Super Bowl LII has been a popular topic in Boston and Philadelphia this week with the Patriots set to play the Eagles this weekend for the first time since that championship matchup to end the 2017 NFL season.
The Eagles triumphed in a shootout, beating the Patriots 41-33 to win their first Lombardi Trophy in team history. It was a huge opportunity missed from the Pats' perspective. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady set a Super Bowl record with 505 passing yards, and the offense's 33 points scored is the second-most New England has ever posted in nine Super Bowl appearances.
Brady admitted Monday on WEEI that he hasn't yet gotten over that loss to the Eagles. Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy gave a similar reaction to Tom E. Curran during Tuesday's "Quick Slants" show on NBC Sports Boston.
"No, that one stings," Van Noy said.
When asked about a particular aspect of the game that stung, aside from the obvious fact the Eagles won, Van Noy said, "Defensively we couldn't stop anybody. It just pisses me off we lost that game."
Nothing that happens on the field Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field will change what occurred in that Super Bowl, but will the Patriots still use the defeat as motivation to bounce back from their only loss of the 2019 season with a statement win in Philadelphia?
New England Patriots
"That game sucked. I wish I could take a bunch of plays back in that game. But that's good, we're going to use it as motivation," Van Noy admitted. "Why wouldn't you (use it as motivation)? It's the first time we've played them since (Super Bowl LII). We did in the preseason, but this one counts. We're excited for that."
Both the Patriots and Eagles have much to play for in Week 11. New England is protecting a one-game lead in the race for the AFC's No. 1 seed, while the Eagles are battling the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East title.
The Patriots clearly haven't forgotten about what happened at U.S. Bank Stadium in February 2018, and when you consider they've had two weeks to prepare for the Eagles following a Week 10 bye, there's a pretty strong chance New England will come out with great energy Sunday in Philly.
PFF's highest-graded Pats player in 2019 might surprise you>>>
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.