ATLANTA (AP) — The guys from LA seemed to enjoy the spectacle.The silly questions. The ridiculous antics. The carnival-like atmosphere.Why wouldn’t they?It’s all new to most of them.“I’m 37 years old and I’m big-eyed right now Drew Bledsoe Jerseys 2019 ,” said offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, the oldest player on the Los Angeles Rams. “This is amazing. It’s something that excites you and makes you realize how special this game is.”For the other guys at Super Bowl Media Night, there might as well have been a collective yawn.The New England Patriots have been through it all before.Over and over again.Bill Belichick looked out on the assembled media — sprinkled with an array of comics, TV personalities and riff-raff — with his usual disdain.Tom Brady smiled at all the right times but might as well have been on auto-pilot.It will be interesting to see how it all plays out next Sunday.Will the brash young Rams — with a sweatsuit-wearing coach, Sean McVay, who is half Belichick’s age and a quarterback, Jared Goff, who doesn’t remember Brady’s first Super Bowl because, well, he was only 7 years old the time — find themselves overwhelmed on the big stage?Are the wily ol’ Patriots — making their ninth Super Bowl appearance in 18 seasons and already possessing enough rings to fill out an entire hand — simply too experienced to slip up against a team that has virtually no track record at this time of year to fall back on?“Probably throughout the week, it gives them an advantage,” Whitworth conceded. “They kind of know this week. They know when things are a little anxious, when to kind of White Steve Grogan Jerseys , hey, turn it on and get ready to play. They probably have a process and a plan for the week.“But you know what?” he quickly added. “I’m just a firm believer that when you get out there and you snap that football, at some point the nerves are going to go away. You’re going to have to settle in and be the team you are.”Those who are quick to declare that the Rams are just happy to be here, perhaps after watching McVay toss balls toward a kid hoisted onto an adult’s shoulders and wearing a goalpost-shaped hat, might want to consider all they’ve been through.A season ago, they suddenly emerged as one of the NFL’s most exciting young teams, improving from 4-12 in 2016 — their first season back in Los Angeles after two decades in St. Louis — to 11-5 and a division championship. Then, in the first-round of the playoffs, they were upset at the Coliseum by the Atlanta Falcons.“We felt like we could’ve made it (to the Super Bowl) last year,” said John Johnson III, the Rams’ second-year safety. “We were really disappointed.”This season, Los Angeles stared down a pair of off-the-field tragedies without batting an eye. There were the wildfires that raged in Southern California, forcing them to cancel a practice and creating some anxious moments for those closest to them. There was a mass shooting that claimed 13 lives at a bar not far from their Thousand Oaks training base.They also spent a week training in Colorado Springs Steve Grogan Jerseys 2019 , preparing to play a game in the high altitude of Mexico City, only to have that contest moved back to Los Angeles on short notice because of poor field conditions at Estadio Azteca.“It was like one thing after another that we can’t control,” Whitworth said. “We really had to just settle in — even though we were worried about our families and our friends and people around us — and just play football.”They went 13-3 to capture another division title and a first-round bye. They knocked off the Dallas Cowboys for the franchise’s first playoff victory in 14 years. Then, playing in one of the league’s most hostile road environments, they rallied from an early 13-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Saints in overtime.Sure, the Rams needed a blown call in the closing minutes of regulation just to get to overtime. But considering all they had been through, there was probably a bit of karma in that outcome.Now, they face the ultimate test.Belichick, Brady and the Super Bowl-tested Patriots.New England is not unbeatable, of course. They’ve actually lost three of those eight previous Super Bowls, and every single one has been a nail-biter, the average margin barely more than four points.But the Patriots carry themselves with a haughty aura that they’ve more than earned. A team that shows the least bit of timidity or uncertainty will likely find itself beaten before taking the field. Even with all those titles on their resume, Belichick and Brady seem as driven as ever.With his gruff-meter turned up to full blast and wearing a dark suit that would’ve worked just fine at a funeral White Kevin Faulk Jerseys , Belichick scoffed at a reporter who questioned, innocently enough, how he managed to avoid burnout. He brushed off a wide range of queries with his standard “I’m only focused on this game” retort. He refused to play along with any attempts to crack his grim veneer.When someone from the TV show “Extra” asked him to pick a random question from a helmet, Belichick reluctantly grabbed a slip of paper that read, “Who is Adam Levine married to?”The coach tossed it aside with disdain.“Ask me a football question,” Belichick demanded.Yep, the Patriots have been through it all before.We’ll see if that makes a difference comes Sunday.“I think experience helps. But I don’t think it will be the deciding factor. Yeah, they’ve been to this game a lot. But they haven’t played this team,” Johnson said, looking around at a group that has come so far.“Ever.” Daily news and links for Monday"TEAM TALKRob Rang’s Draft Prospect Profiles: Offensive tackle - Guard - Defensive tackle.Don Banks shares his pre-draft Snap Judgments.Paul Perillo and Erik Scalavino debate who should be the next person inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.2019 NFL Draft Preview: The possibility of the Patriots trading for Arizona Cardinals QB Josh Rosen. (2.10 min. video)LOCAL LINKSMike Reiss shares some quick-hit weekend thoughts: Like his dad, Matthew Slater finds meaning in staying with one team; More.Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Sunday Patriots news, AFC East notes: Patriots huge in China; Nick Saban on advice from Belichick; More.Ryan Hannable’s Sunday 7: Patriots exploring options with trading up in NFL draft; If the Patriots select a QB, it seems like it won’t be until late in the draft; More.Tom E. Curran’s Sunday Notes: The truth will set Kraft free and end the Orchids Day Spa drama; More. /Also might get him banned from the NFL.Kevin Duffy writes how the Patriots have dominated in ‘pick swap’ trades Kevin Faulk Jerseys 2019 , taking plug-and-play veterans while surrendering little draft capital. “The biggest play of Super Bowl LIII was made by a guy the Patriots acquired for free.” Evan Lazar’s best Patriots draft fits: Cornerbacks - Safeties.David Latham (LastWordOnSports) Patriots 2019 NFL draft targets: Notre Dame WR Miles Boykin.Jared Villani (ClutchPoints) 3 biggest needs for the New England Patriots after free agency: 1. Pass catcher.Ryan Hannable notes the Patriots have highest over/under win total in the NFL for the fourth straight season.Dakota Randall passes along a Josh Rosen rumor: Cardinals still not showing ‘willingness’ to trade.Rob Bradford passes along a report that the Patriots have informed the Red Sox that Robert Kraft, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick or any of the team’s coaches will not be in attendance at Fenway Park Tuesday for the Sox’ championship celebration.Nicole Yang reports Rob Gronkowski makes his first public appearance in Boston since retiring, as the guest of honor for the annual Make-A-Wish Gala at the InterContinental Hotel Saturday night.Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Tom Brady cheers on Ryan Shazier amid impressive recovery.Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Malcolm Mitchell: Learning Patriots playbook ‘was like calculus at the highest degree.Ryan Hannable notes former Chiefs CB Stevan Nelson says”screw the Patriots, because we should’ve been in the Super Bowl.” /Boo freaking hoo.Evan Lazar’s NFL draft series: Offensive line preview (1 hour audio).Bob Socci and Ted Johnson post the first edition of their NFL Draft Preview Show, starting with the state of the Patriots. (44.30 min.)Steve Balestrieri (PatsFans) Patriots 2019 7-round mock draft 2.0: Trying to meet team needs. Pats pick Ole Miss WR A.J. Brown at No. 32.Evan Lazar offers his 7-round mock draft 2.0: Changes at the top for the Patriots.Pats pick Clemson DL Dexter Lawrence at 32.Phil Perry presents his 7-round mock draft 4.0. Patriots trade No. 32 and No. 73 to Seattle, Patriots acquire No. 21 and No. 159. Pats pick Iowa TE T.J. Hockenson at No. 21.NATIONAL NEWSAlbert Breer (SI) Monday Morning QB: Are the quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL draft class worth waiting for?Peter King (ProFootballTalk) FMIA: Non-mock NFL draft: What each team should do in first round. New England: Best corner, edge player or receiver. LSU CB Greedy Williams.Conor Orr (SI) Morning Huddle: The Jets’ new uniforms are...fine.Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) First round could see five quarterbacks, again.Mark Schofield (Pro Football Weekly) Best landing spots for Tier 1 QB prospects in 2019 NFL draftJared Dubin (CBS Sports) Ranking position groups for all 32 teams reveals their biggest needs. Needs: WR/TE, EDGE, INT DL. Jason La Canfora (CBS Sports) 2019 NFL QB tiers: Who’s a franchise guy? A rising star? A place holder? Here’s where your starter ranks. Brady in Tier 1 (of course).Conor Orr (SI) Ranking all 32 NFL teams’ running back situations, best to worst. Patriots 7th.Maurice Moton (Bleacher Report) 2019 NFL Draft: The most overlooked player at every position.Staff (Pro Football Weekly) The best and worst AFC East NFL draft picks in the past decade.Sujay Utkarsh (The Tartan) Penalty shouts: Gronk, CTE White Tedy Bruschi Jerseys , and the NFL.Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Saban recalls the value of Belichick teaching him not to coach too much.Gary Davenport (Bleacher Report) Every NFL team’s biggest red flag heading into April. Patriots: Life after Gronk.Scott Spratt (Pro Football Focus) How receiving success can predict a rushing workload.Austin Gayle (Pro Football Focus) Ranking the top-five offensive tackles in the 2019 NFL Draft by pass-blocking efficiency and by run-blocking grade.Steve Palazzolo and Sam Monson (Pro Football Focus) 2019 NFL draft sleepers. (13.10 min. video)Bryan Knowles (Football Outsiders) Failed completions 2018.Barry Werner (TouchdownWire) The last time each NFL team drafted a defensive back in the first round.Patriots: Devin McCourty (2010).Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News) NFL Draft 2019: Predicting where Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, other top QBs will be picked.Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports) 2019 NFL Draft: Buyer beware on Dwayne Haskins, Rashan Gary, and these other top prospects.Matt Miller (Bleacher Report) NFL Draft 400: Ranking the draft’s top linebackers.Jarrett Bell (USA Today) Opinion: Football needs another successful league to survive, for the good of the game.Cale Clinton (Football Outsiders) The month in quotes: March 2019.Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports) Two-round 2019 mock draft. Pats pick Clemson DT Dexter Lawrence at 32 and Maryland safety Darnell Savage at 64.EXTRACURRICULARMike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Don’t blame NFLPA for demise of AAF.Stan Grossfield writes about NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson training for the Boston Marathon, who believes he is just as good an athlete as Tom Brady is in his respective field. “All athletes get criticized”, he says. “I mean, Tom [Brady] deals with it plenty. Is it him or is it [Bill] Belichick? Is it him or is it someone else on the team?”