fortunately our defense really played the best game they have all season. and it was just an incredible win. >> yeah, look at those smiles. another year, another ring. the patriots' defense locks horns with the rams and walks away with a win. the biggest moments from the lowest-scoring superowl in history. no love for adam levine. why maroon 5's halftime show failed to catch fire on social media. plus a recap of the biggest commercials from the big game. > blackfacegovernor. his response to the growing outrage this morning. yolks over. hulu cracks the case of the egg that broke instagram. who was behind the social media sensation? "early today" starts right now. >> good morning, i'm richard

lui. >> i'm marlie hall. this morning the new england patriots are once again super bowl champions. it wasn't pretty but the nfl's longest-lasting dynasty grinded out a win over the rams in a defensive duel for the ages. nbc's gabe gutierrez has all the highlights from atlanta. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: marlie, good morning. after weeks of pregame controversy swirling around super bowl liii, the big game turned out to be the blandest one in recent memory, the lowest-scoring super bowl in history. the only super bowl not to have arters.down for the first thre in the end tom brady led his team to victory in the fourth quarter 13-3, his fifth super bowl win, c noncontroversial game the league needed after the headlines. the halftime shchopined on soci

media for theis did not take after to perform amid controversies surrounding quarterback colin kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem. no mention whatsoever of any of that. new england becomes the first super bowl team since the 1972 miami dolphins to win the big game the year after losing it. most valuable player of this game, wide receiver julian edelman. >> all right, gabe, thank you. we'll have play-by-play highlights and analysis coming up as well as all the action from the halftime show and a recap of the biggest commercials of the night. you know, it's not just the fireworks on the field making headlines this morning. while the defense stole the show at the super bowl, president trump had no problem going on offense in his pregame speech. he slammed democrats in his calls for a border wall and also took another swipe at his top intelligence experts. nbc's kelly o'donnell has more from a speech that could hint at what to expect during tomorrow night's state of the union. >> reporter: donald trump's

playbook. follow his own gut. >> you disagree -- >> i have intel people that doesn't mean i have to agree. >> reporter: after undercutting his own intelligence team as naive when they assessed iran's threat level on capitol hill, the president's approach sounds more like trust but defy. >> i am going to trust the intelligence that i'm putting there, but i will say this. my intelligence people, if they said, in fact, that iran is a wonderful kindergarten, i disagree with them 100%. >> reporter: the president also disputes advisers who argue north korea is not likely to give up its nuclear weapons. heading into a second summit with kim jong-un. >> the meeting is set. he's looking forward to it, i'm looking forward to it. we mprogress. >> reporter: but deference toward his cabinet could play out differently with the special counsel investigation. no opinion on whether the mueller report should ultimately be made public. >> that's up to the attorney

general. i don't know. it depends. i have no idea what it's going to say. >> reporter: with the interview airing this super bowl sunday, the president was asked if his youngest child, 12-year-old barron, should be allowed to play football, citing head injury dangers. the president said he loves the game but prefer barron not play. >> i've heard nfl players say they wouldn't let their sons play football. so it's not totally unique. but i would have a hard time with it. >> reporter: new from the pentagon, more active-duty troops are headed to the u.s./mexico border. 3750 service members will be deployed for about 90 days, working on surveillance and help helping with wire fencing. they'll be there to assist federal officers from customs and border protection. of course immigration and the president's demand for a border wall are etenight. the state of the union. richard? >> all right, kelly, thank you. virginia's governor faces a growing chorus calling for his

resignation this morning. democrat ralph northam admits he wore blackface and that his medical school yearbook page features a racist picture. the photo shows one person wearing blackface and the other dressed up as a member of the ku klux klan. but the governor now says it's not him in the picture and he won't quit. nbc's jeff bennett hit the treats of virginia's capitol to find out what people are saying about their governor and his future. >> reporter: virginia governor ralph northam faces a growing chorus of demands for his resignation. officials nearly unanimous in demands he step down. >> you've got to move in one movement to move your commonwealth forward. >> reporter: for some it's not as clear cut. >> he's an honest,manyears. we've all done things we're not

proud of, we all have. >> the base he's handled this episode, has it undercut his ability to govern effectively? >> i think so. that's something i struggle with personally because i admire him, i respect him, he's done a good job. >> i do like the fact that the democratic party is standing up for what they truly believe. i just think it's the wrong direction and i don't think we should be throwing people away for decisions made 35 years ago. >> reporter: the episode has emerged as a test for how democratic presidential candidates will address racial tensions that have intensified under the presidency of donald trump. and elected virginia democrats fear northam could cost them. >> we're going to have to deal with all the noise we're hearing from not just over virginia but all over the nation about how he's lost the moral authority to continue in that position. >> reporter: if he doesn't resign, should rebe forced out? >> i think he'll do the right thing before it gets to that point. >> reporter: there is no modern precedent for impeaching a governor in virginia.

democratic leaders say they hope northam will heed calls for him to step aside. at the moment, though, it appears the governor is digging in. breaking news out of southern california. five people dead at the moment after a horrific small plane crashed into a residential area. it left parts of the neighborhood up in flames. that cessna had just taken off from a nearby airport when it slammed into homes. >> upon the first arriving units, they found a well-involved residence, toward-story family dwelling with fire showing from all sides. >> a two-story house was on fire and smoke shot into the air. dozens of emergency workers were dispatched to the scene. >> bringing tools in front of the residence. all incoming units are going to need to stay out of this trap. >> it's still too early to pinpoint the cause of that crash. this morning the ntsb is investigating, amongst other things, if weather played a role in this devastating crash. the pie lot, who was the only person on board, and four others

inside the home were killed. power has been restored in a brooklyn jail after inmates spent several days in below-freezing temperatures. dozens of people gathered outside the metropolitan detention center protesting the conditions of over 1,600 inmates after the jail lost power nearly a week ago. many resorted to banging against walls and windows hoping to get the public's attention and it worked. the federal bureau of prisons blamed the power outage on a fire in the gear switch room. lawyers are planning to file lawsuits on behalf of the inmates today. in a tweet new york city mayor de blasio thanked the families and activists who fought for the inmates and said there's more work to be done. how about that patriots dynasty, huh? it lives on thanks to a defensive showcase against the rams in super bowl liii. quarterback tom brady cemented his legacy as the greatest of all-time becoming the first nfl player in history ever to win six championships but the night did not start so great for him.

>> ask it's intercepted! it's picked off on his first throw by littleton. >> yeah, you heard it right there, his first pass was picked off. jared goff and the l.a. offense failed to capitalize on that big turnover, though, which quickly turned into the theme of the game. both teams' defense played lights out. pats finally got on the board in the second to take a 3-0 lead going into the halftime. the rams tied it up with a 53-yarder in the third. for the first time ever a super bowl went into the fourth quarter with zero touchdowns. >> first and goal. running it for the touchdown -- sony michel! >> yeah, finally the patriots found the end zone with a skin-yard drive by brady and company, capped off with that touchdown from michel. new england's defense continued to smother the rams and with just over a minute on the clock, another three-pointer seals that game. pats win their sixth super bowl in franchise history.

13-3. pats' wide receiver julian edelman took mvp as the hottest offensive player in the lowest-scoring super bowl of all-time. >> i was just tryin to go out, try to win ball game, tough tim tough people do. >> edelman summed it up best saying it was not pretty but he'll take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day. shave the beard maybe too, i don't know, since he won, why not. >> there you go, might as well celebrate with that. bill karins is here with our forecast. >> tuesday i think would probably be the parade, it's going to be 60 in boston. they're going to have a great old time. congratulations to them. let's go to our big weather story, all the problems in the west. heavy rain from san francisco to man tear ray. this is storm number two of the weekend. and the biggest issue is they're worried about the flooding in the areas where they had the horrible fire, remember paradise? you're under a flash flood watch. heavy rain will be on and off

s as much as 2 today. tot 3 to 4 inches in the high elevations. so we'll keep an eye o thisn. s the northeast wide receiver win-wwi winter is return aring to the northern plains. a little of everything around the country but the february thaw will be a big story. we'll talk about that coming up. talking about that weather, an unusual scene in ventura, california, after those weekend storms that bill was alluding to. rainy weather causing severe flooding. it led to a massive sinkhole opening up. the giant hole that swallowed this excavator and made the street impassable. officials say the vehicle's operator was pulled to safety. motorists are being urged to avoid that area and of course that sinkhole. just ahead, pope francis makes history on the arab

peninsula. and back on the stage, jussie smollett returns to the spotlight for the first time since his alleged attack on the streets of chicago. ook at hilto, you get the price match guarantee. so if you find your room at a lower rate, hilton is like... we're gonna match that rate and give you an extra 25% off. what would travel sites do if you found a better price? that's not my problem, it's your problem. get outta here! whoa, i really felt that performance. it's just acting, i'm really good at it. book at hilton.com and get the hilton price match guarantee. if you find a lower rate, we match it and give you 25% off that stay. ♪ if♪ darling, tell me me, loveall the ways ♪ay ♪ ♪ tell me all the ways ♪ all the ways at the store, or to your door. target run and done. istry eucerin advanced repairing ecream. for 48hour dry skin relief... goes beyond ceramides with moisturizing factors

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the pope has landed in the middle east. he now is the first pontiff to visit the arabian peninsula. a plane carrying pope francis touching down in abu dhabi last night where he was greeted by the crown prince. the pope spoke with some children, he also met with a host of cabinet ministers over the 48-hour trip. the pope is set to meet with muslim and political leaders during that time. he'll also hold an open air mass. leading the news, actor and singer jussie smollett was back on stage this weekend for the first time since he says he was attacked on a chicago street last tuesday. police are calling it a possible hate crime. as nbc's morgan chesky reports,

smollett had a lot to say >> reporter: back on stage in front of a sold-out crowd in west hollywood, jussie smollett put on the show fans came for. but also opened up about tuesday's alleged assault in chicago. >> i was bruised but my ribs were not cracked. they were not broken. >> reporter: this photo shows smollett hours after he says two men attacked him, shouting racist and homophobic slurs. >> both my doctors in l.a. and chicago cleared me to tomorrow, but said to take care, obviously. >> reporter: regarding the incident he said -- >> above all, i fought back. >> reporter: chicago police released this image showing two people of interest. police have asked smollett and his manager for timeline, but s far, neither has turned them over. detectives say security cameras inside smollett's building showed a rope around his neck but he otherwise appeared normal and didn't tell security about an assault. authorities say they have yet to uncover any surveillance video of the alleged attack, but their

investigation is ongoing. >> we have no reason to think he's not being genuine with us. >> reporter: at the concert smollett had this message for fans. >> regardless of what anyone else says, i will only stand for love. and i hope that you all stand with me. >> reporter: a return to the spotlight as police continue to search for answers. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: morgan chesky, nbc news, los angeles. >> all right, his fans clearly standing behind him. >> yes, absolutely. just ahead, why nostalgia was the name of the game for this year's super bowl commercials and they won't be loved. the highlights and lowlights from maroon 5's halftime show. but the house was built too small... for one year, sparks will fly. this is not awesome. i just want to make an omlete! oh, are you kidding me!? the drama will be real, but it won't save you any money on car insurance.

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♪ ♪ it wasn't all about pigskin last night. you see there maroon 5 headlined this year's super bowl halftime show performing a condensed collection of their biggest hits "mlies like jagger." some of the early reviews describe the show as dull. adam levine and the band were also joined by rappers travis scott and big boi each performing one of their top songs. last night's talent went beyond the halftime show starting with gladys knight who knocked it out of the park kicking off the game with her soulful rendition of "the star-spangled banner." a lot of discussion on social media. some called it boring but it did generate a buzz when he took off his shirt. >> people were watching him as

he lost more and more clothing throughout. they wanted him evidently to take a bigger stand on issues related to, for instance, colin kaepernick. >> right. the super bowl has come and gone. one thing that sticks with us, those ads. >> pepsi's more than okay, it's -- >> okay! >> o-rrr! >> atlanta, it's the home of coca-cola, but pepsi dominated with steve ka develop, lil john, and cardi b. '90s nostalgia in full force in this stella commercial featuring "sex and the city" icon sarah jessica parker and jeff bridges who reprised his "big lebowski" character. ♪ ♪ ain't nothing but a heartache ♪ ♪ tell me why ain't nothing but a mistake ♪ >> why? because of doritos. they brought together chance the rapper and the backstreet boys for a flaming hot nacho doritos

ad. >> a lot of stars we haven't seen in a while. >> i just want doritos. >> there you go, and that too. the egg that dethroned kylie jenner with a record-breaking number of instagram likes has a deal with hulu. the instagram account world record egg and hulu had been teasing view bears a mystery collaboration since the end of last week and it was revealed after the super bowl. the collaboration turned out to promoting mental health awareness. the weeted about the message. really ingenious how something so simple could gather so manyo. into history. honoring an american hero who broke barriers and soared

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making history as the first woman to become a u.s. navy fighter pilot. nbc's tammy lit neeitner reportm tennessee. >> reporter: the navy hornets streak through the tennessee skies in the missing man formation, for the first time piloted by an all-female crew. a single jet soars to the heavens. an ariel sendoff for a ground-breaking aviator. >> captain rosemary is a true pioneer in our profession. today to have eight female combat veterans representing her on her last and final flight was really powerful. >> reporter: the flyover followed the funeral for captain mariner. she died last month after a battle with ovarian cancer. rosie, as friends called her, was the first woman to earn her navy wings in 1973. the first woman to fly a tactical fighter jet. the first squadron commanding officer. >> she was a trail blazer in

every sense of the word. >> reporter: those pilots who followed in her footsteps say she was born to fly. >> rosie, from day one, from the day she hit officer candidate school, had her sights set on flying jets. and nobody was going to tell her no. >> reporter: once she earned her wings she also earned the respect of her navy commander, officer john mccain. the love of her life, a fellow flyer, commander tommy mairer in. >> she wanted the doors she helped open, she wanted those doors to stay open. >> reporter: now decades after breaking barriers, the next generation of female pilots forging their own paths. >> we've turned the corner. to think 20 years ago we would never have dreamed that the navy would be so supportive about something like this. >> reporter: tammy leitner, nbc news, maynardsville, tennessee. >> wow, she not only opened doors, she opened the skies for women. >> oh, yeah. huge doors, skies, and

generation after generation. it's good to see stories like this changing that access there to the navy and armed services. fantastic stuff. let's talk about this. the super bowl, or the super bowl, was not the only big event held last night. the wind games indoor skydiving championships were held in spain, a flight competition that involves flying in a wind tunnel. participants showed off acrobatic skills in categories like solo speed, freestyle, relay races, and more. a 14-year-old american came out on top, taking home first place in the freestyle open category. >> that looks like fun. >> aahhh! sometimes i feel like we're in a wind tunnel. >> uh-huh, there you go, less choreography. >> yes, at this time of the morning on top of that. thanks for watching "early today." i'm richard lui. >> i'm mare hall. thlie the dynasty reigns on.

the patriots run off the rams in super bowl liii and rack up a whole lot of records while they're at it. highlights from the lowest-scoring title game in history. bridging differences across the arabian peninsula. inside the pope's historic trip to abu dhabi. a fiery plane crash rocks a soutrn california neighborhood. details from the deadly accident ahead. on the defensive. over an offensive photo. virginia's governor responds to the controversy surrounding a racist photo from his college yearbook. celebrating the centennial. the nfl tackles its 100th anniversary with a video for the ages. "early today" starts right now. >> good monday morning. i'm marlie hall.