After the Eagles advanced to Super Bowl LII, running back LeGarrette Blount said that facing the Patriots is “no more special” than facing any other AFC team despite the two Super Bowl rings he earned while he was in New England.
There are still going to be plenty of questions thrown Blount’s way about facing his former team over the next 10 days, but Blount is making it as clear as he can that his focus is only on the Eagles. Blount still has friends in New England that he remains in touch with and said Thursday that he appreciates his time in New England, but that he is “straight enemy mode” when it comes to his former team until the game is over.
“I don’t play for the Patriots anymore,” Blount said, via ESPN.com. “I don’t watch the Patriots, I don’t care about the Patriots,” he said. “I focus on what we need to do to put us in the best position to win this game. I had a great time there last year, but last year is last year.”
It’s rare to see a player win a Super Bowl one year and then play against their former team in the Super Bowl a year later, but playing against former teammates and/or friends (or brothers) is a weekly happening in the NFL. That should make it fairly easy for Blount, Eagles defensive end Chris Long and Patriots cornerback Eric Rowe to put business first when it comes to the game.