atriots are so experienced in this environment. Nothing that happens in Atlanta during Super Bowl week is likely to bother them. Same

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Darius Leonard chose No. 53 so he could follow in his half-brother’s footsteps.The Indianapolis Colts rookie linebacker soon learned he had much larger shoes to fill.Leonard has embraced the legacy of Edwin Jackson http://www.cowboyscheapauthenticstore.com/trysten-hill-jersey-cheap , who wore the same jersey number with the Colts before he was killed in a February traffic accident. Now Leonard will honor Jackson’s memory during the NFL’s annual My Cause My Cleats celebration, something Jackson’s family endorses.“When my family and I watch Darius, we see the same passion and fire Edwin played with” said Adam Jackson, Edwin’s brother. “Edwin often talked about how he represented a lot of people when he was on the field, and that he wanted to make them proud and give them a show. It seems like this is similar for Darius Leonard. From what I have read about Darius, he was considered an underdog coming out of college just like Edwin. They both used this underdog mentality as fuel to become NFL starters for the Colts.”The similarities go far deeper than numbers and resume lines, though.Both were largely overlooked by big-name colleges because of their size. Both far exceeded expectations at Football Championship Subdivision schools and impressed NFL coaches with their ability to run from sideline to sideline. Both won over their pro teammates with fun-loving personalities and their passion for the sport and both embraced giving back to their communities.Leonard knew nothing about Jackson when the Colts drafted him in the second round, No. 36 overall, in April.It wasn’t until he requested the number of his half brother, former NFL player Anthony Waters, that Leonard got a crash course in what Jackson meant to the organization.“He was a great person, he came from a great family and he was great to be around,” second-year linebacker Anthony Walker said. “He was one of the guys I was closest to last year, and he kind of took me under his wing and showed me how it worked in the NFL.”Now Walker finds himself fulfilling Jackson’s old role by serving as a mentor, to Leonard — the league’s leading tackler heading into Sunday’s game at Jacksonville (3-8) and a bona fide candidate as defensive rookie of the year.The starting tandem and locker mates seem to thoroughly enjoy trading stories, doubling as comics and playfully teasing one another during locker room interviews in the same fashion. They’re loud and full of joy — just likeJackson, who was nicknamed “Pound Cake” after walking on at Georgia Southern and being cut by the Arizona Cardinals in 2015 before landing in Indy.“It seems like his personality and who he was is very similar to who I am,” said Leonard, who was dubbed “Maniac” during his college years at South Carolina State following an 19-tackle game against Clemson in September 2016.Leonard’s performance caught the attention of Colts general manager Chris Ballard Drew Lock Jersey , who also was a huge fan of Jackson and his radiant smile that seemed to welcome anybody who came into the locker room.And it led Leonard to this place — where he, Walker and injured safety Mathias Farley intend to wear specially-designed cleats to help raise money and awareness for the Edwin Jackson 53 Foundation. In this, the third year of the cleats program, organizers have expanded it to a three-week window so every player has a chance to participate in front of their home fans.Indy’s chance comes Dec. 16 against Dallas — a potentially huge game for an organization that has won five straight to climb back into playoff contention — and Jackson’s brother will attend the game.It will be Adam Jackson’s second trip to Indy for a tribute. He and his family also came back Sept. 30 when the Colts played a highlight reel of Jackson on the stadium’s big screens and donated $32,000 to the foundation. Indy lost that game in overtime but won over the hearts of the Jackson family.“It was a special moment for all of us,” he said. “We followed him everywhere from elementary school to Georgia Southern, all the way up to Indianapolis. It was a touching moment to walk in the same footsteps Edwin had walked and see how much his hard work was appreciated and how much it still is appreciated.”And now Adam Jackson will get to see the appreciation once more through the fittingly fancy footwork of Walker and Leonard.“Darius is also part of the same college fraternity as Edwin’s grandfather, Omega Psi Phi,” he said. “So I think if anyone is going to wear Edwin’s jersey, it should be Darius, and he has represented the number 53 quite well.” The previous time the Rams played in a Super Bowl, the opponent was New England. It didn’t work out so well for the then-St. Louis team.The Patriots, of course, have made a habit of being in the NFL championship game — this is their eighth since that 2002 victory over the Greatest Show On Turf.Here’s how they’ll match up in Atlanta:WHEN NEW ENGLAND HAS THE BALLThanks to a dominating line led by LT Trent Brown (77), C David Andrews (60) and RG Shaq Mason (69), Tom Brady (12) barely was touched and never was sacked by Kansas City in the AFC title game. And the Chiefs led the league in sacks. If that group can be just as stout against All-Pro DT Aaron Donald, the only unanimous choice for the squad, Ndamukong Suh (93) and Michael Brockers (90), Brady could have another one of his MVP performances. However http://www.broncoscheapauthenticstore.com/dre_mont-jones-jersey-cheap , the secondary he’ll face this time is far superior to what the Chiefs put on the field, particularly with cornerbacks Aqib Talib (21) and Marcus Peters (22) — and backup Nickell Robey-Coleman (23), he of the now-infamous helmet-hit pass interference non-call against the Saints.Those two must be aggressive at the line of scrimmage against WRs Julian Edelman (11) and Chris Hogan (15), who were so open on some routes against Kansas City it looked like a passing drill.The other intriguing matchup here is TE Rob Gronkowski (87) against safeties Lamarcus Joyner (20) and John Johnson III (43), who are physical enough to deal with Gronk, but it’s a wearying and thankless task.And there’s this for LA to deal with: Rookie Sony Michel (26) has become a ground force with his power and instincts. Fellow RB James White (28) is one of the best receivers out of the backfield in the league, and third-stringer Rex Burkhead (34) scored twice, including the winning TD for the AFC crown.Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will challenge Brady with his schemes, but LA must disrupt the QB’s timing and comfort zone. Brady’s O-line has to prevent that.WHEN LOS ANGELES HAS THE BALLMichel’s former teammate at Georgia, All-Pro RB Todd Gurley (30), has been battling knee issues. While late-season pickup C.J. Anderson (35) has been masterful, the Rams need a healthy and productive Gurley for the Super Bowl. At least he’s had extra time to heal.Gurley led the NFL with 21 TDs and ranked fourth with 1,831 yards from scrimmage. He’d be a handful as a receiver for Patriots LBs Dont’a Hightower (54) and Kyle Van Noy (53), who comes off a superb outing in Kansas City. So one of the DBs, perhaps safeties Devin McCourty (32) or Patrick Chung (23), could get some assignments.The Rams want to have balance on offense, and they certainly have the options in the passing game with Jared Goff (16) throwing to WRs Robert Woods (17), Brandin Cooks (12) and rapidly developing Josh Reynolds (83). Cooks will be eager for a big game after the Patriots dealt him to LA last offseason. He’ll likely see plenty of All-Pro CB Stephon Gilmore, who struggled a bit in KC.New England managed four sacks of Patrick Mahomes and the Rams can’t be that generous if they expect to carry off the Lombardi Trophy. Steady linemen LT Andrew Whitworth (77) http://www.eaglescheapauthenticstore.com/shareef-miller-jersey-cheap , LG Rodger Saffold (76) and RT Rob Havenstein (79) must hold their own against DE Trey Flowers (98), Van Noy and the guys on the interior for New England.Goff vs. Brady would seem a mismatch. But Goff and his team beat Drew Brees for the NFC title.SPECIAL TEAMSWhat more can Greg The Leg do? Well, LA placekicker Greg Zuerlein (4) could follow his clutch work in the Big Easy with a Super Bowl-winning boot.Rams P Johnny Hekker (6) converted a fake punt for a first down at New Orleans and has one of the most powerful legs in the league.The Rams aren’t exceptional on returns, but they aren’t inept, either. JoJo Natson (19) has handled most of the punt runbacks, while Blake Countess (24) is the kick returner.The Patriots are more likely to break something in the return game with Cordarrelle Patterson (84) on kickoffs. New England features the usually reliable Edelman on punts, although he did — or didn’t — fumble one against the Chiefs.Stephen Gostkowski (3) has made more pressure attempts than nearly any current NFL placekicker this side of record-setter Adam Vinatieri, and Ryan Allen (6) does a solid job punting.COACHINGSeeing how the Patriots dominated the Chiefs early on both sides of the ball, OC Josh McDaniels and unofficial DC Brian Flores had a superb game plan. But KC began moving the ball almost at will in the second half, and the Rams are capable of the same. That makes for a key question: Can LA slow down the precision passing and powerful/slashing running of Michel?LA coach Sean McVay is the hot commodity on the pro football market. Every team looking for a new head coach has at least investigated people who’ve worked with McVay, who just turned 33. He’s innovative, aggressive and, in some ways, one of the guys, something New England’s Bill Belichick most definitely isn’t.INTANGIBLESThe Patriots are so experienced in this environment. Nothing that happens in Atlanta during Super Bowl week is likely to bother them. Same thing probably will apply when they get on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium field.Brady, 41, will be the oldest starting QB in Super Bowl history. A sixth title would tie the Patriots with the Steelers for most in the Super Bowl era.The Rams could energize the Los Angeles area about the NFL with a championship just three seasons into their return to Hollywood. They won the Super Bowl once, but representing St. Louis in the 2000 game.