By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
When the Los Angeles Rams take on Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday, it is safe to say that almost all Philadelphia Eagles fans will be rooting for Jared Goff and Sean McVay to win the franchise's second-ever Super Bowl.
The Rams' first Super Bowl victory came nearly two decades ago, when Kurt Warner and Dick Vermeil topped the Tennessee Titans, 23-16, on January 30, 2000 in Super Bowl XXXIV, also in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome.
For Eagles fans, it is tough seeing the Rams represent the NFC, considering the team was arguably an Alshon Jeffrey catch and subsequent score away from their second straight NFC championship game appearance. The Eagles have won six straight games against the Rams dating back to 2005, and two straight against the Los Angeles team with scores of 30-23 in 2018, and 43-35 last season.
While the Eagles won't be gearing up for Super Bowl LIII it is important to remember what the team accomplished last season, and to understand why it is important to root against the Patriots.
Patriots Super Bowl Appearances
Since 2002, the Patriots have played in eight Super Bowls during the Brady/Belichick era. Six of the Super Bowls have been decided by three points or less.
One of the remaining two was the first overtime game in Super Bowl history. The eighth and most recent Patriots' Super Bowl appearance featured the Eagles scoring nine points in the final two minutes and 25 seconds.
Brady and the Patriots are rallying behind the phrase "we're still here." When the Eagles came out on top in Super Bowl LII, many argued that the chapter of Patriots dominance under Brady and Belichick had come to a close.
While what the Eagles accomplished in Minnesota will forever be among the pinnacle moments in franchise and league history, it will mean that much more if the Patriots lose this Sunday. Currently, the Eagles' feat represents not only overcoming personal set-backs — with Carson Wentz and a slew of other key players injured — but also overcoming incredible league-wide odds of putting, what they hope, an end to the Patriots dynasty.
The Eagles' accomplishment would be lessened, in a sense, if New England wins on Sunday. The Patriots' clock would be reset, making their loss against the Eagles only an outlier in their incredible history, instead of the hammer that ended their run of dominance that might never be matched again in NFL history.
If the Patriots never win another Super Bowl under Brady and Belichick, the Eagles would credited as the "David" to their "Goliath" dynasty. For that reason and plenty of other reasons alone, Eagles fans must root for Los Angeles — even though it would hurt considering they were so close this season to facing them in the NFC championship game.
