UNDERDOG DAYS
Can Eagles soar back to Super Bowl as No. 6 seed?
Happy new year, unless you prefer the alternative.
You know who you are. Same to you.
Moving forward, there is more than a shred of hope for dreamers who believe the Eagles can become just the eighth franchise to make it two Super Bowl titles in a row (the Steelers repeated twice).
First and foremost, two sixth seeds have won it all since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff format in 1991.
The 2010 Green Bay Packers were a sixth seed a lot like the Eagles. They got into the tournament on the last day, then won road games in Philly, Atlanta and Chicago to reach the Super Bowl, and defeated the Steelers, 31-25, at what was then Cowboys Stadium.
The 2005 Steelers were the first sixth seed to win the Super Bowl as they won at Cincinnati, Indianapolis and Denver before rolling into Ford Field to defeat the Seattle Seahawks, 21-10.
The Packers and the Steelers had quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger who found a way to win, much like Nick Foles did this past February. This time of year is another “moment” for Nick Foles.
The not so good news is both those events were some time ago. Bill Cowher and Mike Holmgren coached Pittsburgh and Seattle in SB XL.
The Eagles gave it their best shot as a sixth seed in 2008, the year they got in on the last day thanks to 1,000,001 outcomes going their way, then blowing out Tony “It’s Only A Game Romo” and the Dallas Cowboys, 44-6.
The Eagles (9-6-1) won at Minnesota and at the Meadowlands over the Giants before losing the lead late in a 32-25 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at Glendale, Ariz. That was the last game for Jim Johnson, the late defensive coordinator of the Eagles.
The Eagles, the Baltimore Ravens (2008) and the New York Jets, along with the above Packers and Steelers, are the only sixth seeds to reach the conference title game.
Sixth seeds generally lose in the playoffs. They’re 22-34 in wild card games.
Lately it really pays to be a No. 1 seed, which the Eagles were on their way to winning Super Bowl LII. Just one of the teams to play in the last five Super Bowls was not a No. 1 seed.
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Former Eagles tight end Trey Burton caught the TD pass this past Sunday that gave the Bears a decisive 21-10 lead over the Vikings, including the twopoint try, and the victory they needed to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season.
It also was the outcome the Eagles needed to get into the tournament.
Burton knew the Eagles weren’t going to pay him, so he jumped at the Bears’ offer of $32 million spread over four years.
Burton responded with a career-high 54 catches for 569 yards (10.5 average) and six touchdowns, the latter figure second on the club. He also ran for a score and contributed a two-point try.
Granted, there’s a lot of playoff football to go.
But Burton could make history by becoming just the sixth player to win Super Bowls in back-to-back years with different teams, joining Chris Long and LeGarrette Blount of the Eagles of last year, among others.
The Bears (12-4) have won nine of their last 10 games. ***
Though the Eagles have done better lately limiting the turnovers, they’ve sustained 29 disruptive fumbles.
Only the 49ers (31) fumbled more this season.
And only the Jaguars (16) and the Raiders (14) have lost more fumbles than the Eagles, who coughed it up 12 times.
The Eagles are minus-6 in turnover margin, the worst of all the playoff teams. The Ravens (minus-3) are the only other playoff team with a negative ratio.
The Bears are plus-12 in turnover margin, thirdbest in the league.
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Penalties kill, right? Well, the Titans committed a franchise and league-low 82 penalties for 727 yards.
And they didn’t make the playoffs despite a 9-7 record.
The Eagles were assessed 100 penalties worth 852 yards, right around the middle of the league pack, and they made the playoffs.
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The AFC South won 35 games this season, more games than any division in football.
The Eagles went 3-1 against it, defeating the Texans (11-5), Colts (10-6) and Jaguars (5-11) while losing to the Titans (9-7).
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One of my favorite Rick Gosselin (@rickgossellin9) stats:
Quarterbacks went 5-24 in 2018 when they attempted 50 or more passes in a game.
Eagles fans remember one of those victories, as Dak Prescott completed 42 of 54 attempts for 455 yards, three TDs and two interceptions in a 29-23 overtime over the Eagles about a month ago.
That was the last game played by Carson Wentz, who is healing a stress fracture in his back.
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By the letter of the law, Foles finished four snaps short of a $1 million bonus payable by playing 33 percent of the Eagles’ snaps this season, and contingent on the team reaching the playoffs.
We shall see if it remains that way.
Last season guard Stefen Wisniewski pulled up just a bit short of a playing time incentive rewardable with a $250,000 bonus.
The Eagles paid it anyway.
Contact Bob Grotz at bgrotz@21stcenturymedia.com and follow him on twitter @BobGrotz