2017 NFL Playoffs

[Rupert Patrick]

Gale Gilbert played for the Buffalo teams that made 4 straight Super Bowl appearances. The next year (1994) he played for San Diego and actually played in the game.

Is Gilbert is the only player who was an active player on five consecutive Super Bowls teams? He did not suit up for Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII but suited up for the other three.

[7DnBrnc53]

My SB prediction: The Eagles are going to have a 10-14 point lead in the fourth quarter. They are the better team, and they have been the best team in the NFL all year.

If they learn from the shortcomings of the Jags, Falcons, and Seahawks, they will win. If not, the Pats will get another fluky comeback.

[Bryan]

This is from 2013, so it might be out of date. These players have played in the Super Bowl with three different teams:

Jeff Rutledge 1979 RAM 1986 NYG 1991 WAS

None in consecutive years.

Kind of incredible that Jeff Rutledge is on the list. He did well in spacing out his appearances, too.

[conace21]

This is from 2013, so it might be out of date. These players have played in the Super Bowl with three different teams:

Jeff Rutledge 1979 RAM 1986 NYG 1991 WAS

None in consecutive years.

Kind of incredible that Jeff Rutledge is on the list. He did well in spacing out his appearances, too.

Players who played in the Super Bowl in three different decades (by season, not by the date of the game.)

Jeff Rutledge
Gene Upshaw
Jerry Rice
Bill Romanowski

[Terry Baldshaw]

Interesting info on players who played for three different Super Bowl teams. Matt Millen won Super Bowls in four different cities: Oakland, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington

[sheajets]

My SB prediction: The Eagles are going to have a 10-14 point lead in the fourth quarter. They are the better team, and they have been the best team in the NFL all year.

If they learn from the shortcomings of the Jags, Falcons, and Seahawks, they will win. If not, the Pats will get another fluky comeback.

Definitely. And naturally every penalty by the Patriots in that period of time will go uncalled. Jacksonville didn't do the job, but my goodness the PI and holding that they missed on NE (one particularly big one one Marcedes Lewis was criminal) and that they called on Jax in certain situations just seemed so predictable. But the Jaguars did get tight. They shrunk in the moment. Lots of unimaginative Fournette into the teeth of the line when they needed to be going for the jugular.

They also got a nice strip fumble recover and promptly went 3 & out in an eyelash

[Rupert Patrick]

Time for my annual Super Bowl prediction:

First off, and I'm surprised nobody has brought this up, I think this Eagles team is the Belichick/Brady Patriots toughest Super Bowl opponent since the 2001 Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, slightly ahead of the 2014 Seahawks in my opinion. (The Eagles have an edge in passing on offense and more offensive balance, while Seattle has an edge on defense.)

By all accounts this should be a classic matchup, as both teams are in the top five in points scored and fewest points allowed. Among Super Bowls since the 1970 realignment, this has only happened one time - Super Bowl XIII between Pittsburgh and Dallas. Loosening the restriction a little to make it teams who are within the top quarter of the league in point scored and fewest points allowed, and I rounded up so if it was a 26 team league I counted the top seven teams to be in the top quarter. I checked it again, and since 1970 this will be the 11th time it has happened. The last time it happened was, you guessed it, Patriots versus Rams in 2001 Super Bowl XXXVI. It happened it Super Bowls VI (Miami Dallas), VI (Miami Washington), IX (Pittsburgh Minnesota), XIII (Pittsburgh Dallas of course), XIX (Miami San Francisco), XXII (Denver WAshington), XXVIII (Buffalo Dallas 2), XXXII (Denver Green Bay), XXXIII (Denver Atlanta) and XXXVI (New England St. Louis).

The Eagles, I think, have a big edge on defense over the Pats. For one thing, yards per pass attempts on defense for NE is 6.4, for PHI it is 5.7, and yard per run on defense for NE is 4.7 (31st in the league) and for PHI is 3.8. If Jay Ajayi is all healed up, he could run roughshod all over the Pats tomorrow, and if New England keys on him that leaves Blount for Foles to hand off to, or leaves Foles open to pass. Nick Foles is no Matt Ryan, but I think the Patriots will have at least as much trouble containing the Eagles multi-dimensional offense as they did containing Atlanta. And if Philadelphia opens up a sizable lead and can use it's advantage on the ground (4.5 yards per run on offense vs. 4.2 for NE) to set up a ball control game to burn up the clock, New England will have a tough time keeping up.

One way the Eagles could win this game is to borrow the offensive game plan that Bill Parcells used against the Bills in Super Bowl XXV. Ball control, control the clock, keep the ball away from Brady. Of course, if Foles plays like he did against the Vikings, it might be 38-14 Eagles. I think it will be a close game, but not as close as the final score will indicate. Eagles 27 - Patriots 23.

[Reaser]

I picked the Patriots 24-20

[74_75_78_79_]

Eagles 37 Patriots 30

SBMVP - Rodney McLeod; at least 1 INT (most likely for a TD) and at least 1 sack

[sheajets]

Patriots 28-17. As usual everything will go their way, the Eagles will commit unforced errors and shoot themselves in the foot. I just can't see Foles beating the Patriots.