Super Bowl LII: Can the Eagles Unlock the Magic of the Patriots?

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by Saloni Shah, Reporter

The matchup of Super Bowl LII is set: New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles on Feb. 4. The game will be played in Minneapolis at the state-of-the-art U.S. Bank Stadium, which accommodates up to 70,000 fans.

Will the underdog Eagles be able to pull off their first Super Bowl victory against the defending champions? The Eagles have a chance to make history by claiming their first Super Bowl title and an opportunity to redeem their close loss against the Patriots (21-24) at the Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.

Defeating the Patriots, who are still the favorites, seems like a daunting task. After all, the dynamic duo of quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick have five Superbowl wins under their belt from their eight Super Bowl appearances together, and they are aspiring for a sixth title.

Yet, the Patriots displayed signs of vulnerability when they struggled against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the AFC title game on Jan. 21 (24-20). The Patriots’ defense was weak with tight end Rob Gronkowski’s departure late in the first half and Brady’s injured hand. The Eagles delivered an impressive win (38-7) against the Minnesota Vikings during the NFC title game with their backup Quarterback Nick Foles.

Senior Nate Kelly, captain of Harker’s varsity football team, and a fan of the Dallas Cowboys will be watching the Super Bowl game this Sunday with friends and family.

“I prefer the Eagles because I don’t want to see the Patriots win another Super Bowl two years in a row,” he said. “Defense will play a bigger factor in the game for both teams; both teams have a superior offense, but it’s the defense that will ultimately determine the outcome of this game.”

Though the game will be played indoors in the climate-controlled stadium, the weather in Minneapolis is expected to be bitter cold and snowy, which might disrupt the travel logistics of the fans or the activities planned for the Super Bowl week.

NFL’s TV viewership dropped roughly 10 percent this year, possibly due to the controversy surrounding the League, the anthem protests and President Trump’s tweets. Yet, NFL games and the Super Bowl continue to be amongst the top 10 most-watched TV broadcasts.

The national anthem will be performed by Pink as a part of the pre-game festivities. Justin Timberlake will give his third Super Bowl performance at the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, one of the most watched musical shows in past years.

The kickoff time for Super Bowl LII is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. PST and will be aired on NBC.