PHILADELPHIA -- There was no shortage of confidence inside the Philadelphia Eagles' locker room following a 38-7 blowout win over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
Safety Malcolm Jenkins, the team's leader, set the tone in this regard, speaking with certainty about the success that lies ahead for the Eagles, even in going against the five-time Super Bowl champions.
"The Patriots have been in this game so many times that I think we all look at them as kind of the gold standard of this league. And so, in a season where we've been doubted all year, for me it's just right on par to be able to go against a team that has such a legacy as the Patriots," he said. "But that's just part of the story. When we finish this out, and we come back Super Bowl champions, that will just be the exclamation point on this whole story."
Jenkins knows that his defense comes into Super Bowl LII on absolute fire. It has yielded 33 points total in its past four games, including just 17 points through two postseason contests. Jim Schwartz's unit forced three takeaways against the Vikings and denied Minnesota on all three of its trips to the red zone.
What's more, Jenkins believes the Eagles have the personnel to handle what quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots' attack will throw at them on Feb. 4.
"It's one of those things, I think we match up well," he said. "They've obviously got a great system, great offense, probably the best quarterback of all time, a great tight end, speedy receivers. They've got a real good scheme, and they isolate people, but if there's any defense out there that can match up with every single person, I think it's this defense, so we're looking forward to it."
Jenkins' history against New England could be influencing his outlook. The last time these teams played -- in December 2015 -- Jenkins returned an interception 99 yards for a touchdown in a 35-28 Eagles win. He also has 1.5 sacks in three career games against the Patriots.
But moreso, his words represent the collective mindset of the team, which has overcome one key personnel loss after the next en route to the team's first Super Bowl appearance since the 2004 season: a 24-21 loss to New England. There has been an air of defiance about the Eagles all season, and that continues despite their being the biggest Super Bowl underdogs since 2009.
"Greatest quarterback of all time, but that doesn't mean that he's unbeatable," Jenkins said of Brady. "We've got a destination that we're geared to. No matter who's in front of us, we've got somewhere to go. We're not worried about what's in front. We're going to run through what's there."