Well, I went an incredible 18-0 picking Eagle games this season. Yes, I predicted all three losses- Kansas City, Seattle and Dallas- as well as all 18 wins.
One more game. The ultimate prize. Will the Eagles win their first-ever Super Bowl title this Sunday night against the evil empire, the New England Patriots?
There are compelling reasons to pick each team. New England has the experience and the mystic. To be the champs you gotta beat the champs, and defeating the Patriots and derailing their dynasty would be sweet revenge for the Birds, who lost to Brady and Belichek in 2005 in the Super Bowl.
New England has Brady and Belichek, maybe the greatest quarterback and coach of all time. Plus the Pats know how to win big games. Don't give the ball to Brady with two minutes remaining and the Patriots needing a score to win.
The Eagles had a terrific season, also going 13-3, like New England. They were underdogs after Carson Wentz tore up his knee in early December against the Rams. Yet the Birds haven't lost a meaningful game since November, when they lost at Seattle on Sunday Night Football.
The Birds need to keep playing as they are, with aggressiveness and play smart football- no turnovers and limit the stupid penalties. They need to control the ball, which keeps the ball out of Brady's hands. They can be conservative, as Jacksonville was with the lead in the AFC Championship Game.
They need to put constant pressure on Brady, hit him hard, and force mistakes. They need to cover the fleet. speedy receiver Brandon Cooks and not fall for the double-move that burned Eagle corner backs during the year. Eagle linebackers need to cover Patriot running backs out of the flat and shifty, crafty wide-out Danny Amandola. The defense needs to continue to top the run and make Brady throw the ball.Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz needs to blitz to keep Brady honest and stay aggressive. Don't turtle-up, Eagle coaches, as both the Jags and Falcons did vs. New England.
New England cruised thru the playoffs, again earning home field advantage, beating Tennessee and Jacksonville to get to Super bowl LII. The Eagles, also a No. 1 seed, had home field advantage, but were underdogs at home to both Atlanta and Minnesota. Yet the Birds crushed the vaunted Vikes while the Patriots had trouble in New England with the up-start Jags.
Common sense says take New England. It's Brady and they've been there before, and they are still hungry for a record-tying sixth title. With the Pats aging, who knows when they will get back to the Super Bowl, although their path in the weaker AFC is more assured.
Lose and the Eagles should return to the Super Bowl sooner than later, this time with Wentz leading the way. But nothing is certain, as we saw, with bad luck, bad calls and injuries in the way. Strike while the iron is hot, this may be the best chance the Eagles have to win a world championship, especially a sweet one, beating the defending champs.
Every Super Bowl New England has played in, winning five of eight, has been close. So why should this one be different? The Eagles are 4-4 1/2 point dogs. Take the Eagles and the points, if not bet the birds to win striagth up as one bettor did this week in Vegas, laying down a $1 million wager.
As Ray Didinger said this morning on WIP, stats say take the Patriots. But analytics and numbers have been wrong all year about Philly. Most predictions had the Eagles going 8-8 for the 2017 season, not even making the playoffs, let alone reaching the Super Bowl.
Sometimes fate and emotion trump logic and cold-hard facts. Destiny vs. Dynasty. Dynasties eventually end. Destinies are meant to be.
If the Eagles are ahead late in the game, it would be nice if they were leading by a touchdown or more, to save all Eagle fans angina in the final minutes, for fear of yet another Brady comeback.
Other than Brady, and granted, that's a really big "other than", the Eagles are simply a better football team. The war in the trenches- the offensive and defensive lines- usually wins football games, and the Birds are better.They have better running backs, a better secondary and overall defense. And with the way Doug Pederson and Nick Foles have been coaching and playing during the playoffs, are they even better at this point, for one game, than even Brady and Belichek?
Play ten times and the Patriots may win seven games. Who says Sunday night won't be one of the three out of ten Eagle victories?
I'm an Eagle homer, and I like to go with the hot hand. True, when I envisioned this run, I thought the Eagles would win the NFC playoffs and lose in the Super bowl, be it to New England or Pittsburgh. I couldn't see Nick Foles taking them any father, the team happy to get there, telling itself they will return someday soon with Wentz and a real shot to win.
But I just can't see this team of destiny, this special team we will remember and talk about forever, losing. They have come too far and have overcame too much to lose now. The fairy tale ending to this surprising, magical season shouldn't end with a sad, depressing loss.
Karma and good wishes stay with the Birds on Sunday. New England may cheat but Philly is destined to win. The area will celebrate for one of it's sports teams like never before. The victory parade will be massive. And who knows/ Maybe the positive vibes and good, winning feelings will trickle down to the Sixers, Flyers and Phillies as well, and Philadelphia will be known as the City of Champions, not Boston.
I can dream, can't I? The Cubs won it all, why not the Eagles?
Al Michaels is calling the game on NBC Sunday night. He was the guy who famously said at 1980 Winter Olympics when hockey Team USA upset the mighty Russians "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!!!!"What will he say when the Eagles finally are world champions on Sunday night, and their long-suffering fans are vindicated, and those who are dearly departed, like my dad, an Eagle fan, look down and smile.?
Eagles 23 Patriots 17.
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