203-609: Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season . The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams , 13–3. The game was played on February 3, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and was the first Super Bowl played at
406-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
609-515: A wild card berth to advance to their second Super Bowl appearance through the guidance of several new acquisitions, most notably 21-year veteran quarterback Tom Brady in his first season away from the New England Patriots . The Chiefs, aided by their top-ranked offense, finished the regular season with a league-best 14–2 record to advance to their fourth Super Bowl appearance and were the defending Super Bowl LIV champions, seeking to become
812-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
1015-516: A 13–3 record under head coach Sean McVay , the youngest head coach in the Super Bowl at 33, as they advanced to their fourth Super Bowl appearance and their first since relocating back from St. Louis to Los Angeles in 2016. Super Bowl LIII was a rematch of 2001's Super Bowl XXXVI , the first championship won by Belichick and Brady and the beginning of the Patriots dynasty . It was the 13th meeting in
1218-577: A 39-yard field goal by Harrison Butker to tie the game 31–31. The Patriots won the coin toss to start their offense for overtime, where Rex Burkhead scored a two-yard touchdown to win the game. Michel ended up rushing for a combined total of 242 yards and five touchdowns in the Patriots' two playoff games, setting an NFL record for postseason rushing touchdowns by a rookie. The Patriots defense held Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce , who had both gained over 1,300 receiving yards during
1421-585: A 69% increase year-over-year that made it the most-streamed Super Bowl to-date. In Canada, CTV and TSN televised this game in English and RDS in French. As with the 2020 edition, CTV invoked simultaneous substitution over U.S. network signals (including ads) distributed in Canada, as a CRTC ban on such substitutions during the Super Bowl had been overturned by a December 2019 Supreme Court of Canada decision. In
1624-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
1827-447: A base price slightly higher than $ 5 million for a 30-second ad, the cost of commercial time remained even with the previous three events. There were fewer spots sold overall in comparison to the previous Super Bowl; CBS aired more than double the number of promos for its own programming (as well as that of its subscription service CBS All Access ) than NBC did at Super Bowl LII. Despite this, Kantar estimated its total revenue to be
2030-459: A commanding 21–6 lead at halftime and dominated the remainder of the game. Brady, who also extended his player records for Super Bowl appearances to ten and wins to seven, was named Super Bowl MVP for a record fifth time and was the first to receive the award with multiple franchises. He became the oldest player to receive the honor and win a Super Bowl as the starting quarterback at age 43, breaking additional personal records, while Bruce Arians
2233-452: A development not known in advance, a third round of voting was added to select a Super Bowl LV hosting site. Atlanta and Miami were awarded Super Bowls LIII and LIV respectively, removing them from the running for LV. Los Angeles was not eligible for Super Bowl LIII, as their stadium was under construction and would not yet be finished; it was eligible for LIV and LV, and opted to bid only on the latter. The two candidates were: Los Angeles
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#17328486994822436-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
2639-457: A group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in a game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change
2842-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
3045-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
3248-692: A major sports championship between the Greater Los Angeles and Greater Boston areas and the first championship between the two regions in the NFL. The game also marked the first Super Bowl appearance of a Los Angeles-based team since the Los Angeles Raiders appeared in 1983's Super Bowl XVIII and the Rams' first as a Los Angeles team since 1979's Super Bowl XIV . Super Bowl LIII was the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in NFL history, as both teams' defenses dominated
3451-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
3654-411: A minute long ad for the 2019 A-Class Sedan featuring cameos by Ludacris . Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures aired a half-minute long Teaser for highly anticipated Avengers: Endgame . CBS rejected an ad from medical cannabis company Acreage Holdings advocating for legalization . For the first time in its history, the NFL itself won USA Today ' s Super Bowl Ad Meter survey determining
3857-496: A modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as the "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton
4060-477: A new league record for receiving yards by a tight end. Pro Bowl receiver Tyreek Hill had 87 receptions for 1,276 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also rushing for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Mahomes also had receivers Demarcus Robinson (45 receptions for 466 yards), Mecole Hardman (41 reception for 561 yards and 360 return yards on special teams), and Sammy Watkins (37 receptions for 421 yards). The team's leading rusher from 2019, Damien Williams , opted out of
4263-477: A new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game
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#17328486994824466-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
4669-536: A pass to receiver Tommylee Lewis , who was covered by Nickell Robey-Coleman . Though Robey-Coleman knocked Lewis to the ground early and the pass fell incomplete, the obvious penalty was not called and the Saints' Wil Lutz kicked a 31-yard field goal to take the lead. The Rams took possession and sent the game to overtime with a 48-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein . Although the Rams lost the coin toss and had to start their defense for overtime, Brees threw an interception on
4872-583: A player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as
5075-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
5278-494: A round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with
5481-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
5684-477: A segment during CBS's pre-game show The Super Bowl Today . This was third and final Super Bowl televised by CBS in which ESPN Deportes aired the Spanish-language broadcast. Unlike NBC and Fox, CBS does not have a Spanish-language network. The sublicense for CBS's next Super Bowl broadcast, Super Bowl LVIII was sold to Univision . On December 3, 2020, CBS announced that its lead-out program would be
5887-403: A separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following
6090-528: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Super Bowl LV Super Bowl LV
6293-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
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6496-581: A sign-language interpretation for both songs. Bernice King —the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. —and civil rights movement leaders Andrew Young and John Lewis participated in the coin toss ceremony. King had the honors of flipping the coin. On January 13, 2019, the NFL announced that pop band Maroon 5 would headline the Super Bowl LIII halftime show. They were joined by Big Boi of Outkast and Travis Scott as guests. A short clip featuring
6699-529: A strong secondary, led by John Johnson (119 tackles and four interceptions), Marcus Peters (three interceptions), Lamarcus Joyner (78 tackles) and Aqib Talib . In the playoffs, the Patriots earned a first-round bye as the AFC's second overall seed. In the divisional round, they defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 41–28, scoring touchdowns on five of their first six possessions. Brady passed for 343 yards and
6902-516: A team-leading 850 yards and six touchdowns, while also returning 20 punts for 154 yards. Other key receivers included Chris Hogan (35 receptions for 553 yards and three touchdowns) and Josh Gordon (40 receptions for 720 yards and three touchdowns), though Gordon would end up leaving the team to focus on his mental health after 11 games when faced with a suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Tight end Rob Gronkowski added 47 receptions for 682 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile,
7105-416: A touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish
7308-594: A touchdown, while running back Sony Michel rushed for 129 yards and three touchdowns. They then defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 37–31 in the AFC Championship Game , scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime. The Patriots held a 14–0 lead at halftime, before the Chiefs rallied to take the lead 21–17 in the fourth quarter. From there, both teams took turns taking the lead, until the Chiefs forced overtime with
7511-534: A two-year cycle with TBS , as well as the AFC Championship Game in primetime, which contractually alternates between afternoon and primetime on a two-year cycle with the NFC Championship Game on Fox . CBS used 120 cameras in total, including ten 4K cameras, two 8K cameras, a crane camera, a Trolley Cam running parallel with the field, and two Sony Venice cameras that were used to produce cinematic and "3D-like" scenes reminiscent of video games. Production
7714-468: Is a navy blue-tinted version of the design that was introduced at Super Bowl LI , and the overall branding of the game featured use of blue and red. The host committee logo featured a stylized overhead rendition of Mercedes-Benz Stadium's roof. The Patriots finished the 2018 season with an 11–5 record to earn the #2 seed in the AFC and their 17th season with at least ten wins in their 19 years under 66-year-old head coach Bill Belichick . They went on to join
7917-460: Is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with
8120-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
8323-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
Super Bowl LIII - Misplaced Pages Continue
8526-507: Is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However,
8729-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
8932-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
9135-525: Is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has
9338-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
9541-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
9744-505: The 2018 World Series , and with the Patriots and Rams meeting in Super Bowl LIII, it was only the second time in 50 years that two cities' MLB and NFL teams have competed for the league title in the same season (or calendar year), the first time being in 1969 when the New York Jets and Baltimore Colts competed for Super Bowl III in January 1969 followed by the 1969 World Series featuring
9947-756: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on the field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league;
10150-481: The Buffalo Bills for their second straight Lamar Hunt Trophy . However, the victories proved costly. In the divisional round, quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a turf toe injury before being removed in the third quarter due to a concussion . The former continued to afflict Mahomes entering the Super Bowl, with him required to undergo toe surgery after the game. Additionally, left tackle Eric Fisher departed
10353-468: The GameStop short squeeze , aired its first Super Bowl commercial at the game. Reddit ran a five-second ad in nine of the top ten media markets , saying that was all it could afford. Amazon Studios and Universal Pictures aired commercials for upcoming films during the game, including Coming 2 America and Old . Disney aired commercials for its upcoming films and Disney+ series. CBS promoted
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#173284869948210556-459: The Los Angeles Chargers , when they rested most of their starters because they had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. This appearance was the Chiefs' fourth trip to the Super Bowl. They lost Super Bowl I (1967), but won Super Bowls IV (1970) and LIV (2020). Kansas City's offense ranked first in the NFL in yards (6,653) and sixth in points scored (473). Quarterback Patrick Mahomes made
10759-544: The Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills as the only teams in NFL history to ever reach three consecutive Super Bowls. Though the team had only two Pro Bowl selections, they scored 436 points (fourth in the league) while giving up only 325 (seventh fewest). Patriots quarterback Tom Brady earned his 14th Pro Bowl selection at age 41, finishing the season with 4,355 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, with only 11 interceptions, while also rushing for 35 yards and two more scores on
10962-429: The NFC Championship Game , scoring a game-winning field goal in overtime. The Saints jumped out to an early 13–0 first quarter lead, before the Rams rallied to close the lead to 13–10 at halftime. In the fourth quarter, Greg Zuerlein tied the game at 20–20, with just over 5 minutes remaining. The Saints moved the ball to the Rams' 13 yard line, but could not gain a first down. On third down, quarterback Drew Brees threw
11165-738: The New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles . The Patriots faced another Los Angeles-based team in the same playoffs, the Chargers in the divisional round, en route to their Super Bowl meeting with the Rams. Pre-game events and entertainment were centered around downtown Atlanta , with State Farm Arena having hosted Super Bowl Opening Night, the Georgia World Congress Center hosting the Super Bowl Experience and Super Bowl Live at Centennial Olympic Park . State Farm Arena also hosted
11368-599: The Saints for the best record in the NFC. New Orleans won the top seed since they had defeated the Rams in the regular season. The Rams offense ranked second in the NFL in both points scored (527) and yards gained (6,738). Goff continued to improve in his third season, setting new career highs in passing yards (4,688, fourth in the NFL), passing touchdowns (32), passer rating (101.1), rushing yards (108) and rushing touchdowns (two). His top receiver
11571-529: The Super Bowl Experience at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park was limited due to health and safety protocols. Instead of holding practices and participating in media events during the entire week in the Super Bowl host city, the Chiefs flew into Tampa on the day before the game as they had during the regular season (had another NFC team advanced to the Super Bowl instead of the Buccaneers, they would have done this as well). The "Super Bowl Opening Night" festivities on
11774-412: The center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform
11977-409: The commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to a league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of
12180-534: The highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ;
12383-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
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#173284869948212586-407: The neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912, the field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance
12789-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
12992-490: The 14th time the Super Bowl featured a rematch of a regular season game and the first time this has happened since Super Bowl XLVI in 2012 . This was the first time that both Super Bowl starting quarterbacks – Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady – have won the AP NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP awards; as Brady is Mahomes' senior by 18 years, some billed the matchup as comparable to Michael Jordan versus LeBron James . Since
13195-413: The 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained a tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement
13398-470: The 20. The Rams were only the second team in Super Bowl history to not score a touchdown, the first having been the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI after the 1971 season. Brady became the first player in NFL history to win six Super Bowls, surpassing Charles Haley 's only NFL record of five. Brady, also, at age 41, became the oldest quarterback to win and appear in a Super Bowl (although he did not play,
13601-411: The 2008 season. Despite holding the Rams to just three points, no Patriots defender received a vote. American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of
13804-467: The 2018 season earning the #2 seed in the NFC, before knocking off the fourth seeded Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round and top seeded New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship to earn their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history. The Rams went from 2004 to 2016 without recording a winning record. After relocating from St. Louis back to Los Angeles and posting a dismal 4–12 season in 2016 ,
14007-406: The 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns and because his mother had recently been diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. In his place, rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire stepped up to fill the void, rushing for 808 yards and four touchdowns, while also catching 36 passes for 297 yards and another touchdown Tackle Eric Fisher led the Chiefs offensive line, earning a Pro Bowl selection. However, he
14210-498: The 2020 season with an 11–5 record under second-year head coach Bruce Arians . Prior to this, the team had not won a playoff game since Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003 and had not made the playoffs since 2007–08 . The team also recorded only three winning seasons since 2008 and had gone 7–9 the previous year. During the 2020 off-season, the Buccaneers chose not to re-sign quarterback Jameis Winston , whom they selected first overall in 2015 . To replace Winston, they made arguably
14413-552: The 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap
14616-431: The Buccaneers elected to wear their white jerseys with pewter pants. The Chiefs wore their red jerseys with white pants. Even though the game was played in the Buccaneers' home stadium, the league treated this as a neutral site game. The Buccaneers were only allowed to fire the cannons from the stadium's signature pirate ship for player introductions and after the end of the game, but not during every scoring play and when
14819-596: The Buccaneers reached the Super Bowl, Tampa was nicknamed "Champa Bay", as all three of the area's major professional sports teams had made their league's championship round during the past five months; A few months prior, the Tampa Bay Lightning had won the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals , while the Tampa Bay Rays had advanced to but lost the 2020 World Series . With Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid both 68 years old, Super Bowl LV set
15022-528: The Monday preceding the game were cancelled and replaced with a virtual media availability. In March, health officials in Hillsborough County, Florida determined that Super Bowl LV was not a superspreader event . The officials cited 53 cases (out of 14,809 confirmed cases overall in a one-month span surrounding the game) that were traced to official Super Bowl events, three of those being people who attended
15225-664: The NFC Championship Game, and Patriots fatigue". In New Orleans, whose Saints had lost the NFC Championship in part because of the blown call, ratings were down 51% compared to Super Bowl LII as Louisianans boycotted and refused to watch the game. Outside the Boston market, where the 57.1 overnight rating was the highest among local markets, the highest-rated markets were in Richmond, Virginia and Buffalo, New York (the latter having traditionally high ratings for sporting events and being
15428-508: The NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at the time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from
15631-447: The NFL had originally announced that the game would have 22,000 fans in attendance, 7,500 of whom would be health care workers who had received a COVID-19 vaccine , primarily from the Tampa and central Florida region. The NFL also filled in the empty seats by selling 30,000 cardboard cutouts to fans. On February 2, the league increased the expected attendance to 25,000. Super Bowl LV was
15834-564: The NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in the FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by
16037-537: The NFL to further consider adding Germany to the International Series in the future. In Belgium and Portugal the game was televised by paid-subscription channel Eleven Sports . In Poland the game was broadcast on the free-to-air channel TVP Sport , marking the first time an NFL game was available on a Polish open channel. Subscription streaming platform DAZN also streamed the Super Bowl in several countries including Canada, Germany, and Japan. In Australia,
16240-399: The NFL), while also catching 21 passes for 247 yards, rushing for 228 yards and scoring four touchdowns on offense. On defense, defensive end Trey Flowers led the team with 7.5 sacks and also forced three fumbles. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy led the team in total tackles (92), while also recording 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. In the secondary, safety Duron Harmon led
16443-585: The Patriots as 2 ½ point favorites and projected 56 total points would be scored. Boston and Los Angeles teams of other professional sports have met in the championship rounds, popularizing the "Beat L.A." chant and the hashtag "#BeatLA". The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have contested a record eleven NBA Finals since the Lakers moved from Minneapolis in 1960. Furthermore, Los Angeles Galaxy and New England Revolution have contested three MLS Cups . The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers faced off in
16646-467: The Patriots leading, 3–0, the second lowest halftime score in Super Bowl history and the lowest since the 2–0 halftime score in Super Bowl IX after the 1974 season. In the entire first half, the Rams had gained just 57 yards and two first downs, both record lows for coach Sean McVay . This was also the first time that McVay's Rams had ever been shut out in a first half. The defensive duel continued into
16849-400: The Patriots on the ground. On the second play of the Patriots' possession, Michel stormed through the line for a 26-yard run. After he picked up 10 more yards with his next two carries, Burkhead's 26-yard run gave the Patriots a first down on the Rams' 33-yard line. Three plays later, Gostkowski succeeded on a 41-yard field goal, giving the Patriots a 13–3 lead with 1:12 left on the clock. Taking
17052-423: The Patriots' 26-yard line, Goff was sacked for a 9-yard loss by Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower , but Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein was able to kick a 53-yard field goal, the second-longest in Super Bowl history, to tie the game at 3–3 with 2:11 left in the third quarter. It would be their only score. The Patriots took the ball back and drove to the Rams' 44-yard line but could not go any further and had to punt on
17255-478: The Pro Bowl for the third consecutive season, throwing for 4,740 yards (second in the league) and 38 touchdowns, with only six interceptions, while also finishing the season as Kansas City's second leading rusher with a career high 308 yards and two scores. His main target was Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce , who caught 105 passes for 1,416 yards and 11 touchdowns, making him the NFL's second leading receiver and setting
17458-408: The Rams up at their own 27-yard line. The turnover had no avail, as the Patriots forced a three-and-out and the game's first punt. The Patriots drove 45 yards in 11 plays, the longest a 19-yard catch by tight end Rob Gronkowski . Placekicker Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal attempt from 46 yards, still keeping the game scoreless. The Rams picked up a first down at the Patriots' 49-yard line on
17661-437: The Rams' 2-yard line. Running back Sony Michel finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run for the game's only touchdown, extending his rookie postseason rushing touchdown record to six and giving New England a 10–3 lead with 7 minutes left in regulation. On the first play of Los Angeles' next drive, Goff completed a 19-yard pass to Cooks and later converted a 3rd-and-9 with an 11-yard throw to wide receiver Josh Reynolds . On
17864-882: The Saints' first drive and Zuerlein kicked a 57-yard field goal to win the game. The game was a rematch of Super Bowl XXXVI between the Patriots and the Rams; the Rams at the time were based in St. Louis . However, only one player, Patriots starting quarterback Tom Brady , remained on either roster from that contest. Bill Belichick , the Patriots' head coach in the previous contest, also remained in that position for this game. Super Bowl LIII featured record setting age differences between each team's starting quarterbacks and head coaches, pitting 41-year-old Brady against 24-year-old Jared Goff , as well as 66-year-old Belichick against 33-year-old Sean McVay . The then-St. Louis Rams won their only prior Super Bowl title in Atlanta, Super Bowl XXXIV , hosted at
18067-557: The Super Bowl, as NBC also holds the U.S. broadcast rights to the Olympics). This swap was reminiscent of NBC trading Super Bowl XXVI to CBS for Super Bowl XXVII to allow CBS a strong lead-in to its coverage of the 1992 Winter Olympics . CBS, to an extent, also benefited from holding rights to the Super Bowl in the same year that it held the rights to the NCAA Final Four , which is cycled with WarnerMedia Entertainment channels on
18270-435: The Super Bowl. The Buccaneers became the fifth team to win three away games en route to the Super Bowl. They also became the first team to make the Super Bowl as a Wild Card team since the 2010 Green Bay Packers . The Buccaneers became the first team to play and win a Super Bowl in its home stadium, and only the third to play in their home metro area (alongside the 1979 Los Angeles Rams and 1984 San Francisco 49ers ). This
18473-522: The United Kingdom and Ireland, the game was televised on the free-to-air channel BBC One and paid-subscription channel Sky One (as well as its sister channels Sky Sports Main Event and NFL). It was carried on radio via BBC Radio 5 Live . In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, free-to-air channel ProSieben broadcast the event through its ran format; 2.2 million Germans watched the game, which encouraged
18676-503: The Wild Card games, Nickelodeon contributed family-oriented social media content, including "Nick-ified" highlight videos with similar augmented reality effects to the aforementioned Wild Card broadcast (and featured during a highlights package seen on the CBS broadcast at halftime). Nickelodeon also aired a half-hour preview special for the game, and an NFL-themed edition of Unfiltered aired as
18879-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
19082-550: The ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of
19285-416: The ball and drove 36 yards to the Rams 32-yard line. New England elected to go for a 4th-and-1 conversion instead of a field goal, but Brady's pass to Gronkowski was broken up by safety John Johnson , turning the ball over on downs with 1:13 left in the half. Los Angeles could not get the ball past midfield, so they punted it back to New England to end the half. The two teams went into their locker rooms with
19488-471: The ball back on their own 25, Goff completed a 10-yard pass to Woods, as well as completions to Cooks for gains of 24 and 21 yards, moving the ball to the Patriots' 30-yard line. With 8 seconds left, the Rams decided to kick a field goal, which would have been followed by an onside kick attempt, but Zuerlein missed wide left from 48 yards, securing the Patriots' sixth Super Bowl title. Brady completed 21 of 35 passes for 262 yards, with one interception. Edelman
19691-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
19894-430: The ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on the offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except
20097-402: The best commercial aired during the game, with an advertisement launching a campaign celebrating its 100th season. CBS's lead-out program was the series premiere of the talent competition series The World's Best . After late local programs, CBS also aired a special Sunday-night episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert . Initial overnight Nielsen Ratings measured a 44.9 rating for
20300-463: The biggest off-season acquisition by signing 20-year veteran Tom Brady , one of the NFL's most decorated players. The signing marked the first time that Brady would play for a team other than the New England Patriots , where he was considered the offensive engine of the franchise's dynasty . Tight end Rob Gronkowski , Brady's teammate in New England and considered one of the greatest in his position,
20503-478: The cast of SpongeBob SquarePants and a clip from the 2001 episode " Band Geeks " was aired as a tribute to series creator Stephen Hillenburg , who died in November 2018 due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) . The full clip of the "Sweet Victory" song, including a dedication to Hillenburg, was played inside the stadium prior to the game. The Patriots received first possession as Cordarrelle Patterson returned
20706-573: The college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with
20909-531: The company to pull the ad because they deemed it to be misleading. In Australia and New Zealand , ESPN Australia aired an ESPN -produced broadcast of the game that featured the Monday Night Football commentary crew of Joe Tessitore , Jason Witten and Booger McFarland (McFarland was in the booth rather than the Booger Mobile, the controversial sideline vehicle he used that was abandoned before
21112-474: The conference championship with a torn Achilles, forcing him to miss the Super Bowl. The loss of Fisher compounded the Chiefs' offensive line troubles, as right tackle Mitchell Schwartz had been lost earlier in the season with a back injury. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers finished as the fifth seed and second place in the NFC South with an 11–5 record. They were the first team under quarterback Tom Brady to reach
21315-594: The conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for the second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of
21518-541: The conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in the United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of
21721-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
21924-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
22127-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
22330-729: The end of the 2018 MNF season). It would prove to be Witten's last commentary appearance for the time being, due to his unretirement and return to the Dallas Cowboys . Additionally in Australia the game was broadcast for the second year in a row by Melbourne Radio Station 1116 SEN and commentated by Gerard Whateley . In the United Kingdom and Ireland , the game was broadcast on the free-to-air channel BBC One , and paid-subscription channels Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports USA. The musical artists who agreed to perform at
22533-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
22736-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
22939-662: The estimated cost of a Super Bowl ad to the Ad Council to fund public service announcements for COVID-19 vaccination . However, parent company Anheuser-Busch still aired commercials for other brands during the game (with a spend in line with that of Super Bowl LIV), including Bud Light, Bud Light Seltzer, and Michelob Ultra, as well as its first-ever corporate spot, directed by filmmaker David Fincher . Companies such as DraftKings , Fiverr , Logitech , and Vroom made their Super Bowl debut as advertisers. Robinhood , which had recently gained mainstream media attention due to
23142-499: The feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create a standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from
23345-400: The fewest by a winning Super Bowl team, while the Rams became the second Super Bowl team to not score a touchdown after the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI . Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman , who caught 10 passes for 141 yards, was named Super Bowl MVP . Brady and Belichick became the oldest starting quarterback and head coach to win the Super Bowl at 41 and 66, respectively, and Brady
23548-401: The first play of the fourth quarter. For the first time in Super Bowl history, both teams had gone three quarters without scoring a touchdown. After forcing the Rams to punt, the Patriots mounted the longest drive of the game as Brady completed an 18-yard pass to Gronkowski, a 13-yard pass to Edelman, a 7-yard pass to running back Rex Burkhead and a 29-yard pass to Gronkowski, bringing them to
23751-407: The first quarter. After forcing another three-and-out to start the second quarter, the Patriots managed to drive 39 yards in seven plays, most of which came from another 25-yard completion from Brady to Edelman. Gostkowski finished the possession with a 42-yard field goal, giving New England a 3–0 lead with 10:29 left in the second quarter. After the next three drives ended in punts, the Patriots took
23954-467: The first repeat champions since the Patriots in 2004 . For the first time under quarterback Patrick Mahomes , the Chiefs failed to score a touchdown and lost by double-digits, making them the third Super Bowl team not to score a touchdown. They also committed 11 penalties for 120 yards, including a record eight penalties for 95 yards in the first half, most of which were called against the defense. The Buccaneers capitalized on these struggles to take
24157-473: The first team to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium, the Buccaneers became the first non- California team to play in a Super Bowl in their home state. The previous instances of teams with a home-state advantage were the Oakland Raiders ( Super Bowl XI at Pasadena and Super Bowl XXXVII at San Diego ), Rams ( Super Bowl XIV at Pasdena) and 49ers ( Super Bowl XIX at Stanford ). Super Bowl LV
24360-494: The first three quarters. The game marked the first Super Bowl in which neither team had a touchdown through the first three quarters, as the Patriots and the Rams fought to a 3–3 tie entering the fourth. In the final quarter, New England scored 10 unanswered points to claim victory, including the game's only touchdown by running back Sony Michel . The Patriots' one touchdown tied them with the New York Jets in Super Bowl III for
24563-400: The first time in a U.S. network sports telecast) in the end zones, as well as field-level and "up close" augmented reality graphics (with the latter generated by a wireless, handheld camera). As with CBS's previous Super Bowl ( Super Bowl 50 ), ESPN Deportes aired a Spanish-language broadcast of the game, the second out of three Super Bowls the network would eventually sub-license. With
24766-591: The full concert was streamed on the TikTok app. While performing her song " Wrecking Ball ", Cyrus broke down and said that it "never gets easier". A pre-game segment addressing racial unrest in the United States and the NFL's Inspire Change campaign featured a pre-recorded performance of " Lift Every Voice and Sing " by Alicia Keys from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman recited an original poem recognizing
24969-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
25172-406: The game has been regarded as one of the worst Super Bowls, although the defensive performances of both teams are considered among the greatest. On May 19, 2015, the league announced the four finalists that would compete to host Super Bowl LIII in 2019, LIV in 2020 and LV in 2021. NFL owners voted on these cities on May 24, 2016, with the first round of voting determining the host for Super Bowl LIII,
25375-463: The game in eight languages and hometown broadcasts from Boston's WBZ-FM and Los Angeles's KSPN and KCBS-FM , along with the main feed on Sirius XM NFL Radio . In Canada , the game was aired by CTV , CTV 2 and TSN . Unifor purchased time on the Canadian broadcast to air an attack ad criticizing General Motors ' decision to close the Oshawa Car Assembly plant, defying demands from
25578-584: The game in support of Kaepernick. Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies became the first male cheerleaders to perform at a major US sporting event. Scott Winer was the first openly gay cameraman to film the Super Bowl. The NFL had Mercedes-Benz Stadium's retractable roof open for the pre-game ceremonies and closed it prior to kickoff. Atlanta natives Chloe x Halle performed " America the Beautiful ". Gladys Knight , also from Atlanta, performed " The Star-Spangled Banner ". D.C. resident Aarron Loggins performed
25781-525: The game itself; they also noted that unofficial house parties were likely far greater causes of spread during that time span. As defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs recorded an NFL-best 14–2 record in 2020 under eighth-year head coach Andy Reid . Other than a 40–32 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders in week 5, their only defeat was in the final game of the season against
25984-618: The game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect
26187-459: The game was broadcast by Melbourne radio station 1116 SEN and commentated by Gerard Whateley A special pre-game concert for the invited health care workers attending the game—the TikTok Tailgate —was held in the afternoon prior to Super Bowl LV, and was headlined by Miley Cyrus , with guest appearances by Joan Jett and Billy Idol . Portions were aired during CBS's pre-game show, while
26390-402: The game, down 5% from the previous year and the lowest rating for a Super Bowl since Super Bowl XLIII ten years prior. 98.2 million viewers were measured, the fewest since Super Bowl XLII . Jemele Hill of The Atlantic attributed the low ratings "to the game being the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever, moderate national interest in the Rams, the lingering bad taste from the huge blown call in
26593-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
26796-523: The ground. These totals made him just the second quarterback in NFL history to amass 70,000 career passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards. His top receiver from the previous season, Brandin Cooks , was traded to the eventual Super Bowl rival Rams, but Julian Edelman , who not only had missed the previous season with a torn ACL injury but was suspended for the first four games of the regular season after testing positive for PEDs, returned to catch 74 receptions for
26999-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
27202-425: The home of the Patriots' division rivals the Buffalo Bills ); Los Angeles was near the national average. A downturn of approximately 5% was noted during the halftime show. The fewer television viewers did not migrate to online or mobile platforms; viewership online and on mobile only totaled 2.5 million viewers, which was not an appreciable enough change to affect the overall viewership decline. Digitally, this
27405-499: The home stadium of the Buccaneers, marking the first time a team played a Super Bowl in its home stadium. Due to COVID-19 protocols limiting the stadium's seating capacity to 25,000 fans, it was the least-attended Super Bowl. The Buccaneers' victory was their second and made them one of two teams, along with the Baltimore Ravens , to be undefeated in multiple Super Bowls. They finished the regular season with an 11–5 record and
27608-539: The illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922,
27811-674: The inaugural Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest , a three-night concert series that was headlined by Ludacris and Migos (night 1), Aerosmith and Post Malone (night 2), and Bruno Mars and Cardi B (night 3). The show competed with a "Super Saturday Night" concert held by DirecTV at a temporary venue near Atlantic Station , headlined by the Foo Fighters and featuring Roger Taylor , Zac Brown , Tom Morello , Perry Farrell and Dave Koz as special guests. The NFL officially launched its centennial commemorations at Super Bowl LIII, ahead of its 100th season . A themed, two-minute advertisement
28014-448: The innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced
28217-722: The league for over a year. Tampa Bay's offense was ranked seventh in league yards (6,145) and third in points scored (492). The 43-year old Brady threw for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and rushed for three touchdowns. His main targets were Mike Evans who caught 70 passes for 1,006 yards and 13 touchdowns, Chris Godwin who caught 65 passes for 840 yards and seven touchdowns, and Rob Gronkowski who caught 45 passes for 623 yards and seven touchdowns. Brady also had other receivers to go to with Scotty Miller (33 passes, 501 yards and three touchdowns), Antonio Brown (44 catches, 483 yards and four touchdowns), and Cameron Brate (28 catches, 282 yards and two touchdowns). Ronald Jones
28420-475: The league in sacks with 20.5, as many sacks as the rest of the team combined. He also had 59 tackles (25 for loss), four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Veteran defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh was second on the team with 4.5 sacks, while also getting 59 tackles and recovering two fumbles. Pro Bowl linebacker Cory Littleton led the team in total tackles with 125, while also picking up four sacks, three interceptions and blocking two punts. The Rams also had
28623-492: The league stated that Super Bowl LV could have been delayed as far as February 28. The state of Florida removed capacity restrictions for sporting events in October, although the three Florida-based teams have voluntarily maintained 20–25 percent capacity limits. As of late October 2020, the NFL was planning a minimum attendance of 20% of capacity, in hopes that a larger capacity would be possible by game day. On January 22, 2021,
28826-406: The least-attended NFL championship game since 1949 , where 22,245 attended because of weather. NFL protocols for the 2020 season required that the closest rows of seats be blocked with tarps to reduce spectator proximity to the field. For the Super Bowl, they were covered with additional LED video boards. The traditional events held during Super Bowl week were significantly reduced. Capacity at
29029-427: The next play, his 17-yard completion to Woods moved the ball to the Patriots' 27-yard line. However, on the next play, Goff's potential game-tying touchdown pass to Cooks was broken up by cornerback Stephon Gilmore and safety Duron Harmon , and then Goff threw a pass that was intercepted by Gilmore on the 3-yard line with 4:17 remaining. The Rams needed to force a punt or turnover; however, they were unable to contain
29232-452: The now-demolished Georgia Dome in 2000, which was located adjacent to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. As the designated home team in the annual rotation between AFC and NFC teams, the Rams elected to wear their royal blue and yellow throwback uniforms for the game, which they have previously worn for six home games including a home playoff game during the 2018 season. The Patriots wore their standard white away uniforms. Gambling establishments had
29435-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
29638-491: The offense enters the red zone as they usually would. In addition, the stadium decor including the replica pirate ship sails were accordingly changed from Buccaneers' logos to those promoting the Super Bowl. Gambling establishments had the Chiefs as three-point favorites and projected 57 points scored. The Chiefs and Buccaneers played each other during the regular season. The Chiefs won the Week 12 game in Tampa, 27–24. This marked
29841-681: The oldest quarterback ever to appear in a Super Bowl was Steve DeBerg in Super Bowl XXXIII at the age of 45), and, at the time, Bill Belichick was the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl, at age 66, until Bruce Arians surpassed that record at age 68 in Super Bowl LV . Edelman was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player , and he was the first wide receiver to win the award since Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII after
30044-438: The opening kickoff 38 yards to the Patriots' 39-yard line and the team picked up 27 yards with their next five plays. On quarterback Tom Brady 's first pass attempt of the day, cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman , who was notable for a non-call on pass interference in the NFC Championship two weeks earlier, deflected a pass intended for wide receiver Chris Hogan , allowing linebacker Cory Littleton to make an interception, setting
30247-429: The oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given
30450-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
30653-553: The playoffs as a wild card . In the wild-card round, the Buccaneers defeated the Washington Football Team 31–23, to advance to the divisional round against the New Orleans Saints , who had swept them in the regular season. The Buccaneers then defeated the Saints 30–20 to advance to the NFC Championship Game. The Buccaneers then upset the top-seeded Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game 31–26 advancing to
30856-448: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
31059-484: The primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football,
31262-473: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
31465-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
31668-427: The record for the oldest combined age between both coaches. Chiefs linebackers coach Britt Reid , the son of head coach Andy Reid, was involved in a car accident on February 4, 2021. Two young children were injured in the crash. The younger Reid admitted to consuming two to three alcoholic drinks and being on Adderall , a prescription medication, while driving. He did not coach in the game. In addition to becoming
31871-631: The rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
32074-475: The rights to host Super Bowl LIV and Los Angeles won the rights to host Super Bowl LV. However, on May 23, 2017, NFL owners opted to award Super Bowl LV to Tampa and give Super Bowl LVI to Los Angeles after it was announced that SoFi Stadium would open in 2020 due to construction delays. New Orleans would be awarded Super Bowl LVIII . The NFL unveiled the official logo for Super Bowl LIII in February 2018; it
32277-499: The role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain
32480-429: The running game featured a dynamic new weapon, rookie halfback Sony Michel , who lead the team with 931 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns, along with veteran James White who racked up 1,176 yards from scrimmage while leading the team in receptions (87) and total touchdowns (12). On special teams, receiver Cordarrelle Patterson returned 23 kickoffs for 663 yards and a touchdown, an average of 28.8 yards per return (third in
32683-440: The running game, finishing the season with 405 yards and leading the team in rushing in both of their playoff victories. On special teams, JoJo Natson returned 26 punts for 280 yards, while kicker Greg Zuerlein made 87.1% of his field goals, including a franchise postseason record 57-yard kick to defeat the Saints in overtime in the NFC championship game. The Rams defense featured Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald , who led
32886-411: The season, to a combined total of just four receptions for 65 yards. Meanwhile, the Rams also had a first-round bye as the NFC's second overall seed. They started off the divisional round by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 30–22. The Rams gained 273 yards on the ground with running backs Todd Gurley and C. J. Anderson rushing for over 100 yards each. They then defeated the New Orleans Saints 26–23 in
33089-532: The second half as both teams punted twice (one of them was a Super Bowl record 65-yard punt by the Rams' Johnny Hekker ). With 6:33 left in the third quarter, the Rams opened their first drive of more than five plays and their first not to end in a punt, moving the ball 42 yards in 10 plays. On the third play of the drive, Rams quarterback Jared Goff completed a 15-yard pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks and later made his first third-down conversion with an 18-yard pass to Robert Woods on 3rd-and-6. On 3rd-and-7 from
33292-735: The second round deciding a different site for Super Bowl LIV and the third round deciding the site for Super Bowl LV . The four finalists for Super Bowl LIII, all in the Southeastern United States , were: After three votes, Atlanta was awarded Super Bowl LIII at the NFL owners' meeting on May 24, 2016. The losing candidates, except for New Orleans which removed itself from the voting for all games except Super Bowl LIII due to event conflicts in 2020 and 2021, were then pitted against SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California for Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LV hosting rights. Miami eventually won
33495-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
33698-580: The series premiere of The Equalizer . After late local programs, CBS also aired a special Sunday-night episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert . The estimated cost of a 30-second commercial at Super Bowl LV remained steady with 2020, with CBS reportedly charging around $ 5.5 million. The economic impact of COVID-19 prompted some brands to skip the game, including Avocados from Mexico , Budweiser (its first absence in 37 years), Coca-Cola, Hyundai, and Pepsi (focusing more on its halftime show sponsorship). Budweiser announced that it would donate
33901-460: The show—including Gladys Knight, Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi—were criticized by media outlets, other artists and members of the public for performing at Super Bowl LIII because of the NFL's alleged blacklisting of Colin Kaepernick for protesting police brutality by kneeling during the pre-game national anthem . Several artists, including Jay-Z and Cardi B , turned down offers to perform at
34104-446: The size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football
34307-428: The sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of
34510-469: The stadium could see seven exclusive angles, and viewers at home could see five. Around 91.6 million viewers watched Super Bowl LV on linear television , an 8% decline over Super Bowl LIV and the least-watched game since 2006. CBS reported a total of 96.4 million viewers when combined with viewership of the Spanish-language broadcast and digital platforms, a 5% year-over-year decline overall. CBS reported an average of 5.7 million streaming viewers per-minute,
34713-463: The stadium. The Patriots' victory was their sixth, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl championships . New England, after finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record, advanced to their 11th Super Bowl appearance, their third in a row, and their ninth under the leadership of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady . The Rams finished the regular season with
34916-414: The start of the 2020 NFL season, the league had forbidden on-field entertainment, such as halftime shows and national anthem performances at games with fans. These elements, which have historically been cornerstones of the Super Bowl entertainment, would have been produced off-site had restrictions remained in place. In case a COVID-19 outbreak forced the postponements of regular season and playoff games,
35119-509: The team in interceptions for the second year in a row with four, while Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore intercepted two passes and forced two fumbles. Safety Patrick Chung also made an impact with 84 total tackles to go with an interception and a fumble recovery. The Patriots secondary also featured twin brothers Jason McCourty and Devin McCourty , who both had an interception each. Devin had 82 tackles, while Jason had 70. The Rams finished
35322-633: The team with four interceptions, while rookie safety Antoine Winfield Jr. added 94 tackles, one interception, and three sacks. The Chiefs won the AFC West division title for a fifth consecutive year and the top seed in the AFC playoffs with a league-best 14–2 record. After clinching a first-round bye, the Chiefs defeated the Cleveland Browns 22–17 in the Divisional round to send them to their third straight AFC Championship Game . They then won 38–24 over
35525-413: The team's fortunes changed with the hiring of 30-year-old head coach Sean McVay , the youngest head coach in NFL history. Under McVay and second year quarterback Jared Goff , who recovered from a lackluster winless rookie season to record a triple digit passer rating, the Rams improved to an 11–5 record in 2017 . Then in 2018, they won their first eight games and finished the year with a 13–3 record, tying
35728-404: The third-highest in Super Bowl history, at $ 382 million. Perennial Super Bowl advertiser Anheuser-Busch made its largest-ever advertising purchase for a single game, with a total of eight different commercials of various lengths (covering five-and-a-half minutes of airtime) across seven product brands, including three being advertised during the game for the first time. Mercedes-Benz aired
35931-524: The upcoming relaunch of its subscription streaming service CBS All Access as Paramount+ . The game was streamed on CBS All Access (whose then-upcoming relaunch as Paramount+ in March 2021 was promoted during the game), CBSSports.com, and the CBS Sports mobile app. It was also available with exclusive camera angles through the NFL mobile app and Yahoo! Sports mobile app. Viewers with an iPhone 12 who were in
36134-470: The very next play but were again unable to move the ball beyond that point and again, the Patriots threatened to score when Brady completed a 25-yard pass to Julian Edelman at the Rams 45-yard line. But on the next play, Brady was strip-sacked by Rams defensive end John Franklin-Myers , but Patriots center David Andrews recovered the fumble. However, the team was only able to get as far as the Rams' 40 before fourth down and had to punt with 18 seconds left in
36337-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
36540-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
36743-408: The young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of
36946-480: Was Robert Woods , who caught 86 passes for 1,219 yards and 6 touchdowns. Brandin Cooks , an off-season pickup from the Patriots via trade, also made a big impact with 80 receptions for 1,204 yards and 5 scores. The team's #3 receiver, Cooper Kupp , suffered a season ending injury after catching 40 passes for 566 yards in 8 games, forcing Goff to rely heavily on other targets like Gerald Everett (32 receptions) and Josh Reynolds (29). Pro Bowl running back Todd Gurley
37149-410: Was aired during the game. Super Bowl LIII was broadcast by CBS as part of an annual rotation between the three main broadcast television partners of the NFL. It was the 20th time CBS broadcast the game. Jim Nantz served as play-by-play announcer and Tony Romo worked his first Super Bowl as color commentator . CBS' coverage utilized a total of 115 cameras, including 8K resolution cameras (for
37352-412: Was also the first starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl in his 40s. It marked the final Super Bowl of the Patriots dynasty , as Brady departed New England after the 2019 season . The broadcast of the game on CBS , along with the halftime show headlined by U.S. pop group Maroon 5 , saw the smallest Super Bowl audience in 10 years. Due to its low-scoring nature and both teams' offensive struggles,
37555-449: Was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season . The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the defending American Football Conference (AFC) and Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs , 31–9. The game was played on February 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida ,
37758-589: Was anchored by defensive ends Ndamukong Suh (six sacks) and William Gholston (20 quarterback hits and eight tackles for loss). The line was also aided by edge rushing outside linebackers Jason Pierre-Paul , the team's lone Pro Bowl selection (9 1 ⁄ 2 sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries), and Shaquil Barrett (eight sacks and two force fumbles). The team also had linebackers Devin White (140 tackles and nine sacks) and Lavonte David (117 tackles and three forced fumbles). Cornerback Carlton Davis led
37961-544: Was decentralized due to COVID-19 protocols, with some production duties being conducted remotely from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City and at individual employees' homes. CBS officially introduced a rebranding of the CBS Sports division during Super Bowl LV, as part of a larger reimaging and standardization of CBS and its main divisions. Building upon its involvement in a youth-oriented broadcast of one of
38164-429: Was down by 5% overall in comparison to Super Bowl LIV, but with a 69% increase in average streaming viewership. On May 19, 2015, the league announced the four finalists for hosting Super Bowl LIII in 2019 and Super Bowl LIV in 2020. NFL team owners voted on these cities on May 24, 2016, with the first round of voting determining the host for Super Bowl LIII, and the second round deciding the site for Super Bowl LIV. In
38367-491: Was forced to miss the Super Bowl after suffering a torn achilles tendon in the AFC championship game. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif , a starting guard for the 2019 season, was first NFL player to announce he would not play the season because of COVID-19, instead working as an orderly at a Montreal long-term care facility during the pandemic. On special teams, kicker Harrison Butker made 25-of-27 field goals, including all four of his attempts from over 50 yards. The Chiefs defense
38570-557: Was his top target with 10 receptions for 141 yards, while Gronkowski made six receptions for 87 yards in his final game with the Patriots. Michel was the top rusher of the game with 94 yards and a touchdown. Gilmore had five solo tackles and an interception. Goff finished the day 19-for-38 passing, for 229 yards and an interception. Cooks was his top receiver with eight receptions for 120 yards. Littleton had 10 tackles (six solo) and an interception. Hekker punted nine times for 417 yards, an average of 46.3 yards per punt, and put five punts inside
38773-418: Was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included the reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams,
38976-439: Was lured out of retirement and acquired through a trade with the Patriots. Further off-season acquisitions included running back Leonard Fournette , running back LeSean McCoy , and placekicker Ryan Succop . In the 2020 NFL draft , Tampa Bay bolstered their offensive line by selecting tackle Tristan Wirfs 13th overall. After Week 6, they signed accomplished, but controversial wide receiver Antonio Brown , who had been out of
39179-440: Was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football
39382-404: Was originally chosen as the host site for Super Bowl LV in a vote on May 24, 2016. However, due to construction delays, authorities announced that the stadium would not be completed until the start of the 2020 NFL season . On May 23, 2017, NFL owners voted unanimously, with the Rams' approval, to move Super Bowl LV to Tampa. The City of Inglewood instead hosted Super Bowl LVI in 2022. As of
39585-431: Was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified
39788-542: Was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to
39991-538: Was ranked 16th in the league in yards allowed (5,733). The Chiefs defensive line was led by Pro Bowl selections Chris Jones (7 1 ⁄ 2 sacks and two forced fumbles) and Frank Clark (6 sacks). Linebacker Anthony Hitchens ranked second on the team with 78 tackles. Kansas City's secondary was led by Pro Bowl strong safety Tyrann Mathieu (68 tackles, six interceptions, and one fumble recovery) and free safety Daniel Sorensen (91 tackles, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles). The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished
40194-410: Was televised by CBS . Although NBC was to air this game under the current rotation, they traded the game to CBS in exchange for Super Bowl LVI , which fell during the 2022 Winter Olympics and is the first to be scheduled during an ongoing Olympic Games, and the second time that it fell on an Olympic Year (this also upheld a gentleman's agreement between the NFL's broadcasters not to counterprogram
40397-418: Was the final Super Bowl in the 16-game schedule era, which began with the 1978 NFL season . The following season, the NFL went to a 17-game schedule. The Buccaneers were the designated home team for Super Bowl LV, as the home team alternates between the two conferences annually. The fact that the Buccaneers were designated as the "home" team in their home stadium was a coincidence. As the designated home team,
40600-451: Was the first Super Bowl available through CBS's subscription service CBS All Access . The game was also available via the CBS Sports app, CBSSports.com, the Yahoo! Sports app, Tumblr app, the NFL app. The Yahoo! Sports app and Tumblr app streams were part of a long-term deal between then NFL and Verizon Media . The game was broadcast on radio nationally on Westwood One . SiriusXM carried
40803-498: Was the oldest head coach to win the Super Bowl at 68. The game was televised nationally by CBS . Country music singer Eric Church and R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan performed the national anthem , while the halftime show was headlined by Canadian singer the Weeknd . On television, Super Bowl LV was seen by 91.63 million viewers, the lowest ratings for the game since 2006. Combined with viewership on other platforms, viewership
41006-464: Was the team's leading rusher with 1,251 yards (fourth in the NFL) and 17 touchdowns, while also catching 59 passes for 580 yards and five more touchdowns. His 17 rushing touchdowns led the league, while his 22 total touchdowns gave him 132 points, fifth in the NFL. Running back C. J. Anderson , who made the Rams his third different team in 2018 after signing up with them in December, also was a key aspect of
41209-431: Was the team's leading rusher with 978 yards and seven touchdowns, while also catching 28 passes for 165 yards and another touchdown. Leonard Fournette also added 367 rushing yards and six touchdowns, while also hauling in 36 passes. Kicker Ryan Succop ranked sixth in the NFL with 136 points, making 28-of-31 field goal attempts. Tampa Bay's defense was ranked sixth in the league in yardage allowed (5,234). The defensive line
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