When the Eagles and Patriots take the field for Super Bowl 52, it will mark the sixth "rematch" in Super Bowl history. But other than New England still having the same starting quarterback and head coach, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, everything is completely different from Super Bowl 39.
Or is it?
Here's a look at seven weird connections between the two matchups featuring the same franchises.
SUPER BOWL 52: Picks for Eagles vs. Patriots
— Super Bowl 39 took place on the home field of the current AFC championship loser.
— Super Bowl 52 takes place on the home field of the current NFC championship loser.
The 2004 Patriots beat the 2004 Eagles 24-21 at Jacksonville's Alltel Stadium, which is now EverBank Field, where the Jaguars still play. Super Bowl 52 is being held at U.S. Bank Stadium, where the Vikings now play. Weather won't be a factor indoors in chilly Minneapolis.
— The 2004 Eagles beat the Vikings and Falcons on the way to Super Bowl 39.
— The 2017 Eagles beat the Falcons and Vikings on the way to Super Bowl 52.
Just like this season, the Eagles 13 years ago were the NFC's top seed at 13-3. They also played the same teams in the divisional and conference championship rounds — only in a different order. Donovan McNabb had to out-duel both Minnesota's Daunte Culpepper and Atlanta's MIchael Vick to get into the matchup with Brady. Five years later, McNabb got Philadelphia to sign Vick as his backup.
Vick eventually replaced Kevin Kolb, who replaced McNabb as the Eagles' starting QB. Nick Foles was drafted to back up Vick and eventually replaced him as the starter. More than four years later, Foles is starting in the Super Bowl.
— The 2004 Patriots were the last team to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
— The 2017 Patriots are the latest team trying to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
The Patriots' double dynasty first burst on the scene when they upset the Rams in Super Bowl 36, but they missed the playoffs a year later, as the Buccaneers' dominant defense in 2002 interrupted their initial three-ring run. Right after Brady led them past the Panthers in Super Bowl 38, the Patriots won a third Super Bowl decided by only a field goal against the Eagles.
After falling to the Giants twice in between, the Patriots rebounded to stop the Seahawks' quest to repeat in Super Bowl 49, but they saw the Broncos' dominant defense take Super Bowl 50 before that epic rally to best the Falcons last year.
Belichick and Brady already form the most successful duo in the modern NFL era, and now they are trying to match what Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan did together for the NBA's Chicago Bulls Bookend back-to-backs are the only thing left to add to the Patriots pair's lengthy legend.
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— The 2004 Eagles were well coached by Andy Reid.
— The 2017 Eagles are well connected to Andy Reid.
The Eagles fired Reid in 2013 after 14 seasons, despite the fact that they made the playoffs eight times and had only three losing seasons with him. He had five future NFL head coaches on his staff in 2004. Current Eagles coach Doug Pederson, who replaced Reid's replacement Chip Kelly, was Reid's offensive quality control coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Philadelphia from 2009-12 before following Reid to Kansas City as that team's offensive coordinator.
In 2004, when Reid took the Eagles to the Super Bowl, Pederson was with the Packers in his final NFL season as a backup QB. At the end of his first stint in Green Bay in 1998, Pederson had Reid as his quarterbacks coach for two seasons.
— The 2004 Patriots were the first team to have both Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia on the same staff.
— The 2017 Patriots will be the last team to have both Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia on the same staff.
McDaniels was elevated to be Belichick's quarterbacks coach in 2004, getting the chance to work directly with Brady while only a year older than him. By 2006, he was the team's offensive coordinator for the first time before getting his first head-coaching shot with the Broncos.
That was also the time Belichick hired Patricia, fresh off being a graduate assistant at Syracuse, to be an offensive assistant. Two years later, Patricia flipped to defense to coach the Patriots' linebackers, and eight years later, he was promoted to defensive coordinator, right when McDaniels returned as offensive coordinator.
Belichick has enjoyed six seasons without turnover for his top two assistants, adding up to more Super Bowl rings since 2012. The run for the Pats with McDaniels and Patricia is longer than that of Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel, who won three rings in four years together.
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— The 2004 Eagles signed a big free-agent wide receiver and had a feature back who wore No. 36.
— The 2017 Eagles signed a big free-agent wide receiver and have a feature back who wears No. 36.
The Eagles saw 6-3, 224-pound Terrell Owens make a remarkable return from a broken leg and torn ankle ligament to play well in Super Bowl 39, catching 9 passes for 122 yards against the Patriots. The Eagles are hoping to see 6-3, 218-pound Alshon Jeffery also finish his first season in Philly with a bang after catching 9 passes for 146 yards and two TDs so far in the playoffs.
The Eagles saw Brian Westbrook become a matchup nightmare for the Patriots in Super Bowl 39, turning 22 touches into 104 scrimmage yards and a TD. The Eagles are hoping to see Jay Ajayi keep living up to Westbrook's old number after racking up 39 touches for 197 scrimmage yardage so far in the playoffs.
The Patriots have a habit of taking one key opposing offensive player out of the game. Just like with Owens and Westbrook, it will be difficult for New England to keep both Jeffery and Ajayi from having a major impact in Super Bowl 52.
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— The 2004 Patriots were led in receptions and receiving yardage by No. 87
— The 2017 Patriots were led in receptions and receiving yardage by No. 87
The Patriots still have their share of mighty mites, but they've come a long way since David Givens, Deion Branch and Troy Brown were Brady's primary targets. Givens, at 6-0, 212 pounds, wore No. 87 in Super Bowl 39 after leading the team with only 56 catches for 874 yards in the regular season.
Now it's 6-6, 265-pound Rob Gronkowski wearing a slightly bigger version of that uniform and doing a lot more damage. Gronk finished the season with his favorite team-high number of catches, 69, and also led the team with 1,084 receiving yards and 8 receiving TDs.
Gronk didn't play in Super Bowl 51, so he has some making up to do. It was Branch, not Givens, who ended up winning game MVP in Super Bowl 39, catching 11 balls for 133 yards. Gronk will be one of the best non-Brady MVP bets for Super Bowl 52.
