Super Bowl 53 is set with the Los Angeles Rams taking on the New England Patriots. It is a rematch of Super Bowl 36 in 2002, when the Patriots began their dynasty by defeating the heavily favored Rams 20-17.

The Rams are a very different team from then. In 2002, the Greatest Show on Turf offense was running on its last legs. The Patriots were beginning a historic run with guys named Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

In 2019, the Rams have another high-powered offense under Sean McVay. On the other sideline, the Patriots still have Belichick and Brady carrying the mantle.

When the Rams and Patriots faced each other in 2002, McVay was just a sophomore in high school. A couple of years later, McVay faced a quarterback named Julian Edelman during his time at Miami University (Ohio). Edelman was the quarterback at Kent State University, while McVay was a wide receiver.

The connections between these two teams are fascinating. You have the youngest head coach in Super Bowl history facing the greatest coach in NFL history. The age gap between Brady (41) and Jared Goff (24) is also an NFL record in the Super Bowl.

Both teams are coming off dramatic overtime wins in the conference championship round. For the Rams, they defeated the New Orleans Saints, while the Patriots took down the Kansas City Chiefs.

There can only be one winner come Sunday, so both teams will be ready to lay it all on the line. Here are a few reasons why the Rams will hoist the Lombardi trophy on Sunday.

3. The Rams' Offensive Line Has Been Phenomenal

Andrew Whitworth
Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Over the past two weeks, the Rams' offensive line has been absolutely dominant. In the divisional round, the Rams were able to rush for 273 yards against the stout Dallas Cowboys. They went on to win the game, 30-22.

The duo of C.J. Anderson and Todd Gurley proved to be an unstoppable force, rushing for 123 and 115 yards respectively. The offensive line created plenty of gaping holes for both guys to run through.

The offensive line was also able to keep Goff clean, not allowing a sack all game. Heading into New Orleans, the offensive line knew it would need to maintain their dominance.

Although the Rams were unable to run the ball with much success against the Saints, they kept Goff clean for the most part. Goff was sacked just once in a game where communication was minimal due to the crowd noise.

Come Sunday, the Rams need to be prepared for everything against the Patriots. The Patriots have shown they can get after the quarterback, especially in the last two weeks. In the playoffs, the Patriots have racked up six sacks.

Expect the Patriots to come in with the game-plan of blitzing Goff quite a bit. It will be up to the offensive line to prevent Goff from being on his back all game.

2. Ndamukong Suh Is on Fire

Ndamukong Suh, Rams
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All season, Rams fans have called for someone to step up while Aaron Donald is double-teamed basically every play. During the regular season, we didn't really see anyone do quite that.

We all know Donald is a wrecking ball in the interior, but you still need others to win their individual matchups. Ndamukong Suh has done just that in the playoffs.

Against the Cowboys, Suh led the way to shutting down Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys' rushing attack. Suh lived in the backfield en route to Elliott having just 47 yards on 20 carries.

Suh didn't fill up the box score by any means, but it was one of his best games in a Rams uniform. He took it another notch up when the Rams took on the Saints.

He continued his fine level of play by getting 1.5 sacks on Drew Brees and helping stop the Saints' running game. Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram combined for just 46 yards on 17 carries.

The Rams need another big outing from Suh come Sunday. The Patriots are likely going to try and set the tone early by running the ball—like they did against the Los Angeles Chargers and Chiefs.

It is key for the Rams to prevent the Patriots from taking the momentum early by running it down their throat. Suh is ready for the task and will deliver another notable performance in Super Bowl 53.

1. Todd Gurley Isn't Having Another Bad Game

Todd Gurley, Rams

Todd Gurley played one of his worst games as a member of the Rams in the NFC Championship game. Early on, Gurley dropped a pass that went through his hands and was intercepted by Demario Davis of the Saints.

Thankfully, the defense held the Saints to a field goal in the red zone. From then on, Gurley never really got going. He finished the game with just 13 total yards on five touches.

In the game, Gurley had two crucial drops, but he did have a rushing touchdown before halftime. That touchdown proved to be a huge momentum boost for Los Angeles heading into the break.

Due to his slow start, McVay decided to stick with C.J. Anderson at running back for the majority of the game. Anderson also had a tough time getting going, rushing for 44 yards on 16 carries.

Expect both running backs to play better than they did in the NFC Championship game. It's hard to think that arguably the best running back in the NFL in Gurley will have back-to-back poor performances.

The quick passing game will likely be key in the Super Bowl. Expect the Patriots to dial up plenty of blitzes, so short passes to guys like Gurley could be the difference.

Just hearing Gurley talk this past week, he seems like a guy who is ready to bounce back in a huge way. Don't put it past him to have a historic outing against the Patriots.