Super Bowl LII: Doug Pederson confident after Eagles’ final practice
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson watches the team's Super Bowl LII practice on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, in Minneapolis. Credit: AP / Eric Gay
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Eagles’ final full practice of Super Bowl week left head coach Doug Pederson feeling confident about his team’s readiness for the game against the Patriots on Sunday.
“I’ve been around these guys all year and I can tell by the way they practice, the speed, the tempo, assignment sound, the energy level,” he said according to the pool report on Friday. “Things like that lead me to believe because I’ve seen it all season. Now, that doesn’t tell you how they’re going to play. But it just tells you that they’re prepared and ready to go into this game.”
At the end of practice, Pederson gathered the team around him and delivered a long speech.
“Play loose, have fun, enjoy the moment,” he said of his message to the players. “These opportunities, as you know, don’t come around every year. Also, make sure just to reflect on this season, reflect on the journey that got us here. But just play for one another, have fun, and enjoy it.”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
