Pats enjoy experience edge
Big game nothing new for New England, but ‘upper hand’ brushed off
Super Bowl LII
BLOOMINGTON, MINN. — The Eagles are playing some of their best football heading into Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup with the Patriots.
One thing Philadelphia can’t contend with is New England’s huge experience advantage in the big game.
On the 53-man active roster the Patriots brought to Minnesota, 32 players have a combined 60 games of Super Bowl experience.
Tom Brady alone has been to the Super Bowl now eight times during his 18-year career, winning five so far.
By comparison, the Eagles have seven players on their active roster who’ve won a Super Bowl. Two of those players, LeGarrette Blount and Chris Long, won their rings last season with the Patriots. The others are former Ravens Torrey Smith (Maryland), Corey Graham and Dannell Ellerbe, plus Malcolm Jenkins and Will Beatty. An eighth player, Chris Maragos, is on injured reserve with a knee injury.
It’s a huge gulf. By comparison, the 2015 Panthers that lost to the Broncos in the Super Bowl that season had three players who had won a ring: Ed Dickson (Ravens), Roman Harper (New Orleans Saints) and Michael Oher (Ravens).
But the Patriots say it’s nothing they will spend time talking about this week.
“I think it’s overrated,” said special teams captain Matt Slater, who will be appearing in his fourth Super Bowl.
Defensive end Trey Flowers said the coaches haven’t mentioned last year’s Super Bowl win since it came up in film study before their regular-season meet-