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Home , Alshon Jeffery, Bill Belichick, Blowout (sports), Chris Long, Danny Amendola, Doug Pederson

BIG GAME Preview

© ADOBE STOCK The Eagles: How They Got Here he Eagles were 7-9 last year in the first season under coach — hardly an impressive start T to his tenure with promising also in his rookie season with . Expectations were low enter- ing 2017, with many experts projecting the team to be around the .500 mark yet again. But some strategic ros- ter moves in the offseason proved to be instrumental in helping the Eagles make the 2016 season a distant memory.

KEY ADDITIONS Veteran LeGarrette Blount and defen- sive end joined the Eagles after winning rings with the Patriots last year. “I chose the Eagles for the reason of me fitting in really good here, having a champi- onship run, having a banner season,” Blount told the after he signed. “And they’re a really good team. They’re a really good team before I came. I just want to fit in.” The Eagles also added receivers and , and traded for defensive tackle Tim Jernigan. The moves didn’t gain a lot of media attention but quietly set the Eagles up for a success- MR.SCHULTZ / WIKIMEDIA / CREATIVE COMMONS ful campaign with Wentz lead- ing the squad in his second season. Carson Wentz went with win a Super Bowl since Tom as 5-and-a-half-point favorites The Eagles also were three- a torn ACL in week 14 of the Brady in 2002. in Super Bowl LII. That’s noth- point underdogs in the NFC NEXT MAN UP regular season, the Eagles ing new for the Eagles. They title game against the Quarterback has turned to Foles to pick up the UNDERDOGS were the first No. 1 seed in NFL Vikings. Now the proven the importance of hav- slack. On Jan. 22 — the day after history to be underdogs in underdog masks sported by ing a quality backup quarter- He delivered. the NFC and AFC title games, their opening playoff game but many fans throughout the back in today’s National Foles will now try to become The Westgate SuperBook in came away with a win over the playoffs will be in full force for Football League. When starter the first backup quarterback to Las Vegas installed the Patriots Falcons. Super Sunday. The Patriots: How They Got Here ere we go again. The New England HPatriots are back in the Super Bowl.

After playing in their sev- BELICHICK AND BRADY enth straight AFC champion- Coach and ship game on Jan. 21 against quarterback have the , the been the driving factors in all of Patriots are looking for their the Patriots’ Super Bowl wins. second straight Super Bowl They earned their first three in victory. a four-year span (2002 to 2005) New England made the big- but had to wait 10 years for gest comeback in Super Bowl their next championship. history last year, overcoming a Even with a little extra drama 25-point deficit to defeat the this year after the Patriots trad- , 34-28, to win ed backup quarterback Jimmy the big game. Having had Garoppolo to the San Francisco much of its key core intact 49ers, Belichick and Brady heading into the 2017-18 sea- found a way to work through son, it’s no surprise the Patriots their differences. find themselves making yet another Super Bowl run. OVERCOMING INJURIES Facing the Eagles is nothing The Patriots’ week of practice new, either. Tom Brady and the ahead of their AFC champion- Patriots beat Philadelphia in ship game against the Jaguars Super Bowl XXXIX. featured a scary moment for Brady. EXCELLENCE DEFINED He cut his knuckle on a hel- The Patriots will appear in met during a handoff and it their 10th Super Bowl, the required 12 stitches. Brady most by any franchise. (, missed one practice and Denver and Pittsburgh have became the talk of been to eight.) With a win, throughout the week, with New England would earn its Patriots fans fearing the worst. sixth title, which would tie the But the future Hall of Famer Steelers for most in National put together a solid game with Football League history. 290 yards and two , So how did they get here? including the go-ahead touch- Well, that’s more of the same, down pass to too. with 2:48 left in the game.

Having had much of its key core intact heading into the 2017-18 season, it’s no surprise the Patriots find themselves making yet JEFFREY BEALL / WIKIMEDIA / CREATIVE COMMONS another Super Bowl run. Foles: Surprising Super Bowl Starter ven Nick E Foles didn’t see this coming.

Philadelphia drafted Foles out of college but traded him after the 2014 season to the Rams as the Eagles acquired quarterback . After a winding road that almost led to retirement, Foles put together a solid playoff run to position the Eagles for a chance at the Super Bowl championship. The quarterback passed for 352 yards and three touch- downs in the Eagles’ blowout victory over the in the NFC title game on Jan. 21. The victory was surprising to many prognosticators, many of whom considered Foles outmatched by a stellar Vikings defense. Foles surely will face similar doubters as he leads the Eagles against the heavily favored Patriots in the Super Bowl.

REPLACING WENTZ Foles was thrust into the starter’s role when quarter- back Carson Wentz went down with a torn ACL in week 14 of the regular season. MATTHEW STRAUBMULLER / FLICKR / CREATIVE COMMONS Wentz had been on his way to an MVP-caliber season before the injury, leading many to er quality performances in Minnesota’s offense in the features a defeat to the build out an early lead, believe the Eagles would be playoff wins over Atlanta and second half. Oakland Raiders in Super although it may be hard-pressed to replace him. Minnesota. His first-half per- Bowl XV and the heartbreak- Philadelphia’s defense that Enter Foles. formance against the Vikings OVERCOMING HISTORY ing 24-21 loss to the Patriots carries the burden of limiting The backup was inconsis- put the game out of reach On Feb. 4, the Eagles will in Super Bowl XXXIX. the late-game heroics of tent down the stretch of the early, allowing the Eagles try to overcome a less-than- Foles will have to play a key Patriots quarterback Tom regular season but put togeth- defense to put pressure on stellar Super Bowl history that role in helping the Eagles Brady. BIG GAME PREVIEW | Tom the Terrific (Again) om Brady has defied the odds — he is now 40 years old — to become arguably the T greatest quarterback in the history of the . While that topic is a hotly contested debate, Brady’s postseason records speak for themselves.

To add to his illustrious career, Brady was named MVP of the league by the Pro Football Writers Association in January. Brady finished the season with 4,577 total yards, 32 touchdowns and eight inter- ceptions. His was 102.8, and the Patriots had the No. 1 offense in the NFL. This is the third PFWA MVP award, and he has won the Associated Press MVP award twice. Check out some of Brady’s most impressive statistics from his Hall of Fame career: • More playoff wins by him- self (27) than 28 NFL franchises do in their entire history, including Oakland (25), (24) and Washington (23). • Eight comebacks and three other fourth-quarter or game-winning drives in the postseason. is the next-closest quarterback with five. • Started two more Super Bowls (seven) than any other quarterback in history. ( had five starts.) • Won a record five Super Bowls, one more than Terry KEITH ALLISON / FLICKR / CREATIVE COMMONS Bradshaw and . • More playoff starts than and Johnny their entire playoff careers. • Selected to 13 Pro Bowls. lar season, Brady was fourth ing season as a starting quar- Unitas combined. • Four Super Bowl MVP • Led his team to more divi- all-time in career passing yards, terback and his combined reg- • More passing touchdowns awards (Super Bowls XXXVI, sion titles (15) than any other tied for third with ular-season and postseason in the Super Bowl (15) than all XXXVIII, XLIX, and LI), the quarterback in NFL history. in career passes. wins are the most of any quar- but 25 quarterbacks have in most ever by a single player. • At the end of the 2017 regu- • Brady has never had a los- terback in NFL history. BIG GAME PREVIEW | MATCHUPS Who Has the Edge On D? igh-flying offenses Hwill likely be the topic of discussion heading into Super Bowl LII, but it’s the underrated defenses that may well get the last laugh.

Some of the most memora- ble Super Bowl contests have featured unbelievable defen- sive play — whether it be James Harrison’s 100-yard return in Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl XLII victory or ’s goal line interception just a few years ago to help New England beat Seattle in Super Bowl XLIX. Who will be the defensive star this year?

PHILADELPHIA DEFENSE had a tall task in 2017, especially during the final quarter of the season. TECH. SGT. AARON OELRICH / WIKIMEDIA / CREATIVE COMMONS Once MVP candidate Carson Wentz was lost for the year on offense, Philadelphia turned to contests. The Eagles forced NEW ENGLAND DEFENSE the Patriots ranked 29th in victory. its defense for consistent play. three against Minnesota in the Patriots defensive coordina- total defense — they came up Defensive tackle Fletcher NFC title game and will look tor is likely big in the playoffs on their way and James Harrison have been Cox and safety Malcolm for a similar performance to coaching his last game as a to the team’s 10th Super Bowl solid at pressuring opposing Jenkins — the Eagles unseat New England. Patriot, as it has been appearance. quarterbacks, while the sec- picks — shouldered the bur- Other players to watch: announced he will take over New England’s team defense ondary lead by safety Devin den and helped turn in an Defensive end Brandon the approach shined in the sec- McCourty has held its own impressive playoff perfor- Graham had an outstanding job in 2018. Patricia has been a ond half of its win over against big-time quarterbacks. mance. season, and master of building solid Jacksonville in the AFC cham- The unit will have to be Philadelphia has allowed and defenses without a lot of star pionship game. The Patriots strong against Foles and the only 33 points total in its past have been consistently strong, power. stifled the Jaguars’ offense in Eagles, which have shown a four games, including 17 shutting down big-play wide While 2017 wasn’t the best the final 30 minutes of the consistent ability to light up points through two postseason receivers. defensive unit of his career — game to advance with a 24-20 the scoreboard. BIG GAME PREVIEW | MATCHUPS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 2017 MEDIA GUIDE Running Wild ith so many offensive weapons at the disposal of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Eagles counterpart W Nick Foles, the team with the best running back performance may be the last one standing on Super Sunday. The Patriots have traditionally for 32 yards in his team’s 24-20 AFC traded to the Browns in 2013. Since running back position come up big in depended on a by-committee championship game win over the landing with the Patriots, he has been the Super Bowl as teams turn to their approach but have found a regular Jacksonville Jaguars. He also gained 34 a solid contributor. runners to control the clock late in the running back this season in Dion yards on two kickoff returns. game. Lewis. The Eagles traded for former In the Patriots’ divisional-round win BLOUNT & AJAYI: Blount is a perennial playoff per- running back Jay over the , Lewis TWO PEAS IN A POD former and can wear down defenses Ajayi during the regular season — a touched the ball 24 times (15 rushes, The best NFL teams often have two with his straightforward running style. move that has paid dividends in form- nine catches) for a team-high 141 strong running backs to help keep Ajayi is more elusive but still packs a ing a strong one-two punch with yards from scrimmage. defenses off balance. The Eagles cer- powerful punch at the line of scrim- LeGarrette Blount. The Patriots have depended on such tainly fit the bill with Blount and Ajayi. mage. steady performances out of Lewis the Ajayi was acquired in a trade in Blount and Ajayi could turn out to LEWIS: A STEADY CONTRIBUTOR entire year. October, giving the Eagles an out- be the difference in Super Bowl LII, Lewis rushed nine times for 34 yards A fifth-round pick of the standing one-two combination of especially if the Eagles can jump out to and brought in seven of eight targets in 2011, Lewis was speed and strength. We have seen the an early lead. BIG GAME PREVIEW | COACHES

ZHEISEY15 / WIKIMEDIA / CREATIVE COMMONS WEBN-TV / FLICKR / CREATIVE COMMONS Pederson vs. Belichick ook no further than the head coaches of the Philadelphia Eagles and New L England Patriots for main catalysts in their teams’ respective success.

Both coaches led their teams for consistency and excellence, over as head coach in 2000. Pederson’s offensive play-call- through up-and-down seasons compiling only one losing season ing has been a big factor in the that featured injuries, controver- with the Patriots — his first cam- A COACHING UP-AND Eagles making the Super Bowl. sies and close wins. paign as head coach in 2000. COMER: DAN QUINN He has simplified the offense on While Doug Pederson and Bill After entering the professional Pederson’s football bloodlines the fly for new quarterback Nick Belichick have traveled different coaching ranks with the are rich, as he served as the Foles while still allowing him to roads throughout their careers, Colts in 1975, Belichick of the make some deep throws. both coaches have extensive moved on to the Giants for a from 2013 to The Eagles use a run-pass-op- backgrounds in the National 12-year stint that included two 2015 and spent most of his play- tion series of plays that allows Football League. Super Bowl victories with him as ing career as a backup behind Foles to make a split-second Let’s take a closer look at how defensive coordinator. for the Green Bay decision to hand the ball off or each coach has reached this point Belichick then served as head Packers. throw it downfield. Foles has in his career and how the experi- coach of the He was part of the Super Bowl embraced the approach, and the ence of each coach could make from 1991 to 1995, finishing with XXXI team that beat New England results have been clear. With the the difference in Super Bowl LII. a 36-44 record and making the in the Super Bowl. He also was a Patriots ranked near the bottom playoffs only once. backup to as a mem- of the league in terms of defense, HE’S BACK: He joined the New England ber of the Miami Dolphins, and a it might be Pederson’s creative BILL BELICHICK Patriots in 1996 under Bill starting quarterback for the play-calling that makes the differ- Belichick has built a reputation Parcells before eventually taking Eagles and Cleveland Browns. ence in Super Bowl LII.