Super Bowl Opening Night arrived in all of its goofy, sombrero-wearing, overstimulated glory Monday night, and this special edition of Digest is packed with everything you need to know (and lots of stuff you don't) to the kick off a week of detailed analysis, thoughtful insight and ear-splitting hype, including:

• The Patriots' "Silent Killer" who never gets the credit he deserves;

• Johnny Hekker's ultimate fake-punt secret weapon;

• One linebacker's doomed quest to name a single Maroon 5 song;

• C.J. Anderson on Jared Goff, Sean McVay and the chance to play in a third Super Bowl;

• An exclusive sneak peak at Saturday's Pro Football Hall of Fame vote, with the help of actual voters;

• Prop bets for everyone from big risk takers to unapologetic Patriots haters;

and much more!

But we start off with all of that Rams talk about how they are going to take advantage of Old Man Brady.

Wait...where did all of that Rams talk about how they are going to take advantage of Brady go?

Old Man Brady Already Has the Rams Defense Backpedaling

If you tuned in to Super Bowl Opening Night expecting some juicy Rams smack-talk about beating up on Old Man Brady, you came away very disappointed.

"Tom is a great quarterback," Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman said Monday night. "He's the GOAT. He's a legend. "

Robey-Coleman told Bleacher Report's Ty Dunne last week that age has "definitely taken a toll" on Brady. "Movement, velocity, arm strength ... He can still sling it, but he's not slinging it as much," Robey-Coleman said. "And sometimes, it's not the sharpest."

But Robey-Coleman walked those comments way, way back on Monday. "That was out-of-context," he said. "I'm not taking anything away from his game."

What about the parts where Robey-Coleman called the Patriots "arrogant" and went into detail about wanting to "put the dagger in, pull it out, and let them leak slow"?

"He didn't say all that," according to teammate Aqib Talib. "Y'all [the media] do your own job and put extra on everything."

It's a wonder no one shouted "FAKE NEWS." Also, no one explained what context specific remarks about Brady's arm strength or daggers and slow leaks were supposed to be taken in. But hey, if there's one thing cornerbacks know how to do, it's backpedal.

So do Rams defenders think Brady lost a step?

"He ain't lost nothing," Talib said. "He's in the Super Bowl. He's Tom Brady."

In fact, Talib said Brady might be getting better. "Every year you play, you get smarter. The game slows down for you even more. It's just another year under his belt." Brady, per Talib, is better than ever at "seeing something he's seen in the past, and knowing how he's gonna attack it."

For his part, Brady took a very pregnant pause before responding to Robey-Coleman's original comments. "Yeah, I don't have much to add," he said.

The man who commissions Tom vs. Time documentaries about his agelessness and leads "We're still here" chants doesn't appear to have much patience with talk of his declining skills. And Brady is old gets about the same response in New England as your wife is ugly. Them's fightin' words.

It's not enough for Brady to be the GOAT or a still-great-if-not-as-sharp GOAT: He must be the exact same GOAT, or an even better GOAT, no matter what the stats say or how run-heavy the Patriots offense has become. Any thoughts to the contrary can and will be used against you, unless you can back them up with action.

The fear that Brady can still make opponents pay dearly for even couched criticism is one of the truest testaments to Brady's greatness.

When reminded that the Patriots love bulletin-board material, Talib said: "Who don't? Everybody likes to use bulletin board material!"

The Rams didn't provide any on Monday. And it doesn't matter what Robey-Coleman or anyone else thinks of what Brady could do last year or 10 years ago. The Rams must prove they can stop the current Brady on Sunday.

The past few weeks have shown that is no easy task. 

C.J. Anderson's Same Ol' Super Bowl

C.J. Anderson was cut by the Panthers and Raiders during the regular season, only to sign with the Rams as a backup, produce a pair of 100-yard games in relief of Todd Gurley in the regular season, then take over for the struggling Gurley in the NFC Championship Game and help the Rams reach the Super Bowl.

Anderson was thronged by reporters for a solid hour on Super Bowl Opening Night, and Digest joined the throng to get Anderson's thoughts on playing in his third Super Bowl, facing the Patriots eight times earlier in his career as a Broncos running back, Gurley and more.

Does facing the Patriots eight times over the last few years give you any type of advantage?

Anderson: A little bit. But they do a lot of things based off personnel, and their personnel is different now. I got a chance to play against Aqib Talib. Then I had Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner. Malcolm Butler and Stephon Gilmore. Jared Mayo, Brandon Spikes, Rob Ninkovich. They've changed so much. But some of the scheme is still the same.

How different is their defense each time you face them?

Anderson: Every chance they get they put in a tweak or turn it. They've got two weeks to prepare, so it's going to be crazy.

What kind of quarterback has Jared Goff become?

Anderson: Super smart, super instinctive. He works really hard at what he does. He comes into work every day, first guy in, last guy out. It doesn't surprise me the kind of success he has had at an early age.

Is Goff among the best in the league?

Anderson: I think so. But I don't vote for All-Pros, I don't vote for the Hall of Fame. I'll let y'all weigh my man's career. He's only been in the league three years.

Is Sean McVay a genius?

Anderson: Sean's a hell of a football coach.

What do you expect from Todd Gurley on Sunday?

Anderson: Todd's a really great player. He's a special player. I'm excited to see what he does this Sunday. I know he's going to have a big game and bounce back. An MVP-type game.

What about you?

Anderson: Just have fun. Hit the right spots and help the team as needed.

How different is this from your last two Super Bowls?

Anderson: Not different at all. Same ol' Super Bowl: same media night, same fun, same enjoyment.

But didn't this feel miles away for you just a few months ago?

Anderson: It was miles away from everyone a few months ago. I think the only people who knew they were gonna be at the Super Bowl a few months ago was the media.

The Best Player No One Talks About

Trey Flowers may be the best player on the Patriots defense, and he has delivered some signature playoff moments for the team over the past three seasons, including 2.5 sacks (one of which took the Falcons out of field-goal range in the fourth quarter) in Super Bowl LI.

Yet Flowers remains one of the least-talked-about top defenders in the NFL. Digest spent a few minutes at Flowers' Super Bowl Opening Night interview session to figure out why.

Digest: Do you think you get the respect you deserve?

Flowers: I probably don't. But I don't play the game for respect. I play the game to win. ... If they don't want to give respect, as far as media and things, that's not what I'm here for.

Digest: Why do you think you get overlooked?

Flowers: It is what it is. We play for each other. We don't play for the highlights and the media thing. We play for each other. 

Digest: Do you think you would get more attention if your sack totals were higher?

Flowers: I probably would. But like I said, I don't pay attention to the media. I follow the game plan. Whatever that consists of, that's what it is. When it comes to the individual things, that's not what I take pride in.

Digest: What part of your game to you take the most pride in?

Flowers: Just being fundamentally sound and physical. Playing that way, with a high intensity and motor, is something I take pride in. It may not be the perfect play or the perfect technique, but I play with a lot of energy.

Digest: Patrick Chung called you the Kawhi Leonard of the NFL. What do you think of that comparison?

Flowers: Man, Patrick—he be wildin'. But I guess I don't say much. I just handle business. But Kawhi Leonard's pretty good. I wouldn't put myself out there.

Digest: Chung also called you the "Silent Killer."

Flowers: That may be fitting. I don't really say much. They have been trying to get me to talk a little bit more, get my personality out there. But I just be chillin'.

Secrets of the Rams' Fake-Punt Success

The Saints should not have been caught by surprise last week when Rams punter Johnny Hekker turned the NFC Championship Game around with a fake punt. After all, Hekker has completed 11 of 19 regular-season pass attempts in his career. His career passer rating (102.1) is better than Tom Brady's (97.6), albeit on 9,356 fewer pass attempts.

What's the secret of Hekker's success? And what might the Rams and Hekker have up their sleeves for the Super Bowl? Digest tried to gain some insight Monday from Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel.

Digest: How many different fake punts do you have in your playbook?

Fassel: We don't have a playbook. Literally.

Digest: So are they just installed on the fly?

Fassel: Exactly. It's based on whatever we think our guys can do against whatever I get from an opponent.

Digest: Does Hekker have more than one read that he can go to?

Fassel: Usually there's more than one option. You don't want to go out there saying, 'Well, it's either him or nothing.' He has the freedom to have it on, take it off. There's a lot more that goes into it than just snapping it and hoping one guy gets open.

Digest: Are the Patriots more or less susceptible to fake punts than other teams?

Fassel: They're less susceptible. They're really good, really sound. And they've got veteran players whose only role is special teams: Matthew Slater, Nate Ebner, the list goes on and on. There's not much they haven't seen.

Digest: Hekker often throws to his right. Can he throw to his left at all?

Fassel: Over the years he's thrown a few balls to the left: against the Chargers back in [2014], the Seahawks [the same year]. Depending on where the play is called and the matchup is, he can go left or right.

He can throw short, deep, middle, left. It doesn't matter to him. He can throw it left-handed. He can punt it left-handed. His passing skills are not overstated.

Digest: Left-handed? How would you react if Hekker tried to throw a fake punt left-handed?

Fassel: I'd be jacked! I'd think, This ball is gonna be complete. Patrick Mahomes has got nothing on what Hekker can do.

Sights and Sounds of Super Bowl Opening Night

Super Bowl Opening Night is no longer the media circus it used to be, but there was still a clown.

Yes, someone dressed as a clown was among the barbarian hordes on the floor of State Farm Arena. Reporters often surrounded the clown as if he were the new Rams linebacker or something. It was one of the few vestiges of the old days of reporters showing up in bridal gowns and proposing to Tom Brady.

But that doesn't mean Opening Night was without its ridiculous moments. Here's a partial list of some of the things Digest saw, heard and smelled.

• Reporters coaxed Marcus Peters (who appeared to be trying to keep a low, gumbo-free profile) into eating a fortune cookie. But Peters refused to reveal his fortune after eating the cookie. "You're not supposed to tell," he said, carefully curling up the tiny slip of paper and throwing it away. Um, you're thinking of birthday wishes, Marcus.

• A crew from an international media outlet gave players colorful sombreros to wear and asked them to sample from a plate of delicacies. "Is that sweet potato?" James White asked, eyeing a small cake suspiciously. "I don't know if I can trust you. I don't know if that's really sweet potato." White begged off the goodies, claiming that he lost his appetite. Most players must have agreed, because the plate looked nearly untouched by the end of Opening Night.

• One media personality asked Dont'a Hightower to name his favorite Maroon 5 song. Hightower called his bluff and asked him to sing some Maroon 5. What followed was a long back-and-forth like the Michael Bolton skit from Office Space, as Hightower and the interviewer dared each other to try to name a single Maroon 5 song. When cornered, the interviewer said his favorite Maroon 5 song was "Free Bird." Hightower laughed but was clearly not 100 percent certain whether "Free Bird" is a Maroon 5 song. (It turns out that no one on the planet can actually name a single Maroon 5 song, and we are better off as a species for it.)

• There were two child reporters in attendance, one of whom wore a set of goal posts on his head. Child reporters are adorable, and their questions are no more ridiculous than our "How does it feel to be playing in the Super Bowl?" questions. Digest is just worried that the goal-post-hat kid might get too close to Cody Parkey someday and end up in the concussion protocol.

• The NFL Network blasted interviews and Scott Hanson chatter over the loudspeakers at full volume throughout the night, often exhorting the crowd to cheer as well. Long stretches of Digest's audio recordings are completely indecipherable, even when we were inches from the players. Not to complain, but if the league insists on monetizing our chaotic scramble to just get answers to a few questions, they could at least make it possible for us to hear the answers to those questions.

Digest Sportsbook Prop Bet-a-Palooza!

There are thousands upon thousands of wagering options surrounding the Super Bowl. Digest cannot possibly do justice to them all, so we'll just highlight the biggest, strangest and most interesting bets, props and parlays. 

Spread: Patriots -2.5 (moneylines: Patriots -115, Rams -106)

Nearly 20 years of Patriots dominance can cloud a bettor's rational judgment in the Super Bowl: You either love them or hate them, respect them or resent them, but you can't bet on them as if they are just another team.

So it's best to consider a rule we call Pasquale's Wager (named after Cousin Pasquale, who taught Digest how to handicap games and smoke cigarettes in middle school) when deciding how to bet a Patriots Super Bowl: If a team you hate is in a big game, bet them big. If they win, you win. If they lose, the joy of watching them lose cushions your financial loss.

Patriots fans don't have much use for Pasquale's Wager—for them, betting against Tom Brady ranks somewhere between sawing off their own arms and burning down a puppy daycare—so the Patriots -115 moneyline offers something for both lovers and haters, while the 2.5-point spread is narrow enough to limit the risk of a Pasquale's Worst Case Scenario: a no-cover win which leaves you angry and broke.

Over-under: 56.5

The Patriots are 13-6-1 at clearing the over in postseason games since 2011, per TeamRankings.com. The last two Super Bowls produced 62 and 74 points. And what are you going to do, bet on a low-scoring Super Bowl? C'mon!

Touchdown scorer

James White is +150 to score a touchdown in the game, Rob Gronkowski +165 and Rex Burkhead (who became Mr. Goal Line against the Chiefs) is +185.

Some books are offering two-player touchdown parlays. If Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson both score a touchdown, for example, it pays at +350. Our favorite play: Gronkowski and White +1000.

Passing yards

Brady has thrown for over 300 yards in eight of his past 10 postseason games, so betting over the 299.5 for his passing yards feels safe. Don't Pasquale's Wager this one, though; you'll be beyond miserable if he spends the fourth quarter handing off.

Most rushing yards

Todd Gurley is getting +225, Sony Michel -115. A Patriots rookie running back is picked to out-rush another team's workhorse in the Super Bowl: If that's not a sign of the changing times, nothing is.

Members of the C.J. Anderson fan club can get him to lead the game in rushing at +350. But if you really want to overreact to championship-game storylines, take Burkhead at +2500. Patriots rushers have come from nowhere in the Super Bowl before (see: James White in LI).

MVP

Brady pays out a ho-hum +110. Jared Goff pays +225. If you are feeling an MVP performance from Goff (Digest is not), consider a Rams-and-over parlay (+290) instead so you don't get stuck if voters get carried away and name Sean McVay MVP or something.

Todd Gurley is a tasty +1400 if you want to wager on his triumphant return from the title-game benching. White pays at +2800, but it's better to wager on his stats, because if he catches a bunch of touchdown passes, Brady will win the MVP.

Johnny Hekker is +20000 if you want to play Powerball on a fake punt so spectacular it makes the Philly Special look like a fullback dive.

Zany props

• Length of national anthem over-under: 1:50. What's the moneyline on anyone pointing out the hypocrisy of treating the anthem as something so sacred that players cannot protest racial injustice while it's playing and simultaneously using it as a silly excuse for a prop bet? Never mind; it just paid.

• Bill Belichick's hoodie color: Some sites are giving 3-1 odds on gray. Blue is the favorite (2-3), but the Rams wear blue, and what are the odds that Belichick is so fashion-challenged that he would wear the other team's color? (Don't answer that.)

• Either team scores a two-point conversion: +225. This feels so much like free money that Digest played it the moment we spotted it. For the record: The Rams were 5-of-7 on two-point conversions; the Patriots a surprising 0-of-1.

• Safeties in the game: +800. There have been nine safeties in Super Bowl history, but Brady got flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone for one of them (Super Bowl XLVI), and when you factor in the great Rams pass-rushers, inexperienced Jared Goff and other factors, +800 may be a fun flier. (Wagering on no safeties, meanwhile, pays out at a junk-bond rate of -1667.)

Game goes to overtime: +900. Digest also played this and not just because both conference championship games (and Super Bowl LI two years ago) went to overtime. We just want some extra dough if forced to work extra late because the game went long. It's the Pasquale's Wager of sleep deprivation!

Unless otherwise noted, odds and moneylines are from the DraftKings Sportsbook App, collected on Sunday.

Digest Exclusive: Hall of Fame Voters Share the Secrets of Their Ballots

The Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee meets Saturday to pick this year's Hall of Fame class, so Digest asked several voters about this year's crop of shoo-ins, sleepers, potential surprises and (inevitably) snubs.

The names of the voters have been erased to protect the innocent.

Voter 1: "For starters, I'd say that of the 15 modern finalists, I think at least 12 if not 13 of them deserve to go in at some point, which is why we're such assholes—because we can only send five at a time.

"I feel reasonably confident that Ed Reed and Tony Gonzalez will get through this year. Beyond that, there are some positional traffic jams that will make it an interesting vote.

"I would expect an offensive lineman, if not two, from the Tony Boselli/Steve Hutchinson/Alan Faneca logjam. (I wouldn't vote for Kevin Mawae ahead of any of those three, but I am just one voice.)

"I will vote for Don Coryell as long as possible, because I think he changed the way offense was performed in pro football. Coaches need to be included among the contributors, but that's a decision above my pay grade."

Voter 2: "I figure Reed, Gonzalez and [Champ] Bailey are first-ballot guys. Isaac Bruce was knocking on the door last year, which could bode well for this year.

"I expect plenty of Tom Flores debate because he's new to the room. It's gonna be rough for John Lynch and Steve Atwater this year with Reed coming in, and the same goes for 2020, with Troy Polamalu becoming eligible."

Voter 3: "For Reed and Gonzalez, it will be stand up, say their name, sit down. I hope it's that way, because I don't want to waste 15 minutes talking about Tony Gonzalez: He's a Hall of Famer.

"I expect Bailey is going to get in; he's got a lot of support. That leaves two spots for 12 guys, and that's brutal.

"I would say the leading candidates are Isaac Bruce, Don Coryell, Tony Boselli. Tom Flores has a fair amount of support; I don't think he belongs in the top five of this group, but there's a very interesting argument for him.

"I think John Lynch has faded in some people's eyes. He doesn't measure up to Reed. He fell behind Brian Dawkins last year, when it was a dead heat two years ago and they canceled each other out. I love Lynch, but we've got a lot of safeties, and they start to blur each other out."

Voter 4: "Gonzalez and Reed are first-time shoo-ins. I don't think Champ Bailey is. He won't be one of my top five.

"I'm mystified about why Alan Faneca still hasn't gotten in. He should've gone in four years ago. He's been the best offensive line finalist every year, but he's not getting the votes.

"Don't know what's going to happen with Flores. Frankly, I was surprised he was a finalist. But I can't seem to convince the rest of the selectors that Dick Vermeil belongs in.

"I think there's a good chance Isaac Bruce could get in since there's no other wideouts after [Randy] Moss and Terrell Owens went in last year.

"The guy I would've pounded the table for—Sam Mills—got eliminated in the semifinalist vote."

Voter 5: "I feel confident Gonzalez and Reed make it. I think it's 60-40 Champ Bailey makes it. And then it's a mess. No real idea. I hope we can break the logjam of the offensive linemen and pick one more safety. I'd be happy with Tony Boselli and Steve Atwater.

"This year, I feel pretty sure Pat Bowlen and Gil Brandt make it as contributors. The seniors committee does a buttoned-up job, so Johnny Robinson likely makes it."

Digest's Official Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Prediction: Champ Bailey, Isaac Bruce, Alan Faneca, Tony Gonzalez, Ed Reed, Johnny Robinson and contributors Pat Bowlen and Gil Brandt.

Point-Counterpoint

Louisiana lawmakers rip the NFL on the Senate floor for the blown call in the NFC Championship Game and invite Roger Goodell to answer questions about the call before Congress.

Point: Imagine thinking this is the type of problem our government should solve.

Counterpoint: Imagine thinking our government can solve problems. 

NFL fines Nickell Robey-Coleman for an illegal hit on the uncalled pass interference (and illegal hit) in the Saints-Rams game.

Point: The NFL is run by people who would punish the mugger who stole your wallet by fining him the contents of your wallet.

Counterpoint: Goodell delivers his annual State of the League address Wednesday. He'll answer all questions on this topic once he is safely surrounded by children, puppies and military veterans. 

Cole Beasley claims on social media that the Cowboys "front office pushes who they want to get the ball to." 

Point: Yeah, they also push who gets to stay on the payroll, pal.

Counterpoint: Beasley was frustrated that his role diminished when Amari Cooper arrived via trade, took over as the primary target in the passing game and the Cowboys offense drastically improved. We've reached peak Cowboys: Jerry Jones' meddling finally has a positive impact on the team, and then players start griping about it. 

Antonio Brown posts an Instagram photo of himself in a 49ers jersey, further fueling speculation that they are the team he wants to play for (and perhaps the only team he would).

Point: I'm sure Brown's attitude will improve once he gets exactly what he wants. Now if you will excuse me, I must buy my toddler some toys to keep him from rolling on the floor and screaming in the supermarket.

Counterpoint: Brown is hurting both his market value and leverage by aggressively courting only one team in a manner that's sure to make NFL execs nervous. Where on earth did he learn such shortsighted, counterproductive, ego-driven career management techniques?

Terrell Owens says he is mentoring Antonio Brown.

Point: Well, there's your answer.

Counterpoint: T.O. also criticized Tony Romo this week, saying he reads defenses in the booth much better than he did as a quarterback. It's good to know we can look forward to Antonio Brown taking potshots at a retired Jimmy Garoppolo 25 years from now, after Brown celebrates his Hall of Fame induction in an empty mansion like Lego Batman. 

Champs Sports tweets photos of "Alleged new Jets uniforms..."

Point: I like them! They are a cool mashup of Michigan State, the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the packaging for an Atari 2600 video game!

Counterpoint: The leaked jerseys are just an elaborate hoax to distract fans from the hiring of offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.

Bonus counter-counterpoint: The actual new Jets uniforms have a dolphin on the helmet. 

Brandin Cooks Versus Patrick Chung: The Beef That Wasn't

Patrick Chung and Brandin Cooks got into a cross-country war of words before leaving for Atlanta. At a rally at Gillette Stadium, Chung said the Patriots would "go down there and kick [L.A.'s] ass." Cooks responded by calling out Chung's comments and saying, "Let's get straight" at a rally for the Rams.

But if you thought things would escalate at Opening Night, then you don't know Opening Night.

"That's Pat being Pat," Cooks said when asked about the exchange. "But at the end of the day it's football and it's competitive in nature. The juices are flowing, and you expect that."

Aqib Talib, Chung's teammate with the Patriots in 2012 and Cooks' teammate with the Rams now, appeared ready to throw a little kerosene on the Chung-Cooks beef, if only to deflect attention away from Nickell Robey-Coleman's comments about Tom Brady.

"Patrick Chung said he's gonna kick all of our ass," Talib said. "Talk about that!"

OK, we will. What do you think about Chung's comments, Aqib?

"He's my dawg. S'up, P-Chung."

One recurring theme of this year's Super Bowl Opening Night—you have seen it creep in throughout this edition of Digest—is players turning everything back around on "the media." We spin things. We either pay too much attention or not enough. We distract from the serious business of football with all of our annoying questions, and no one has anything to gain from giving a straight answer.

It's almost as if someone powerful and influential keeps shouting about the media being an enemy or something.

But it's hard to fault players for getting defensive while fielding dozens of repetitive, ill-informed and often leading questions. And maybe we do make too much of some trivial things. After all, what players say to rev up a crowd of fans may not reflect their true feelings about an opponent, and expecting them to double-down on their little acts of showmanship is silly.

Then again, maybe what players say on the record in front of hundreds of reporters doesn't reflect their true feelings, either, and it's worth a little more poking and prodding to get past the pat answers and log rolling in search of something real.