The New England Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady are a bad matchup for just about any opponent, especially one that is seeing the five-time Super Bowl champions for the first time that particular season.
The Patriots have been nearly unbeatable in the playoffs when they play against a new opponent. The evidence is in the stat below:
The only playoff loss for the Patriots against a new opponent was last season, when they were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII after not having played Philly during the regular season. The Pats are 4-1 overall in Super Bowls in which they played a team for the first time that season.
New England will play the Los Angeles Rams for the first time during the 2018 campaign in Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta on Sunday. These teams last squared off in Week 13 of the 2016 season when the Patriots defeated the Rams 26-10 at Gillette Stadium. The Rams have improved quite a bit since that loss, but they still are a young and inexperienced team.
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