In one of the most uneventful first halves in Super Bowl history, the NFL again failed to reward the fans. The three combined points were the second fewest at halftime in a super bowl behind the 2-0 Steelers lead in Super Bowl IX (9). Both offenses failed to get anything going, and while the Rams pass rush was impressive, we want to see points and the best football the NFL can offer. As if the game was boring enough, Maroon 5 cames out to do the most boring and forgetful halftime show I can remember. The NFL has a serious problem and needs to fix it. Here are my thoughts on both the game and halftime show.
Not So Super Bowl LIII: Super Bowl Fail
“SUPER” Bowl?
This is supposed to be the two best teams in the NFL. What seemed to be an exciting matchup turned into a 30 minute waste of time. Los Angeles only had 27 yards combined heading into the locker room compared to 195 for the Patriots. New England passed midfield twice with only a field goal from it. Julian Edelman had seven catches for 93 yards and was the best player on the field for either team. Tom Brady had a decent start throwing 125 yards but failed to reach the endzone. The Rams pass rush led by Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh was effective and got great pressure on the backfield. The defense overall played well, but the offense failed to get anything going. Johnny Hekker had six punts when your punter is playing so much against the Patriots it can be a serious problem. This was one of the most uneventful first halves of recent memory and was a major disappointment for what looked to be an exciting game. As the teams headed to the locker room, Maroon 5 prepared for the halftime show. It was not much of a show.
Unsweet Victory
The first half was boring, and fans were hoping Maroon 5, Travis Scott, and Big Boi would give this Super Bowl some excitement. They failed to do so in a big way, this show was nowhere near as entertaining as past halftimes. The halftime show is supposed to be the biggest concert of the year, but it significantly disappointed. Adam Levine did not sound good, and there was little choreography to take your attention away. The visual effects were very minor compared to the last few years. The only positive was the use of Sweet Victory from Spongebob. A short cameo to honor Stephen Hillenburg was nice to see, however, when a cartoon clip is the highlight of the show it’s clear they blew it. Travis Scott and Big Boi both failed to deliver memorable performances and did not seem nearly as prepared as prior acts. Overall this was a significant disappointment and one of the worst halftime shows of all time. I was a Maroon 5 fan growing up and Songs About Jane was the first album I bought. I was looking forward to this but was very disappointed in the quality of the performance.
The Last Word
The play of the game through the first three quarters was when Johnny Hekker booted a 65-yard punt, the longest in Super Bowl history. This was one of the most exciting plays of the game. When a punt is in the highlights of the game you know the game has been dull. The NFL had so many issues surrounding this game and will have another one they need to fix. Fans look forward to the super bowl. Next year it will be interesting to see if viewership drops because of this start.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
