Eagles Stun the League, Take Down the Patriots
If you’re a Philadelphia Eagles fan, you’d probably agree with me on this statement: It’s about time. All those years of suffering without a Super Bowl ring have finally resulted in triumph.
Allow me to give you some perspective. The Philadelphia Eagles have existed since 1933, long before the Super Bowl began. The Eagles’ last championship run occurred in 1960. That’s right — it has been 58 years since they’ve been crowned as champions. There will be no more “ringless” jokes for Eagles fans to hear, now that they have a Lombardi trophy. Feb. 4, 2018 is a day that Eagles fans all over the world will remember for the rest of their lives. How did they do it? How did they overcome all the odds and defeat the mighty New England Patriots? Let’s get into it.
The Eagles put up 41 points against Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. The final score of the game was 41–33. This game was as high-scoring as one would expect. What many didn’t expect was the phenomenal performance from Eagles quarterback Nick Foles, who put up 373 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He even had a receiving touchdown. Yes, I am just as surprised as you are by those statistics.
With that being said, it’s essential that the casual football fan understands that Belichick prides himself on defense. Sure, he has arguably the greatest quarterback of all time on offense who played phenomenally, but Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia consistently make sure that the Patriots’ defense plays physical and disciplined football.
In last year’s Super Bowl, the Atlanta Falcons undoubtedly had the best offense in the entire league. The Patriots only allowed 28 points in that legendary comeback victory. The Eagles put up 13 more than the Falcons, which is difficult for any opposing team to overcome, even with Tom Brady as quarterback.
Another key component was that Belichick benched Malcolm Butler, one of the best players in the Patriots’ secondary. That certainly didn’t help the team, and it’s a mystery as to why he was benched. But Butler claimed that the Patriots “gave up on him.”
Brady played a near-perfect game Sunday. In fact, he even broke a playoff record with 505 passing yards and three touchdowns, despite being 40 years old. Of course, there was no shortage of offensive from both sides in the shootout, as the teams combined for the most total yardage in playoff history with 1,151. The only drawback to Brady’s performance was his costly fumble late in the game, which was really his offensive line’s fault. Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham strip-sacked Brady from behind, and Derek Barnett, another Eagles defensive end, recovered the football.
The fumble was ultimately the beginning of the end for the Patriots. After the Eagles padded onto their lead with a field goal, the Patriots found themselves down eight with no timeouts and under a minute to go. Even for the three-time MVP, the situation was too dire to overcome. On the last play of the game, Brady attempted a Hail Mary pass all the way down the field to tight end Rob Gronkowski, only for it to be batted down by a flock of Eagles.
Moving forward, the Philadelphia Eagles definitely have decisions to make in the near future. Sure, Nick Foles won Super Bowl MVP, but what about NFL MVP candidate Carson Wentz? The Eagles could play both quarterbacks next year or they could trade one of them. But for now, the Eagles will cherish a beautiful Super Bowl victory. What an incredible Cinderella story to see. Just think: Backup quarterback Nick Foles defeated the all-time great Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. It’s as close to David and Goliath as you could possibly get. The Eagles should be a championship contender for years to come, assuming their extremely talented roster doesn’t change too much from the free agency period. The same thing applies to the New England Patriots. For now, it’s lit for the city of Philadelphia and Eagles fans all over the world.