Sure most people had the Patriots mentally etched on the 2017 version of the NFL’s Mount Rushmore. That was easy, New England is making their 7th consecutive appearance in the AFC Championship Game. However, if before the season started you told me the other three teams left would be The Eagles, Vikings, and Jaguars I might have looked at you crosseyed. Still, this is where football fans find themselves heading into the Championship weekend.

Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Blake Bortles, and Tom Brady? The greatest of all time, two throwaway players from the Rams and a guy most people wanted to see benched will be leading their respective squads into next weekend. This alone has most of America penciling in Tom Brady into another Super Bowl Victory. That would be his sixth.

To quote Lee Corso, “not so fast my friend.”
First, let me say I know better than to pick against the Patriots and Belichick. But stranger things have happened and I don’t think you can just pencil the Pats into the Superbowl and have them win it just yet.

Let me make a case for the other teams.

I picked the Jags, Vikings, and Eagles all to win and somehow they all did, granted all these games were close and came down to the wire. My reasoning in each game was to just pick the team with the better defense. No matter who the Patriots play they will be up against a very good defense.

The Patriots played a preseason game vs the Jags but they have not seen any of these teams in the regular season yet. Belichick seems to be much better the second time he plays a team, I almost think he’d rather be playing the Steelers. He knows they own the Steelers, especially in the playoffs. The Jaguars are more of an unknown.

The Recipe to beat New England is to be more physical, get to Brady and get in his face and not make any mistakes of your own. We saw the Jets do this in 2010. The Denver Broncos hounded Brady in the 2016 AFC Championship Game. The Giants claimed 2 Superbowls behind their ability to rattle Brady enough to win. The Jags are built in that mold. Tom Coughlin has helped see to it. Can Blake Bortles do just enough to let his defense try and beat Brady? I’m excited to see him try.

Minnesota needs to beat Philadelphia, for a victorious Patriots team to lose in the Superbowl. I give the Eagles little to no chance to beat the Pats, Minnesota is a different story. The fact that the Superbowl is being played in Minnesota cannot be ignored. The Vikings would get an edge in the Superbowl no team has ever had before, there is no precedent as to how it could affect them.

Chances to beat the Patriots:

Jaguars in New England: 40% Chance.

I almost want to make this higher just based on the Tom Coughlin factor. He’s Belichick kryptonite it is weird.

Minnesota in the Super Bowl: 35% Chance.

Eagles in the Super Bowl: 2% Chance.

For the Eagles to have any chance in the Superbowl I think they need the Jaguars to beat New England. I don’t see Foles beating Belichick no matter how well the Eagles defense plays. (Philly vs NE is the one Superbowl Matchup that holds no excitement for me, give me any of the other three possibilities)

I have talked to the guys in the band Night Ranger and they said if Blake Bortles wins in Gillette Stadium they will change the lyrics to Sister Christian.

Sister Christian  Mister Bortles
Oh the time has come
And you know that you’re the only one
To say okay
Where you going
What you looking for
You know those boys
Don’t want to play no more with you
It’s true

You’re motoring  Bortleing
What’s your price for flight
In finding mister right
You’ll be alright tonight