They did it. It happened. It finally happened. Against all odds, in the face of millions of doubters, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII by a final score of 41-33 to obtain their first ever Super Bowl championship. The story of the 2017 Eagles will undeniably go down as one of the greatest underdog stories in the history of professional sports, and quite possibly as the greatest moment in all of Philadelphia sports.
Who would have thought a year ago, that the 7-9, last place Eagles were going to be next year’s champions? We all knew that with Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson, things were going to be on the upswing. But still, people were not convinced. They thought the Giants and Cowboys would be fighting for the #1 spot in the ever-competitive NFC East. Then the Eagles beat the Giants. They said we wouldn’t beat Dallas. We steamrolled them with no kicker. After Carson Wentz went down against the Rams, they said we were done. They didn’t think Nick Foles could take us very far. We claimed #1 seed in the NFC. We were the first team to be #1 seed and underdogs. They said we wouldn’t beat the Falcons. 15-10. The Vikings came in, riding high, ready to go home and host themselves at the Super Bowl. 38-7 Eagles. We were the biggest underdogs in the Super Bowl since 2009. The Patriots were on the cusp of a 6th Super Bowl in an unprecedented dynasty. It was one of the greatest matchups in recent sports history.
It was a tough game, a real nail biter, but the Eagles pulled through in the end. Still, the game was an emotional roller coaster, full of ups and downs, twists and turns, and all sorts of memorable moments. Almost every drive resulted in a score. Nick Foles was just about perfect. Jake Elliott continued to break rookie records. The Patriots offense had a great night, with Tom Brady breaking the record for most yards in a game. It was a thrilling finish. The Pats took the lead 33-32, but the Eagles scored again, and did not get the two-point conversion. The Pats got the ball with two minutes left, but Brady fumbled it and the Eagles recovered. The kicked it for a field goal, giving the Patriots a minute to score a touchdown, and get a two point conversion. With 9 seconds to go, Brady threw a Hail Mary. It was deflected in the endzone, and the Eagles were Super Bowl Champions.
For all the loyal Eagles fans out there, this could not have been a better night. After everything they’ve been through, after facing all the doubters and haters, the Eagles kept moving forward, and brought the Lombardi Trophy to Philly. And for fans, nothing could be better. The euphoria we all felt when the Hail Mary was deflected, and we realized that the Eagles had finally came out on top could not be matched. Seeing the confetti stream down with the scoreboard signifying an Eagles victory was unbelievable. And watching on TV as Nick Foles lifts the Lombardi Trophy was one for the ages. Seeing this team come together, all these great guys, and bring Philly a win… All around the city and suburbs, cheers could be heard everywhere, and fireworks in were the distance, joined with that classic fight song chant, which echoed throughout the region. For many lifelong fans, this was a moment that they may never have seen coming. Eagles fans have suffered loss after loss, heartbreak after heartbreak, and never got to get a win at the big game, until now.
So for all of them; I’d like to say… Thank you, Eagles. Thank you for showing that Philadelphia is a city of champions. Thank you for taking win after win in the face of doubt. Thank you for giving us this great victory to remember forever. Here’s to many more!