Gurley's absence is glaring for Rams

ATLANTA – One of the Rams' top stars was conspicuously missing from his team's game plan in Super Bowl LIII. Running back Todd Gurley carried only 10 times for 35 yards and lost a yard on his only reception.

Gurley's absence was especially noticeable in the first half, when he was on the field for only six snaps, rushing three times for 10 yards. Los Angeles opened the third quarter with three Gurley runs on its first four plays, but it soon turned to the passing game and backup running back C.J. Anderson, who joined the team in December. Anderson finished with 22 yards on seven carries, and two catches for 12 yards, equaling Gurley's yardage.

Gurley missed the Rams' final two games of the regular season with knee inflammation, but coach Sean McVay said during the week that Gurley was "feeling good" and expected to "play a big role" in the Rams' game plan.

Gurley said after the game that his knee was fine. Asked if he was healthy, he answered in the affirmative, adding: "You've just got to give credit to the Patriots. They've been here three years in a row for a reason. They got the job done again."

McVay again said after the game that Gurley was healthy, and then blamed himself for not getting the running back more involved, saying, "I didn't do a good job of getting him in a flow tonight."

Among the game's most prominently featured players was Johnny Hekker, who was called on to end nine Rams drives with a punt, including eight in a row. The eight punts in a row was one Super Bowl record to go down Sunday.

Another came on that eighth punt, in the third quarter. From his own end zone on fourth-and-6 from his own 6, Hekker's punt landed at the Los Angeles 45-yard line, took a hard bounce past Patriots returner Julian Edelman and kept rolling, until it was downed by Sam Shields at the New England 29. At 65 yards, Hekker's punt was the longest in Super Bowl history, beating out Ryan Allen's 64-yarder for the Patriots vs. Seattle four years ago.

• Los Angeles won the coin toss when Patriots special teams standout Matthew Slater incorrectly called heads, meaning New England fell to 2-7 in the Belichick-Brady era in winning Super Bowl coin tosses. All six Patriots championships came after they lost the coin toss. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s youngest daughter, Bernice King, and civil rights pioneers John Lewis and Andrew Young stood with the players for the toss.

• Patriots safety Patrick Chung suffered a right arm injury that knocked him out early in the third quarter. Chung suffered the injury when his right arm was caught between teammate Jonathan Jones' helmet and Rams running back Todd Gurley's helmet on a tackle.

• The NFL opened Mercedes-Benz Stadium's retractable roof for the pregame show, including a flyover by the Air Force Thunderbirds, and then closed it for the game.