John Bazemore/Associated Press Given that the Pro Football Hall of Fame announces its annual class the week of the Super Bowl, it's hardly surprising that the candidacy of the players taking part in football's biggest game would be a topic of discussion leading up to game time. This year was no different, and earlier this week, the internet buzzed with arguments for and against the worthiness of New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman. On Sunday night in Atlanta, Edelman made his own case. It was a compelling one—in scorching the Rams with 10 catches for 141 yards and helping spur the Pats to a record-tying sixth Lombardi Trophy while winning MVP honors, Edelman solidified his status as a legitimate contender to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, one day. Chuck Burton/Associated Press Boomer Esiason of CBS Sports got the brouhaha started in earnest last week when he called Edelman a Hall of Famer while talking to WEEI Radio. "Is Julian Edelman not a Hall of Famer? I know his numbers in the regular season don't add up to Antonio Brown, AJ Green or Julio Jones," Esiason said, "but his numbers are awesome in the playoffs. He's right behind Jerry Rice. Considering these guys are still doing it, he might get a few more years in the playoffs to add to those numbers. The guy is clutch in the biggest of games. I don't know what else to tell you. He is, in my eyes, truly the definition of a Hall of Famer: make the play when the play needs to be made in the biggest games to win the game." That radio interview gave rise to a Twitterstorm of back-and-forth and plenty of articles both for and against Edelman's Canton-dacy. Video Play Button Videos you might like Can we call that a word now? Outside of the Boston metro area, the majority seemed to believe that while Edelman is a very good player, he's not worthy of serious consideration as a Hall of Famer. In fact, some went so far as to say he's not even the best slot receiver of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era in Boston. Those detractors made some valid points. In nine NFL seasons since being drafted in the seventh round in 2009, Edelman has never been named an All-Pro or even selected to the Pro Bowl. Just twice in those nine seasons did Edelman top 1,000 yards. Only once did he exceed 100 catches. And the former collegiate quarterback has never so much as finished in the top 10 in receiving yards in a season. That settled that. And then Super Bowl LIII happened—and we were all reminded that Edelman's so much more than just his raw stats. Patrick Semansky/Associated Press In a game choked with stars at the game's skill positions, it was Edelman who stood head and shoulders above everybody else. All night long Edelman essentially got open at will, running razor-sharp routes, catching just about everything thrown at him and beating the Rams inside and out—underneath and down the field. The Rams knew Edelman was killing them. And there wasn't a thing they could do about it. In hindsight, Edelman's explosion shouldn't have been as surprising as it was. He's made a career of making the big catch when Brady needs him to the most—like his ridiculous grab in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LI. He's also made a habit of stepping up in the biggest of games. Super Bowl LIII marked the second time this postseason and sixth time overall that he's topped 100 receiving yards in a playoff game. Four of those outings have come in his last two postseasons. Among all NFL receivers, only Jerry Rice has more catches or receiving yards in the postseason than Julian Edelman. The game capped an outstanding rebound season for Edelman, who missed all of the 2017 season (and the team's loss in Super Bowl LII) with a torn ACL. After the game, Edelman told the NFL Network that he treated Sunday's game the same way he did all of this season—as an opportunity to overcome adversity. Patrick Semansky/Associated Press "Tough times don't last," Edelman said. "Tough people do. When you keep your head down, and you work hard, and you don't worry about the noise and what everyone's telling you and what everyone's saying, and you worry about things you can control—good things happen." That's just about the most Edelman quote ever. The mantra of a true grinder. As the confetti settled at Mercedes-Benz, Adam Schefter of ESPN fired up the discussion again on Twitter—and was mostly roasted for it. No, Edelman's career numbers in the regular season aren't especially impressive. In nine seasons played, Edelman has 499 catches for 5,390 yards and 30 scores. On the surface, those numbers aren't blowing anyone away. But Edelman's value to the greatest dynasty in modern NFL history goes well beyond the numbers. The Patriots aren't a team that's going to target a receiver over and over and over—unless he's open. The ball is going to be spread around. The game plan can vary wildly from week to week. And to his credit, unlike many high-end receivers, Edelman has never pouted if he wasn't regularly targeted 15 times a game. But seemingly every time the Patriots have ever needed a big game or big catch from Edelman, he's delivered—especially on the biggest stages. If you think that postseason success and heroics can't get a player most of the way to Canton, then you've never seen the entire list of inductees. The Welker vs. Edelman debate is that of big numbers in the regular season vs. success in the playoffs. And in any event, it's not an either/or proposition—cases for induction can be made for both. Patrick Semansky/Associated Press No one's saying Edelman's a first-ballot inductee. Or even a lock to get in. He's going to need to finish his career strong. Some more big games in the postseason would certainly help. And the Edelman vs. Calvin Johnson argument was…stop. Just please…stop. But dismissing Edelman's greatness simply due to a lack of gaudy statistics is just as foolish as comparing him to Megatron. Without elite size or elite speed or elite anything, Edelman has carved out a fantastic career as an integral part of a Patriots team that has been to four of the last five Super Bowls and will no doubt open 2019 as the favorites to represent the AFC in Miami. In an era where the slot receiver position has truly come into its own as a vital part of offensive success, Edelman has shown time and again to be the best in the game. So, dismiss Edelman's Canton credentials at your own risk. Very few people expected him to ever amount to much as a pro. Fewer still thought he'd be the MVP of the Super Bowl one day. If you made that wager Sunday, congrats on that 20-to-1 payday. Julian Edelman has made a career of exceeding expectations—by surprising people. And after Sunday's heroics, it's increasingly likely that his last surprise in the NFL will be a beige jacket.<doc-sep>ATLANTA — The NFL has some warped priorities. Call attention to racism and discrimination, and your career is effectively over. Test positive for performance-enhancing drugs, and you can be the Super Bowl MVP. By his play on the field, Julian Edelman was fully deserving of the honor Sunday night, carrying the New England Patriots offense for much of their 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Of his 10 catches, eight were for first downs. Six were for 10 yards or more. It was his 25-yard catch on third down that kept New England’s first scoring drive alive. He had another big catch on the game-winning drive. Yet you can argue that Edelman shouldn’t even have been on the field. That he should have lost his postseason privileges as part of his punishment for trying to game the system. That his third ring is already tarnished. It’s been seemingly forgotten now, but the wide receiver missed the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy. In Major League Baseball, that also would have meant he’d be ineligible for the postseason. More:Julian Edelman takes Super Bowl MVP in Patriots' win over Rams More Armour Opinion:Patriots' sixth Super Bowl win as ugly as they come See, when baseball passed that rule back in 2014, it did so because it didn’t seem right to have players “coming back and affecting a change in the postseason as a result of the decision that particular player made earlier in the year.” In other words, you cheat, you pay the price. An actual one with ramifications for you and your teammates, not some slap on the wrist that everyone forgets as soon as it happens. That’s the dirty secret of the NFL, though. It doesn’t care about PEDs – at least, not enough to make the punishments tough enough to discourage their use – because the game benefits from them. PEDs make players faster and stronger. PEDs allow players to recover faster and withstand the brutal pounding of a game that is the equivalent of a series of car wrecks. PEDs allow smaller players to hold their own against guys with six inches and 100 pounds on them. Want news from USA TODAY on WhatsApp? Click this link on your mobile device to get started Like, say, a receiver who is generously listed at 5-10 and 198 pounds. Who missed last season with a torn ACL. Edelman never did say what he took, suggesting only that it was inadvertent. Of course it was. No one in the NFL actually admits to using steroids or HGH or anything else that gives him an edge or just allows him to stay on the field. And no one cares. Not the coaches, not the teams, not the league and certainly not the fans. More:Tom Brady sets record for most Super Bowl wins by NFL player with six More:Inside the numbers of the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in history If this was any other sport, we’d be howling about the sanctity of the game and how someone who cheats should be branded with a scarlet PED for the rest of his life. It wasn’t even two weeks ago, in fact, that Barry Bonds found himself shut out of baseball’s Hall of Fame yet again because he didn’t come by his home runs, or his expanded hat size, naturally. But we don’t even bat an eye at NFL players who dope. Rarely does a month go by without a player drawing a four-game suspension for PEDs, yet the announcement draws as much attention as the endless shuffles of the practice squad. We love the game fiercely, obsessing over stats and schemes and everything in between. But we don’t really want to know how it’s played or the heavy toll it exacts. Maybe it’s the helmets and the padding, maybe it’s the robot caricatures that Fox and advertisers use. But rather than seeing NFL players as humans who can break and bleed, we view them as gladiator-like creatures who are immune to pain. Impervious to destruction. And the NFL is happy to perpetuate the charade. Opinion:Patriots' relentless defense was the real MVP of this Super Bowl Opinion:Rams needed real, dominant Todd Gurley to have chance to upset Patriots “I was always taught as a young boy that you always just have to work hard,” Edelman said after the game. “Work as hard as you can, put in the extra time and see where it goes. Worry about what you have on your plate at that time. That’s what I have tried to do.” If he took a shortcut or two along the way, so be it. In the NFL’s eyes, all was forgiven long ago. But as the NFL begins a celebration of its 100th season and touts all the great things about its game, always remember that integrity isn’t one of them. *** Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour. If you love talking football, we have the perfect spot for you. Join our new Facebook Group, The Ruling Off the Field, to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders.<doc-sep>Super Bowl LIII's Most Valuable Player is the Patriots' wide receiver Julian Edelman, who caught 10 passes for New England in their 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Appearing on "CBS This Morning" Monday, Edelman said that the first person he talked to after becoming league champions was his mother. "I just said, 'I love you,' and [that] I appreciate her," Edelman said. "I wouldn't be where I'm at without them. Sometimes you just got to say it to let them know." New England Patriots' Julian Edelman celebrates with the Vince Lombardi trophy after winning Super Bowl LIII Sunday, February 3, 2019. MIKE SEGAR/REUTERS Edelman was responsible for more than half (141) of the Patriots' receiving yards. His triumphant performance was the cap on a season that saw him missing the first four games on a doping suspension. Asked to describe how the team was feeling this morning, he said, "Pretty happy and a little tired. It was an unbelievable game. It's great to be a part of a resilient group of guys. Now after all the hard work, we get a little time to enjoy ourselves, and I think that's what we're doing right now." He said his strategy going into the game last night -- to just "go out there and do my job" – was to avoid making any mental errors. "Every game is completely graded throughout the whole process of plus or minus on each play, on blocking assignments or pass routes, conversions or anything like that," Edelman said. "I wanted to go in and have a clean game. I wanted to be able to, you know, help communicate. You want to hear the personnel groups get in and out of the huddle. Those are little individual goals that I had that if you do those little things, it adds up to make a big difference." Edelman and quarterback Tom Brady, who nabbed a record sixth Super Bowl win, hugged after the game. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Julian Edelman celebrate after beating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Sunday, February 3, 2019. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters "It was awesome," he said. "You know, he's the ultimate professional. He's the greatest of all time. And it's been an honor to get to play with him and learn from him on not just being a football player, being a professional, being a father. Just been, you know, helping me out for ten years now, showing me the ropes, and, you know, it's pretty cool to have guys like him around."<doc-sep>
Julian Edelman says he is living a dream and describes the surreal feeling of being named Super Bowl LIII MVP. (0:40) ATLANTA -- In a season that opened with a four-game suspension, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman closed a championship run as the MVP of Super Bowl LIII. In a tight-fisted defensive affair, Edelman did some roll-up-the-sleeves work on offense, with 10 catches for 141 yards in the Patriots' 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Points were hard to come by for both teams in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl of all time, and as the Patriots put together one touchdown drive in the game, Edelman was the consistent go-to guy on offense. Getting The Job Done Julian Edelman is the fourth offensive player to win Super Bowl MVP without scoring a touchdown. Super Bowl MVP III Joe Namath XI Fred Biletnikoff XXXIX Deion Branch LIII Julian Edelman -- ESPN Stats & Information "[It's] pretty surreal. Tough times don't last. Tough people do,'' Edelman said. "I preach that. ... I have to try to live to that.'' Edelman is the seventh wide receiver to earn Super Bowl MVP honors and the first since Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII. Desmond Howard also won the game's MVP honors as a returner. Edelman closed at 25-1 to win MVP at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. Edelman joins a list of receivers to win MVP that includes Hall of Famers Lynn Swann, Fred Biletnikoff and Jerry Rice. He is the second Patriots wide receiver to earn Super Bowl MVP honors, following Deion Branch in Super Bowl XXXIX, New England's third of six Super Bowl wins with Tom Brady at quarterback. It was Edelman's sixth career postseason game with at least 100 yards receiving and his second 100-yard game this postseason. He finished with nine receptions for 151 yards in the Patriots' divisional-round win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Edelman's 115 career postseason receptions are now second only to Rice's total. "I think we just had to worry about one play at a time and keep knocking at the door,'' Edelman said. "It wasn't pretty, but we'll take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day.'' "He played the best game of the year,'' Brady said. "He's a fighter. I'm just so proud of him. He's been an incredible player for this team.'' The Rams were able -- with the power of their defensive front and the occasional matchup of cornerback Aqib Talib on Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski when Gronkowski lined up out wide -- to unsettle Brady some in the early going. Brady's first pass attempt of the game, after the Patriots opened with four consecutive running plays, was intercepted by Rams linebacker Cory Littleton after the ball was tipped by Nickell Robey-Coleman. Edelman had just one catch on the next possession, when Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed a 46-yard field goal attempt. From that point on, the Patriots successfully moved Edelman around the formation -- Talib also matched up on Edelman several times when Edelman lined up in the slot -- and often put Edelman and Gronkowski on the same side. "We were just grinding it out,'' Brady said. "We were able to put some things together. ... I just felt like we had to keep grinding it out all night.'' The result was that Brady was able to get the Patriots' offense moving when he consistently got the ball to Edelman. Edelman finished the first half with seven catches for 93 yards, a total that included four of Brady's six completions of at least 10 yards in the opening half. Edelman had a 13-yard catch on the Patriots' only touchdown drive of the night: a five-play, 69-yard effort that concluded with a 2-yard touchdown run by Sony Michel with seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Patriots' defense also did its part, holding the high-powered Rams to 260 yards as New England sacked Rams quarterback Jared Goff four times to go with an interception. Edelman Joins Exclusive MVP Club Julian Edelman had 10 receptions for 141 yards en route to becoming the seventh wide receiver named Super Bowl MVP. MVP Super Bowl Julian Edelman LIII Santonio Holmes XLIII Hines Ward XL Deion Branch XXXIX Jerry Rice XXIII Fred Biletnikoff XI Lynn Swann X -- ESPN Stats & Information "[I] was just trying to get open....