CHEAP SEATS
Super Bowl LII a classic featuring both the expected and unexpected ... Halftime deficit turned Pats into even bigger Vegas favourites .... Bad turnover costs Patriots their deep threat ... Jeffery walks the walk
MINNEAPOLIS — Rather unexpectedly, it turned into what has to be remembered as one of the most entertaining Super Bowls ever played. And a quarterback battle like few if any before it. Along with all the passes, completions, real estate and touchdowns, New England Patriots’ Tom Brady and Philadelphia Eagles’ Nick Foles each called a play that saw them turn receiver.
Foles, on a fourth down gamble from the one in the second quarter, pulled in a pass from tight end Trey Burton for a touchdown.
Only a few moments earlier, Brady called his own number.
Even though he is 40, he should have been able to pull in that toss from Danny Amendola on a New England Patriots trick play in the second quarter of Super Bowl LII. It would have been a nice catch, but Brady is a great athlete. It would have been the third reception of his career, and first in post-season play. And there’s a chance, albeit a small one, he could have rambled for a touchdown.
Brady was not happy about having the ball glance off his fingertips. You could see it by the look through his facemark. When Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins gave him a playful pat on the bum, Brady didn’t even look at him.
Perhaps it fuelled him into cranking his throwing game to another level. Maybe it led to the unexpected gunslinger’s duel with Foles.
In the end, however, it came down to the story line most of us thought it would be — the Eagles needed to get pressure on Brady to have a chance.
And for all intents and purposes, they secured the first Super Bowl win in Philadelphia history when Brandon Graham stripped the ball from Brady’s hands, and Derek Barnett recovered.
Still, you held your breath when Brady heaved the ball half the length of the field with time ticking off the clock.
Not until it touched turf could you count this one out.
IN OTHER WORDS
Trailing by 10 at the half, of course the Vegas line had shifted. At that point it had Patriots by seven. The game started with the Patriots favoured by 4.5. “That’s all you need to know,” said a columnist from Vegas. Yeah, the Patriots had the Eagles right where they wanted them ... After talkin’ the talk, Alshon Jeffery was walkin’ the walk. Especially in the first half. That was a great catch he made against Pats DB Eric Rowe for a 34 yard touchdown near the end of the first quarter — and it was a valiant try he made on what turned out to a spectacular interception by Duron Harmon near the New England goal line. Jeffrey, who guaranteed a victory, had 73 yards receiving yards by the time Justin Timberlake took the field ... That interception was and wasn’t Foles fault. Can’t blame him for a deflected pick, but the throw wasn’t very good in the first place
... The Eagles only picked up a field goal from the game opening drive that consisted of 14 plays and covered 67 yards. But that also kept Brady off the field until there was 7:55 left in the first quarter.
SECOND AND TWO
Pretty sure there was only one print journalist in Canada who covered both the Grey Cup and Super Bowl this football season. Yup, you’re looking at him ... Both offences must have had difficulty communicating early. When Philadelphia had the ball, the Dropkick Murphys “Shipping Up To Boston” pumped up the Pats fans. When New England had it, the Eagles crowd was going wild watching scenes from Rocky on the video board .... One second quarter play could have been devastating to the Pats. As Brandin Cooks was turning into and getting demolished by Malcolm Jenkins, linebacker Nigel
Bradham was driving his
helmet into Brady’s chest. Brady survived. Cooks did not return, and suddenly the Pats were without their deep threat ... When the Eagles lost Darren Sproles to a broken arm and torn ACL in Week 3, it opened up opportunity for Corey Clement .The rookie back showed he was deserving in the Super Bowl. He had a very strong game.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The game has ended. The green confetti as completely all fallen to the ground. And the ecstatic screaming says the party is just beginning in Philly .... At one point during the week (the days kind of ran together) I asked Torrey Smith about the touchdown pass Foles threw him in the conference championship. For some reason, it never seemed to get the tongues wagging like it should have. “It was a dime,” Smith said. “He threw a dime.” After a pause, he added: “It was a good catch too.” Yeah it was .... Included in the press box pre-game spread: Smoked prime rib. It was good as it sounds. My halftime snack was a hot dog. What did I have on it, you ask? The biggest shrimp I’ve ever seen. And mustard ... Third quarter treat was ice cream. In tribute to Doug Pederson.
RANDOMLY SPEAKING
With 3:23 left to go in the third quarter, Brady had already passed for 404 yards. It was the third highest total at that point in Super Bowl history ... Best in-house commercial was a NFL production that featured the New York Giants doing some “Dirty Dancin,’ and ended with
Odell Beckham Jr. leaping into the arms of Eli Manning, who held him high over head. It was pretty funny ... Among the hundreds of celebrities, it was most exciting to see
Jennifer Lopez. Are her and A-Rod still a thing? Because I didn’t notice him ... And now I know what the cast from This is Us looks like. My life is complete ... Donnie Wahlberg was booed when he took off his sneaker and held it up to show a Patriots logo. Thought you needed to know that.
EXTRA POINTS
The sign said the lot across the street from U.S. Bank Stadium was charging $100 for parking. Pretty sure that’s not Canadian dollars, either .... The “E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!” chants started from Philly fans who were in their seats four hours before the game ... At least early arrivers were treated to the tailgate concert that was being held somewhere in the place and on the huge video board. To some of us, it just didn’t seem right that Sting was opening for Darius Rucker .Nota chance 25 years ago, and not now ... Got to admit, the artist formerly known as Hootie was good with a range of tunes that included Garth Brooks’ Low Places (while sucking on a beer) and Dr. Dre’s
No Diggity ... The Patriots were in trouble from the opening coin toss — because they won it. Teams calling correctly in Super Bowls were 24-27 entering the game.