Super Bowl LII will feature some fascinating matchups all over the field. There is experience against inexperience, strong pass rushing against an elite quarterback, and many other factors that will decide the outcome.
Neither of these teams are flawless, though. Both will have questions to answer when they take the field in Minneapolis on Sunday. In some cases, their ability to answer those questions will be the difference between success and failure. Here are some big question marks for both the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles ahead of Sunday’s big game.
1) How will the Patriots be affected by the health of Gronk and Brady?
One potential issue for the Patriots is health. Rob Gronkowski seems like he’ll be good to go, as he’s been practicing at full speed. What about Tom Brady’s hand? It certainly didn’t look like an issue against the Jacksonville Jaguars two weeks ago, and there’s reason to believe that it should be even less of an issue now. Still, New England’s two most important players have been dealing with injuries. There’s just no way to ignore that. The Patriots need those injuries to be non-factors.
2) What kind of game will Nick Foles produce?
If Nick Foles can’t at least hold his own, the Eagles are pretty much done for. If their defense plays out of their minds, he could get by with an average game, but it will be almost impossible for them to overcome a downright bad game. He had a great game against the Minnesota Vikings, but you can bet that the Patriots will be ready for him, and they’ll try to put the game in his hands and dare him to beat them. Foles’ performance is probably the biggest question mark of the entire game on either side.
3) How well can New England stop the Philadelphia pass rush?
Even Brady can struggle if he doesn’t have time to throw, and Philadelphia’s four-man rush is as good as any unit in the league. This is where the New England offensive line will be called into question. They were around the middle of the road this season in terms of preventing sacks, but they held up fairly well against a fearsome Jacksonville pass rush two weeks ago in the AFC championship. They’ll have to be at least that good again. Ensuring that Brady has time and space to do his thing will be a huge factor in whether the Patriots can win this.
4) Will Philly keep their heads if they get a lead?
Facing the Patriots, especially in a playoff game, is as much a psychological battle as it is a physical one. New England has staged comebacks in three consecutive playoff wins now, and they’ve been down double digits in the second half in two of those three victories. How will the Eagles react if they get a lead? We know that no advantage is safe against New England. Even if Philadelphia is ahead in the fourth quarter, they have to find a way to succeed where the likes of Atlanta and Jacksonville did not. This is a fairly young team that hasn’t been here before. All eyes will be on how they react if they’re winning this game in the second half.
5) Can the Patriots force the Eagles into passing the ball?
In terms of yardage, the Eagles had the third-best rushing attack in the NFL in 2017. They’ve been running the ball pretty well in the playoffs as well, and with Nick Foles under center, you can bet that Philadelphia will want to lean on that strategy as much as possible. The challenge for New England will be taking it away from them; they haven’t always been stout against the run game in 2017. The Eagles boast three solid backs in Jay Ajayi, LeGarrette Blount, and Corey Clement, and offer a lot of different looks. If the Patriots’ defensive line can take this away from them, they’ll force Foles to make plays. That’s probably the goal.
6) Will the Eagles give Foles time to show what he has?
The Patriots don’t quite have Philadelphia’s pass rush, but they’re no slouches in that department. It will be a huge priority for the Eagles to ensure Foles has as few headaches as possible, and that means protecting him. Philadelphia’s offensive line is good, but the likes of Malcom Brown and Trey Flowers will want to get their shots in at the veteran quarterback. Can the Eagles hold up? If not, it could be a long day for Foles.
7) Is the underdog angle motivating the Eagles?
Some of Philadelphia’s players happily wore dog masks after the win over Atlanta in the divisional round of the playoffs. The dog mask thing, a nod to the Eagles being underdogs for the game, became a huge rallying cry for the team. They carried some of that momentum into the NFC championship game and pulled off a win. Now that they’ve reached the Super Bowl — an achievement of its own — will they be playing with the same chip on their shoulder? The Patriots aren’t letting them play the underdog card despite being betting favorites. Something has to give.
8) Will Tom Brady avoid turning the ball over?
Tom Brady is arguably the greatest playoff quarterback in NFL history, but he’s not impervious to errors. He’s thrown 31 interceptions in 36 career playoff games, but none have come this year. The pessimist might see him as due for a mistake. Regardless, the Eagles have a strong secondary and a pass rush good enough to force Brady into some errors if he’s not careful and at the top of his game. This is a strong defense he’s facing, and it will definitely be a challenge for him.
9) Will Philadelphia’s third down success on defense carry over?
The Eagles have been great on third down during the playoffs, holding the Falcons and Vikings to a combined 10-for-26 in those situations. New England has gone 14-29 in those spots, struggling against Jacksonville but having their way against Tennessee. Brady does some of his best work when his back is to the wall, and the Eagles will have to get off the field when they have the chance to do so. It’s simplistic and obvious, but Philadelphia is better off when the ball isn’t in Brady’s hands. Whether they can minimize his chances to hurt them is a big question.
10) Can the Patriots effectively utilize their run game?
It may be difficult for the Patriots to use the run game to take pressure off Tom Brady. No team allowed fewer rushing yards than the Eagles did in 2017 — just 1,267 yards, best in the NFL by some margin. That may be enough to hinder the Patriots’ top-ten rushing game. Bill Belichick is the best game-planner in the business. He may rely on loading up the backfield and trying to win a physical battle, or using the likes of James White as passing options out of the backfield. Even Brady can’t pass all the time, so one big issue New England will face will be finding a way to at least give Philadelphia some different looks.
