5 questions that will decide Super Bowl LII

The Super Bowl matchup is set, and with the league's greatest defensive mind taking on one of the league's best offensive coaches, it should be a fascinating game for the X's and O's nerds out there. Let's take an early look at how the Eagles and Patriots will match-up by asking (and attempting to answer) five strategic questions that will decided the outcome…

Will the Eagles get pressure on Tom Brady?

You don't beat the Patriots without hitting Tom Brady with a standard four-man rush. The Jaguars' stacked defensive line could not get consistent pressure on Brady - he was pressured on only eight of his 41 dropbacks in the AFC title game - and he scorched them in the second half. The Eagles must do a better job of getting to Brady if they're going to upset the Patriots. And Philly will have to do with a standard four-man rush, because defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz doesn't like to blitz veteran quarterbacks who typically handle the blitz well…

The key man will be Fletcher Cox, who has been unblockable at times this season. Interior pressure is Brady's Kryptonite, so if Cox has a big game, Philly's defense should have some success.

How will the Patriots defend the Eagles' dynamic offense?

Solving a Blake Bortles-led offense doesn't require a lot of scheming, but that will not be the case with Doug Pederson bringing his varied offense to Minneapolis for the Super Bowl. The Patriots will have to figure out a way to defend the run, guard against Philly's run-pass options and take away the deep passing game - sometimes all on one play alone.

That's a lot to worry about. We know Belichick likes to take away what an offense does best, and I'm not sure what that is for the Eagles. If there's a weak link on the offense, it has to be Nick Foles. So don't be surprised if the Pats' gameplan for the Super Bowl is somewhat similar to the one they used against Jacksonville, in that Foles will be forced to hit on deep throws in order to win.

How much will the Patriots blitz Nick Foles?

New England couldn't touch Bortles in the AFC Championship without sending a blitz. Philadelphia's offensive line is better than Jacksonville's so I wouldn't expect a lot to change in two weeks. The Eagles offensive line, which has been reshaped throughout the season due to injuries, is prone to communication mistakes, however, so Belichick and Matt Patricia could have success with some shrewdly designed pressures.

Foles struggles more than most quarterbacks when under pressure but can get hot when given time to throw - as we saw in the NFC title game - so the matchup between the Eagles' pass protection and the Patriots' rush will be of the utmost importance.

How do the Eagles match-up with Rob Gronkowski?

Of course, Gronkowski, who is in the concussion protocol, will have to be healthy for this question to matter. But let's just assume that he is. The Eagles have prefered to play single-high, man-to-man coverages behind a four-man rush this season. That gives Schwartz a lot of options when covering Gronk because he'll always have an extra defender, whether it's safety Malcolm Jenkins or a linebacker, in the middle of the field.

Jenkins is typically asked to deal with opponents' tight ends, so expect him to get the first crack at Gronkowski. If he can slow down the big tight end even a little - Gronk's going to get his even if you double him - the Eagles would be wise to keep that a one-on-one matchup and let that extra defender help against the Patriots' endless supply of slot receivers working the middle of the field. The Falcons used a similar strategy in last year's Super Bowl, and it was working until the defense gassed out.

Who covers Zach Ertz for the Patriots?

The Patriots aren't the only team with a play-making tight end who has to be gameplanned for. Ertz gave the Vikings all sorts of problems, and if New England has to blitz to get pressure on Foles, the Pats will have issues slowing him down. Unlike Philadelphia (or even Minnesota, for that matter), the Patriots do not have linebacker capable of running with Ertz, so the job will likely fall to Patrick Chung. Good luck.

Using Chung on Ertz creates another problem: The Eagles' use of run-pass options - Foles will read a certain defender, and if he stays put to defend the run, Foles throws it; if he runs with a receiver and leaves the box, Foles hands it off - could occupy Chung and make it hard for him to help against the run. New England's answer could be replacing a corner with safety in its nickel packages. Look for Duron Harmon to play a lot of snaps.

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