It’s finally here! Super Bowl Sunday! Let’s get right to our three key preview for both teams.
3 Keys for the Eagles
1. Get Foles Off to a Good Start: Nick Foles had a career game in the NFC Championship game and he will need to replicate as much of that performance as possible in this game. Look for the Eagles to lean on their vaunted RPO’s to get Foles into a rhythm early. It has worked for them in these playoffs.
2. Win the Line of Scrimmage: The Eagles are better than the Patriots on both sides of the line. They must dominate the line of scrimmage by running the football on offense and stopping the run on defense. If the Eagles can win the line of scrimmage, they can win this game.
3. The Eagles Must Hit, Harass and Sack Brady: You know the Patriots are going to come out throwing the ball. They are going to go after the Eagles young secondary. That is why it is imperative that the Eagles get consistent pressure on Brady and hit him. They must consistently throw him off his spot and get him on the run out of the pocket.
3 Keys for the Patriots
1. Come Out Throwing: The Patriots need to come out and throw the football. Go after that young Eagles secondary and expose them. The Patriots will need to get the ball out of Tom Brady’s hand quickly because of Philadelphia’s front four so look for a lot of three step and intermediate passes.
2. Sniff Out the RPO’s: We’ve talked about RPO’s all week long. They are a big part of the Eagles offense and Philadelphia uses them to get Nick Foles into rhythm. The Patriots have to stem their fronts, disguise coverages and use zone blitzes to bait Foles into pulling the ball and throwing it into coverage.
3. Lean On Your Experience: The Patriots have been there, the Eagles haven’t. Does it matter? Yes, it does. It matters later in the game when execution and decision making matters. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have been in those situations, Doug Pederson and Nick Foles have not. The Patriots experience paid off in the second half of last year’s game and it could again tonight.
Prediction: Patriots 28 Eagles 24: Sorry Patriots fans, this will be another nail biter but don’t worry, the Patriots will once again prevail. Philadelphia is good, especially up front but the Patriots have Tom Brady and they have been there before. That will be the difference in what should be a highly entertaining game.