In a couple days, the Philadelphia Eagles will make their third ever Super Bowl Appearance. Nick Foles, fresh off of a huge win against the Minnesota Vikings, has already been anointed a Philadelphia legend.
Fans of the Eagles have already planned how they will celebrate, and where they will stand for the parade. Before we get too carried away, however, it is probably wise to take a step back and look at the facts.
The Eagles are facing one of the best dynasties that Football has ever seen. The Patriots are coached by a future Hall of Famer, Bill Belichick, and led by a future Hall of Famer, Tom Brady. The Patriots are a good team, and they very well could win this game.
Here are a few key reasons you should be worried about the Eagles and their chances to win the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady led the entire NFL with a QB Rating of 96.6 while under pressure. According to Pro Football Focus, three of the top 20 most productive pass rushing defensive tackles and three of the top 20 most productive pass rushing 4-3 defensive ends belong to the Eagles, making Philadelphia one of the top pass-rushing units in the NFL. All season long, the Eagles have been relying on their ferocious front 4 to keep opposing quarterbacks on their toes, and backs at times, but in the Super Bowl, Jim Schwartz will need to rely on other units to slow down Tom Brady. Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith have a very tough matchup against Stephon Gilmore and Malcolm Butler, respectively. If the Patriots are able to effectively keep Jeffery and Smith out of the game with only two defenders, they will able to double cover Zach Ertz and provide help behind Eric Rowe, who could be a liability in coverage. This will also allow the Patriots to stack the box, limiting the effectiveness of Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount. Since 2001, the Patriots are 15-0 when facing an opponent for the first time that season in the playoffs. While I am usually not one to buy into these types of statistics, this one is especially difficult to ignore. Through these 15 games, which include both 2017 playoff victories, the Patriots have averaged 27.5 points while only allowing opponents to score 21.8 points. The 2004 Super Bowl victory over the Eagles is one of these 15 games. When the Patriots play a team in the playoffs that they have already faced that year, they are much more beatable with a record of 12-9.