Super Bowl LIII storylines to keep an eye on

Bill Belichick is known as the greatest NFL head coach ever, going for his sixth Super Bowl win in his ninth appearance. He faces Rams head coach Sean McVay, who is the youngest head coach to ever appear in a Super Bowl, at age 33, after turning the Rams around when he took the job last season.

There has never been a more successful tandem in the NFL than Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, and there might never be another one to match them. However, the pair are clearly approaching the end of the road, with Belichick turning 67 in April and Brady now age 41. This could very well be the final rodeo for the two greats.

Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman set up a #betagainstus rallying cry and sold apparel with the slogan after many people doubted the team could make another run. The Pats have won consecutive games while advertising themselves as underdogs, and it's only one more win to give the Patriots heir sixth Super Bowl title in 18 seasons.

Cooks was traded from the Patriots to the Rams during the offseason, and now he has an opportunity to face his former team. Of course, this will be the second straight week Cooks will face a former team after beating New Orleans last week, the organization that drafted him.

Donald is the likely Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 20.5 sacks. It would be his second straight season winning the award, and he will be a major force for the Patriots offense to contend with in the Super Bowl.

Each side has an assistant coach who's set to depart for a head coaching job following the Super Bowl. Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor is headed to Cincinnati, while Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores is likely headed to Miami. Both coaches would love nothing more than to cap off their tenures as assistants with a Super Bowl ring.

While the storyline has waned among general NFL fans, the hate of Goodell among Patriots fans following the Deflategate scandal is still present. It already made for an awkward situation on the podium two years ago when the Patriots defeated Atlanta, and it could become uncomfortable again if New England wins the Super Bowl this year.

Gronk considered retirement last offseason and has struggled for much of this year while battling through injuries. One of the greatest tight ends to ever play in the NFL, Gronkowski is coming off an excellent AFC championship game at Kansas City, but Sunday could be his final game in his ninth NFL season.

Gurley missed the final two games of the regular season with a knee injury, and while he saw 18 touches against Dallas in the Divisional Round, he had only five touches last week. The week off likely did him some good, but it's still unclear how healthy Gurley is going into the Super Bowl.

Georgia is a hotbed for football, and there is plenty of homegrown talent playing in the Super Bowl in Atlanta. The Patriots feature Shaq Mason, David Andrews and Sony Michel, all from Georgia colleges, while the Rams have Todd Gurley and Ramik Wilson, former Georgia Bulldogs. Atlanta football fans should have plenty of interest, even with the Falcons missing the playoffs.

The overtime and officiating controversies in the conference championships overshadowed the excellent kicking performances, particularly by Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein. He made four field goals, including a 48-yarder to tie the game with 15 seconds remaining and a 57-yarder to win the game in overtime. Meanwhile, Stephen Gostkowski also made a key 47-yard field goal for the Patriots. With a point spread that has remained at a field goal or less, the kicking game could play a big role on Sunday.

The NFL hopes officiating doesn't become a story again, but the Saints have an argument that they should be in the Super Bowl after a no-call on a clear pass interference late in the NFC championship. The AFC championship also featured several key late calls and almost never-ending replay reviews late in the fourth quarter. Hopefully, we don't hear much about the refs after this contest.

Jared Goff is in just his third season and is one of the players who makes the league's future bright,at age 24. On the other side, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is going for his sixth Super Bowl win at age 41. It's quite a contrast and a major storyline for this year's Super Bowl.

McVay is the youngest head coach to ever appear in a Super Bowl, at age 33, making him half the age of Bill Belichick and eight years younger than Tom Brady. He also has two starting offensive linemen on his own team, in Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan, who are older than him. It's a storyline we've already heard plenty about since the Rams made McVay the youngest head coach in the league before last season, and we'll hear it a lot more if the Rams win.

White is a matchup nightmare and came up big in Super Bowl LI two years ago against the Falcons. He finished the regular season with a career-high 87 receptions and already has 19 catches in two games during the playoffs this year. The Rams defense will need a game plan to stop White, or it could be in trouble.