Controversial Day Sets Up Patriots-Rams Super Bowl

RAMS 26 - SAINTS 23 - OT
PATRIOTS 37 - CHIEFS 31 - OT 

Welcome to another year of a Super Bowl that nobody wanted.

Sunday's conference championship games proved to be two of the most controversial in the history of the league as the both the Patriots and Rams advance to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta.

The Rams place in the game has come under intense scrutiny due to a horrible non-call on Rams corner Nickell Robey Coleman for slamming Saints receiver Tommy Lee Lewis as a pass by quarterback Drew Brees was coming in his direction on third and 10 at the Rams' 13-yard line.

In a year where pass interference has been called way too often, the officials ate the whistle and did flag Robey-Coleman with a personal foul. Had that happened, the Saints would have had a new set of downs at around the five yard line. They might have scored to take a 27-20 lead, but that is just assumption at this point.

As is the theory that the call blew the Saints chances to win. Yes, the call impacted the game, and the officials screwed up big time in a big spot. But it was not like the Saints didn't have chances to put the game away themselves.

Two plays prior to the "non-call," the Saints decided to throw the football on first and ten, instead of running it. The play resulted in an incompletion. The Saints probably should have run it here with Alvin Kamara, one of the game's best backs, and gained a couple of yards. If that happened, there is a chance the third down play never happens. The Rams would be forced the call a time out, and the Saints could play the clock for the win. They failed in that regard.

And let us not forget, after the horrible non-call, the Saints still took a 23-20 lead on a Will Lutz field goal. All New Orleans needed was a stop by their defense and the game would be over, and nobody would talk about the missed call again.

As fate would have it, the Rams marched down field thanks to a couple of huge throws by Jared Goff to position the Rams for the game tying field goal to force overtime.

In OT, the Saints, once again had an opportunity to determine their own fate, and once again they blew it. New Orleans got the football first, was the beneficiary of a pass interference penalty that moved the ball to the 40, and still Drew Brees would throw an interception.

All the Rams needed to do was position themselves for the field goal, which they did as Greg Zureline nailed a 57-yarder to send Los Angeles to the Super Bowl.

Yet, all the talk now is about the blow call. The question is what impact will that non-call have? Will will see instant replay now for penalties?  In a sport where officiating has been horrible. The Saints-Rams NFC title will tip the scales.

As far as the AFC title game, once again Tom Brady and the Patriots defy the odds and make their way to another Super Bowl. This will be Brady and Bill Belichick's ninth trip to the big game since 2001, and ironically it comes against the Rams, the team they beat to win their first Super Bowl back in 2001.

Even this game wasn't without its own share of tense moments and controversy.

There was the non-fumble by Julian Edleman on a punt, where it looked like the ball bounced off both of his thumbs that the Chiefs recovered. The officials decided that the ball never touched Edleman.

Yet, unlike the Saints, the Chiefs were able to overcome the call when Brady was picked off by Donald Sorenson with 8:06 to go in the game and the Pats up 17-14. Two plays later, Patrick Mahomes found Damien Williams from 23-yards out to give the Chiefs a 21-17 lead.

But, Brady wouldn't relent. He marched the Patriots 75-yards on 10-plays, which included a controversial catch by Chris Hogan where it appeared that ball slipped out of his hands. The referees said Hogan had possession. The call kept the drive alive for New England. The Patriots would find pay dirt on Sony Michel's 10-yards run to put New England up 24-21 with 3:32 to go.

Back came the Chiefs as Mahomes found Sammy Watkins for a 38-yard completion down the sideline to the Patriots two-yard line. On the next play Damien Williams scored to give the Chiefs a 28-24 lead, but there was too much time on the clock. The Chiefs should have eaten clock at this point and didn't do it.

But that wasn't the worst of it for the Chiefs. On third and ten from the Kansas City 34-yard line, the Chiefs had the game won when Charvarius Ward stepped in front of a Brady pass and picked it off. With 0:54 to go the game was over.

But it wasn't.

Dee Ford was called off-sides for the Chiefs. The interception was nullified and the Patriots drive stayed alive. As we all know, never give Tom Brady a second chance.

Brady found Rob Gronkowski from 25-yards out to move the ball to the goalline, before Rex Burkhead burst through for the go-ahead score.

While the Chiefs would tie the game at 31 to force overtime, the penalty on Dee Ford cost the Chiefs a trip to the Super Bowl.

In OT, the Patriots won the toss and pounded an exhausted Chiefs defense. Brady picked apart the Chiefs secondary like a surgeon, and Burkhead finished it off with the winning score to send the Patriots to a third straight Super Bowl.