Super Bowl LII Preview
One week from today, America’s modern day gladiators will clash in a battle beloved by millions. The fifty-second Super Bowl of the NFL will take place at 6:30 on Sunday the fourth of February, between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Super Bowl spotlight is something very familiar to the Patriots, as they have participated in two of the last three. However, for the Eagles, a shot at winning the championship game is something is something they have seen little of throughout their career as a professional team.
Both teams have many strengths that have propelled them to this opportunity for the ultimate success, but both teams have weaknesses that could hinder there performance if not kept in check. For the Patriots, experience is an obvious advantage as they will know what to expect and have encountered very similar circumstances in Super Bowls past. This could prove to be a stumbling point however, if they become too comfortable with the idea of facing a team that is fairly unfamiliar with the pressure. The Patriots offense has been a dominating force over the last few years due to the precision and aggressiveness of Tom Brady, which has sent team after team sprawling. They could face quite a challenge in facing the defense of the Eagles though, which pressured its way to the top this season by rushing through the O-line to put pressure on the passer, and chasing down wide receivers relentlessly to keep the passing game locked down. The Eagles offense has been effective in scoring its way to the super bowl, but may be outclassed by the Brady-Belichick Powerhouse. The coordination of the Jim Schwartz defense will certainly be a defining factor in keeping the Eagles from becoming swamped by the Patriots.
The last time the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl was 2004, and interestingly enough, they faced the Patriots, to whom they lost. Many are concerned that this year’s Super Bowl will be nothing more than a repeat of the last Super Bowl the Eagles saw. Some would blame inexperience for the Eagles loss fourteen years ago, but we must not forget that during the 2003-2004 season, Tom Brady had only been with the Patriots four years. It seems inexperience may have little to do with it, as the game ended with only a three point deficit between the two teams after they went score for score almost the entire game. The idea that this game will be a repeat is not very believable, as the players and strategies are almost completely new, aside from the Brady-Belichick Offense, which has seen its fair share of championships since 2004. The Patriots have seen so many Super Bowls in the last couple of decades that many are growing weary of their continual success. Many fans of the game, myself included, are ready for there to be some new blood in the arena. Though New England is a source of considerable power, it is time for someone to end their reign of terror, and perhaps the Eagles will be the team to do it.
