Why The Philadelphia Eagles Will Win The Super Bowl

While the New England Patriots are favored by five points to win Super Bowl LII, there is plenty of reason to believe the Philadelphia Eagles can pull off a victory and capture their first NFL title.

Sure, it's hard to bet against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. The Patriots have won two of the last three Super Bowls, and have won five in the last 16 years, while the Eagles are making their first Super Bowl appearance since 2005.

And there is a lot working against the Eagles. They are without their starting quarterback Carson Wentz, their star left tackle Jason Peters and their placekicker Caleb Sturgis. Their head coach, Doug Pederson, has never come anywhere close to a game of this magnitude.

Yet, there seems to be plenty of reason for optimism. Through tough times, Philadelphia managed to exceed expectations by pulling off wins that many didn't expect. Indeed, the Eagles were 12-6 against the spread and defeated their opponents by an average of 15 points.

This is, after all, a 13-3 team that knocked off the defending NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons and made the Minnesota Vikings, who were favored by three points, look like they didn't even belong on a practice field. The Eagles' offense finished No. 7 in total yards (5,852) and the defense finished No.4 in total yards allowed (4,904).

But there's more to why the Eagles have a better shot at winning the Super Bowl than many people think.

No Pressure On Nick Foles

When Foles took over for Wentz, many were quick to dismiss his ability to lead the Eagles into the postseason. But it seems as though Foles has thrived due to the low expectations. He's been quietly effective and looked particularly poised in the pocket. In two postseason games, Foles has completed an impressive 77.8 percent of his passes for three touchdowns and no interceptions.

While he lacks Wentz's improvisation abilities, Foles has made very few mistakes, has thrown accurate passes, and appears unfazed by the heavy weight on his shoulders.

Zach Ertz

Do the Patriots have anyone who will be able to contain one of the league's best tight ends? The 27-year-old is very tough to tackle and Foles will almost certainly be targeting him early and often.

Ertz has an impressive 74 catches on 110 targets this season and it seems like every time he comes up with a reception it leads to either a first down or a touchdown.

Eagles' Defense Will Show Up

Yes, the Patriots have an excellent offense. But they will be facing a defense that held the Falcons to 10 points and the Vikings to just seven. The Falcons managed just 281 total yards, while the Vikings were held to 333.

Jim Schwartz's defense seems to have effectively turned the corner from lackluster late-season road efforts against the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants. In their last four games, the Eagles have surrendered an average of just 8.25 points.

Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and strong safety Malcolm Jenkins have shined this season and should be on top of their game in the Super Bowl.

Patriots Looked Vulnerable In The AFC Championship

New England's defense allowed 293 passing yards and a touchdown... to Blake Bortles? The Eagles offense is more dynamic than the Jacksonville Jaguars, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Eagles were more productive on a neutral surface than the Jags' 20 points at Gillette Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Pats may have not even escaped with a win had it not been for a questionable pass interference call in the second quarter that put the ball on the Jaguars' 13-yard line and led to their first touchdown.

Overall, it was a less-than-convincing home victory for a team that should have probably cruised to a win against an offense that lacked both an elite quarterback and a top big-play threat.

Jake Elliott

It's hard to think of a bigger unsung hero than Elliott. After Sturgis went down, the 23-year-old filled in by kicking a game-winning 61-yard field goal to beat the Giants in just his second start. He has converted 26 field goals on 31 attempts this year and is a perfect 4-for-4 in the playoffs.

In the Super Bowl, Elliott will be kicking in a dome, so wind won't be a factor.