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To say the 2018 Super Bowl will be an all-day affair is quite the understatement.
Those who wish to make it so can by way of six hours of pregame coverage from NBC before the 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff time in Minnesota between the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots.
Really, this isn't anything out of the usual for a Sunday-long affair for football fans—it's just super (sorry). The commercials are bigger, so is the audience, and Justin Timberlake sounds like he has a monster performance planned for halftime.
Oh, and the NFL's two best teams will collide on the field.
Here's the viewing info for a great, albeit slightly predictable, matchup.
2018 Super Bowl
Date: Sunday, Feb. 4
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Kickoff Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra
Odds: Patriots minus-4.5, Over/Under 48
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This is only a slightly predictable matchup because it looked like these Eagles were dead in the water.
So it goes when a team loses an MVP quarterback like Carson Wentz to a season-ending injury and has to turn to a borderline journeyman like Nick Foles under center. The backup had one good game near the end of the season against a miserable New York Giants team, but it was understandable if some expected him to fall apart in the playoffs.
Instead, Foles fired just seven incompletions in a 15-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons and tossed three scores in a 38-7 whipping of the Minnesota Vikings (no, they're not going to be liked much in Minnesota on Sunday). He's riding an elite defense, undoubtedly, but kudos go to Eagles coach Doug Pederson for altering the offense to Foles' skill set.
But most of the attention should go to a defense that only allowed 18.5 points per game. In fact, defensive end Brandon Graham's unit could decide the game outright, though he says they know patience is the key against a quarterback like Tom Brady.
"He's going to try and take us out of the game. He's going to try and speed it up on us a little bit," Graham said, according to ESPN.com's Tim McManus. "I think, for us, we continue to keep conditioning ... and just don't get frustrated when he tries to take us out of the game."
As NFL Research pointed out, the defense helps the on-paper outlook:
Graham is one rotational piece of a deep defensive line including names such as Chris Long. Whether the unit can fluster Brady after excelling against Matt Ryan and Case Keenum, though, is a question worth asking.
Brady, meaning the guy who is now the oldest quarterback to start in a Super Bowl. He's the obvious runaway favorite for MVP on Saturday night and ready to tally another impressive feat, as ESPN's Adam Schefter pointed out:
It should go without saying, but if there is a quarterback who can neutralize the Eagles pass rush and make it borderline invisible, it's Brady.
Brady did just that against a stout Jacksonville Jaguars defense in the AFC title game, posting a 26-of-38 line with 290 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions, keying a comeback win despite mostly missing tight end Rob Gronkowski, who exited with an injury.
Brady is superb as usual, but his supporting cast could run wild on the Eagles if consistent pressure isn't in his face. Gronkowski is Gronkowski, but Brady has three running backs with at least 30 catches this year, Danny Amendola is reliable as ever after catching 61 of his 86 targets and Brandin Cooks erupted as advertised, catching 65 balls for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns.
Funnily enough, the Cooks addition hasn't made major headlines until Super Bowl week, though Brady isn't letting him go forgotten now.
"What he’s done for our team, in one year, is really incredible. I haven’t seen it very much from anybody to come in and make the kind of contributions he’s made," Brady said, according to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss. "He does it in his own style, too. He’s not trying to mimic anybody."
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Which isn't to suggest Foles doesn't have weapons around him as well. Like Long, running back LeGarrette Blount is a former member of the Patriots and just led the Eagles in rushing with 766 yards and two scores. Late arrival Jay Ajayi ran for 5.8 yards per carry.
The Eagles have a star tight end of their own in Zach Ertz, who led the team in receiving with 824 yards and eight touchdowns on 74 catches. Close behind him was a strong free-agent add of their own in Alshon Jeffery, who turned 57 catches into 789 yards and nine touchdowns.
Even so, oddsmakers out of Las Vegas clearly like the Patriots, a team with a historic advantage under center going against a team missing a potential MVP at the same spot. During those six hours of pregame hype, many will champion the underdog and Las Vegas will likely see an influx of support for the Eagles, though it's going to come down to relentless pressure and a poised backup to decide which team hoists the Lombardi Trophy.
Regardless of viewing format, the impending chess game between a dynasty and one looking to take the first step in attaining the status shouldn't have a problem matching the hype.
Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Odds according to OddsShark.