How Important Is This Super Bowl For Eagles & Patriots?

A football game might not have equal value for the two teams.

  In the National Football League, every single game has some meaning to it. There are some games which one team could not afford to lose. When a team is going up against its rival and hasn't won a game against them in the last two to three meetings, then they know they can't lose for the fourth straight time. If a team loses four straight games against its rival then, how is it considered a rivalry among the two? It would seem like a rivalry dominated by just one team. I honestly believe that there is no rivalry between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers and I will explain you why exactly! When you think of a team getting into the playoffs on a consistent basis, do you think of the Lions or the Packers? When you think about great quarterbacks, do you think of the quarterbacks of the Lions or of the Packers? When you think of Super titles, do you think of the Lions who have never even played in one, or the Packers, the team that has won four titles and been to five? Basically, if you want mediocrity then you should root for the Lions. If you want a title and a chance to compete for it, then you should root for the Green Bay Packers. Tomorrow night, we will have a matchup between two teams for the Super Bowl title who, are viewed very differently in the football world. The Philadephia Eagles, who are looking for their very first Lombardi, are seen us the underdogs and one of the laughing stocks of the NFL for the last twenty years. On the other hand, there are the New England Patriots, who are favorites to win the game tomorrow night, and because of their consistency in the playoffs and in Super Bowls in the last twenty years, are seen as the best dynasty of the modern era in the world of professional football. But, do this Eagles' team really need a Super Bowl victory more than the Patriots' team?

What would this Super Bowl win mean to this Philadephia Eagles' team? 

  To the fans it would mean the world as, Philadephia Eagles are one of the thirteen teams who have never won a Super Bowl. Also, they are the only team from their division, NFC east to not be part of the eleven rings won within the division. However, I am talking about this team, not the Eagles' franchise and all of their history. Eagles' fans are dying to celebrate a Super Bowl win and they are pretty close from winning it for the third time. If they win, it is going to be huge for every single person, directly or indirectly related to the organization of the Eagles. But, could we or the fans of the Eagles ridicule them, if they lose tomorrow night? We can't! First, we need to understand how many key players, including starters they are missing for this big game tomorrow.  They are without their two primary running backs, Wendell Smallwood and Darren Sproles. We know how important the kicking game is in football, and Eagles are playing tomorrow without their kicker, Caleb Sturgis. Eagles will have their rookie kicker, Jake Elliot start tomorrow, who has done well so far. However, you never know if bright lights could get in his head. Play of the quarterback in football is important for all thirty-two teams in the league. But, if your starting all-pro left tackle is out, things become really difficult for any quarterback in the game. Eagles lost their all-pro left-tackle Jason Peters during a 'Monday night football' game in the month of October. According to many football experts, Jason Peters is a top two or top three left tackle in the game. Then late in the season in week 14, the Eagles suffered their biggest blow of the season. They lost their sensational quarterback, Carson Wentz who, was having an MVP season up to that point.

  So a team made it to the Super Bowl, without its all-pro left tackle, its starting kicker, two do it all running backs, and their young superstar quarterback. Isn't that an amazing feat to accomplish? This team has already done a lot. No one expected them to be in the Super Bowl with all these injuries. It wouldn't be a shame or a shocker if they lose. Secondly, we need to know who the Eagles are playing in the Super Bowl! They are playing a team led by the greatest coach and greatest quarterback of all time. The New England Patriots are set to play in their eighth Super Bowl in Brady and Belichick era. They have won five already and looking to win their sixth. Plus, the Patriots have won two of the last three Super Bowls. So the Pats have experience and Eagles are a young team, who are super excited to be in the Super Bowl game. Even if you ask the most loyal fans of the Eagles, they would tell you that their chance of going to Super Bowl was gone right after they lost Carson Wentz in week 14. A Super Bowl victory would be huge for the Eagles, but it won't be a disaster or the end of the world, if they lose!

So the Patriots have to win this Super Bowl?

  With five titles and eight appearances in the last eighteen years, most of us would say they don't have to win this game tomorrow night. Legacies of Brady and Belichick are set in stone, especially after what they did last year in Super Bowl 51 with, the amazing come from behind victory. But they need to win tomorrow! Since October 30, 2017, the day when Bill Belichick traded away Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers for a second round pick, there have been rumors of tension among the owner Robert Kraft, head coach Belichick himself, and quarterback Tom Brady. Those rumors seemed true when ESPN released a report in January, at the start of the playoffs. The report said that Belichick was forced by Mr. Kraft to trade away their backup-quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of Tom Brady. Belichick is known for letting go of his players an year or two before they fall off the cliff and Kraft didn't want him to do that to Brady. According to the ESPN report, Belichick was furious and felt cheated, with Kraft favoring Brady over him. A day or two after the report was released, Kraft, Belichick, and Brady had a joint statement in which, they claimed there was no tension and disagreement among the three. Robert Kraft said openly that he sees Brady as his son, but he didn't force Belichick to trade Garoppolo. We want to believe that, Belichick wants to prove us all that he doesn't need Brady as his quarterback to win a Super Bowl and that's why he wanted to keep Garoppolo instead of him. Well that was proven, when he was the coach of the Cleveland Browns for five years and then in 2000, coach of the Patriots team that went 5-11 for the season.

  Then there was a rumor that Belichick was so fed up with Kraft, that he decided to intentionally sabotaged the New England Patriots, by trading away Garoppolo for only a second-round pick. Also, Belichick started showing his frustration by getting into a rift with Brady's personal trainer, Alex Guerrero, and then banning him from sidelines for games permanently. With all that going on, Patriots managed to finish the season with the number one seed, and made it back to the Super Bowl. If Patriots need to prove that the report which ESPN wrote is false, they need to win tomorrow. If they win tomorrow against the Philadephia Eagles, who are the underdogs for this Super Bowl matchup, they will make it clear to everyone that, everything which was said and written about them, was all noise. It was just people making up stuff to distract the Patriots' players and have them crumble in the playoffs. That hasn't happened yet, but it certainly could if they lose tomorrow. Especially if they lose by double digits or more. So this Patriots' team led by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, should win against the Eagles' team led by Nick Foles!

What would happen if an upset does take place in this year's Super Bowl?

 Well, obviously Philadelphia Eagles will finally get to party big time, as they will end their long Super Bowl drought. However, they will have to make a tough decision in the offseason. If Nick Foles plays lights out, like he did against the Minnesota Vikings in the Championship Game, then Eagles' management will need to think about if, they should keep him, or let go of him and give the keys back to Carson Wentz. For some it would be a no brainer, as Wentz is younger and was the main reason why Eagles won so many games to clinch the number one seed in their conference. It would be a no brainer if, Foles play like how he did in the divisional round game, against the Atlanta Falcons. He was pretty awful in that game. On the other side, if the upset does take place, it would end the dynasty of the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick might choose to retire and Tom Brady might struggle next year, without having Belichick on the sidelines. Also, this upset would prevent the Patriots from becoming the first team since 2003-2004, to win back to back Super Bowl titles. The last team to win back to back titles was the New England Patriots, which was also led by Brady and Belichick. Of course a lot is on the line for both teams, but a sixth ring would be a little easier for the Patriots to handle, than the Eagles winning their first ring with Nick Foles and then deciding what to do with him and Carson Wentz!