One would think that an opposing player wouldn’t want to make New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady even more motivated to win a particular big game. Yet, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman couldn’t keep his mouth shut this week and provided Brady and the Patriots with some nice Super Bowl 53 bulletin-board material.
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When Robey-Coleman was asked about the 41-year-old Brady, in his ninth Super Bowl this week, Robey-Coleman said that: “Age has definitely taken a toll. … I think that he’s definitely not the same quarterback he was. Movement. Speed. Velocity. Arm strength.”
Is Robey-Coleman right? Sure, Brady isn’t physically what he used to be, but why even say that? You know that someone on the Rams got to Robey-Coleman after those comments because the cornerback walked them back, saying “words were definitely taken out of context.” How can words be taken out of context when it was a direct quote?
Robey-Coleman should have been the goat of the NFC Championship Game in New Orleans, but his obvious pass interference late in the fourth quarter wasn’t called – which the NFL admitted was missed. Had it been, the Rams almost surely lose to the Saints.
The Rams opened briefly as slight favorites on the betting lines against the Patriots for Sunday’s Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, but New England is now a 3-point favorite. Even with heavy action on New England, it’s not likely that the number will get to 3.5. The Rams are just 2-8 straight up and 2-7-1 against the spread in their past 10 games as at least a 3-point underdog. That’s what they were in the NFC title game but won that 26-23 in overtime.
Rams receiver Brandin Cooks, who was traded to Los Angeles this past offseason from New England, didn’t take the bait on ripping Brady. Asked if the future Hall of Famer has lost a step, Cooks said: “Absolutely not. No, no.” Smart guy!
Cooks was a non-factor in last season’s Patriots Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles with just one catch. He is given over/under totals of five catches and 70.5 yards against his former team on the Super Bowl props board for Sunday. The speedster topped both numbers in the NFC title game with seven grabs for 107 yards.
