A Philly Special moment in time
By the time the Eagles reached Minnesota for Super Bowl LII, they had already declared the most popular war in sports. They would take on the world.
Though they were 13-3 in the regular season, they had so convinced themselves that they were underappreciated that many would regularly rock dog masks throughout the playoffs, emphasizing their underdog mentality.
Though they were massively popular in many places, they were embracing a chant about how nobody liked them and they didn’t care.
Though the Patriots, with Tom Brady still near his best, were only five-point favorites against backup quarterback Nick Foles didn’t matter. To the Eagles, it was the most classic of matchups: Us vs. Everybody Else.
“We’ve got a destination that we’re geared to,” Malcolm Jenkins would say. “No matter who’s in front of us, we’ve got somewhere to go.”
So it was with that attitude the Eagles didn’t as much as play that game as they attacked it from every angle, mixing in enough trick plays and aggressive hits to win their first Super Bowl, 41-33, against a quarterback who had already won five.
“For Eagles fans everywhere,” Jeffrey Lurie said during the postgame celebration, “this is for them.”
If those fans were also subjected to some in-game stress, well, that was just an entertainment fee.
The Patriots would drive 75 yards in 4:47 to take a 33-32 lead with 9:26 to play on a 4-yard pass from Brady to Rob Gronkowski and a Stephen Gostkowski PAT. But the Eagles would respond with their own 75-yard march, capped by Foles hitting Zach Ertz with an 11-yard touchdown pass on third-and-seven that survived a replay review.
When a failed two-point conversion left them with a five-point lead, with 2:21 showing, the Eagles would need two of the most vital defensive efforts in franchise history to survive. Two plays after the Ertz touchdown, Brandon Graham would strip-sack Brady and Derek Barnett would recover at the New England 31, setting the Eagles up to build a commanding lead. But the Patriots met the challenge and the Eagles settled for a 46-yard Jake Elliott field goal for an eightpoint advantage.
That left 1:05 to play – plenty of time for Brady, who would push the Patriots to their 49. But with time running out, a heave into the end zone toward Gronkowski failed, and the Eagles were world champions for the first time since 1960.
“We’ve played this game since we were little kids,” Foles would say. “We dreamed about this. There’s plenty of kids watching this game right now dreaming about this moment and someday will be here.”
Foles, who was named the game MVP, wasn’t supposed to be there, but Carson Wentz had his ACL shredded in Week 14. From there, Foles would not only become the starter but a franchise hero, first by leading the Eagles through the NFC tournament, then with one legendary play suggestion.
With 38 seconds left in the first half and the Eagles facing fourth-and-goal, Foles asked Doug Pederson a question: “You want ‘Philly Philly’?’ Ever the risktaker, Pederson approved the gadget play, which ended with tight end Trey Burton throwing a touchdown pass to Foles. So historic was the moment that a statue symbolizing the play was planted in tribute outside the Linc.
“I still don’t believe it,” Burton said after the game. “Guys said, ‘You just threw a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl.’ It’s something that I’ll never forget, and my kids will never forget. It’s special.”
Foles threw for 373 yards, including touchdown passes to Alshon Jeffery, Corey Clement and Ertz. Brady threw for 505 yards, a Super Bowl record.
Days later, even with their Lombardi Trophy riding shotgun in the parade, Jason Kelce famously highlighted the celebration by verbally blasting anyone who’d felt the 16-3 Eagles would not be world champions.
Underdogs to the end.