Case Study #2

When asked about the dog masks that Philadelphia Eagles players and their fans have been wearing to celebrate the team’s underdog status throughout the N.F.L. playoffs, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, as he often does, swatted the question to the ground.

“They’re not underdogs,” he said. “They’re 13-3. You can’t be the underdog when you’re the No. 1 seed in the N.F.C. There’s no underdogs in this game.”

Over the last few days, Brady has repeated that assertion, while adding details about Philadelphia’s fantastic defense, its terrific running game and a passing game led by Nick Foles that Brady believes is more dangerous than some people think.

When looking at how Super Bowl LII might play out on Sunday, Brady was not wrong about his first two points. The third point was more debatable.

Super Bowl LII: Sunday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

How to watch: NBC has the broadcast, but you can stream the game here.