The underdogs take it all
You would be crazy to think that a team heading into the playoffs with a quarterback who contemplated retirement two years ago after losing their MVP-caliber quarterback had any chance, right? Wrong.
Nick Foles led the Philadelphia Eagles to the franchise’s first Super Bowl and first championship in 58 years Sunday by going toe-to-toe with arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady.
The Eagles were up against Brady, a man on a mission to become the only player with six Lombardi trophies, and the Patriots, a living dynasty.
Brady’s opposition: a roster of Eagles players whose total Super Bowl appearances (eight) combined to equal that of the New England quarterback. Truly incredible.
Putting up 41 points and more than 500 yards of total offense on any team is difficult, especially against the Patriots and Bill Belichick, one of the best defensive minds of all time. The offensive display that the Eagles put together in the 41-33 win will be remembered forever in Super Bowl history. The exclusive lists joined and records broken will make this Philadelphia team one of the greatest Cinderella stories of all time.
They became just the fourth team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl coming off a losing season the year before. And even after clinching home field advantage in the NFC playoffs, the Eagles were still underdogs to both the Falcons and Vikings before reaching the Super Bowl.
And how about losing your franchise quarterback, Carson Wentz, in December to a torn ACL after he had already thrown for almost 3,300 yards and 33 touchdowns in just 13 games?
A New York Times headline the day after Wentz’s injury read, “With Carson Wentz Out for the Season, Eagles’ Dreams Turn to Dread.” Safe to say these words were proven wrong.
And just to put more salt in the wound, if you’re a Patriots fan—Foles became the first backup to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory since…Brady did just that in 2002, the first of his five championships.
Is this the beginning of a dynasty in Philadelphia? Only time will tell.
The Eagles were up against Brady, a man on a mission to become the only player with six Lombardi trophies, and the Patriots, a living dynasty.
Brady’s opposition: a roster of Eagles players whose total Super Bowl appearances (eight) combined to equal that of the New England quarterback. Truly incredible.
Putting up 41 points and more than 500 yards of total offense on any team is difficult, especially against the Patriots and Bill Belichick, one of the best defensive minds of all time. The offensive display that the Eagles put together in the 41-33 win will be remembered forever in Super Bowl history. The exclusive lists joined and records broken will make this Philadelphia team one of the greatest Cinderella stories of all time.
They became just the fourth team in NFL history to win a Super Bowl coming off a losing season the year before. And even after clinching home field advantage in the NFC playoffs, the Eagles were still underdogs to both the Falcons and Vikings before reaching the Super Bowl.
And how about losing your franchise quarterback, Carson Wentz, in December to a torn ACL after he had already thrown for almost 3,300 yards and 33 touchdowns in just 13 games?
A New York Times headline the day after Wentz’s injury read, “With Carson Wentz Out for the Season, Eagles’ Dreams Turn to Dread.” Safe to say these words were proven wrong.
And just to put more salt in the wound, if you’re a Patriots fan—Foles became the first backup to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory since…Brady did just that in 2002, the first of his five championships.
Is this the beginning of a dynasty in Philadelphia? Only time will tell.