With the clock quickly counting down to the kickoff of Super Bowl LII, we still have a little time to predict some interesting game day scenarios.
To nobody’s surprise, the New England Patriots are favored to win. Though, the Philadelphia Eagles have performed extremely well and have been defying odds during this entire postseason. This is a well-rounded team that should not be underestimated even facing a five-time Super Bowl champion quarterback.
Outside of the quarterback position, both teams feature powerful running backs, quick receivers and red-zone threat tight ends. How much impact will Rob Gronkowski and Zach Ertz have on the outcome of this game?
We cover that here in our 10 bold predictions for Super Bowl LII.
Tom Brady rushes in for a touchdown
The G.O.A.T. admittedly doesn’t do much running these days. Why should he? Brady has a trio of capable running backs that take care of business on the ground. But, we are going to predict this quarterback, who had 28 rushing yards and zero touchdowns in 2017, attempts to score on foot.
The Eagles won’t be expecting it considering Brady has averaged a paltry 1.7 yards per carry during his 18-year career. A trick Brady rushing play within the 10-yard line might just make our prediction come true.
Nick Foles throws for over 300 yards
Foles was a force in his last matchup against a Minnesota Vikings defense in the NFC Championship Game. He threw for 352 yards against a Vikings defense that allowed only 192 passing yards on average per game during the regular season.
So, what is in store for Foles against a Patriots defense that gave up 59 more passing yards per game than Minnesota did? We are going to predict that Foles continues his stellar recent performance and keep the game competitive.
Keep in mind that the Patriots last surrendered 293 passing yards to quarterback Blake Bortles in the AFC Championship Game. We say Foles one-ups this.
Pink has green hair when she performs the National Anthem
Prior to Brady and Foles taking center stage at the Super Bowl, pop sensation Pink will be on hand to sing the National Anthem. Boldly, we are predicting that she colors her hair green to represent her Philadelphia roots.
Pink was last seen with blonde hair at the Grammy’s this past Sunday. We will soon see if she uses this opportunity to make a bold statement and fulfill a long shot Super Bowl prop bet.
Patriots fall behind at halftime
This prediction does not have anything to do with what the final score may be. We are just throwing it out there that the Patriots may be behind once Justin Timberlake shows up on the field.
After all, it was only two weeks ago that the Patriots initially struggled against the Jacksonville Jaguars and were behind 14-3 with seven minutes to go in the second quarter. They entered halftime four points behind.
And, we all remember New England’s massive comeback in Super Bowl LI. The Pats were down 21-3 at halftime. Philadelphia’s defense should not be underestimated and might just force the Patriots to make some major halftime adjustments.
Nelson Agholor dusts defenders for a huge touchdown
The Patriots are going to have to do everything possible to stop Agholor from getting the ball. Because once he does, chances are Agholor might just burn New England’s defenders for a huge catch-and-run.
Agholor has averaged 13.8 yards per catch in his two playoff games and he recorded two touchdowns in 2017 of at least 58 yards. The Patriots’ secondary can be exploited and we predict Agholor goes for at least a 50-yard catch-and-run scoring play.
James White has repeat performance
White might be that sneaky playmaker the Patriots rely on just as they did in last year’s Super Bowl. In Super Bowl LI, White scored two touchdowns and tallied 139 yards on 20 touches.
Many may be expecting running backs Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead to carry the load this game. It makes sense considering White took a backseat this past season to both backs and scored only three times.
But, it would not be out of the line of thinking on head coach Bill Belichick’s part to mix things up and get White more involved on Sunday.
Neither quarterback throws an interception
Wouldn’t this be quite the feat? But, we are talking Tom Terrific here who threw only eight interceptions in 581 attempts during the regular year. Can he stay clean against a Philly passing defense that picked off Minnesota Vikings Case Keenum twice and allowed a 63.8 quarterback rating in the NFC Championship Game? We boldly predict no picks. This goes against the grain because Brady threw three interceptions combined in his last two Super Bowls.
Foles committing zero interceptions is even a bolder prediction. He was magnificent in that NFC Championship Game we just mentioned. But, expecting another nearly perfect performance under the glitz and glam of a Super Bowl is something else. Though, it does help that Foles has not thrown an interception in three career playoff games.
LeGarrette Blount owns his former team
Blount is one of the X-factors we recently discussed in our nine reasons the Eagles can beat the Patriots in this Super Bowl. Win or lose, we expect Blount to have added resolve against his former squad. This is a team that ditched him after he scored a league-high 18 rushing touchdowns in 2016. Do we think that Blount might have some angry runs in him? Heck yes. Let’s watch him exploit a defense he is familiar with and score at least once.
Both teams beat the over
The over in terms of points scored in Super Bowl LII is 48.5. So, we are predicting a high-scoring contest on both sides. Though, the path to surpass this total number might not come easily.
One the Patriots’ side, they will be facing an Eagles defense that gave up only 17 total points in both of its previous playoff games. This included just one passing touchdown. Brady certainly has some obstacles he will have to deal with.
For the Eagles, they face an easier defense than they did in the NFC Championship Game. But, the Patriots still allowed only 34 total points in their first two playoff games. If Foles can get hot quickly he should be nearly unstoppable. This will force New England to keep pace. And we know that that means when it comes to Mr. Brady.
Rob Gronkowski and Zach Ertz combine for 200 yards
This Super Bowl features two of the league’s finest tight ends, both of whom should see a heavy dose of action. We cannot imagine Brady not trying to find Gronk who averaged 7.5 targets and 77.4 yards per game in 2017. If he can get open, the Eagles will have a tough time limiting him. Upwards of over 100 for yards for Gronk is entirely possible.
When it comes to Ertz, he seems to be Foles’ favorite target. He caught a perfect eight-of-eight passes in the NFC Championship Game for a total of 93 yards. We see no reason for Foles to suddenly shy away from keeping Ertz heavily involved in the passing game this time around.
Who knows? Maybe one of these tight ends winds up as the Super Bowl LII MVP.