Eagles win Super Bowl LII
Underdogs no more. The Philadelphia Eagles were considered underdogs the entire post season, despite having the No. 1 seed in the NFC. After potential League M.V.P. quarterback Carson Wentz went down late in the regular season with a knee injury, everyone had written the team off as a bust.
The Eagles used this as motivation and fueled their historic playoff run.
The defending Champions, the New England Patriots, were 4.5-point favorites going into the Super Bowl. The Eagles had absolutely lit up one of the league’s best defenses in their previous game, and no one thought that backup quarterback Nick Foles had another performance like that in him.
In the first half, both offenses thrived. But the Eagles were able to put touchdowns on the board from wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and former Patriots’ running back Legarette Blount.
Jeffery dominated the first half with 3 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.
As most Patriot teams do, New England fought back and made it a one score game just minutes before halftime, 15-12 in favor of the Eagles.
The Eagles were able to drive down the field and get the ball down to the New England 2-yard line. The Patriots’ defense stood tall there, however, and forced a 4th-and-goal.
Doug Pederson then called time out and dialed up perhaps one of the best plays in Super Bowl history.
A direct snap to the running back who flipped the ball to Zach Ertz on a reverse, only to find Foles standing all alone in the end zone.
This play put the Eagles up by 10 at the half and seemed to suck all of the air out of the Patriots.
Both offenses stayed hot in the third quarter, and broke the total yardage mark in a Super Bowl before the fourth quarter even began.
The Patriots were able to take the lead with 9 minutes left on a pass from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski, to put the Patriots up 33-32.
Foles and the Eagles’ offense methodically moved the ball down the field and took the lead back with just over two minutes to play on a touchdown pass from Foles to Ertz that has brought with it much controversy.
Nevertheless, the Eagles had the lead, but Tom Brady had the ball. Finally, the defense made a play.
In a game dominated by the offenses, the Eagles defense made the play to basically seal the game on a strip sack of Tom Brady from Brandon Graham.
The Eagles were only able to muster a field goal out of the good field position, however, leaving the door open for Tom Brady to mount another last minute drive.
The Eagles’ defense again stood tall and was able to hold the Patriots out of the end zone to seal the first ever Super Bowl victory and Lombardi Trophy in franchise history for the Eagles.
Nick Foles was voted Super Bowl M.V.P., after being the first ever quarterback to catch and throw a touchdown in the Super Bowl.