Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
For more on the Eagles’ incredible win,
FOLES, EAGLES DISMANTLE MINNESOTA TO REACH SUPER BOWL
Breakout Backup: Foles vaults Eagles into Super Bowl
The Eagles beat up the favored Minnesota Vikings, 38-7, in front of a rowdy crowd Sunday night at Lincoln Financial Field to earn a trip to Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis.
Owner Jeffrey Lurie and Eagles players accepted the George Halas trophy for winning the conference championship after a crowd of 69,596 launched into an emotional chorus of Fly, Eagles Fly! Dilly, dilly, Eagles Nation! “By the way, we’re not only going to Minneapolis, we have something to do in Minneapolis,” Lurie said. “One more win!”
On this night, the players didn’t need to be reminded. The first top seed to be underdogs, they’re fully aware that their next and final opponent this season, the New England Patriots, are 5-point favorites.
Nick Foles turned the clock back with a visceral performance that Carson Wentz would have signed off on, completing 78.8 percent of his throws for 347 yards, three touchdowns and a 141.4 passer rating. He’s the fifth player to produce a 100-plus rating in three straight playoff games, joining Troy Aikman, Tony Eason, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Theismann.
And you were worried about the quarterback? Silly, silly! This was a lot like the Eagles’ blowout of the Atlanta Falcons in the 2005 NFC title game, a 27-10 success, only with two more quarters. It would not have been wrong for the Vikings to be grateful for the two-minute warning.
It was hard to believe the Eagles had trailed, 7-0. They scored the next 38 points, cornerback Patrick Robinson kick-starting the carnage with a 50-yard interception return of Case Keenum.
“Words can’t really describe what I feel right now,” Foles said. “I sit up here and all glory belongs to God. I’m grateful and humbled to be a part of this team and to be in this moment. And to share with our families, our fans, all the people that love the Philadelphia Eagles, my teammates ... it is honestly unbelievable. Words just can’t describe it.”
It looked like it would be a long night for the Eagles when Keenum, on the opening possession. drove the Vikings 75 yards in nine plays to produce the first points. He beat an Eagles blitz with a 25-yard lob over the top to tight end Kyle Rudolph.
After an Eagles four-and-out, a wide-open Trey Burton failing to get both feet down on a sideline catch that would have been a first down, rookie Shelton Gibson was flagged for fair catch interference. That gave the Vikings the ball at the 29-yard line, instead of the 14.
But six plays later, the comeback was on. Robinson, on thirdand-eight, picked off Keenum, rolled from sideline to sideline and finally got just inside the pylon. It was the fifth interception for Robinson, who led the Eagles with four picks in the regular season.
On the next series Foles spread the Vikings out and picked them apart with run-pass options, LeGarrette Blount’s 11-yard run finished a 12-play 75-yard drive, giving the Eagles a 14-7 lead.
The turning point in the first half was stopping the Vikings on the 11th play of a drive that reached the 16-yard line of the Eagles, who led just 14-7. Derek Barnett circled and stripped Keenum, Chris Long recovering at the 24-yard line.
On the ensuing possession, Foles, under intense pressure, fired a 53yard TD pass to Alshon Jeffery.
As time was expiring in the first half, Jake Elliott kicked a 38-yard field goal.
The only real question at the intermission was exactly what head coach Mike Zimmer said to the Vikings, who, adding insult to injury had to kick off to begin the second half.
Pederson and the Eagles systematically took the Vikings apart. When they didn’t spread their opponent out, they threw crossing passes, sideline passes, screens and bombs. In the first half the Eagles were 5 of 7 on third down against a vaunted Vikings defense, allowing just a 25.2 percent conversion rate.
It sure seemed like it was over, except for the math on the first of two touchdowns by Jeffery, who has nine in his career against the Vikings.
Foles found Torrey Smith for a touchdown. The Eagles twice stopped the Vikings on fourth down, the latter in goal to goal.
In the week leading up to the game, the NFL raised eyebrows when its Facebook page showed a graphic of the Vikings and the Patriots with the wording, “Your team is headed to Super Bowl LII...and you could too! When you donate to United Way, you could score 2 clublevel seats to watch the PATRIOTS vs. the VIKINGS battle it out for the coveted Super Bowl title!”
It was the latest disrespect for an Eagles team that weathered the loss of several key starters, beginning with Wentz. The NFL discreetly apologized for the snafu.
The Eagles (15-3) weren’t going to leave anything to chance.
It was their first conference championship since their defeat of the Falcons after the 2004 season. That’s three conference titles in all for the Eagles, counting their win over the Dallas Cowboys in the 1980 season.
The Vikings (14-4) lost their sixth straight conference championship game. They were bidding to be the first dome team to win outside in a conference title game, as well as the first host team to play in the Super Bowl.
The only item separating the Eagles from their first Super Bowl title is the Patriots, who rallied to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-20, at Gillette Stadium Sunday.
A win over the Patriots would be payback for the Eagles’ 24-21 loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX, the early days of Spygate. Bill Belichick eventually was fined and disciplined for videotaping the defensive signals of opponents.