Super Bowl LII Preview

“I hope the Super Bowl gets canceled this year.” I heard a fellow Delbarton student say this while walking through the halls and, despite being an avid football fan, I found myself agreeing with this statement. It is no secret that the two teams in Super Bowl LII, the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, are universally disliked. Some people are sick of seeing Tom Brady and New England succeed, and others despise the dirty antics of the fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. The majority of the Delbarton community consists of New York Giants fans who despise their Philadelphia divisional rivals. Although the Super Bowl this year is composed of two unlikable teams, it is still the Super Bowl: millions upon millions around the world will be watching. But what should we expect?

From what I’ve heard, the majority of the Delbarton students actually wants the Eagles to win “the Big Game,” as do I. Bias aside, however, how great of a chance do the Eagles have in doing so? First, let’s look at the most important position on the football field: quarterback. Tom Brady has been to the Super Bowl an astonishing seven times and has won five of them (nobody remembers who the two losses came to). Brady has missed the playoffs a mere two seasons during his entire career and has won nearly 30 playoff games! Let’s take a look at the opposition’s quarterback. Nick Foles has played in three playoff games over two postseasons, only two of which he has won. He has little playoff experience and is a shadow of his former 2013 self. Quarterbacks, however, are not the only participants in this year’s Super Bowl.

Aside from quarterback, the Eagles have a much more talented roster overall. Brady’s receivers are only good because of Brady (besides Gronk), and his running backs are nothing special. On the defensive side, New England’s numbers are impressive, but trail behind Philadelphia’s in almost every category. The Eagles’ receiving corps includes Pro Bowler Alshon Jeffery, as well as other good complementary wideouts. In a shocking trade, the Eagles traded a very poor draft pick to Miami for Pro Bowl running back Jay Ajayi earlier this season, who had a phenomenal year with Philly. The Eagles’ defense is a juggernaut. Along with a plethora of sacks from players like Pro Bowler Brandon Graham, the Eagles had a whopping nineteen interceptions during this past regular season! The Eagles’ defense was truly outstanding this year, ranking top 5 in the league in several important stats.

This Super Bowl will answer the question that still lacks a definitive answer: is a quarterback all a team needs to win the Super Bowl? The Eagles are more talented than their opposition, but Tom Brady may be the only piece needed to win a Super Bowl. The Patriots defeated the Eagles in the 2004 Super Bowl, but two completely different rosters cause that to be insignificant in predicting this year’s Super Bowl. Personally, I believe that Tom Brady is all that the Patriots will need and that New England will defeat the Eagles by a score of 31-27 in a win that features a fourth-quarter comeback from Brady. What do you think? Check to see if your prediction is correct this Sunday, February 4th, at 6:30 PM on NBC.