2018 Super Bowl LII Preview, GoingFor2 Style
2018 Super Bowl LII Preview, GoingFor2 Style
One last game. One game every football player dreams about. A grueling 16-week regular season. Two hard-fought playoff victories. Blood, sweat and tears have been shed by both teams over the last five months. Sacrifices have been made. Players have been lost to injury. Adversity threatened to derail them. Media and fans doubted them. Just when you thought it would all come to an end, they persevered. They overcame the odds, the doubters, the adversity for…
One. Last. Game.
Welcome to our annual Super Bowl Preview, GoingFor2 style. Ten writers, ten opinions, ten questions. Each of the next ten slides I have posed a question to one of my writers, each slide is a different question and each were answered by a different writer. Enjoy…
If Tom Brady wins this Super Bowl, he will have won six Super Bowls in eight appearances. There isn’t an NFL equivalent to that type of success, but is there anyone from another sport that is in line with that kind of success? If so, who? Explain.
Brady winning his 6th Super Bowl in 8 appearances would be very impressive and one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of sports, but there is one other athlete that has that kind of success and his name is MJ23 aka Michael Jordan.
This is a very interesting debate, but Jordan made it to 6 NBA Finals and won 6 NBA championships, making him a perfect 6 for 6 on the biggest stage. He won Finals MVP in each of those championships, averaged over 33 points per game in Finals and was one of the most clutch and ruthless players when it mattered most. Simply put, he is THE GOAT.
Brady is arguably the greatest QB and one of the best players in NFL history, and what he is accomplishing at the age of 40 is remarkable. But Jordan is legendary, iconic and as I said before THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME.
Who wins and what is the score?
Eagles win their first Super Bowl, 26-24
–Courtney Harden
Hypothetical question, Nick Foles has just won the Super Bowl and is named MVP, is he the Eagles backup QB next season? If not, what(where) is he?
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Nick Foles, Super Bowl MVP…sounds strange to say it looks even weirder on paper but after that is when things could get really interesting for the Eagles quarterback. If Foles is able to play well enough to win MVP and propel the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots the Eagles will be faced with a very odd dilemma as they head into the offseason.
No, Foles will not supplant Carson Wentz as the new starting quarterback for next season and beyond but will Foles remain on the Eagles roster or will he become a valuable trade chip allowing the team to restock talent on a roster that has almost its entire group of starters returning next season. Howie Roseman the Eagles General Manager has made 42 trades since becoming GM in 2010, but this is one trade Howie should pass on. The Eagles should be in no rush to get Wentz and his injured knee back into the lineup and the chemistry Foles has developed with the team can allow Wentz more than enough time to fully heal and work his way back into game shape.
Foles also gives the Eagles a luxury in having a backup QB they can trust, especially with Wentz having a style of play in which he doesn’t shy away from contact. Roseman has shown that the Eagles value the backup quarterback position under this regime and with Doug Pederson and Frank Reich two career backups I do not see the team moving on from Foles.
Who wins and what is the score?
Eagles 27 Patriots 21
The Eagles roster presents unique problems for New England in that they can generate pressure on Tom Brady without blitzing and on offense, they rely on a balanced attack that will not allow Bill Belichick to scheme away their strength and for Pederson into an uncomfortable situation.
—Jason Ferguson Co-Host of Tha Study Hall
A few short weeks ago, a story surfaced that suggested some internal power struggle with owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Is there any chance that either Belichick or Brady retire if they win this Super Bowl?
I believe it’s possible that Belichick would retire or move on to another team. Brady has been saying that he wanted to play until his mid 40’s, so that’s another 3-4 years or for as long as he’d be successful. By trading away Jimmy Garoppolo, I believed that is the reason for the power struggle that was alleged to have played out.
Belichick isn’t a fool, he knows “Father Time” is undefeated, the time and years he put into making Garapalo a starting QB, was valuable. I believe when they decided to trade him, it undercut what Belichick was doing, and in my opinion, made him feel as though he wasn’t as valuable to the Patriots as Brady.
So, I believe that Belichick, assuming he wins the Super Bowl, would retire from coaching the Patriots and go start somewhere else, to prove that he can win without Brady.
Who wins and what is the score?
I believe the Eagles will win 27-23. I believe that the defensive line and how they rotate so that the others can remain fresh will be the difference in why I pick the Eagles. Tom Brady is the greatest of all time, and the two Super Bowls he lost, the Giants attacked him successfully up the middle, and that’s where the Eagles strengths are.
Fletcher Cox is arguably the best defensive tackle in the NFL and has been a complete monster in the playoffs! He, along with Timmy Jernigan, will be able to get enough push, disrupt Brady’s timing and throw him off. The defensive ends, Brandon Graham, Chris Long, Vinny Curry & Derek Barnett have to constantly put pressure on Brady. They have to hit Brady! Our defense is fast and opportunistic!
The Eagles must do that to win! On the offensive side, I believe Foles has to play within himself, don’t try to do anything different, make his throws, don’t make mistakes. The running game is key also on offense. Ajayi, Blount & Clement have to be able to move the chains and not fumble.
The Eagles do that, they’ll be able to control the clock, keep Brady off the field, limit his chances, and the Eagles walk out of Minnesota with their first Super Bowl victory!
–Rashan Reeves
Rob Gronkowski missed last year’s Super Bowl entirely and is in danger of missing this Super Bowl, how important is it for Brady to have Gronk on the field with his other favorite target from last season, Julian Edelman, already gone for the year.
Obviously, Rob Gronkowski playing or not in the Super Bowl is a huge story. But what does it mean to the success of Tom Brady and the Patriots? I think it will play very heavily into Brady’s success. It takes his best weapon off the field. It allows the defense to key in on lesser talent in what is left of the Patriot’s already depleted offense with the loss of Edelman earlier in the year.
I know Brady will find a way to adjust if Gronk does not play…he has done so in the past has he not. We must be honest Not having Gronk is a problem for the Patriots. Period. It will hinder them. I wonder what happens to the Eagles if Gronk doesn’t play. The defense will still have to remain razor sharp to beat the defending Super Bowl Champions. They cannot allow themselves to take a wounded animal like the Patriots lightly…It could bite them!!!
Who wins and what is the score?
My Prediction: Eagles 28 Patriots 17
–Frank Venuto
What is the Eagles biggest advantage in this game and what is something they MUST do to win?
The Eagles have to dominate the line of scrimmage. The offensive line must establish the run early and the Eagles must stick to it. The best way to beat Brady is to keep him off the field. If the Eagles can put together two 8+ minute drives then their odds of winning skyrocket. That’s a tall order but they have the capability of doing it (they lead the NFL in Time of Possession).
The other side of that coin is that the Eagles have to get pressure with their front four. History has shown us that Brady struggles with teams that have dominant defensive lines. Luckily, for the Eagles, that’s their strength. Not only is that defensive line great, it’s deep. Expect the Patriots to run some tempo to offset that but that will only work for so long (Eagles fans learned that from Chip Kelly but we’ll leave that in the past.)
Also, the Eagles have to stop the run. It’s no secret that Brady can win a game with his arm so I propose this:
Take away the center of the field.
Hear me out. Brady’s arm strength has been a question for some time. Why not take away the slants and seam passes that he loves? That means the Eagles corners will have to press and deal with the quickness of the Patriots receivers but this a risk they have to take. Make Brady throw outs and corners. Throwing outside of the hashes is a lot harder than throwing between them. My theory is that Brady may look hot to start but as the game wears on that zip becomes slower and slower.
I hope you’re reading this, Jim Schwartz.
Who wins and what is the score?
First and foremost; I’m an Eagles fan. I’ve been a terrible fan this postseason and have picked against them and here they are. I’m “superstitious fan” so I’m not going to ruin this train by picking the Eagles all of a sudden. Tom Brady is still great and he’ll show us one more time on Sunday The Patriots will win 24-21.
Let the record show that if the Eagles do pull this off I will be on Broad Street with everyone else drinking excessively and eating cheesesteaks.
-Matthew Garrett
Ironically, the Patriots largest margin of victory in their five Super Bowl wins was last year winning by six points after coming back from 28-3. If you were the Eagles, would you rather have your defense on the field trying to keep Tom Brady from beating you on a last-second drive or would you rather have your offense on the field needing a field goal to win it?
That’s like asking if I want to die from a heart attack or a stroke! On the one hand, our defense has been pretty stellar all year-long. I have criticized them for not playing a full four quarters of football, so if they played sloppy in the first quarter than I would absolutely trust them in the fourth.
Interesting stat I heard today, in all of his Super Bowl appearances, Tom Brady has only completed one pass that was for over 35 yards. If it is a long drive, I trust our front seven to get the job done and Brady’s history of not going deep downfield has me hopeful our secondary can stop any kind of miracle play.
On the other hand, Nick Foles has shown an amazing chemistry with his weapons during this playoff run, and Doug Pederson has shown that he can utilize our stacked run game and, gasp from someone from the Andy Reid tree, he can actually manage a clock. I have confidence we can move downfield one smart play at a time. We have an amazing young kicker in Jake Elliott who holds the record for the longest field goal at our home stadium in history.
Elliott has also proven he can’t be iced out and isn’t afraid to have the game on his shoulders. All that being said, when it comes down to it, I think my health would fair far better having a lead and cheering not to blow it than to be behind and cheer that we can make a miracle. Let’s go D!
Who wins and what is the score?
I’m predicting a game of short plays and one that will come down to third down conversions. Field position will be of the utmost importance. I feel that we (Philly in case you live under a rock and don’t follow me anywhere else) have several key advantages in this matchup. The first is our defense.
Everyone speaks of the Minnesota and Jacksonville D and forget that the Eagles have one of the best front sevens in the NFL. We also have weapons in every facet of our offense, from great clutch receivers to a stacked run game, to one of the top-ranked tight ends in the game. Yeah, we got Nick Foles, but he’s gotten us through the playoffs into the Super Bowl. This game is our destiny. I’m calling it Philadelphia 23-17.
-Kellie Ruttar
David rarely beats Goliath in any of the four major sports Championship games, but if the Eagles beat the Patriots in this Super Bowl, where does it rank in terms of upsets in sports? Top 5? Top 10? (feel free to name a few upsets that you think rank above it)
The spread favors New England by 4.5 points right now. Which begs the question, are the Philadelphia Eagles that much of an underdog? If they had Wentz, they probably would be the favorite and we wouldn’t be having this discussion. The Eagles defense was top 5 all season long and in the postseason, has by far looked like the number one defense. The offense has been stellar regardless of who is playing quarterback, which means the only reason they are being declared underdogs is simply because of Nick Foles. In my opinion, Foles has done better than most starters in the NFL. Which is why I don’t think it will be that big of an upset if the Eagles beat the Patriots this Sunday.
We can for sure say that the upset wouldn’t be considered top 5 if it happens. If we look at past Super Bowl upsets, clearly the number upset is the Giants taking down the 16-0 New England Patriots in 2007, with the stellar play from Eli Manning and David Tyree. A close second would be last year’s Super Bowl, Super Bowl 51 when Brady came back from a 28-3-point deficit. Let’s not forget the Pats upsetting the Rams in Super Bowl 36 and starting their dynasty. These are just 3 great upsets. I could easily add the Ravens beating the 49ers and Seattle beating New England to round out the top 5.
So, the safe conclusion is to say; if the Eagles win this Sunday, the upset would have to be ranked at the number 10 spot. I’m all for the dog masks and the hype that Philly has right now, but if you really look at the details and the stats going into the Super Bowl, they aren’t that big of an underdog.
However, at the end of the day, they would get to say they beat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, which everyone for the remainder of history will consider an upset.
Who wins and what is the score?
I want to say that I’m not excited about this Super Bowl match-up, but My Final Prediction is New England 31 Philadelphia 24. I don’t think the Eagles have an answer for Rob Gronkowski. I do think it will come down to the last 3 minutes of the game, but experience will pay off in the end. Now that Brady realizes that he’s in closing distance of catching Jordan of being the all-time G.O.A.T, he will find a way to pull another victory off.
-Ben Vasconcellos
Dolphins head coach Adam Gase traded Jay Ajayi mid-season to send a message to his team, apparently, that message was, “Don’t act up or I will trade you to a Super Bowl team.” But in all seriousness, how important is he in this game?
Ajayi originally started out as a change-up back, but he quickly took the bulk of the carries from LeGarrette Blount. Eagles coach Doug Pederson likes to go with the running back with the “hot hand”, for quite some time now, that has been Ajayi.
Blount is only on a one year deal, Ajayi is signed through 2018. There is no guarantee Blount comes back, but Ajayi will be in Philadelphia at least one more season.
The Eagles rode Ajayi through the playoffs with a sprinkling of Blount rookie RB Corey Clement, I see no reason for the Eagles to move from Ajayi, even after 2018. The previous regime let LeSean McCoy go, the fans would not be thrilled by letting another premier RB leave in Ajayi.
Ajayi is highly motivated to make Miami look as ridiculous as possible for trading him, he was on his hands and knees weeping when the Eagles won the NFC championship, expect Ajayi to give it every ounce of everything he has to help the Eagles win the Superbowl.
Who wins and what is the score?
Eagles win. Their defense will harass Tom Brady for much of the game. Brady will try to make a comeback, but it will be too little too late. Eagles offense will pound the ball through the Pats defense and control the game. Making big plays when they need to.
Final score Eagles 27-21
-Ralph Uriarte
If you are the Patriots, and I told you there was one offensive skill player, that is not the quarterback, that you had to shut down to win this game, who is it and why?
The Eagles come into the Super Bowl as one of the more balanced offensive teams in the NFL. Philadelphia finished 7th in total offense, 13th in passing offense (a number that dropped due to Carson Wentz injury), and 3rd in rushing offense. LeGarrette Blount paced the rushing attack with over 700 yards rushing while Jay Ajayi chipped in with over 400 yards since being acquired on Halloween. Both backs run behind one of the more dominating offensive lines in football as both Blount and Ajayi average at 4.4 yards per carry.
Three players: Zach Ertz, Nelson Agholor and Alshon Jeffery all have over 750 yards receiving for the season. By having such a balanced team the Eagles can employ play-action passes and RPO (Run pass option) plays much more effective than the average team. According to Pro Football Focus, the Eagles have run more than double the amount of RPO’s than the average team. (League average is 66 and the Eagles are 207).
Defensively the Patriots have to stop the run first to make the Play-Action and RPO passing game less effective. I expect New England to put eight men in the box, play tight man to man defense and force Nick Foles to throw the ball in tight windows. It is not one player that the Patriots have to stop it is the running game of the Eagles that the Patriots have to stop.
Who wins and what is the score?
Brady and the Patriots win cementing themselves as the greatest dynasty in sports history.
Pats 24 Eagles 14
If you are the Eagles, and I told you there was one offensive skill player, that is not the quarterback, that you had to shut down to win this game, who is it and why?
I feel like this question is really hard to answer. It will all depend on the Eagles front four. One of three things is going to happen. The front four get to Tom Brady with no help cause the Patriots offense to struggle at which point no skill player will have any luck because you will have eight defensive players guarding five. The front four fail to get to Tom giving him all day to pick apart the defense, at which point I think a big target like Rob Gronkowski benefits the most here. Or finally, the Eagles decide to blitz other cause Tom to go to hot reads and check down. That would allow a guy like Danny Amendola to excel on super Sunday. If you doubt me look at the Patriots previous Super Bowl appearances. In all of their wins, the opponent either got burned by blitzing too much or they were picked apart because Tom had time. In their losses though, both to the Giants, the G-men were able to apply pressure with only the front four causing the Patriots offense to struggle to move the ball resulting in 14 and 17 point total in their losses.
Who wins and what is the score?
This is painful. On one hand, I hate the Patriots with the fire of a thousand suns, but just because I am a Jets fan. But growing up in Philly has left a very sour taste in my mouth and so many of those fans don’t deserve the ability to celebrate the win. So I can say there is no picking from the heart here because, in all honesty, I am rooting for my block pools to hit and nothing else this weekend. While I think the Eagles defense is very respectable, I don’t think they have enough to get to Tom often enough to disrupt the game plan. The Eagles won’t have the home crowd behind them, they won’t be able to rattle the Patriot players, and they won’t score enough if it turns into a shootout. Patriots win 31 to 23.
-Michael Kelley
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