The biggest game of the year is finally upon us. After the two longest weeks of my life we finally get to see the underdog Philadelphia Eagles take on the evil empire that is the New England Patriots. So it is with a excited tone, yer bittersweet tone, that I bring to the final pick of the season:
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots (-4.5)
I have gone back and forth on this game almost every day it feels like. If you just looked at the quarterbacks or coaches for these teams you would think Patriots all the way.
However looking at the other match ups the Eagles are better than the Patriots in many spots. At the very least the Eagles have advantages with their offensive line, running game, defensive line, linebacker core, and secondary.
But will it be enough to dethrone one of the greatest dynasties we have ever seen in football?
If the Eagles want to have a chance it all comes down to their ability to get pressure on Brady with just four pass rushers. Luckily, the Eagles defensive line rotation is one of the best in the league, but players like Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham need to have big games to give them a chance. However, the Eagles will have to be aware of the Patriots ability to go up tempo that could disrupt the Eagles rotation.
Of course another huge issue in this game is the variable of Nick Foles. Nick Foles was dynamite in the NFC Championship game, going 26-33 with three touchdowns, 352 yards and a QBR of 141.4. While the Eagles would love for Foles to play that well again, it’s not realistic to expect so. Will we see that Nick Foles in the Super Bowl, or will he revert back to his old ways? The Eagles just need him to play well enough to set up the run and for him to not turn the ball over.
Besides that it is incredible the Patriots are even here is you ask me, even though it helps when you play Marcus Mariota and Blake Bortles. If you look at their roster compared to their other historic runs, they aren’t as talented. My gut says the Eagles are the better team, the more resilient team, and the team with the best chemistry. It is just so damn hard to pick against the Patriots.
In the end, I think this game is going to be close, and because of that I am going to take the points. The only thing that scares me about this pick is the fact that the Patriots have never had a blowout Superbowl, but as long as it stays competitive I’ll ride with the Eagles.
Pick: Eagles (+4.5)
Prediction: 27-23 Eagles
Sean McCole 