Super Bowl week kicks off with ‘Opening Night’ festivities in New Orleans

The Eagles arrived in New Orleans Sunday with their charter plane flying an Eagles team flag out of a cockpit window while the plane taxied to a stop. Before they left Philadelphia, some of the players spoke to reporters.

Offensive lineman Lane Johnson was asked what’s different about this game compared to the loss to Kansas City in the Super Bowl two years ago.

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“When we’re there, like I said, we didn’t finish what we started two years ago and we have a big chance to do, to go play well and do something special,” Johnson said. “That’s on our minds but really, I think for me, I don’t try to get caught up in the emotions of it. I just see it as something in our way and we gotta find a way to get it out of our way.”

The Chiefs charter plane arrived in New Orleans soon after the Eagles. They have done the tarmac photo op with reporters five of the last six seasons. They are also looking to make history as the first team to win three straight Super Bowls. When asked before the flight on what gives them the best chance to do that, wide receiver Xavier Worthy said look no further than his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes.

“Going into a game knowing you have a guy, like you said, a guy like Pat, arguably one of the best players in the clutch,” Worthy said. “So, just going into the fourth quarter, and it’s close. Knowing you have the ball last and last game drive and a chance to do something and make something execute, you know Pat’s going to come up big.”

Over the weekend, crews worked to finish preparations on the Superdome turf, painting the end zones and other logos before “Super Bowl Opening Night,” which begins at 6 p.m. Eastern time on Feb. 3.

Both teams will be on site to answer questions from hundreds of media members, many of whom don’t normally cover them on a regular basis. The league is billing it as “The only time the two teams will be together in one location prior to Super Bowl Sunday.”

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