By Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Eagles look to end their 58-year championship drought and win their first Super Bowl in franchise history on Sunday against Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, and the New England Patriots at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.
While it would be easy for Doug Pederson, Nick Foles, and the rest of the Eagles to get caught up in the mystique of the Patriots' five championships in this era of dominance, they have managed to downplay that factor all week.
"I am not worried about their dynasty. They may have a dynasty but that's what we are looking to start here in Philly," Jeffery said at the Mall of America on Wednesday. "I am trying to win a trophy man. We want to bring this thing back to Philly for the first time. All of that dynasty stuff, that [expletive] doesn't matter to me."
Here's a roundup of picks and predictions from national NFL reporters and analysts for Super Bowl LII:
The Sporting News
Super Bowl 52 should not be a defensive struggle. There are too many ways for both teams to move the ball. Foles will get going with better support from his rushing attack, while Brady will keep letting it rip in the air.
Vinny Iyer, of The Sporting News, doesn't think the Eagles have quite enough to fulfill Jeffery's prophecy:
This game has the feel of a back-and-forth affair with neither team starting slow. It probably comes down the last possession, and Brady will need only one final minute to push the Patriots to victory -- and the first Super Bowl repeat since they beat the Eagles in Super Bowl 39.
Prediction: Patriots 30, Eagles 27.
Meanwhile, Iyer's colleague David Steele expects the Eagles' defense to contain Brady and power a victory:
It seems inconceivable that any defense can stop Brady if he decides he's not going to be stopped. The Jaguars, ranked at or near the top of every regular-season defensive category, couldn't keep it up when it counted in the AFC championship game; neither could the Falcons in last year's Super Bowl.
Yet this Eagles defense, fresh off of a lockdown of the Vikings in the NFC title game, has what it takes to finish the job. More important, the Eagles offense, Nick Foles and all, can handle the hard work of keeping Brady off the field, exploiting the Patriots' defense, holding and maintaining a lead, and keeping a foot on the Patriots' throats. The Patriots are historically great, but they're not infallible, and this will be proof.
PICK: Eagles 26, Patriots 24.
Benjamin Hoffman, of The New York Times, sees a competitive game with the Eagles coming up just short of pulling off the upset:
The Eagles will fight hard, and certainly have a chance at pulling off an upset, but Brady's experience and Foles's volatility give New England a slight advantage. The Patriots won three Super Bowls in a four-season period from 2001 to 2004, and they appear poised to repeat that accomplishment.
Pick: Patriots 28, Eagles 26.