February 6th, 2005: The Patriots and Eagles face off in Super Bowl XXXIX. Brady already has two rings on his resume while Donovan McNabb is trying to get Philadelphia their first Super Bowl win.

Super Bowl 39 Result

Patriots vs Eagles Super Bowl XXXIX

Both teams hold each other scoreless for the first quarter, and the game remains tied at 14 apiece after three quarters. The Patriots race out of the gates in the fourth, scoring 10 unanswered points. McNabb cuts the deficit to three points, and almost leads a comeback drive with a few minutes remaining. However, the Patriots ultimately stand strong and win the game 24-21 to hand Tom Brady his third ring. So why is this important?

History Repeats Itself

The Patriots won SB XXXVI, didn’t get to SB XXXVII, then won SB XXXVIII prior to the 2004-05 season. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s happening all over again. The Patriots won SB XLIX, didn’t get to SB 50, then won SB LI, and all things are leading to the Patriots returning to the biggest game in all of sports.

The last three times the Patriots lost the season opener (’01, ’03, ’14), they went on to win the Super Bowl, and right now they look like the best team in the AFC. Now, let’s look at the other side of history. The Philadelphia Eagles have raced off to an 8-1 start. The last time they have flown out of the gates to such a start, they went to Super Bowl XXXIX.  History tells everyone that the Patriots and Eagles are going to have a Super Bowl rematch.

Superstition or Fact?

This is more than simple superstition when you look at this season closely. Both the Patriots and Eagles are clearly the best team in their respective conferences. The Eagles have no serious threats in their path to a Super Bowl appearance. Brees is a hall of famer, but his team isn’t as complete as Philadelphia. As for the Panthers, everyone knows how a Panthers-Eagles NFC championship game would end. Cam wouldn’t risk his body to dive for a fumble, and he’d pout after the game. Without Rodgers, the NFC is the Eagles’ to lose. As for the Patriots, they have to be the favorites in any game as long as Twelve is their quarterback, and their defense seems to be coming together just in time. The Steelers constitute a big threat, but they are reminiscent of the Houston Rockets. They can explode offensively at any time, but if they don’t, it’s not hard to beat them.

NFL Awards Race

Finally, Brady and Wentz so far look like the front runners for league MVP.  Roght now, but it appears that Wentz will win the award. In this century, the MVP has often gotten to the Super Bowl, but has ultimately come short every single time. Carson Wentz, you can have the regular season MVP. Tom Brady will take the Super Bowl MVP and underscore his position as the GOAT.