Super Bowl 2019: Date, TV Coverage Schedule, Location for Patriots vs. Rams

It took a pair of overtime thrillers during conference championship weekend, but the NFL's Super Bowl 2019 is finally set.

The Los Angeles Rams punched their ticket first, earning the franchise's first Super Bowl berth since 2002, when they dropped a nail-biter to these same New England Patriots. As for Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Co., this is their fourth appearance in the championship round over the past five seasons.

Both the Rams (+143, third) and Patriots (+111, fifth) were among the six teams with a triple-digit scoring differential, so it's hard to complain about the matchup. Unless, of course, you're a fan of the New Orleans Saints or Kansas City Chiefs.

As with most Super Bowls, there are no shortage of compelling storylines, but we'll spotlight three that have captured our attention.

Super Bowl 2019 Schedule, TV Listing

Who: New England Patriots vs. Los Angeles Rams

When: Sunday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta

TV: CBS

Old Guard vs. Up-and-Comers

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

This makes nine Super Bowl trips in 18 seasons for the Brady-Belichick combo, which carries a 5-3 championship game record into this tilt.

Conversely, this will be the first Super Bowl for both Rams coach Sean McVay and his quarterback Jared Goff, who have accelerated this organization's rise at a rapid rate. McVay, who became the youngest head coach in modern NFL history in 2017, now has a chance to become the youngest coach to capture the crown at the NFL or FBS level. Goff will be the fourth-youngest signal-caller to start the big game.

As SI.com's Khadrice Rollins noted, both the age gaps between Brady and Goff (17 years) and Belichick and McVay (33 years) will be Super Bowl records.

The numbers might be nothing more than that—historical talking points. The outcome of this matchup, though, could shape the NFL's timeline for the near- or long-term future.

"A Rams win in Super Bowl LIII could mark the end of one era and the dawn of another," Bleacher Report's Mike Tanier wrote. "A Patriots win? In one sense, that's just another Patriots win, another golden bauble on the treasure heap. But it would also cast doubt on the brave new era the McVay generation represents."

Getting Todd Gurley's Groove Back

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Was there a better running back in football this season than Todd Gurley?

Sure, Ezekiel Elliott won the rushing title (1,434 yards), and Christian McCaffrey paced the position in receptions (107) and receiving yards (867). But Gurley, who only played 14 games due to a late-season knee injury, was a scoring machine. His 132 points (17 rushing touchdowns, four receiving scores, three two-point conversions) ranked fifth overall and first among skill players.

But Gurley wasn't L.A.'s featured back—or anything close to it—in the NFC Championship Game. He rushed the ball four times for 10 yards and had a single reception for three yards. C.J. Anderson, who the club added to cover for an injured Gurley ahead of Week 16, ran the ball 16 times. Even Goff had nearly as many carries (three), plus the same amount of rushing yards as Gurley.

The All-Pro running back blamed his lack of involvement on himself, telling ESPN's broadcast, "I didn't play because I didn't deserve to be in there." McVay, meanwhile, put the heat on himself, saying, "I definitely think I should have gotten Todd a little bit more involved."

No matter who deserves the blame—Gurley, McVay, Gurley's knee maybe?—this trend cannot continue in the next round. As productive as Anderson has been with L.A., Gurley is by far the more dynamic running back and a potential key in thwarting Belichick's defensive strategy.

Handling the "Unblockable" Aaron Donald

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

There are two ways to disrupt New England's offense. The oldest proven method is pressuring Brady without bringing extra help. The other is to make this attack one-dimensional. During the Patriots' wins this season, they rushed for 150.3 yards per game and 4.5 yards per attempt. In losses, those numbers plummeted to 76.8 and 3.5, respectively.

Aaron Donald has the ability to make both happen. Belichick called him "pretty much unblockable," and the numbers bear that out.

Donald, last season's Defensive Player of the Year and a heavy favorite to repeat, was phenomenal. Of his 59 tackles, 25 of them were for loss. He hit the quarterback 41 times, recorded a league-best 20.5 sacks and forced four fumbles.

He's a defensive force all by himself and the biggest reason to think the Rams' league-worst rushing defense (5.1 yards per attempt) isn't going to get run off the field. If he's living in New England's backfield, it could be a long night for Brady's bunch.

Statistics used courtesy of ESPN.com and Pro Football Reference