Dogs vs. GOATs: Super Bowl LII

Call me bandwagon, call me arrogant, call me a hater, but I can say one thing: I love dynasties. I love watching a dominant force blow past unworthy underdogs, and this Super Bowl is going to be no exception. Super Bowl LII kicks off on February 2nd at 5:30 p.m. from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. I hope the Eagles have a fun time playing with the big dawgs. They deserve it. Good run, congrats, enjoy your NFC trophy, just please don’t burn down your entire city when you lose.

Woof, woof.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/sQRIrwCbdO

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 22, 2018

My score prediction for Super Bowl LII: 27-24 New England, and here are three reasons why:

It’s not over until Brady sings

Super Bowl LI: down 28-3, 2018 AFC Championship: trailing 20-10. Right when you think you have it in the bag, Tommy Boy saddles up and rides into the sunset with your girl and your championship ring around his finger. The comeback king of the NFL has become a master of controlling every aspect of his life to maximize performance and combat old age. His process, known as the TB12 method, is described in his book, and is available to the public through branded supplements and training tools. Brady’s comeback experience feeds all the way back into his time at the University of Michigan. It was not until late in Brady’s college career when he received decent game time, for “he had been trapped in depth-chart hell for three years and nearly transferred before attrition finally provided him a chance,” as Sports Illustrated’s Michael Rosenberg described. Nobody could picture the scrawny 199th draft pick with five Super Bowl rings and a shot at another.

Despite doubts due to concussion, Rob Gronkowski will likely make lineup

After missing the entirety of last year’s playoffs and watching his team march on to a Super Bowl victory, it is doubtful that Gronk will be on the sidelines this year, even with a concussion. Unless he is physically unable to move, as he was last year with a back injury, the Patriots will put him on the field. I can’t begin to imagine all the strings that will be pulled to bypass “NFL concussion protocol.” If Roger Goodell’s evil minions prevail in keeping Gronk off the field, fear not. The Patriots are 24-6 without Gronk on the field, and according to SI.com, “Jay Kornegay, the VP of sports operations at the Westgate Casino in Las Vegas, told The Morning Huddle that the current spread (New England favored to win by five) largely assumes that Gronkowski will be fully available a week from Sunday. And if he’s not, it would probably only move the line half of a point in the Eagles’ direction.”

Experience

This is Belichick and Brady’s eighth Super Bowl appearance. Simply making the Super Bowl for them has no significance. The duo’s tools are built for championship building and winning; the proof is in the pudding. Nick Foles is simply less experienced and crafted for the postseason. He nonetheless had a dominant performance in the NFC Championship game, throwing for 352 yards and 3 TD, but it is hard to imagine that he will outgun Brady.