There’s a lot to keep up with before Super Bowl 52 kicks off.
The Super Bowl LII matchup is set, so here are 10 story lines to monitor heading into the Eagles-Patriots clash on Feb. 4:
History: Stop us if you’ve heard this before… but you should probably hear it anew. The Patriots are making a record 10th Super Bowl appearance (no other franchise has reached the game more than eight times) and have their sights set on a sixth Lombardi Trophy, which would tie the Steelers’ all-time record. A New England win would also mark the third time a team has won the Super Bowl three times over a four-year stretch (the 1992, ’93 and ’95 Cowboys did it first, followed by the 2001, ’03 and ’04 Patriots). These Patriots would also be the first NFL team to repeat since those 2004 Pats did it… by beating the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Bill Belichick will extend his own record by appearing for the eighth time as a head coach and could push another mark forward by getting a sixth victory (and he’d be able to rechristen his boat VIII rings as he also won a pair as a coordinator for Bill Parcells’ New York Giants in 1986 and 1990).
Last, and certainly not least, is quarterback Tom Brady, who will suit up for the record eighth time as a player, improving a record he already had. Earning ring No. 6 would also break the hardware tie he currently enjoys with Hall of Fame pass rusher Charles Haley. Brady also owns a slew of Super Bowl career passing records — attempts (309), completions (207), yards (2,071) and TDs (15) among them — that he’ll only make more unattainable. And, naturally, a fifth Super Bowl MVP would be gravy, given no other player in NFL history has four.
History? This will be the Eagles’ third trip to the Super Bowl, and they’re still looking for their first triumph. In fact, long-suffering Philly fans last enjoyed an NFL championship in 1960, six years before the first Super Bowl. Making matters worse, the other three teams in the NFC East (Cowboys, Giants, Redskins) have combined for 12 wins on Super Sunday. This seemed like a special « Iggles » squad when Carson Wentz looked to be on his way to an MVP season. Hopes may not have been totally dashed when he ripped up his knee in Week 14, but optimism that this may be a long-awaited team of destiny is certainly back in force now.
Last hurrah? ESPN published a harrowing story Jan. 5, during the Patriots’ bye week, alleging great tension within the walls of One Patriot Place and floated a theory this could be the last time Belichick, Brady and owner Robert Kraft will operate under the same tent. That seems increasingly unlikely given Brady is under contract for two more years while once-apparent heir apparent Jimmy Garoppolo is now busy trying to restore the 49ers’ luster.
But these Pats are due for serious transition regardless of what happens at the top of the organizational flow chart. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia — both have been in their current roles since 2012, and Patricia has been on staff since 2004 — are expected to move on to head coaching opportunities in Indianapolis and Detroit, respectively. The last time New England lost both coordinators, following that Super Bowl XXXIX defeat of Philadelphia — Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel both left — the team spent a decade searching for its next championship. Continuity, after all, is key.
And from a roster perspective, New England could lose left tackle Nate Solder, cornerback Malcolm Butler, receiver Danny Amendola, running back Dion Lewis and special teams ace Matthew Slater to free agency.
Insider info? Part of New England’s brilliance is constant evolution and the ability to attack, defend and beat teams in various forms. Still, the Eagles might at least cull some tendencies of individual Patriots and perhaps other insights from running back LeGarrette Blount, a Patriot from 2013 to 2016 (minus a side trip to Pittsburgh in 2014), and defensive end Chris Long, who got a ring with New England last season.
Gronk watch: All-pro Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was lost to a concussion in the first half of the AFC Championship Game. Yes, he’s got two weeks to recover, but concussions are scary and tricky. Gronk is in his eighth season, but he’s only been healthy for a Super Bowl once, the victory over Seattle three years ago when he caught six passes for 68 yards and a TD against one of the best defenses in recent NFL memory. A severe ankle injury limited him in the Super Bowl XLVI loss to the Giants, and he missed last season’s matchup with Atlanta. He’s obviously a key to New England’s offense and a player almost sure to make a significant impact — if he’s healthy. Eagles Pro Bowl safety Malcolm Jenkins may be the man given the unenviable task of slowing No. 87.
Not your fraternal twin’s Patriots: If it seems like the New England lineup — aside from Brady — changes every five minutes, well… Of the 22 starters the Patriots used in Super Bowl LI against Atlanta, only half started Sunday against Jacksonville. Regulars like defensive back Duron Harmon and wideout Chris Hogan subbed into the AFC Championship Game, while Amendola came off the bench vs. the Falcons. Still, the 2017 Patriots are significantly different from the 2016 Patriots. In: Gronkowski, Brandin Cooks, James Harrison, Stephon Gilmore. Out: Blount, Julian Edelman, Malcolm Mitchell, Martellus Bennett, Rob Ninkovich, Dont’a Hightower, Logan Ryan.
Foles factor: Nick Foles has never taken a snap against the Patriots in his six-year career. That’s probably an advantage for New England, given its aforementioned ability to go the chameleon route and devise an entirely different scheme from whatever Foles might study on tape, no matter how far back he digs into the film vault. But Wentz’s fill-in deserves credit, too, especially in the wake of a rocky return to the starting role after Wentz went down Dec. 10. But the playoffs have been a different story.
The Falcons and Vikings both packed talented defenses, and neither was probably overly concerned about Foles besting them. Well, call it the Foles folly. He was efficient in beating Atlanta, then deadly against Minnesota’s top-ranked defense, which he shredded for 352 yards and three TDs through the air. Foles hasn’t committed a turnover in the postseason, and his 122.1 QB rating even makes Brady’s 105.0 look pedestrian by comparison.
Foles’ supporting cast: All-pro right tackle Lane Johnson is the mainstay of an offensive line that’s continued to thrive despite a season-ending knee injury to stalwart left tackle Jason Peters. Center Jason Kelce and guards Brandon Brooks and Stefen Wisniewski have been superlative inside. And Pro Bowl tight end Zach Ertz headlines a diverse group of skill players that also showcases receivers Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and Torrey Smith with Blount, Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement working out of the backfield. Not one member of the NFL’s third-ranked scoring attack had 1,000 yards from scrimmage, however seven of them had at least 400, including 499 from Ajayi (6.2 yards per touch) in just seven games following his midseason trade from the Dolphins.
