What NFL experts are saying about the Patriots’ loss in Super Bowl LII
Tom Brady shined despite losing, the Eagles' futuristic offense, early looks at next season, and more.
For the Patriots, an extraordinary offensive performance in Super Bowl LII was not enough to avert defeat. In a thrilling matchup, New England fell to Philadelphia, 41-33.
According to stats from Elias Sports Bureau, the Patriots set several impressive records amid the loss. Tom Brady broke his own record with 505 yards passing in a Super Bowl, while the Patriots offense churned out a record 613 total yards. And yet, the Eagles still came away with the win.
There will be plenty of time to digest the upset, but here’s what the experts had to say about the defeat in the immediate aftermath:
“Way-too-early 2018 NFL Power Rankings“ (ESPN):
They lost the Super Bowl, but why bet against a return? Tom Brady doesn’t appear close to retiring, and unless Bill Belichick decides to hang up his sleeveless sweatshirt, the Patriots are the default No. 1 team heading into the 2018 season. The quarterback-coach duo has been to more Super Bowls (eight) since 2001 than 28 franchises have appeared in.
“No Super Bowl comeback this time: Big changes on horizon for Tom Brady, Patriots“
(Mike Reiss, ESPN):
One of the major disappointments for the Patriots was how they were carved up throughout the game on defense, and an unconventional coaching decision — to replace starting cornerback Malcolm Butler with Eric Rowe — will be second-guessed in New England. Butler, the team’s Super Bowl XLIX hero, played only on special teams in a move that Bill Belichick said wasn’t disciplinary.
“Quick thoughts: Eagles 41, Patriots 33“
(Phil Perry, NBC Sports Boston)
[Eric] Rowe was targeted three times on the game’s opening drive. He gave up big gains to Alshon Jeffery (on a whip route) and Torrey Smith (on a play that was reminiscent of David Tyree’s helmet catch from 10 years ago). On the third pass, he broke up a third-down throw in the end zone to force a Philly field goal. On the next drive, Nick Foles threw a jump ball to Jeffery with Rowe all over him. Rowe was in position but was out-jumped and gave up a 34-yard score.
Rowe had two more pass breakups in the first half — one on a two-point conversion — but it was clear the Eagles liked the matchup wherever Rowe was situated. Why was he playing over Butler? His size allowed him and Stephon Gilmore to play sides in the first half and not worry about where Jeffery, Philly’s biggest receiver, would align. Butler seemed to be a decent matchup for Nelson Agholor or Smith, but the Patriots clearly wanted to keep him off the field through the game’s first 30 minutes. The fact that Johnson Bademosi saw playing time over Butler in the second half indicated that Butler’s benching was not matchup-based.
“Refocused Super Bowl Edition: Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33“
(Pro Football Focus)
Rob Gronkowski, 84.3 Overall Grade:
Gronk had a forgettable first half, with just one catch for nine yards, and was beaten as both a pass and run blocker on multiple occasions. But the Patriots were able to get him the ball much more often in the second half, with eight catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns. On the night, Gronk had catches against six different defenders in primary coverage, but both touchdowns came against CB Ronald Darby.
Stephon Gilmore, 87.5 Overall Grade:
On a night where the Patriots’ defense was picked apart at times, Gilmore was stout in coverage throughout the game. He was targeted six times, allowing only three catches for 19 yards and recording a pass breakup. Gilmore had a solid playoff run for the Pats, as he was targeted 16 times, allowed 8 catches and notched three pass breakups.
“Tom Brady Had The Best Passing Performance In Super Bowl In History“
(Chase Stuart, Football Perspective)
Tom Brady had a Super Bowl performance for the ages. He completed 28 of 48 passes for 505 yards, with 3 TDs and 0 INTs, while taking only one sack (which, of course, was a strip-sack that ultimately decided the game). That translates to 560 Adjusted Net Yards (giving 20 yards for a touchdown and removing sack yards), which over 49 dropbacks, is 11.43 Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt.
In the regular season, the Eagles defense allowed just 5.10 Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt to opposing quarterbacks. Therefore, Brady was a whopping 6.32 ANY/A above expectation; over the course of 49 dropbacks, it means Brady produced 310 Adjusted Net Yards above expectation.
“The Eagles Beat the Patriots With a Hyper-Modern Offense“
(Danny Kelly, The Ringer)
In the Eagles’ incredible 41-33 Super Bowl LII victory on Sunday, the two teams ran a combined 143 plays, scored 74 points (second most for any Super Bowl), picked up 54 first downs, and set a Super Bowl record for a combined 8.0 yards per play. It was an offensive performance for the ages. Both teams spread the field, used personnel and formations to dictate the way defenses had to line up, and exploited one-on-one matchups in space.
Neither defensive line factored until late in the game—there was just one sack all game—and for the most part, it looked an awful lot like a game of seven-on-seven. While this NFL season represented a reversal of the offense-weighted trend we’ve seen in the league over the past 10-plus years, this Super Bowl was a strong reminder of the direction the league is going. It offered a glimpse into the future of football at the pro level; that is to say, it looked and felt a hell of a lot like a college game.
(Yahoo):
31st pick, New England Patriots: Harold Landry, DE, Boston College:
If not for injury issues all season, Landry might have been a top-15 pick. But those concerns, coupled with other strengths in the draft class, could push Landry to the late first or even second round. The Patriots keep the Boston College standout in-state.
Must-see photos from Super Bowl LII:
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