Rams, Patriots play out 2nd-lowest scoring half in Super Bowl history - ESPN

8:52 PM ET

ATLANTA -- So much for a shootout in Super Bowl LIII.

The New England Patriots took a 3-0 lead over the Los Angeles Rams into halftime, as the teams combined for the second-lowest-scoring half in Super Bowl history on Sunday night.

The lowest-scoring half came in Super Bowl IX, when the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings combined for two points.

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was uncharacteristically shaky, going 15-of-25 for 160 yards, while throwing an interception on his first pass attempt. Rams quarterback Jared Goff also struggled, completing 5 of 12 passes for 52 yards.

The Rams were 0-for-6 on third down.

This is only the second playoff game since 2001 that had three or fewer combined first-half points, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Vikings and Seattle Seahawks combined for three in the 2015 wild-card round.

The Patriots' defense has sizzled in the first half of its last two games -- against the Kansas City Chiefs and Rams. The unit has not allowed any points, while opponents ran 38 plays for 89 yards.

During the regular season, the Chiefs (18.6 points per half) and the Rams (17.4 points per half) were the two highest-scoring first-half offenses in the league.

The Patriots are the third team to shut out their opponent in the first half of both the conference championship and Super Bowl, along with the 1973 Miami Dolphins and 2000 Baltimore Ravens. Both of those teams won the Super Bowl.

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