Super Bowl LIII could very well be determined by Jared Goff’s reaction

to whatever Head Coach Bill Belichick conjures up to defeat the LA Rams."Around the time the Los Angeles Rams left Anaheim Bobby Evans Jersey nfl draft , California in the early 90s, I went with a group of high school friends to see some crappy ska band at an all-ages club in Fullerton. One of the opening acts was a group called The Roundabouts — I didn’t care for the band that much, but the lead singer could sing. You didn’t have to like it, but you could tell he was going to be famous one way or the other. Years later, they got a record deal and changed their name to Kara’s Flowers and their album faded in obscurity. Years after that, that lead singer showed up again with a new band name: Maroon 5.Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMediaOn Sunday, Adam Levine’s band, Maroon 5, will be headlining the Pepsi halftime show at Super Bowl LIII. A lot of football fans that I’ve talked to think Maroon 5 kind of sucks. When I first saw QB Jared Goff play for the Cal Bears, I had that same feeling. This kid was going to be great if he stopped getting his ass handed to him.A bit similar to the ascension of Adam Levine, there is a lot of shrugging when it comes to Jared Goff’s ability to win a championship against a team like the New England Patriots. Is Goff too soft? Are his hands too small? Does he get rattled when the protection breaks down?These questions, while legit, are damaging for an NFL quarterback because they question his toughness. And in the NFL, that’s kind of part of what makes a NFL QB great — guys like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning Bobby Evans black jersey , and Drew Brees are painted as a sort of antiquated super solider that doesn’t get bothered by adversity. Guys like Joey Harrington (remember him?) reinforced this idea when his career went south — the dude played the piano and had feelings; he was doomed before his career began. The head coach of the Patriots, Bill Belichick, succeeds when he’s able to identify a flaw with his opposition and then he exploits it like the savant he is. I believe that the Patriots are going to spend a lot of focus on making Goff uncomfortable. And if you watch the tape on the 2018 Rams, especially his games at the end of the season, it makes sense to pick on Goff. However, the dude can throw the ball. And just like Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Goff has many that cast doubt on his greatness in the long term. After several albums were released by Maroon 5, the knock on them was that they were an extended flash in the pan with a handful of modest hits that most men hated.Then, a funny thing happened... they leaned into it and evolved with the times, became less of a traditional rock band, embraced their fan base's tastes, and became famous enough to play the Super Bowl.In the NFC Championship vs. the New Orleans Saints, Goff also evolved into a dependable star player in an environment that exploited his “flaw.” In the first quarter, Goff was uncomfortable with the crowd noise and quite frankly, he looked shook or even worse: soft.But as Goff haters crossed their arms and expected the Rams to lay down for the Saints Bobby Evans Jersey Mens , Jared Goff fought back. Was it silky smooth? No, Goff’s style is more akin to a drunk teenager trying to climb back into their second story room at two in the morning — he’ll get the job done, but it’s going to feature some major awkward spots. If and when coach Belichick sends his complex blitz packages Jared Goff’s way forcing him to pass, one thing will become clear. A fact that has been clear the first time young Jared Goff suited up to play QB — the kid can throw. I wouldn’t bet against Jared Goff. Not because he’s the starting quarterback of my favorite team. Underneath any supposed “flaws” in his game, Jared Goff has a greatness in him that supersedes anything else. It’s easy to discount a player because they don’t check all the boxes. But an appearance in Super Bowl LIII and an impressive victory can quickly check as many boxes that need check marks. And beating a team as vaunted as the Patriots would give Goff and the Rams a title that has so far eluded them — perennial contenders. This is the biggest game of Jared Goff’s life and the Patriots are going to do their best to make it his worst. But raw talent can’t be suppressed with a clever defensive scheme all game. Just like how Jared Goff found a way to fling the ball to TE Tyler Higbee late in the game against the Saints, Goff will find a way to make plays. Jared Goff’s game may not be finished product, but it’s a damn good one. And the winner is .... the Los Angeles Rams.The Rams, who have looked dominant in the first two weeks of the regular season, have grabbed the top spot from the New England Patriots in the latest AP Pro32 poll on Tuesday.The Rams received nine of the 12 first-place votes and 380 points in balloting by media members who regularly cover the NFL.The Rams are coming off a 34-0 rout of the listless Arizona Cardinals and will host the Chargers at the Coliseum on Sunday in an All-LA matchup."(Coach) Sean McVay rested most of his starters in the preseason, but the Rams already look like they're in midseason form after another dominating win, albeit over a woeful Cardinals team," Newsday's Bob Glauber said.The Jacksonville Jaguars earned the remaining three first-place votes for 375 points. The Jaguars moved up three spots after their impressive 31-20 win over the Patriots, who fell to No. 5."At least for now, the AFC's early season torch has been passed to the Jaguars after last Sunday's thumping of New England," said Alex Marvez of The Sporting News.The Minnesota Vikings stayed at No. 3 after rallying to tie the rival Green Bay Packers 29-29 at Lambeau Field."The Vikings got better when they signed (kicker) Dan Bailey Greg Gaines Los Angeles Rams Jerseys ," said Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk.Bailey was signed after the Vikings waived Daniel Carlson following his missed three field-goal attempts. The fifth-round draft pick from Auburn missed field goals of 48, 49 and 35 yards, with the last two failed tries coming in overtime.The Packers also kept their spot at No. 6 after the league's second consecutive week with a tie.Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who are off to a 2-0 start, moved up three places to No. 4.Mahomes had six touchdown passes for the Chiefs, who are coming off a 42-37 victory over Pittsburgh and will face the San Francisco 49ers in their home opener on Sunday."The thrilling Pat Mahomes Show is covering up some serious defensive deficiencies at the moment," said Ira Kaufman of Fox 13 in Tampa, Florida.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by a resurgent Ryan Fitzpatrick, vaulted seven spots to No. 8 after topping the Philadelphia Eagles 27-21.The Buccaneers will face another challenge when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night."Need to beat Steelers now," Fox Sports' John Czarnecki said of the Bucs.The Eagles, who will get back quarterback Carson Wentz following his knee injury when they host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, dropped five spots to No. 7.The Atlanta Falcons inched up a spot to No. 9 after earning their first win of the season with a 31-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers.And the surprising Cincinnati Bengals rounded out the top 10 after topping Baltimore 34-23. The Bengals will be without running Joe Mixon for a few weeks following his knee surgery. They will face the Panthers and Falcons on the road in the next two weeks.