Bad News Everyone - [Lombardi opinion on matchup vs Eagles]

[Ivan]

I think it’s ridiculous for anyone to say “this is the “insert ranking here” team we’ve faced in the Super Bowl. Who cares. It makes so sense to say something like that when the patriots have a different team every year.

The Eagles are very good on both lines of scrimmage and that is very concerning

Nothing from previous years matters. It’s all about how these two teams matchup. The eagles are a very good football team

I agree that calling the Iggles “ the easiest team they have faced in the SB” etc etc... is irrelevant, they have to go out and beat them in two weeks, period. I do however think that it is relevant that Belichick and Beady have faced every kind of great team, offensive or defensive, and have come up with the ways to beat them, and then done it on the field. Having that kind of experience and knowing how to use it is a huge advantage for them. I have no doubt Philly will present them with a number of serious challenges during this game, but imo there is no team better equipped to figure them out and overcome them than the Patriots.

 

[fightingirish595]

I looked at the highlights from the 15-10 Falcons win, and came away much less impressed than from seeing Sunday's game. First thing you'll notice is how far off the receivers the Eagles DBs play giving them a clean break off the line. If the Patriots receivers can cleanly get into their routes, Brady will pick them apart. The D-line for the Eagles is fast but not as physically imposing as the Jags.

Offensively, the Eagles throw the ball down the sidelines a lot. I think Butler and Gilmore are more than a match for their receivers. Also, are we really worried about Ajayi and Blount in the backfield? The Pats know those guys. I think the Pats do the same thing they did in the second half against the Jags. Stop the run and make Foles throw into coverage.

If the Eagles have an extraordinary unit, it's the offensive line. They are disciplined and keep pressure off the QB. My guess is gap discipline, three-man rushes, and lots of dime packages to make Foles throw into coverage.

The Vikings game was an outlier to me. They looked stunned. Zimmer was a deer in the headlights by the middle of the second quarter. The Patriots won't get rattled if the Eagles have some success. And, most important, the Patriots will be ready for the hype and distractions. Very few Eagles have been through Super Bowl week. Just about everyone on the Patriots has been here, done that.

The nfc championship was a classic case of “your never as good as you look and your never as bad as you look.”

 

[PatsFanSince74]

We'll unfortunately have plenty of time before the SB to hear from mediots, jealous former players and, of course, our prognosticator posters who are sure "we're doomed" or who are sure there's "no way we lose this one."

Can't we just give it a rest for a few days?

 

[RIpats88]

The nfc championship was a classic case of “your never as good as you look and your never as bad as you look.”

THIS. NFL is such a week to week game, but people tend to remember how you played the previous week. Other teams gameplans/performance also play into how your team performs

just a week ago the pats blew out the titans and the Eagles put up 15 points on atlanta.

Nick Foles played a game for the ages. Are the chances better he will repeat that against the patriots? or was it due to circumstances such as the other teams gameplan, injuries in the defense and he will revert back to the mean.

 

[Kargetina]

Look. The last three games by the Eagles before the Vikings NFCC were wins with score 19-10 over the Raiders, 6-0 over the Cowboys, and 15-10 over the Falcons in the divisional round. That's more representative of the Nick Foles tenure than the blowout at home where the Vikings just fell apart when punched in the mouth. The Patriots won't wilt under the bright lights.

I looked at the highlights from the 15-10 Falcons win, and came away much less impressed than from seeing Sunday's game. First thing you'll notice is how far off the receivers the Eagles DBs play giving them a clean break off the line. If the Patriots receivers can cleanly get into their routes, Brady will pick them apart. The D-line for the Eagles is fast but not as physically imposing as the Jags.

Offensively, the Eagles throw the ball down the sidelines a lot. I think Butler and Gilmore are more than a match for their receivers. Also, are we really worried about Ajayi and Blount in the backfield? The Pats know those guys. I think the Pats do the same thing they did in the second half against the Jags. Stop the run and make Foles throw into coverage.

If the Eagles have an extraordinary unit, it's the offensive line. They are disciplined and keep pressure off the QB. My guess is gap discipline, three-man rushes, and lots of dime packages to make Foles throw into coverage.

The Vikings game was an outlier to me. They looked stunned. Zimmer was a deer in the headlights by the middle of the second quarter. The Patriots won't get rattled if the Eagles have some success. And, most important, the Patriots will be ready for the hype and distractions. Very few Eagles have been through Super Bowl week. Just about everyone on the Patriots has been here, done that.

They actually lost 6-0 to the Cowboys, they beat the Raiders 19-10 only because the Raiders fumbled on the lateral after the time expired and the Eagles D scored a meaningless TD.

Before the Vikings game, the Eagles had 3 straight games in a row where they didn't scored a single offensive TD. I'll write this one more time: The Eagles had 3 straight games where they didn't score a single TD.

This team, and especially this offense, are getting severely overrated because of one game.

 

[Vatahala]

Betting line is trending downward.

IMO the Pats are playing with house money as a collection of castoffs have morphed into a Super Bowl team.

Lee, M Flowers, Harrison and Company should have won Matty a post season coaching award for taking spare parts and turning them into a finished polished machine.

My hope is much like the Jacksonville game, the media will talk incessantly about the great Philly defense and the Pats D rarely gets mentioned and the Pats will play the disrespect card.


I wouldn't touch this spread with a 10 foot Fole.

Although playing indoors I would take the over which opened at 47 1/2 and is heading up.

 

[primetime]

They actually lost 6-0 to the Cowboys, they beat the Raiders 19-10 only because the Raiders fumbled on the lateral after the time expired and the Eagles D scored a meaningless TD.

Before the Vikings game, the Eagles had 3 straight games in a row where they didn't scored a single offensive TD. I'll write this one more time: The Eagles had 3 straight games where they didn't score a single TD.

This team, and especially this offense, are getting severely overrated because of one game.

Yeah, I mean, everybody had pretty much written them off before the Falcons game and it wasn't like they won that in convincing fashion. It's effusiveness based on a single game, the game of Nick Foles' life.

 

[pats_premi]

Thank you Mike Lombardi for your service.

When you are favorite to win then it is always good to have someone serve you humble pie.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Think much of what Lombardi states is true and this game is going to be hard for the Patriots. Eagles have legit weapons on offense and a very good defense. A good QB will expose that Patriots mediocre defense. It all comes down to Nick Foles and how he plays. If the Patriots get off t0 a slow start like they did against the Jags they may need another miracle comeback and I don't think you can expect that 2 SB's in a row. This is going to be a very challenging game.

 

[MUFC7]

No disrespect to this Eagles team but they aren't nearly as good as the 2014 Seahawks. Honestly that team was so stacked with the LOB and Marshawn Lynch in their prime. I don't believe that any other recent Patriots team wins against them. 2014 was such a great team.

Don't even get me started on the Greatest Show on Turf.

 

[primetime]

The thing about football though is all it takes is a few possessions and suddenly it's a rout. It's not basketball, where giving up three scores without answer at the opening tip-off hardly matters to the final outcome. If you're down 17 or 21 early on, the likelihood is you're not coming back, and all that takes is a few big plays or a few random fumbles or a couple penalties or whatever.

There's always a few points in a game you can point to and say well if this doesn't happen... what if they don't throw a pick six on their second drive? What if they score instead? Suddenly it's a 10-0 or 14-0 game for the Vikings and the rout' son the other way, and playing with the lead is much different with a bad quarterback than trying to come back.

What if there's no strip sack and the Vikings at the very least kick a field goal? 14-10 is a different game than 14-7. The Alshon Jeffrey touchdown was on 3rd and 10. What if they don't give that up and get the ball back with 1:30 left in the half down just one score?

All these events went the Eagles' way. But none of them had to, just like last week the Vikings only won because of one of the most boneheaded defensive plays ever. It's what makes football fun but also kind of dumb.

There will be a few plays that dictate the course of the game this week. I think they're likely to go in the Patriots' favor (generally, pick the better quarterback), but they may not. We'll see.

 

[Kdo5]

The nfc championship was a classic case of “your never as good as you look and your never as bad as you look.”

With Philly's offense, I'm mostly concerned about them taking advantage of our LBs in the pass game. For half of the game on Sunday the Jags exposed that weakness.

 

[patsfanincleveland]

Thank you Mike Lombardi for your service.

When you are favorite to win then it is always good to have someone serve you humble pie.

What's interesting is the OP mentioned Lombardi referenced the Week 1 loss to KC.

Apparently there a zero conclusions to be determined with the Week 2 blowout KC administered to Philly?

That's why patsfans careful with the mediot storm over the next two weeks.

 

[primetime]

Belichick's defenses have problems with quarterbacks who are running threats. They rushed contain on Bortles throughout the first half and paid for it, and finally started bringing heat in the second half and, shocker, the Jaguars offense disappeared.

Nick Foles isn't a running threat. They aren't going to run or threaten option plays with him like the Chiefs do with Smith or the Jaguars do with Bortles to scheme clean pockets and open receivers or misdirection runs. They could do that with Wentz but the offense lost that with Foles. And that's the kind of quarterback Belichick's defenses feast on.

 

[Bourne Again Christian]

Belichick's defenses have problems with quarterbacks who are running threats. They rushed contain on Bortles throughout the first half and paid for it, and finally started bringing heat in the second half and, shocker, the Jaguars offense disappeared.

Nick Foles isn't a running threat. They aren't going to run or threaten option plays with him like the Chiefs do with Smith or the Jaguars do with Bortles to scheme clean pockets and open receivers or misdirection runs. They could do that with Wentz but the offense lost that with Foles. And that's the kind of quarterback Belichick's defenses feast on.

Foles getting rid of the ball in under 2 seconds the entire d line should have it's hands up to block the passing lanes and maybe get their hands on some balls.
Who scares me the most this game is Agohlar he's too quick for Butler to handle him and is explosive with the ball in his hands I trust Gilmore on Jeffrey.

 

[Ivan]

Nick Foles has played one good game this season, and his performances prior to last week were as bad as it gets, if I were an Eagle’s fan that would scare the living sh!t out of me.

 

[Pats1989]

Yeah this about sums it up.

10 days ago, Philly was the first one seed ever to be an underdog to a 6 seed.

Now they are the Broad Street Bullies......the greatest, most unbelievable collection of talent to ever grace the gridion.

Ever notice that the Pats are never a bad matchup for anyone?

Has the Patriots ever been the team "nobody wants to face"?

Who judged Minnesota correctly? Why does that translate?

While I agree with most of your assessment, I still believe the Eagles should be favored. Tom Brady might be the goat, but Phillys D cancels that out. You compare the rest of the teams: Philly has a huge advantage on D. Furthermore, they don't make mistakes and tend not to get tired out. All of this works against the Patriots. I'll get blasted for this, but oh well. It's my professional opinion: If Philly gets up by two scores, there won't be a comeback. This team absolutely cannot afford another slow start. The foot needs to be on the gas from the start.

 

[fightingirish595]

No disrespect to this Eagles team but they aren't nearly as good as the 2014 Seahawks. Honestly that team was so stacked with the LOB and Marshawn Lynch in their prime. I don't believe that any other recent Patriots team wins against them. 2014 was such a great team.

Don't even get me started on the Greatest Show on Turf.

The 2014 were not as good as the 2013 team.

It’s all irrelevant anyway

 

[denverpatsfan]

Rotating the D-line would negate the Pats tiring them out. It's going to be a tough game unless Foles melts under the pressure of the SB. I don't think he will. Look what Bortles did for 3-quarters in Gillette. I worry about the Pats D going up against this kind of offense. Not fast enough to deal with the dump offs on the edges to the running backs. I would run those same plays that Jax did then when the safeties creep up go down field. Fole CAN make those throws where Bortles didn't even try. Maybe the Pats offense can keep up. Expect a high scoring game.

 

[Ivan]

Think much of what Lombardi states is true and this game is going to be hard for the Patriots. Eagles have legit weapons on offense and a very good defense. A good QB will expose that Patriots mediocre defense. It all comes down to Nick Foles and how he plays. If the Patriots get off t0 a slow start like they did against the Jags they may need another miracle comeback and I don't think you can expect that 2 SB's in a row. This is going to be a very challenging game.

Yep, “ that Patriots mediocre defense.”

The same guy who railed on Brady for a “ five game stretch, “ completely disregards the Patriots leading the league in scoring defense over the past fifteen games.

Facts will never affect your bias.