New England Patriots
BY JACK SIMZYK
The stage for Super Bowl LII has been set. On Feb. 4, we will witness a Super Bowl XXXIX rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots which New England won. We will also watch the exact same outcome when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots once again raise the Lombardi trophy.
Kevin isn’t wrong when he describes the Eagles’ defense as aggressive and opportunistic. It is also true the Eagles did demolish the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in the NFC Championship game. But, Super Bowl LII is going to be a whole different animal.
Unlike the Vikings team that the Eagles played on Sunday, these Patriots have been on the big stage plenty of times and have a ton of experience in high pressure situations. Sure, the Vikings have a solid offense, and the Eagles defense was able to shut them down, but the Patriots boast an even better and more experienced offense.
Even if they are without Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, New England still has plenty of weapons with Brandin Cooks, Danny Amendola, Chris Hogan and Dion Lewis. Philadelphia’s defense is going to have their hands full.
The other difference that awaits the Eagles’ defense is the quarterback. On Sunday, they shut down an offense led by Case Keenum. At the Super Bowl, not only will the Eagles have to worry about all of those other weapons mentioned above, but they will also have to shut down the greatest quarterback in professional football history: five-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.
The Patriots defense have also proven that they can step up when needed in big time situations. For example, in the AFC Championship game, Stephon Gilmore saved the Patriots when he broke up a pass late in the fourth quarter that could have resulted in a Jacksonville Jaguars touchdown. If that isn’t enough evidence for you, there is also Malcolm Butler’s interception against the Seattle Seahawks that won Super Bowl XLIX for the Patriots.
Eagles fans can dream all they want, but they’re in for a rude awakening at Super Bowl LII. Even if they come out firing on all cylinders, remember that no lead is safe against Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the clutch defense of the New England Patriots. Get ready for another Lombardi trophy to be brought back to Foxborough.
Philadelphia Eagles
BY KEVIN LINDGREN
Once again, the Eagles and Patriots will meet in the Super Bowl. While Tom Brady hoisted the Lombardi trophy in the teams’ last matchup in SB XXXIX, I believe Nick Foles and the Eagles will have the last laugh and capture the first ever Super Bowl championship for Philadelphia.
The Eagles boast an aggressive and opportunistic defense that pressures opponents and creates turnovers, as demonstrated by their 38-7 rout of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship. The Eagles’ front seven disrupted Case Keenum all night forcing three turnovers, including a 50-yard pick six from Eagles cornerback, Patrick Robinson.
Philly’s defense features elite defensive linemen Fletcher Cox (All-Pro) and Brandon Graham (Pro Bowl) and a strong secondary in Malcom Jenkins, Ronald Darby and Rodney McLeod.
On offense, the Eagles feature a dynamic offense with running backs Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount. Alshon Jeffery, Torrey Smith and Nelson Agholar all offer a size and speed matchup nightmare for opposing cornerbacks, while tight end Zach Ertz works the middle of the field.
Despite losing their Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Wentz, Nick Foles has absolutely stepped up to the challenge, and now the Eagles are on the brink of history.
While Jack will tell you that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time, the Patriots defense is too vulnerable. The Eagles have far too much talent for the Patriots to handle. Minnesota’s defense is notably better than the Patriots, yet the Vikings got obliterated by Philly’s balanced attack. If the Pats sell out to stop the run, Foles can use play action to get the ball to his playmakers in space. Philadelphia’s balance will carry them to victory and have Eagles fans alike singing “Fly, Eagles, Fly.”
