Super Bowl 53: Opening Night Predictions and Schedule for Patriots vs. Rams

It's officially Super Bowl week, folks! The bad news is that there's just one week left in the 2018-19 NFL season before a long break from the action. The good news is that the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams should provide one heck of a send-off.

After all, this is what the entire season has been building towards.

So what does the schedule for Super Bowl Week look like? Here's a rundown of the high points of the week's schedule, along with the viewing schedule for the game itself.

That's followed by the latest odds and over/unders from OddsShark, as well as some of the latest Super Bowl buzz.

Monday, January 29 - Super Bowl Opening Night

When: 7 p.m. ET

Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

National TV: NFL Network

Ticket Information: Here

Saturday, February 2 - NFL Honors

When: 9 p.m. ET

Where: Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA

TV and Live Stream: CBS and CBS All Access

Sunday, February 3 - Super Bowl LIII

When: 6:30 p.m. ET

Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

TV and Live Stream: CBS and CBS All Access

Line and Over/Under: NE -2.5, 56.5

Patriots Still Playing the Disrespect Card

The Patriots may no longer be considered underdogs in Super Bowl LIII, but this isn't stopping them from using disrespect as motivation. They've clearly heard the rumors—which seem to begin at some point every year—that New England's dynasty is over.

"We're still here!" quarterback Tom Brady shouted while whipping the Patriots' send-off crowd into a frenzy.

That came just a couple weeks after Brady referenced the premature demise of the Patriots.

"I know everyone thinks we suck and, you know, can't win any games, so we'll see," Brady said after beating the Houston Texans in the divisional round, per Kaelen Jones of SI.com.

While it's hard to find anyone in the national media who actually believes the Patriots suck, Brady and the Patriots do have their detractors.

"He was lucky," ESPN's Max Kellerman said of Brady beating the Kansas City Chiefs on First Take. "The answer is unequivocally yes, obviously, and duh, he was lucky."

Lucky or not, Brady and Bill Belichick are entering their ninth Super Bowl together, and it's clear they're going to use anything they can as motivation.

Roby-Coleman Issued Fine

One could argue that the Rams are actually the team that is lucky to be appearing in Super Bowl LIII. While there was questionable and inconsistent officiating throughout the NFC title game, it was the missed pass-interference call on Rams cornerback Nickell Roby-Coleman that lingers.

If his hit on New Orleans Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis had been flagged, the Saints would have had a 1st-and-goal opportunity and a chance to seal the win. Instead, New Orleans settled for the field goal, gave up one to the Rams and lost in overtime.

While the league hasn't said much about the missed call, it did issue a $26,739 fine to Roby-Coleman for a helmet-to-helmet hit, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Essentially, this is the NFL admitting that it blew the call. While this won't have a direct effect on Super Bowl LIII, you can bet that the officiating in the game will be heavily scrutinized. It doesn't help matters that some in the league are questioning the NFL's decision to allow four officials with Southern-California ties to officiate the Los Angeles and New Orleans game in the first place.

"There is a perception of bias that the league either ignored or was blind to when it assigned this crew to this game. It ultimately could wind up influencing officiating assignments in the future, according to a league source," Schefter recently wrote.

Don't be shocked if the officiating crew on Sunday takes extra care in getting the calls right.

Rams Confident in their Special Teams

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

While the missed call on Roby-Coleman is what fans will remember, it was a booming 57-yard kick by Greg Zuerlein that actually sent the Rams to Super Bowl LIII. That kick was preceded by a 48-yarder near the end of regulation that forced the extra period.

Zuerlein is part of one of the top special-teams units in the league. He, punter Johnny Hekker and long-snapper Jacob McQuaide are three of the best in the business at what they do—and sometimes at what they're not expected to do.

Let's not forget that a pass from Hekker on a fake punt helped spark Los Angeles' comeback in the first place.

The Rams special-teams unit is, well, special. Zuerlein, Hekker and McQuaide are all three Pro Bowl talents, and their ability to flip field position and to put points on the board allows the Rams to be extra aggressive on offense. The special teamers can always bail the team out if drives stall.

"It's a big boost," head coach Sean McVay said, per AP sports writer Greg Beachum. "It enables you to be more aggressive because of the confidence you have."

Expect special teams to have a major role in Super Bowl LIII.