Super Bowl Preview

Super Bowl Preview

*Editor's Note: If you decide to use this article to decide which team to lock in with your bookie, pack up your bags, you might be running from debt for awhile. This man is 4-6 with his picks.*

Honestly it is probably better it worked out this way. After going 3-1 in the divisional round my head was so big I had to turn it sideways to get through doorways. I was sky high man. Like Icarus, I flew too close to the sun. I would ask people if they watched the games for the sole purpose of saying, “Yeah you know I said that would happen in my blog.” Well I have been pretty doggone quiet this week. I begged my boss to not make me do this article. I want to be put out of my misery. Alas, this is how I put bread on the table. So now I am going to have to try to pick the hardest game in football to predict and probably get it wrong again. Let's just get this over with.

How the Eagles can win

The Eagles wire to wire have been the best team in football this season. I like many others, wrote this team off for dead once Carson Wentz went down. I went against my own logic. I put way too much stock into the quarterback position and it came back to bite me in the you know what. I ignored the fact that this team has the best O-line and D-line combination in football. Yeah I know those positions seem boring, but as a former hog I can tell you that you aren’t going anywhere without formidable offensive and defensive lines. Nick Foles also needs to be great on third down. The Patriots will take away the run pass options (buzz word) that has got Nick Foles in a rhythm in their two playoff wins. Nick Foles converted ten third downs against the best third down defense in the NFL last week. The Eagles need to dominate the line of scrimmage and not get behind early. One of these two teams has proven they can come back on a consistent basis. The Eagles are not that team. If they get down by more than two scores it is really hard for me to see them winning.

How the Patriots can win

It is pretty simple when it comes to the Patriots. They need to do what they have been doing for the last 15+ years. The Patriots have been here. Bill Belichick has been in this game so many times it is impossible for it not to be an advantage. Just last year the Patriots were down 28-3 late in the second half of the Super Bowl and somehow won the game. It doesn’t matter what the score is or how much time is left. The Patriots know that they can win the game in any scenario. No one in football makes halftime adjustments better than the Patriots. The Patriots never beat themselves. If you are going to beat them you are going to have to play near perfect and a little lucky. (See the 2007 and 2011 New York Giants). One thing you don’t necessarily need to beat the Patriots is a super star quarterback. (See the 2007 and 2011 New York Giants). Separate issue: Eli Manning is a really good quarterback. He’s not a superstar ok? The Patriots have also proved they can win a Super Bowl without Rob Gronkowski. While Brady’s QBR has plummeted while Gronk has been off the field in the regular it hasn’t affected him during the postseason. Perhaps even more impressive than Belichick’s ability to gameplan is his ability to find talent that no one else sees. Danny Amendola is a great example of that and with a QB like Brady he could easily score 3 touchdowns that game if they design a game plan to get him the ball

What will happen

Remember in my first article when I said Eagles fans should feel sick to their stomachs? Well my tummy was barking at me pretty hard when I wrote this. I can’t believe the Eagles have won with Nick Foles. I had to check the score again multiple times writing this. I also can’t believe Brady and Belichick are going to their 8th Super Bowl together. This stinks for me. I have to admit it is probably what is good for football. Everyone loves a villain. As someone that swears that it is good for baseball when the Yankees are hated I admit this Super Bowl has a better story line with the evil Patriots sorry I meant New England Patriots in it. The Eagles are also a great story. I mean come on this is Philly baby. Do they even want Wentz playing? That would mean they would be the favorite and this is an underdog city. This team and city have embraced this role and they are thriving in it.

Ok let’s just look at the two conference champions last week. The Eagles OBLITERATED the Vikings. The Vikings were good man.The Eagles beat a better team than the Patriots last week and it was never a doubt.There are a few plays you can point to that had a huge impact in that AFC championship game. The strip fumble that should have gone six the other way would have won the game. That is just a fact. The Jaguars didn’t try to score at the end of the half and a phantom pass interference that was uncatchable gave the Patriots 40 yards in 4 seconds. Now look, I know it sounds like I am crying over spilled milk. The Patriots won I get it. They always win. My point is that when you play the Patriots you need those kind of plays to go your way in order to beat them. You can’t make the mistake of sitting on the ball and giving Brady time left at the end of the half. My other point is that the Eagles didn’t need those kind of plays to win. They suffocated Minnesota and after the first half there was really never a doubt.

This is the second time these two teams have played in the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XXXIX is one of the first Super Bowls I had in my memory. Terrell Owens, Donovan Mcnabb, Brian Westbrook, Brian Dawkins man that team was COOL. The Eagles came up three points short in a classic as the Patriots won their third Super Bowl in four years. The Eagles were the underdog then as they are now. Similar to Philadelphia hero Rocky Balboa the Eagles came up short to the champ. However, everyone loves a good sequel and in Rocky’s second go round with the champ he did the impossible. The Eagles will do the same thing. It won’t be easy, but the Eagles are going to find a way. Fly Eagles fly.

Eagles 28 Patriots 21

#SuperBowl #Patriots #Eagles #Preview