• The every-down running back is alive and well in the N.F.L., with young stars like Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette and Kareem Hunt, but that concept will be absent on Sunday. Philadelphia has a back for every occasion, with LeGarrette Blount taking care of short yardage, Jay Ajayi succeeding more in an open field and Corey Clement filling in the gaps between them. New England’s more modest running game got a little less than half of its rushing yards from Dion Lewis, while typically using James White more as a short yardage receiver than a typical running back.
• If the game comes down to a field goal, both teams appear to be sitting pretty. Stephen Gostkowski of the Patriots, in his 12th season, connected on 92.5 percent of his field-goal attempts, and was five for five from 50 or more yards. His counterpart on the Eagles, Jake Elliott, was a rookie this season, but he proved to have a big leg, going five for six from 50 or more yards, including a game-winning 61-yarder in Week 2.
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• The game is a matchup of teams that excelled on both sides of the ball. Philadelphia scored the third most points in the N.F.L. and allowed the fourth fewest. New England was second in scoring and allowed the fifth fewest points.
• Brady’s hand, which sustained a severe gash in advance of the American Football Conference championship game, is, by all accounts, fine. He did not appear limited against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he had the stitches removed this week. But he has not done himself any favors by wearing gloves to his team’s indoor appearances, which has resulted in speculation about what that might indicate. Of course, the cagey Brady may just want the news media, and his opponents, to focus on something irrelevant.
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• Rob Gronkowski is the best tight end in football and a key element in Brady’s aggressive strategy of throwing into coverage when the situation demands it. He sustained a concussion in the A.F.C. championship game. It will not keep him off the field, but it could limit his effectiveness, especially if he takes another hard hit. New England’s offense is so reliant on the attention that Gronkowski receives that any change in his status during the game could be a crippling blow.
• James Harrison, 39, appeared headed to retirement when the Pittsburgh Steelers cut him this season. But Harrison, a veteran linebacker, caught on with the Patriots and has played surprisingly well. Don’t put him in the category of players who believe a veteran can get by on his knowledge and instincts, though. He believes he is still succeeding because his body is capable of putting up with the punishment he demands of it. “It’s a physical game,” Harrison said. “Coaches are the most mentally prepared people in the world, but why don’t they play? Because they can’t physically do it.”
• At 40 years 185 days old, Brady will become the oldest quarterback to play in a Super Bowl, supplanting his longtime rival Peyton Manning, who won Super Bowl 50 for the Denver Broncos when he was 39 years 320 days old. The 11-year gap between Brady and Foles is not extreme, but the youngest member of the Eagles, Derek Barnett, was 5 when Brady won his first Super Bowl.
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• Nothing looms larger than Philadelphia’s switch at quarterback from Wentz, a mobile passer, to Foles, a pocket passer who initially struggled to move the ball after Wentz was lost for the season. It was a different story in the National Football Conference championship game. Foles, regularly using the run-pass option offense, shredded the Minnesota Vikings’ terrific defense. He cites his experience as a star high school basketball player for his comfort in a system that seems more geared to quarterbacks with foot speed.
MINNEAPOLIS -- When will you get another chance to see your favorite team in the Super Bowl. That question drove fans of the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots to my home state of Minnesota to watch Super Bowl LII in person.
Are you regretting your decision yet?
One day after the Minnesota Vikings found their newest way to break the hearts of their snake-bitten, fatalistic fan base, we had a blizzard. It's February, people. This is not a place you choose to vacation in February. There was about a foot of snow in my backyard. Snow was coming down sideways. I took my 1-year-old son outside to play in it, and he disappeared in the snow bank.
It's cold. Like a different kind of cold. Bone-chilling cold. This is what you've signed up for, because you're hoping to soak in a bit of America's greatest spectacle. Perhaps you dropped thousands of dollars to watch your beloved Patriots win another Super Bowl and make the rest of the country hate Boston more. Or you're an Eagles fan and needed some new streets to riot on. Whatever your reason to come here, it's not that different than my reason to move here three years ago: We all came for love. You came for the love of your team. I came because I married a Minnesota girl.
But we're all here just the same, in this place where nose hairs freeze, and car batteries do too. And I want to let you in on a little secret. Minnesota in winter is … actually … kind of … cool … in some alien sort of way.
There, I said it. I know you'd rather spend February in Florida or Mexico, but you're here, and as long as you bundle up, you can have fun in the cold. There's a mentality in Minnesota that every winter is going to be brutal, so you might as well get out and enjoy it. And my fair city has a longship full of stuff to do during Super Bowl week, no matter your preference.
Find out what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say about the final score of Super Bowl LII.
Questions for me, your senior Minnesota correspondent? Fire away!
So, uh, what do the locals eat? Lutefisk?
Not usually! If you ask anyone in Minnesota under the age of 80, there's a 20 percent chance they've tried lutefisk, and a 100 percent chance that they did not go back for seconds. But if you're dying for some lutefisk (you're not – it's dried whitefish soaked in lye), check out Ingrebretsen Scandinavian Foods & Gifts (1601 East Lake Street in Minneapolis' Powderhorn neighborhood). You can get lutefisk, but better yet, you can get lefsa (thin potato-dough flatbreads best eaten with butter and brown sugar) or julekake (Norwegian Christmas bread stuffed with fruit).
Anything American?
Yes! We're so American here. So American that we take hamburgers and instead of putting the cheese on top, we stuff cheese inside of them before we cook them. These are called a Jucy Lucy, and they are both delicious and dangerous; if you bite into them too quickly, molten cheese will squeeze out, and you'll feel like you're foot soldiers in an all-out attack on a Medieval castle. Try Matt's Bar (3500 Cedar Avenue S. in Minneapolis), which claims to have invented the regional specialty. or The Blue Door Pub (three locations, but try the one at 1811 Selby Avenue on St. Paul).
So I brought my mother on the trip. (She's a huge Eagles fan, it's her birthday, etc.) Where's a fancy spot I can take her for her birthday dinner?
Did you already get a reservation? No? Well, you're screwed. But if you want to give it a shot at lucking into a table at one of the hip downtown spots, here are a few choices: Butcher & The Boar (get the meat – all of the meat), Spoon and Stable (chef and owner Gavin Kaysen used to be the executive chef for famed New York City chef Daniel Boulud), or The Bachelor Farmer (a Minnesota take on the popular New Nordic cuisine). There's a vibrant foodie scene in this city.
Let's cut to the chase: It's the Super Bowl and I wanna get my drink on
Define "drink." Are you looking for the local version of Pabst Blue Ribbon? Well sidle up to any old watering hole and ask for a can (always ask for the can) of Grain Belt Premium. (Don't get Grain Belt Nordeast.) Grain Belt Premium is what Minnesotans drink when they go ice-fishing, or do anything else outdoors. A great outdoor beer, it tastes like a beer with Fruity Pebbles dipped in it. I mean that in a good way.
Did you say ice-fishing?
I did! This is another Thing Minnesotans Do. They drive their trucks onto a frozen lake, which sounds dumb and probably is dumb, then drill a hole in the ice and toss in a fishing line, which sounds dumb and probably is dumb. But it gives you a chance to sit in nature, drink beer slushies, and if you're lucky, catch a fish. You can do this on one of the lovely frozen lakes in the Twin Cities. But the better way to do it is up North. And the best way to do it is the way I did it last winter. We got a group of 10 dudes and rented two ice houses from Hunter Winfield's Resort from Lake Mille Lacs in Isle, Minn. These ice houses – they actually call them "ice castles" – look like trailers sitting the frozen lake. Inside, they are heated, with a stove, a sink, and DirecTV. You can throw your fishing lines in one of the eight holes in the floor. Drink too much Grain Belt Premium and you'll fall in one of them like I did. You'll also hear the ice occasionally crack, or "settle," which is very unsettling.
What kind of fish did you catch?
Um … we didn't catch any fish, though I've heard some people catch walleye, and walleye are delicious. We were there for two days. Lots of beer, no fish.
Back to beer
Glad you brought it back. We're not all Grain Belt up here. I know when you think of top-notch breweries, you're probably thinking more Colorado or Portland. Fair enough. They have great breweries there. But I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by the quality and the sheer quantity of breweries in this town. The highest concentration is in the hipster-friendly Northeast part of town; if you're looking for the most inventive beer in town, Dangerous Man Brewing Company (1300 2nd Street NE in Minneapolis) is your jam. Get the Peanut Butter Porter, then sample some of their other inventive offerings. But a trip to Minneapolis is not complete without a trip to Surly Brewing Co. (520 Malcolm Ave. SE in Minneapolis). It's a destination type of brewery, with floral and beautiful IPAs like Todd the Axe Man plus tons of seasonal and experimental offerings, such as Dumpster Fire, a smoked IPA with puya chiles.
So you guys actually go outside during these winters?
Most definitely. In fact, that's the best part of what the Super Bowl's local organizers have done is build up the enjoy-the-cold aspect of Minnesota. There's this festival called The Great Northern, which local folks this year made coincide with the lead-up to the Super Bowl. You can visit the St. Paul Winter Carnival, complete with a 70-foot tall ice palace. You can watch the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships on Lake Nokomis. You can participate in a cross-country skiing festival called the City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival.
You can go on a winter hike (Minnehaha Falls, which sits on the Mississippi River border between Minneapolis and St. Paul, is a good option), or rent a fat bike to go for a winter cycle on our many bicycle paths (Angry Catfish Bicycle and Coffee Bar is near Minnehaha Falls and rents fat bikes). You can even glide over the Mississippi River on an 800-foot zip line.
There's really only one other thing I know about Minnesota other than it's cold. And it's that Prince is from there. Where can I pay homage to The Purple One?
Paisley Park was Prince's compound and production complex. It's in Chanhassen in Minneapolis' west suburbs, and you can purchase tickets for a tour, where you can view Prince's concert wardrobe, instruments, rare recordings and his motorcycles. The iconic music venue where Prince recorded the film "Purple Rain" and where he frequently put on shows is First Avenue, a nightclub that's right near the Target Center on the opposite side of downtown from U.S. Bank Stadium. And the Electric Fetus (2000 4th Ave. S in Minneapolis) is a fantastic record store near downtown that Prince used to frequent. (Random Prince trivia: The last tweet he sent out included a link to electricfetus.com.)
So there's culture in Minnesota?
Um, yeah. I doubt if you came to the Super Bowl to visit museums and go to the symphony, but maybe I'm wrong.
There are a bunch of great museums in the Twin Cities if you're looking to avoid the Super Bowl crowds: the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Walker Art Center, the American Swedish Institute and the Mill City Museum are all great spots. My gut tells me Eagles fans won't be heading to the Walker to catch the tail end of the Nairy Baghramain sculpture and photography exhibit that ends on Super Bowl Sunday (though Eagles fans might be climbing the giant spoon with a cherry at the adjacent sculpture garden, so watch out).
The Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis is lovely; they currently have a play called "Indecent" that, according to the Guthrie's web site, "follows a Jewish brothel owner and the lesbian romance between his 17-year-old daughter and a prostitute." Don't bring the kids. Over in St. Paul, the Fitzgerald Theater is hosting singer-songwriter Josh Ritter the Wednesday night before the Super Bowl.
Embarrassed to admit it, but I like to do a little bit of shopping on my vacation
Well, there's always the Mall of America in Bloomington, which is near the airport in the south suburbs. I avoid that place at all costs – shopping's not my thing – but it's pretty impressive: America's largest shopping mall, with four floors, 7.9 million square feet, more than 500 stores and more than 12,000 parking spaces. There's also an indoor amusement parking called Nickelodeon Universe. People actually take entire vacations here just to shop there. But if you're looking for more boutique stores, and don't want to start aggressively elbowing the masses of awful humanity that crowd the Mall of America, try the North Loop, adjacent to downtown Minneapolis. There's all sorts of hip clothing and gear stores down there: Askov Finlayson is a Nordic-inspired clothing store focused on outdoor gear, MartinPatrick3 is a classy (and expensive) men's store while D.Nolo is the women's version. There's a Shinola store that sells hip timepieces, a Bonobos store that sells an array of jeans and other clothing, and an antique store called Jeromeo that improbably features both massage and yoga.
Anything else?
Just one thing. My favorite bar in town is a place that's tough to find, and a bit of a hike from downtown. Merlins Rest Pub (3601 E. Lake St. in Minneapolis) is an old-school British pub where you're as likely to be sitting next to a high-flying lawyer as a regular Joe plumber. The pub grub is great, the music is authentically British, and the Scotch selection is out of this world: More than 300 Scotches behind the bar, and complete with vivid description of each in what the owner calls his "Scotch Bible."
Those who don't remember the last time the Eagles and Patriots met in a Super Bowl 13 years ago likely know only that the Patriots won by a mere three points. But those who do recall Super Bowl XXXIX know this: it wasn't quite that close.
When the 52nd Super Bowl kicks off on Sunday there's a good chance of it being another close game, at least on the scoreboard, just by virtue of the Patriots being in it. The Belichick-Brady era Pats always play close games in Super Bowls. With potentially their sixth Lombardi Trophy on the line, the Pats will face off against the Eagles beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday.
Following Conference Championship Sunday in which they needed another Brady comeback to avoid getting upset by the Jaguars, the Patriots opened as 5.5-point favorites (and some sportsbooks had them as high as 6). But the Patriots are no longer quite that revered by Vegas books. Some heavy action on the Eagles shifted the line to 4.5 by late last week, and by Monday, some Vegas sportsbooks started offering Patriots -4. But that's where it has stayed ever since.
Here's everything you need to know for the 2018 Super Bowl, including who will be performing at halftime and who will be singing the national anthem as well as how to watch the big game.
So which side of the Super Bowl line do you need to be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of Patriots-Eagles you need to jump on, plus what X-factor determines the outcome, all from a Vegas legend who's 9-3 on Eagles' games.
How to Watch Super Bowl LII
Date: Feb. 4, 2018
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
TV: NBC (check local listings)
Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Announcers: Al Michaels (play-by-play), Cris Collinsworth (analyst), Michele Tafoya (sideline reporter)
Who will sing the national anthem?
Pop singer Pink will be in charge of either wrecking or helping your over/under anthem prop bets.
Ummm. I’m singing the national anthem and the EAGLES ARE PLAYING?!?!?! IS THIS FOR REAL?!?!?!THATS WHASSUP!!!!!!!! Shtjtkd widnamc ckamcnsnzncbx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wooohooooooooooooioooooooooooooooooooooooooiiiiiiooooooooooo — P!nk (@Pink) January 22, 2018
Who will perform at halftime?
Justin Timberlake will handle Super Bowl LII halftime duties! The former NSYNC star, who has morphed into one of the most diverse and dynamic performers in music and movies, will be looking to end up somewhere high on this list. Timberlake hasn't been on the stage for the Super Bowl since his famous wardrobe malfunction with Janet Jackson after the 2003 season. More than a decade later, he returns.
"America the Beautiful''
Leslie Odom Jr., who won a best actor Tony Award in 2016 for originating the role of Aaron Burr in "Hamilton'' will perform the song at Super Bowl LII.
NFL Playoff Schedule
Conference championship games
Sunday, Jan 21
AFC: Patriots 24, Jaguars 20
NFC: Eagles 38, Vikings 7
Divisional round
Saturday, Jan. 13
Patriots 35, Titans 14
Eagles 15, Falcons 10
Sunday, Jan. 14
Jaguars 45, Steelers 42
Vikings 29, Saints 24
Wild-card round
Saturday, Jan. 6
Titans 22, Chiefs 21
Falcons 26, Rams 13
Sunday, Jan. 7
Jaguars 10, Bills 3
Saints 31, Panthers 26
Pick any Super Bowl over the 16 years where Tom Brady has made it through the season healthy, and there's a 50 percent chance the Patriots were playing in the final game. That's right -- Brady will be taking the field for the eighth time in a Super Bowl on Sunday, the most ever for an NFL quarterback.
Brady has accomplished just about everything worth accomplishing in his career. But on Sunday, he'll have the chance to do something no quarterback has ever done in the history of the league: win the Lombardi Trophy and lead the NFL in passing yards in the same season.
If he ever retires, Brady, 40, is going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and might need his own wing in Canton, yet he's never done what he might do on Sunday.
That's what's on the line in Minneapolis if the Patriots beat the Eagles. I mean, just think about that for a second: Not once have we ever seen a quarterback lead the NFL in passing yards and win the Super Bowl.
So which side of the Super Bowl line do you need to be all over? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of Patriots-Eagles you need to jump on, plus what X-factor determines the outcome, all from a Vegas legend who's 9-3 on Eagles' games.
With prolific passers like Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Brady dominating the NFL over the past 15 years, it seems almost impossible that none of them have led the league in passing the same year they won the Super Bowl, but it's the truth.
Although Peyton Manning led the league in passing yards a total of three times, he didn't lead the league in 2006 (Brees led the league with 4,418 yards) or 2015 (Brees led the league with 4,870), the two seasons where he went on to win the Super Bowl.
Speaking of Brees, although he's led the league in passing a total of seven times, he didn't lead the league in passing in 2009 when the Saints won the Super Bowl. By they way, if you need some bar trivia for this weekend, ask your friends if they know who led the NFL in passing in 2009 and it will likely stump them for hours (Answer: Matt Schaub).
It has almost always been a bad thing for teams trying to get to the Super Bowl to have a pass-heavy offense. The moral of the story here is that defense wins championships or it might be that you have a much better chance to win the Super Bowl if you have a balanced offense.
The NFL's passing leader has only made it to the big game a total of five times since 1966, and they're 0-5. That list of losing quarterbacks includes Brady, who led the NFL in passing yards in 2007, when the Patriots went 16-0, but ended up losing to the Giants 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.
Tom Brady led the NFL with 4,577 passing yards this season
No player to lead the NFL in pass yards has ever won the Super Bowl in that season (0-5 record)
Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Rich Gannon, Kurt Warner & Dan Marino all lost in the Super Bowl after leading NFL in pass yards pic.twitter.com/l2Nx2fmRWK — NFL Research (@NFLResearch) January 24, 2018
For the 2017 season, Brady led the NFL in passing with 4,577 yards. This year actually marked the third time that Brady has led the NFL in passing. Besides 2007 and 2017, the only other time came in 2005 and the Patriots didn't even make it to the AFC title game that year.
If the Patriots do win the Super Bowl, the other jinx that Brady could end this year is the MVP jinx. Since 2000, zero MVP winners who have gone on to win the Super Bowl. Although we don't yet know if Brady will be named NFL MVP, we will know by Super Bowl Sunday because the award is handed out the night before the game.
For more Super Bowl LII coverage, be sure to click here and check out Super Bowl page here at CBSSports.com. Super Bowl LII kicks off on Feb. 4 and will be televised by NBC.
