Experts think Eagles have a chance to upset Patriots

Super Bowl 52 is finally here, and football fans are excited to see the New England Patriots clash against the Philadelphia Eagles. Many analysts predict that Tom Brady and the Patriots will hoist their sixth Vince Lombari Trophy, but others are convinced that the resurgent Eagles will claim their first-ever Super Bowl crown.

However, he did provide ways in which the Eagles could pull off the upset. White said the Eagles have to generate a rushing attack and play mistake-free football:

In this game even one turnover by the Eagles could be enough to doom them. One way or another, they have to find a way to avoid the interceptions and fumbles on offense. It would be a damn shame if their defense balls out, but the offense keeps putting them in precarious positions.

White said the Patriots would have to use tight end Rob Gronkowski as a decoy and utilize Brandon Cooks:

So I expect the Patriots to test the Eagles’ coverage by lining up in a 2x2 formation and having both the outside receiver and Gronk, as the inside receiver, to run vertical routes to get the corner and safety on that side to bail out of there. Then they can either slip a running back out to the flat to that side or have someone run a crossing route from the other side that ends up in that flat to see if Philly has fixed that issue.

It should be easy money if the Eagles still haven’t fixed it.

Alexis Chassen made a bold prediction about what will transpire during this clash:

Look, this might seem crazy, but while I think the game starts off pretty slow and even on both sides, the Eagles come out of halftime with a fire under their ass and go up by a score before a late Pick-6 by the Eagles defense seals the win. THIS IS FOR PHILLY. With the momentum coming off demolishing of the Vikings in the NFC Championship, I’d expect the players for Philadelphia to be ready to run through a wall in the days leading up to the big game. As long as the defensive line can keep pressure on Tom Brady throughout the matchup (and limit the use of Gronkowski) the Eagles should be primed to keep the Patriots’ score on the low side. Nick Foles probably wont have quite the same dynamic game as he did against the Vikings, but the Patriots knowing he can throw the ball further than 30 yards should keep them honest and open up some lanes for the run game. Ultimately, I think the Eagles enact their revenge -- which at this point should be more than just bulletin board material. As long as Doug Pederson continues to be “fearless” in his play-calling, there’s no reason the Eagles don’t walk away with the first Super Bowl win in franchise history. (FINALLY!)

Brinson said the Eagles will pressure Brady so much, making the Patriots take short passes instead of deep throws:

But here’s how I think it plays out: the Eagles utilize a heavy-pressure defense to get Brady off his spot early and minimize the ability of New England to throw down the field. Without Julian Edelman in the game, the Pats can’t eat up quite as much short-yardage stuff, although Danny Amendola is a different animal in the playoffs and although Dion Lewis/James White are nice substitutions, Philly was good against pass-catching backs this year (10th by DVOA).

Dubin said Tom Brady will be too much for the Eagles to handle. According to Dubin, New England performs well under pressure, and Brady doesn’t rarely commits turnovers:

I wound up siding with Brady and company this time around largely because his performance in pressure situations has been so much better this season than in previous years. His ability and willingness to use his running backs as outlets in the passing game has led to fewer tight-window throws down the field and more safety-valve type throws to Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead, and James White. As a result, he’s turned the ball over with rushers in his face far less often than in the previous few seasons. So even if the Eagles’ rush hits home on Sunday, they still need Brady to make mistakes with his throws. Brady rarely makes mistakes.

Philadelphia has been undervalued by oddsmakers and will be an underdog in the Super Bowl as well. I make this game Patriots -4, so the market has kind of caught up to what Philadelphia is -- and that is a more complete team than just Carson Wentz at QB. I used to believe in trends more in the past when players didn’t change teams as much, but it has to be said that the Patriots have won their Super Bowls with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick by three, three, three, four and six points -- and they lost the other two by a combined seven points. I think this will be another close game.

She chose the Eagles to win the big game. Now, you have to like the Eagles’ chances of winning.

Shocking, we know. Matt Lombardo, an Eagles reporter for the online publication, said the Eagles have a “better and deeper roster” than the Patriots.

The Patriots have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, but the Eagles have the better and deeper roster. This game is going to be won along the line of scrimmage, where the Eagles have the better offensive and defensive lines. Whether it’s unblockable All-Pro defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who is more than capable of providing pressure up the middle against Brady or an offensive line that has an All-Pro center, All-Pro tackle and Pro Bowl guard in Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Brandon Books, the Eagles have the edge. Meanwhile, Doug Pederson has done a masterful job of unlocking the keys to the Eagles ‘offense and Nick Foles’ potential via run-pass options that will put a strain on the Patriots’ defense.

The more I think about it, the more convinced I become that this will be a win for the Patriots, but not a wild and dramatic win. I would not be shocked if it’s a stylistic replay of the first time the Patriots and Eagles met in the Super Bowl 13 years ago.

No matter who you vote for in this game, let’s hope Super Bowl 52 adds on to the long list of great Super Bowl memories.