One of the things that has made the New England Patriots so deadly during their unprecedented run is their ability to come back from any deficit. No lead is safe from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick until the clock reads nothing but zeroes, just ask the Atlanta Falcons.
So if the Philadelphia Eagles get a lead on the five-time Super Bowl champions Sunday in Super Bowl LII, how do they keep it?
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke with NFL players and coaches to discuss the keys to maintaining a lead against the vaunted Patriots, with playcalling, trusting your quarterback and tackling leading the conversation.
Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback A.J. Bouye, who was beside himself after the Jags blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship Game, believes it comes down staying the course.
“Just stick to the game plan,” Bouye said. “Don’t overthink it. Don’t do something different. Just go out there and play ball. When you’re out there chasing stuff, that’s when things happen. Whatever calls are working for you, keep it going. If you feel you’re better in that position across the board and feel you have better matchups, just stay on it. No need to get soft. Just keep your foot on the pedal.”
One anonymous coordinator believes it’s all about keeping the clock moving, something the Falcons were unable to do in Super Bowl LI.
“Make (Brady) complete it inside so you can tackle it, make sure the clock is moving,” he said. “If you’re playing and you need a touchdown, you’re playing everything like it’s third down — ‘I’ve got to win four third downs in a row.’ And you go from there.”
One coach touted the ability to collapse the pocket on Brady, while a different coach cited the need to trust your quarterback to move the sticks late in the contest.
“You have to score more than 20 points to have a chance,” one NFL coach said. “In the four-minute drill, are you confident enough in your quarterback for him to make simple throws with the game on the line?”
Closing out the Patriots is one of the toughest tasks in sports, but should the Eagles get the lead at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday they’ll need to heed the advice of Bouye and others to seal the deal.
