Super Bowl 52 + 2018 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee Predictions

Conference Championship Record: 1-1 (Correct: Patriots Incorrect: Vikings)
Overall Playoff Record: 5-5 

New England Patriots over Philadelphia Eagles: After 20 weeks of star players suffering major injuries,  Twitter pundits dropping nuclear takes about the cause of the league's declining ratings and penalty flags galore, we've finally reached the climax of the NFL season. Many football fans are dealing with a true nightmare scenario this Super Bowl Sunday as the seemingly immortal dynasty of gridiron darkness (the Patriots) are squaring off against a team (the Eagles) with an infamous fanbase that's largely viewed as the closest thing American sports has to Europe's Futbol Hooligans.

In addition to their shared villain status, the Patriots and Eagles also overcame a bit of adversity on their road to Minneapolis. The Patriots predictably righted the ship and blew through the AFC with very little resistance from any team (with the notable exception of the Jaguars) after a rocky start in which their defense played a historically bad level (an NFL record 6 straight games with over 300 passing yards allowed) while the Eagles proved all of their doubters wrong by making a highly improbable run to an NFC Championship after losing starting quarterback Carson Wentz, the clear frontrunner to win league MVP who was 11-2 as a starter, to a torn ACL in early December.

It's been frequently said in the 2 weeks leading up to this game that the Eagles have pretty much everything you need to beat the Patriots and I absolutely echo that sentiment. Their excellent defense is anchored by a deep front 7 that can get after the quarterback with a 3-4 man rush and stuff the running game with equal proficiency, they have a versatile offense that can attack an opposing defense in anyway imaginable and head coach Doug Pederson is a creative offensive schemer that has a flare for making effective, gutsy play calls. If Wentz was under center, I'd be picking the Eagles to win this game without hesitation.

Unfortunately for the long-suffering fans in Philly, Nick Foles is currently their team's starting quarterback, which significantly decreases their odds of winning this game. While Foles has played well in the playoffs thus far, taking out the most successful quarterback/coach duo in NFL history on the biggest stage in sports is a much more difficult feat than KO'ing the Falcons and Vikings in front of your home fans. Anybody that's watched football since the Patriots solidified themselves as a juggernaut following their 2nd Super Bowl victory in 2003 knows that you have to repeatedly score touchdowns to have a chance to beat them and I just don't have enough Foles' ability to score enough points to fend off this disciplined, battle-tested team that has a remarkable track record of out-executing their opponents in the crunch time situations that almost always decide the outcome of major games.

I'm not going to pretend like the Eagles don't have a chance in this game. If Foles can replicate at least some of the success he had in the NFC Championship game, the defense can prevent Brady and co. from freely moving the ball downfield in key situations and Pederson can avoid being intimidated by the aura of dominance that surrounds the Patriots, this team could pull off. However, I fully expect the Patriots veteran playmakers on both sides of the ball to help them squeak out another 3-7 point victory and complete "the 3 championships in 4 years" feat for the 2nd time during their 17-year reign of dominance.  

Hall of Fame Inductee Predictions (* indicate senior inductee):

Alan Faneca, guard (Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals)

Brian Dawkins, safety (Teams: Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos)
Edgerrian James, running back (Teams: Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks)

Isaac Bruce, wide receiver (Teams: Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers)  

Ray Lewis, inside linebacker (Team: Baltimore Ravens)
Robert Brazille*, inside linebacker (Team: Houston Oilers)
Tony Boselli, tackle (Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans)
Ty Law, cornerback (Teams: New England Patriots, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos)