Can you believe it? Has it set in yet? Have the goosebumps gone down? The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl. They’re going to the grandest stage of all to face The New England Patriots. IT’S HAPPENING. Here are some key takeaways from the win.
Foles was perfect:
You could not have asked for a better game from Nick Foles. The Eagles quarterback tossed two touchdowns to Alshon Jeffery, 3 overall and threw for 352 yards, completing 26/33 attempts. Foles looked elite. He played like a playoff quarterback. Once that first deep bomb to Torrey Smith was in target distance, it was a day at the driving range for Foles, who let it rip constantly from that moment on. The Eagles had no problem trusting their quarterback and he had no problem trusting his receivers. It made for a game of complete dominance and a warning sign for New England.
Run the table:
Best defense in the NFL? Well, the Jags surrendered to the Patriots and the Vikings? The less said about that display right now, the better. The Eagles may have only sacked Case Keenum once, but they held the backfield to just 70 rushing yards and forced the quarterback to make some extremely tight throws. Chris Long and Derek Barnett had some phenomenal moments coming off the edge and the interior was decimated by Cox and company, who again had incredible performances.
The most complete performance of the year:
Zach Ertz breaking out for a 93-yard game? Check. The defense dominating the line of scrimmage? Check. A balanced offense even in a blowout? Check. This was everything the Eagles had put on show week in and week out. It was also everything many had presumed they’d lost when Carson Wentz went down with injury. This may be the most complete team in the NFL and the most complete performance we’ve seen all season.
The rematch:
Who could forget that last Super Bowl appearance amidst the ‘Spygate’ scandal. The highs, the lows, the hoisting of the Lombardi Trophy by a young Tom Brady that would signify a slow decline in notoriety for the Eagles. A graph that is now surging back int he right direction. The Eagles are the new kids in town and ready to take down the Patriots, again as underdogs.
The Birds opened up as 5.5 point dogs for the Super Bowl while the game was still being played. The Eagles are underdogs. Again. When you add in the history between these two franchises, do they really need any extra incentive to end the Brady era of dominance?
The fairytale:
There will be a much larger story on this later this week, but could you write a more Philadelphia ending to this season? After losing their left tackle, their middle linebacker, their running back, their kicker, their special teams ace, their franchise quarterback, they’re still here. They made it to the biggest game of all. This is Philadelphia. The greatest underdog city in America. And this may be the greatest underdog story in America.
Coach of the year:
I don’t care what anyone says, Doug Pederson is Coach of the Year. Period. Full stop. Capiche. Zip.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
