Coverage starts at 10pm on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Action, with kick-off from 11.30pm
Monday 5 February 2018 00:50, UK
It's (almost) time for the talking to stop and to enjoy Super Bowl LII!
Set to be an explosive Sunday evening of entertainment, it all starts with a 90-minute build-up show from 10pm on Sky Sports Action, with kick-off at 11.30pm as the AFC's New England Patriots take on the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFC.
Coverage will come live from the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, with Sky Sports regulars Neil Reynolds, Jeff Reinebold and Shaun Gayle joined by special guest, Washington Redskins All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman.
Here's a look ahead to what's in store with our preview of Super Bowl LII...
In a tweet...
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick's Patriots go in search of a record-equalling sixth Super Bowl against the underdog Eagles, who are hoping to defy the odds and win a first.
What's the latest?
The good news, for both teams, is it seems that there are no new injury concerns heading into Sunday. The Patriots are hugely thankful to see star tight end Rob Gronkowski successfully come through concussion protocol following a heavy hit in the AFC Championship game that ruled him out for the majority of the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. And, while Brady's injured throwing hand is still, apparently, not 100 per cent, his status for Sunday is in no doubt.
The Eagles, meanwhile, have been affected by an illness bug through the week, with multiple players exhibiting flu-like symptoms, but it seems they have made it safely out the back of that, with starting defensive tackle Tim Jernigan - one of the worst sufferers - returning to practice Friday after missing two days.
Stat attack
The Patriots are 5-2 in the Super Bowl under head coach Bill Belichick and Brady, with every game decided by six points or less. They're aiming to become the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since they last did it in 2003-04, beating the Eagles in the second of those victories.
Nick Foles may well have been a backup at the start of the season but, incredibly, he has the highest completion percentage and passer rating in postseason history (minimum 90 passing attempts). In three starts, Foles is 72-of-96 (75%) for 7932 yards, five TDs and zero interceptions, with a 116.3 rating.
Key battle
Brady versus the Eagles pass rush. Brady has only a 4-4 record in the playoffs when sacked three or more times, though one of those wins was a couple of weeks ago against Jacksonville. The Jaguars had the second-most sacks in the NFL this season and were No 1 in QB pressures (30% of plays), so if they couldn't stop Brady, what's to say the Eagles will?
However, Philadelphia's advantage is that they have the league's top-ranked rush defense. So, if the Patriots fail to get their run game going, they might have to become a little predictable on offense, allowing the Eagles to focus more attention on Brady. They have averaged 11.6 pressures per game, eighth in the NFL, while New England's 16.9 allowed is the most. Philly must disrupt Brady's rhythm, or they will end up watching him lift another Vince Lombardi trophy from the sidelines.
Game-changer
Jay Ajayi. British interest in the London-born running back will already be big, but that will only intensify further with Ajayi set to be a major part of the Eagles' game plan. Sure, Foles was hugely impressive in the NFC Championship win over the Minnesota Vikings, putting to bed many criticisms of the backup QB prior to the game, particularly his ability to throw deep. But, Belichick and the Patriots defense will throw plenty of different looks his way, making similar success unlikely.
While the New England defense has shown considerable improvement over the last couple of month in stopping the run compared to their early-season struggles, Philly would still be wise to lean heavily on the run game, if only in an attempt to win the time of possession battle and keep Brady off the field. As we know, if he has the ball in his hands with the game on the line and two minutes on the clock, the Eagles are in trouble.
For 90 minutes of Super Bowl LII build-up from US Bank Stadium with Josh Norman, join us on Sky Sports Action and Mix from 10pm on Sunday.
Sky Sports Main Event joins us at 11pm and the action kicks off at 11.30pm (GMT), including the half-time show featuring Justin Timberlake.
