5: Hold my beer. ?— Val with the good hair. ??♀️ (@TiaVal_) February 4, 2019
Fans Are DESTROYING Maroon 5 for Their Halftime Show https://t.co/o7ZfeKMkZk pic.twitter.com/Qq43kBuNkA
— Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) February 4, 2019
Maroon 5 putting together that halftime performance #SuperBowlLlll pic.twitter.com/AW7woJ1NTO
— Morgan Flitt (@morgan_flitt) February 4, 2019
I like Maroon 5 but not for a halftime show. That whole thing was just terrible. Terrible production. Disjointed performances. Boring.
One of the worst in recent memory. Smh. #SuperBowl53 #HalftimeShow— Tara Setmayer (@TaraSetmayer) February 4, 2019
Every Maroon 5 song smells like Fireball vomit
— Dad (@fivefifths) February 4, 2019