After two long weeks of buildup, Super Bowl LII is almost here. Here is everything you need to know about Sunday’s showdown between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles:
GAME DETAILS
When: Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis
How to watch: NBC, NBC Sports Live Extra
HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Patriots torched the Tennessee Titans 35-14 in the divisional round, then rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20 in the AFC Championship Game and reach their third Super Bowl in four years. They’re looking to become the first team since the 2003-04 Patriots to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
Philadelphia edged the Atlanta Falcons 15-10 in a defensive struggle in the divisional round, then lowered the boom on the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC title game, scoring five unanswered touchdowns in a 38-7 rout. The Eagles, who are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2004 season, are seeking the franchise’s first championship in the Super Bowl era.
This game marks the fourth time in five years that two No. 1 seeds have met in the Super Bowl. The Eagles were home underdogs in each of their first two playoff games, and the Patriots entered the weekend favored by 4 1/2 points on Sunday.
INJURY REPORT
None to speak of. Both teams are fully healthy entering Super Bowl Sunday.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and defensive end Deatrich Wise both cleared concussion protocol Thursday and will play. Gronkowski said his status was never in doubt.
Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, Eagles corner Ronald Darby and Eagles defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan all battled illnesses earlier this week but are good to go.
PATRIOTS’ OFFENSE VS. EAGLES’ DEFENSE
The Eagles’ linebackers and defensive backs are solid. Their defensive line is extraordinary.
Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and former Patriot Chris Long headline a tremendously deep unit that excels at stopping the run and getting after the quarterback.
Cox, a first-team All-Pro, is a terror in the interior who will present a huge challenge for center David Andrews and guards Shaq Mason and Joe Thuney. Graham isn’t a household name, but he led the Eagles in sacks this season with 9 1/2 en route to earning second-team All-Pro honors.
Long, who’s back in his preferred role as an edge rusher, tied for the team lead in quarterback hits and has a knack for making impactful plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet (see: his drawn hold in Super Bowl LI, his hit on Case Keenum that led to Patrick Robinson’s pick-six).
Add Vinny Curry, Derek Barnett, Jernigan and Beau Allen to the mix, and the Eagles have the ability to sub liberally along the D-line while remaining disruptive. For that reason, it would not be surprising to see New England employ a hurry-up approach to keep the same defenders on the field. Tom Brady and Co. had success when pushing the pace against the Jaguars, whose D-line is similarly dangerous.
The Patriots should feel confident in their trio of pass-catching running backs (Dion Lewis, James White and Rex Burkhead) against the Eagles’ linebackers in coverage and in Gronkowski against anyone on Philadelphia’s defense. The Eagles, like most NFL teams, don’t have an obvious Gronk-stopper — safety Malcolm Jenkins likely will draw that assignment — and bracketing him would create more space for wide receivers Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan and Danny Amendola to operate.
Eagles cornerbacks Robinson, Darby and Jalen Mills are aggressive but susceptible to double moves, which the New York Giants exploited in their 34-29 loss to Philly in Week 15. New York had touchdown passes of 67 and 57 yards in that game.
PATRIOTS’ DEFENSE VS. EAGLES’ OFFENSE
Nick Foles is not Tom Brady. He’s not Carson Wentz, whom he replaced in Week 14 after Wentz tore his ACL. But he’s also not someone the Patriots can underestimate.
Foles was solid against the Falcons and excellent against the Vikings, posting a passer rating of 122.1 over those two playoff games and throwing three touchdown passes with zero interceptions. He’s well-suited for the Eagles’ run-pass option-based offense, which relies on quick throws and catching defenders out of position.
The Patriots have spent the past two weeks practicing ways to defend RPOs, though. Will they be caught off guard by Philadelphia’s game plan? Unlikely.
It’s also worth noting the Foles we saw light up the Vikings in the NFC title game bore little resemblance to the one who couldn’t hold a starting job over the past four seasons. He was a backup for a reason, and one electric performance doesn’t change that.
Moving on from the quarterback position, the Eagles boast one of the NFL’s best ground attacks, ranking third in the league in rushing yards and fourth in yards per carry during the regular season. Jay Ajayi, ex-Patriot LeGarrette Blount and rookie Corey Clement all should see plenty of action Sunday night against a Patriots defense that fared well against Derrick Henry and Leonard Fournette.
One of the most talked-about matchups this week has been Eagles tight end Zach Ertz — Philly’s leading receiver — vs. Patriots safety Patrick Chung, whom multiple Patriots coaches have called one of the NFL’s most underrated players. Elsewhere, it’s likely Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore will spend much of Super Bowl LII covering wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, his old college roommate.
Ertz, Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and Torrey Smith all had receptions of 35-plus yards against Minnesota, with Jeffery’s and Smith’s going for touchdowns.
The Patriots’ pass rush has been strong this postseason, racking up 11 sacks and 14 QB hits in two games. Trey Flowers has been their most effective rusher (one sack, NFL-high seven QB hits), with Wise, James Harrison, Kyle Van Noy and Adam Butler also providing substantial pressure.
