Todd Gurley Drops Stunner About Rams’ Super Bowl LIII Loss to Patriots
Former Rams running back Todd Gurley revealed that some Patriots players described Super Bowl LIII as the easiest game they had ever played.
Todd Gurley says the #Patriots were so prepared to play the #Rams in Super Bowl LIII that a few defensive players told him it was the “easiest” game they ever played.
“Talking to a couple of the Patriots defensive players… they were like, ‘This the easiest game we’ve ever… pic.twitter.com/uIBM4OuXsF
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) February 6, 2025
On a recent episode of the Run Your Race Podcast, Gurley shared, “Talking to a couple of the Patriots defensive players… they were like, ‘This was the easiest game we’ve ever played… We expected you guys to come out with some adjustments at halftime, but you didn’t.’”
Gurley continued, “They were like, ‘Honestly, we’ve never played a game that easy, especially from an X’s and O’s standpoint.’”
Gurley’s observation rings true. The Rams’ offense had been figured out after their loss to the Chicago Bears that season. The Patriots countered with a 6-1 Bear front to stifle the Rams’ run game and apply constant pressure on Jared Goff, particularly during play-action passes.
This strategy left McVay with receivers tasked to block linebackers, which didn’t work. McVay later admitted that he was too caught up in preparation for the game, leading to poor decision-making.
However, there were other factors behind the Rams’ defeat. Early in the season, their offense was firing on all cylinders, but it became clear that things were off after Cooper Kupp’s season-ending injury. Interestingly, most of the Rams’ losses under Sean McVay have occurred when Kupp wasn’t on the field, which could be worth considering if the team ever decides to trade him.
Gurley was also playing through injury, and the Rams relied heavily on CJ Anderson during the playoffs. At this point in his career, Anderson wasn’t a significant threat against the Patriots, and without Gurley’s explosive playmaking, the Rams struggled to establish a run game.
The problem is that McVay continues to use many of the same offensive concepts today. For instance, utilizing receivers as blockers, play action with receivers running behind the line toward the flat, and certain shotgun formations that signal pass plays. These strategies can easily derail a winning effort, and despite a strong defensive performance, the Rams couldn’t overcome their offensive struggles.
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