Photo Credit; dw.com
The odds were stacked against Philadelphia going into Minneapolis. Taking on one of the NFL dynasties over the last decade did not bother the Eagles who, seem to take everything in stride. Last week it was the Vikings who came off an emotional victory over New Orleans, it had to turn back. The Eagles also have a few play-makers of it owns.
After several attempts, Graham landed the one and only sack of the game to help seal Super Bowl LII as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Patriots, 41-33 in a thriller, for its first title since 1960, on Sunday evening at U.S. Bank Stadium. For Philadelphia fans, the wait was worth.
Philadelphia’s defensive end Brandon Graham bull rushed in from the left side, stripping Brady of the ball as rookie Derek Barnett scooped up the loose ball before being wrestled down at the 31-yard line of New England with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter. No 4 tacked on a 46-yard field goal to extends the Eagles final deficit to eight points, 41-33.
The victory marks the first championship since defeating the Green Bay Packers, 17-13 on December 26, 1960, under legendary Coach Vince Lombardi.
Accustom to last-minute magical finishes, Brady did all he could– nothing was enough to pull off the comeback. He threw two incompletions before finding Amendola over the middle for a pickup of 13 at the 22-yard line with under a minute to go. The next couple of plays, Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski for a total of 26 yards, moving the ball to the 49-yard line. Finally, its last desperation pass fell incomplete in the end zone as the clock read zeros. Then the Eagles bench paused for second before running on to the field in celebration.
Backup quarterback Foles, who printed his name in the history books, finished his night 20-of-37 for 275 yards and two touchdowns. Alshon Jeffery added five receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown.
Brady avoided several close calls of being sacked. Credit New England’s offensive line, who did an outstanding job of keeping the Eagles talented front seven in check nearly all evening.
Despite the losing effort, Brady was sharp, connecting 21 times out of 32 for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Danny Amendola grabbed eight balls for 97 yards and touchdown, and Gronkowski caught four receptions for 85 yards and a score.
The Eagles scored on all of its second-half possessions, stunning the Patriots defense and its fans. New England nearly matched it, but fail to score on its last series which turned out to be the difference.
Backup running back Corey Clement shocked the Patriots secondary by reeling in a 22-yard touchdown reception under tight coverage. The replay screen showed he had possession of the ball for the score.
In the fourth quarter, Philadelphia kicked two field goals, and Foles threw a 12-yard scoring strike to Zack Ertz, who had six catches, 76-yards, and a touchdown.
Brady’s forced fumble, turned into points after kicker Elliott drilled a 46-yard field goal to increase the Eagles lead, 41-33. That gave the Eagles an eight-point lead and a sense of security.
Trailing 33-32 with 9:22 left in the fourth quarter, Philadelphia drove 75 yards behind Foles, who used a mixed attack of pass and run to keep the Patriots guessing. Foles tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Ertz.
Minus the one blemish, an interception, Foles had a great day.
The Eagles got on the board first, driving 74-yards, in 14-plays as kicker Jake Elliott split the uprights to give it a 3-0 lead. New England equaled it by marching 75-yards in 10 plays, capped on a 26-yard field goal.
Without pausing, Foles went back to work. He spotted Agholor Nelson for a seven-yard pickup. Two plays later, Foles threw a 66-yard scoring strike to Jeffrey Alshon, who reached over the defensive back Eric Rowe for the ball.
The Eagles led 9-3 with 2:34 left in the first quarter after the extra point attempt drifted wide right.
After, Philadelphia’s defense came up with two huge stops. It forced a missed field goal, and Brady’s pass fell incomplete, intended for Gronkowski. The Eagles outscored New England 13-10 to close out the half.
