Pats hold major edge in experience
FOXBORO — The numbers are not necessarily surprising, but they still are staggering.
Based on the active rosters alone, the Patriots, as expected, own a severe advantage in Super Bowl experience on the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Pats have a combined 60 games of Super Bowl experience among 32 players. They have a fair amount on the sideline, too, with veterans like Julian Edelman and Dont’a Hightower on injured reserve.
The Eagles, with help from former Patriots veterans LeGarrette Blount and Chris Long, have six players who have combined for seven games of Super Bowl experience.
The Patriots match that in just one player — quarterback Tom Brady, whose seven Super Bowl appearances are more than any other player in league history.
By the time kickoff rolls around, maybe all that becomes overblown. After all, when the New York Giants ruined the Pats’ unbeaten quest following the 2007 season, that wasn’t an issue. Nor was that the case on the other side of the coin for the Seattle Seahawks when the Patriots squashed their quest for a repeat in Super Bowl XLIX.
Still, it doesn’t hurt to have veterans who have been there and done that. As safety Devin McCourty noted yesterday, any and all information is worth sharing.
“I think a couple of us have already talked about that, and the coaches have talked about that,” said McCourty, one of the team’s six captains. “Obviously, to win that AFC championship is huge. You have fun. Celebrate that. But you can’t forget winning that game allows you the opportunity to play in the biggest game of the year and how you want to be prepared.”
It’s been almost six years since McCourty first appeared on that stage, but Super Bowl XLVI, a 21-17 loss to the Giants, remains fresh in his mind.
“You don’t want that confetti falling as you’re walking off the field and the other team’s winning,” McCourty said. “It’s a terrible feeling. There’s no words you can say. You can tell somebody until you’re blue in the face, but I think the biggest thing is (leading) by example: being prepared, coming in ready to work each day. Guys feed off of that, and I think that starts at the top. Our coaches are going to be on it. I think our older guys, our leaders, need to be on it and let it trickle down through the team.”
Linebacker Elandon Roberts is in his second year. He started in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons and feels the obligation to pass on what he knows.
“It prepared me even for this one. I know now how to approach it,” Roberts said. “I know how to lead the guys. Obviously we lost guys this season, so you’ve got to lead.
“You’ve got to make sure your team’s on point . ... Distractions are going to be there, but you’ve got to make sure, ‘Hey, this is what we’ve got to be doing.’ That’s the main objective.”