ATLANTA: New England Patriots matched Pittsburgh Steelers’ record of six Super Bowl titles by defeating Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in Atlanta.

Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady thus secured a sixth Super Bowl ring, a record for an individual player, eclipsing the mark he shared with Charles Haley.

Brady said: “It was an unbelievable year, we fought through it more than anything. The Rams played so well, their defence was great, they made it tough on every play.”

Bill Belichick – the most successful coach in Super Bowl history and now, at 66, the oldest man to win it – again came up with the perfect gameplan in Atlanta as the Patriots stifled a Rams offence that averaged 32.9 points per game in the regular season.

The defensive strength of both sides resulted in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl of all time, with the 16 total points scored comfortably below the previous record of 21, set as Miami defeated Washington 14-7 in 1973.

The score was just 3-0 until late in the third quarter through Stephen Gostkowski’s 42-yard field goal.

The Patriots’ defence piled the pressure on 24-year-old quarterback Jared Goff and the Rams had to punt from their first eight possessions. Sean McVay’s side finally got their offence moving in the third and drew level through a 53-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein.

But Brady lofted a perfect 34-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski to set up Sony Michel to burrow over the line for the game’s only touchdown with seven minutes left. Gostkowski added gloss with a late field goal as the Patriots ground out a hard-fought win.

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