MINNEAPOLIS — If you analyze this Super Bowl matchup long enough, you always come back to one question: How can Nick Foles beat Bill Belichick, especially when Belichick has two weeks to prepare?
Well, let’s ask this instead: Why can’t Nick Foles and the Eagles beat the Patriots?
It’s a lot more likely than it seems. The Patriots have won so many Super Bowls during the Belichick era—five, so far—that we act like they win it every year. They contend every year, but even the best franchises lose sometimes. Let’s look at the Pats’ history under Belichick.