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The New England Patriots transformed a blowout into a compelling comeback Super Bowl Live last year. Nobody needs a reminder of the deficit they erased, and their historic rally also ended in the Super Bowl’s first-ever overtime.

Now they must again thwart an opponent seeking its first Lombardi Trophy in franchise history. Like the Atlanta Falcons, the Philadelphia Eagles will play the underdog role more for narrative purposes. Even without Carson Wentz, it’s a close matchup when veering beyond New England’s obvious quarterback advantage.

Super Bowl LII

Date: Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET

Location: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports

Odds: Patriots -4.5, O/U 48.5

completing 49 of 63 passes for 598 passing yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers in two spectacular postseason victories. Deemed a massive liability who would ruin Philadelphia’s chances a month ago, the 29-year-old replacement can no longer be discounted.

It’s also dangerous to project a new baseline after two superb games. After all, he also completed half of his passes for 4.29 yards per attempt on Christmas Day.

What can the Eagles expect from Foles on Sunday night? The answer likely lies in the middle. Take Foles’ 2013 peak with his 2014 and 2015 valleys, and you get a competent player with a career 87.4 passer rating in the regular season.