History is happening all the time, I guess. In the moment, it's hard to know exactly the difference between history and History. What I mean is, who was the second best playwright when William Shakespeare was writing Hamlet, Lear, MacBeth? There must've been other playwrights and theater companies working during that same time. So, who you got in Willie Shakesberg's rear view? Nobody. That's who. It was like 500 years ago. There's Shakespeare and that's the list. That's the difference between history and History.
If the Eagles win Super Bowl 52, if they're remembered 500 years from now, it will because of who they beat; the Patriots of Belichick and Brady.
That's right, Philadelphia Eagles. You aren't the lead in this play. That would be the New England Patriots. Maybe the prince dies. Maybe Fortinbras becomes king. But the name of the play is Hamlet, not Fortinbras. Also, I'm not so sure you're Fortinbras; I think the Eagles might actually be Rosencrantz. Or Guildenstern. One of those guys.
To be or not to be...
As a good citizen of Patriots Nation, I'm rooting for History of the capital H variety, of course. I'm hoping for something the NFL has never seen before and more than likely will never see again, not even in 500 years. If the Patriots win Super Bowl 52, they will have 6 rings over 17 years thanks to a second 2 out of 3 run; a win in which Tom Brady and Bill Belichick can only break their own records for playoff wins and championships.
I'm hoping for a blowout win for New England, though I'm far more confident in my 21-20 prediction. I'm afraid all those jokes I've made about renting a defibrillator for the Super Bowl will only serve to mock me as I'm wheeled into the ambulance. If comedy is tragedy plus time, surely tragedy is comedy divided by irony.
I believe (perhaps desperately) that if anyone can figure out how to stop the RPO it's Belichick and Matt Patricia. It doesn't hurt that they saw some of the RPO concepts playing against the Jaguars. Or that they have the depth of talent needed to simulate the Eagles offense in practice. I think Brian Hoyer could do a credible impression of a much shorter Nick Foles but who's going to simulate Tom Brady? Hm. Nate Sudfeld is tall.
Quick Aside: We all think we know more than we actually do (regardless of the subject matter); it's a human thing and I'm a human being so bear with me here as I pretend to know what Belichick and Patricia are thinking. I'd attack on defense. I'd use some zone blitz principles to attack the run option while dropping a Trey Flowers into the short zone to get in the way of the quick slant pass option. Use Patrick Chung as a linebacker. Disguise. Attack constantly from an ever changing set of vectors. A-gap. Corner blitz. Sell out against the run and make the pass an expectation, rather than an option. When you know what's going to happen you're better prepared to stop it. Shorten the amount of time Nick Foles has to make a decision. Force a mistake and convert that mistake into points.
I don't think the Eagles hold an exclusive copyright on that underdog card they've been playing for a month. Disrespect comes in many forms, not simply in the line set by sports books. The Patriots offensive line can't hang with the Eagles defensive front four. The Patriots bend but don't break defense can't compare to the Eagles dominant D. The Eagles were built to beat the Patriots with their ability to run the ball and keep Brady on the sidelines and pressure him with their talented front four when he is on the field. The consensus narrative from pigskin pundits and bobbleheads this week has been all about the matchups that favor Philadelphia, convincing themselves that it isn't recency bias and Nick Foles is good enough, How will the Patriots stop the RPO? The dusting off of those keys to stopping Tom Brady make it seem almost too easy (but if it's so easy then… okay, never mind). A few thousand replays of the Helmet Catch. A recounting of Spygate, Deflategate, and the nascent Zebragate - just in case you'd forgotten why you hate the Patriots - to throw some sequoia-sized shade on everything New England has accomplished over the last 17 years.
Also, this game is going to end 24-20, one way or another, according to the gridiron cognoscenti.
I believe in the unlikely hero. It's a staple character in New England Patriots lore. It could be James Harrison. (Is there a more unlikely Patriots hero than a former Steeler?) It could be Rex Burkhead. (He looked like a Swiss Army knife before he got hurt.) Or Phillip Dorsett. (He had a great week of practice!) Chris Hogan, maybe? (Unlikely only in that he's coming back from injury.) Or any of the "no names" on the Pats defense. Dwayne Allen? (Let's hope not. I can't see Allen putting on the mask and cape unless Gronk gets knocked out of the game). The multifaceted New England offense could make a star out of just about any of their lesser known skill position players. Of course, I'd be just as happy with big games from the usual suspects; Rob Gronkowski, Brandin Cooks, Dion Lewis, Danny Amendola and Tom Brady.
I'd be even happier with a big game from that Patriots defense that just isn't as good as their Philly counterparts because, you know…
Defense wins championships!
I think Patriots players want to send off coordinators Matt Patricia and Josh McDaniels (all but confirmed to be moving on to head coaching gigs) with a win in their last game together. The camaraderie and affection in the Patriots locker room is real. There's a core group of players who have grown up as professionals with Patricia and McDaniels; these are the coaches who have gotten them to the Super Bowl in 3 of the last 4 years. (McDaniels and Brady are besties!) Together these players and coaches have been through two of the most highly competitive, mentally and physically challenging, always in doubt, big play trumping big play, this is why we love sports championship games in the history of the NFL and twice before they found a way to win rings despite historical 4th quarter deficits.
None of that matters. Afterwards they may make for great storylines but that's it. You already knew that if you're a Patriots fan because Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and everyone else in the New England organization have told you as much. Super Bowl experience? Doesn't matter. Hype videos? I think "hype" gives that one away. Regular season numbers? This is the playoffs, little bro. The number of 1st round picks on the roster? Nope. That game the two teams played in 2015? Please.
The dog masks?
Really?
The only thing that matters will happen on the field. One team will play better than the other, make one more play than the other. It is what it is. Or, it will be what it was. (I was told there'd be no temporal physics.)
History. Of the capital H variety.
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