EAGLES FACE PATS IN SUPER BOWL

1 Tough to score against A defense coordinated by a brainy Jim Schwartz has yielded 33 points in its past four games and 17 points through two playoff games. With three turnovers Sunday, the Eagles manufactured a convincing triumph that would meet with the approval of the late, great Chuck Bednarik and Reggie White.

2 Keep the dog masks handy The Eagles are poised for a rematch of their Super Bowl XXXIX loss to the Patriots. They’ve already been installed as 5½-point underdogs. Playing without injured starting QB Carson Wentz, the Eagles were the first top seed in NFL history to be underdogs in their opening-round win over the Falcons.

3 Not bad for a backup Backup QB Nick Foles has been a strong stand-in for an injured Carson Wentz. He threw three touchdown passes with no interceptions and had a sterling 141.4 passer rating Sunday against a No. 1 defense. Foles was 26-of-33 for 352 yards.

4 Opportunistic defense The Eagles forced three turnovers, but two were huge plays, especially cornerback Patrick Robinson’s 50-yard interception return for a touchdown. Then, Case Keenum got hit by Derek Barnett for a strip sack that led to the Eagles’ second touchdown. The pair of turnovers led to 14 quick points.

5 Getting it done on the ground The Eagles have built a downhill rushing attack. They piled up 110 rushing yards as LeGarrette Blount scored on an 11-yard run while working in tandem with Jay Ajayi, who gained 73 yards on 18 carries. Blount is extremely clutch in the playoffs. He has 10 rushing touchdowns in the postseason since the 2013 season, four more than any other current NFL player.