The Philadelphia Eagles fell just short of winning Super Bowl LVII and are now seeking revenge on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. While the team has had plenty of success since 2017, it was that season that saw the franchise capture its lone Lombardi Trophy.
It was a season filled with twists and turns, which ultimately ended with the Eagles relying on a backup quarterback to take down Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
The Eagles developed a swagger and “no quit” attitude throughout the regular season, which paid off in the end as the team embraced being the underdog in Super Bowl LII.
Let’s take a look back at the 2017 season and the journey the Eagles took to the top of the NFL mountain.
Philadelphia Eagles 2017 Offseason
The Eagles made a number of key additions to the roster during the offseason. The team signed wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, running back LeGarrette Blount, defensive end Chris Long, guard Chance Warmack and quarterback Nick Foles.
All of those players would go on to start in Super Bowl LII.
Philadelphia also made trades for defensive end Timmy Jernigan, cornerback Ronald Darby and running back Jay Ajayi. All three of these players contributed greatly throughout the season.
Philadelphia Eagles 2017 Regular Season: Don’t Lose Faith
The Eagles started the 2017 regular season with a victory over NFC East rival Washington, before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. That matchup was particularly significant as it featured Doug Pederson attempting to out-coach mentor Andy Reid.
After the loss, Philadelphia went on a nine-game winning streak. Now sitting atop the NFC East, the Eagles were being regarded as one of the premier teams in the NFL.
A road loss to the Seattle Seahawks snapped the team’s winning streak, with the Eagles struggling to get any offensive momentum in the game. Seattle won 24–10, but Philadelphia didn’t get rattled.
Instead, the team went on to win three of four to close the regular season. However, a severe toll was taken.
In Week 14 against the Rams, starting quarterback Carson Wentz tore his ACL. Up to that point, Wentz had thrown for 3,296 yards and 33 touchdowns and was a frontrunner for NFL MVP.
This news came after the team had already lost two-time All-Pro left tackle Jason Peters, linebacker Jordan Hicks and return specialist Darren Sproles.
Philadelphia Eagles 2017 Statistical Leaders
Philadelphia Eagles 2017 Playoffs: A Stifling Defense
Despite capturing the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Eagles were hardly the favorite of media experts. Citing injuries, many were confident that the Atlanta Falcons would go into Philadelphia and advance to the NFC title game.
Atlanta finished the season in the top 10 in the NFL in yards per game and passing yards per game. Led by quarterback Matt Ryan, the Falcons won six of eight games to close the regular season before defeating the Rams in the wild card.
Despite having a talented offense that featured Ryan, Julio Jones (1,444 receiving yards), Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman (who combined for nearly 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns), the Falcons sputtered all night long against a vicious Eagles defense.
Philadelphia held Atlanta to just 10 points and stopped the Falcons on four-straight goal-to-go plays in the fourth quarter, advancing to the NFC championship game.
The No. 2 seed Minnesota Vikings entered Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia with the NFC crown on the line on Jan. 21, 2018. Things looked rough for the Eagles early, as the Vikings marched down the field for a touchdown on their opening drive.
However, those would be the only points Philadelphia would allow for the game. Vikings quarterback Case Keenum threw a pick-six to Patrick Robinson, completely flipping momentum. The Eagles would score 38 unanswered points to advance to Super Bowl LII.
Super Bowl LII: The Philly Special
The Eagles entered Super Bowl LII as 5.5-point underdogs to the Patriots, who were attempting to go back-to-back as champions. But that didn’t seem to phase Philadelphia.
Kicker Jake Elliott got Philadelphia on the board first with a 25-yard field goal, making the score 3–0. The Patriots would answer with a field goal of their own before Foles connected with Jeffery on a 34-yard touchdown strike to take a 9–3 lead into the second quarter.
A 21-yard scamper from Blount resulted in another Philadelphia touchdown, bringing the lead to 15–3. The Patriots scored nine unanswered points, cutting the lead to just three points before something truly incredible happened.
Coming out of the two-minute warning in the second quarter, the Eagles took over at their own 30-yard line. Foles found Corey Clement out of the backfield for a 55-yard reception, setting Philadelphia up inside the 10-yard line.
Facing a 4th-and-goal from one yard out, Pederson opted against kicking a field goal, instead sending the offense back out on the field.
The call? Philly Special.
Philadelphia lined up in shotgun, but Foles meandered his way to the right. He ended up next to right tackle Lane Johnson screaming “kill, kill” (meaning, abort the current play and audible to another).
In a split-second, center Jason Kelce snapped the ball to rookie running back Clement. Clement ran left and flipped the ball to backup tight end Trey Burton, who began running right before passing the ball to Foles in the end zone with 34 seconds remaining in the first half.
NFL Films summed it up better than anyone:
“It was a play that the Eagles had never called before, run on fourth down by an undrafted rookie running back pitching the ball to a third-string tight end who had never attempted an NFL pass before, throwing to a backup quarterback.”
The play gave the Eagles a 22–12 lead and all the momentum.
It took New England less than three minutes to score in the second half, but Foles kept the offense humming and the Eagles took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Brandon Graham strip-sacked Brady with 2:16 left, the Eagles kicked a field goal with just over a minute remaining, taking a 41–33 lead. The Patriots were unable to score on their final possession and the Eagles captured the first Super Bowl in franchise history.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Last Time the Philadelphia Eagles Won the Super Bowl: Revisiting the 2017 Season.
