NFL Super Bowl open thread

Jazz: The final round of the playoffs wasn’t all that kind to me. I picked New England but failed to follow my gut and take the Eagles who seemed to be on a roll, going 1-1. That brings me to 6-4 for the postseason, with only the big game to go. My suggestion to Ed on Twitter that we make the Super Bowl worth 3 points didn’t go over very well, so I should be in good shape in terms of our competition. None of that matters, however, if New England manages to curse the nation by winning again today. Still, my Hot Air Postseason Trophy will look good on the shelf. And just to mix things up a bit, we’re going to get some of the other Hot Air writers to chime in with their own predictions.

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Ed: On behalf of my fellow Minnesotans, I’d like to welcome all the visitors to our fair Twin Cities for the Super Bowl. Fair? Actually, it snowed all day yesterday and evening, and today’s temperature will get up to … 5 degrees above zero. That’s the high for today, making Super Bowl LII the coldest of the series. Just what did you expect, coming to Minnesota in February — a tropical paradise? The game will be played indoors, of course, but we here all want to thank the NFL for allowing us to pull this practical joke on y’all.

Jazz: Who the heck knows what’s going to happen tonight? If there was ever an “Any Given Sunday” game in the NFL it’s this one. (6:30, NBC) The Pats are a 4.5 point favorite on the Vegas line, but they were a favorite when the Giants beat them too. We can talk about whether this is the week when Nick Foles will finally play down to the expectations of his detractors and finally collapse. We can look at comparisons from the conference championships and say that Tom Brady will be a lot more aggressive than Case Keenum was. The staff of experts at ESPN went with the Patriots by a three to one margin. In the end, it all comes down to who wants it more and if the Eagles are capable of holding down Brady in the 4th quarter. I think they’ve got it in them and I’m taking the Eagles, 34-27. If not, I may be forced to sit alone and drown my sorrows in a huge martini.

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Ed:  The curious thing about today’s game is that these two teams are sooo amazingly similar. Both offenses scored 28.6 points per game; both defenses gave up fewer than 19 points a game. However, there is one huge difference between them — the Pats have been here before a lot, and the Eagles … haven’t. Nick Foles hasn’t been on the field much this year to boot. He played well against a tough Vikings defense, but that was at home against another mid-season replacement QB. They’re on the road now and facing the league MVP in Tom Brady, who already has five Super Bowl rings in seven appearances. That and Bill Belichik will be the difference. Look, I’m almost always rooting for Anybody But New England, and I will be today, too, but let’s face reality here. The Pats have already proven they can win a Super Bowl while taking an entire half off, and they should have no trouble getting past the Eagles today, 31-23.

Allahpundit: Today we are all Eagles fans despite the fact that their fan base, famously, is human garbage. I try not to let my rooting interests dictate my predictions but I like Philly’s D and the Brady parade has to end sometime. The guy can’t keep winning Super Bowls until he’s 50. I think? Plus, it’s hard to believe that Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, whom I continue to confuse to this day, might each have three rings by midnight tonight. I’ll take the Eagles, although not in a high-scoring game like Jazz and Rachel foresee. The Nick Foles story is great and all but winning a Super Bowl shootout with Tom Brady seems far-fetched as an ending even for the cosmic author writing the insane daily happenings of the Trump era. How about Philadelphia 20-17 instead? We’d all feel good with that result. Especially when crazed Eagles fans decide to celebrate by burning down their godforsaken city.

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John: This will be the first complete football game I have watched this season, so you know my prediction is going to be golden. I’m going with the Eagles, mostly because anyone playing the Patriots seems like a bit of an underdog and I like rooting for an underdog. There’s a lot more to it than just the game for me though. I have memories going back to childhood of my grandfather and uncles getting together to watch the game and everyone eating a lot and spending time together. It’s a tradition I really enjoy, even if I’m not that personally invested in who wins today’s game. I’ll have some friends over today and they’ll bring their kids so we’re recreating that experience for another generation. Plus, here in California, the houses are close enough together that when one team scores, you can hear neighbors shouting in either excitement or disappointment. There’s a sense of America as one big family on Super Bowl Sunday What’s not to like about that?

Eagles win it 28-24.

Taylor: As a Texas Viking, I believe you’ll see Mike Zimmer, Case Keemun, Latavius Murray, et al, storm the field in the second quarter, wipe out both sides, and take the Lombardi Trophy as their own. They’re Vikings, after all, and their prowess at raiding is second to none. They’ll probably hold it for danegold and give it to whoever ponies up the most between Robert Kraft or Jeffrey Lurie.

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In all seriousness, I expect the Patriots to win a tight one, much like their previous Super Bowls. Nick Foles is an underrated quarterback, but the Patriots defense will figure him out. Tom Brady will probably toss three touchdowns, two to Gronkowski, then make sure he, Belichick, and Kraft hold up the Lombardi Trophy together, in a sign of unity. NE 27-24.

Rachel: It’s Super Bowl Sunday! The New England Patriots claim they are not tired of winning but the Philadelphia Eagles think they might be. Here’s how I see it. The game will be won in the trenches, line against line, mano a mano. Philly is better at the point of attack and that’s why they’ll win their first Super Bowl.

Tom Brady and the Pats have had a remarkable run. However, he will be under pressure and against Fletcher Cox and the rest of the Eagles front four. I think it’s high time the championship-starved birthplace of our nation finally gets to lift the Lombardi Trophy. The Birds finally fly: 30-27.

Karen: First, I must acknowledge that J.J. Watt, my Houston Texans defensive end, has been awarded the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year honor. It’s a well-deserved distinction.

Ok, my Super Bowl prediction is that the game will be close but I am pulling for the Eagles to win. I know the Pats are expected to win but how great would it be for the Eagles to pull it off for their first Super Bowl win? I’m not great with stats and I’m just going with my heart here. After my Houston Astros won the World Series for the first time last year, I know what a great feeling it is for a team’s fans to have an underdog victory. The Pats struggled last year and won with a comeback in the last quarter. Maybe they can be knocked off this year.

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Final score: Eagles: 24 Patriots: 21

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Andrew Malcolm: Making predictions has become a dangerous predilection in modern times. Ask the media about 2016. Still, it’s fun if you don’t take it seriously. And honestly, even with Roman numerals above L, who can take any contest seriously as the ultimate anything when there’s another one in 52 weeks? And in warmer Houston. This year’s also has two basic problems: It’s really just the championship of the East Coast. Good luck drawing a record TV audience much west of Louisville. Then, there’s lingering resentment over players kneeling before sweating. My unscientific Twitter poll found 24 percent will watch every second. But 54 percent will skip the game for some reason. Still, I think Atlanta will dominate. Oh, wait. If the Eagles are as pumped as their notorious fans, it’ll be a close game. Because so many are picking Boston, I’m taking the Eagles. I think. 28-24.

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