The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl Champions – for the first time in franchise history! Philadelphia was able to defeat the patriots in a way that hardly anyone had ever thought before. It became clear: This team has come to stay! Philly shows against New England a core quality for short and long term success in the NFL, and in many respects they are well positioned for the future.
Before the game was due to the bank away everyone agreed: If the Eagles want to win this game, then the defensive line must dominate. For most of them this was a very big “if”, because it was about the duel of a comparatively inexperienced head coach, who had to forego his starting quarterback, left tackle, middle linebacker and running back or return, against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
And yet on paper it was apparently the greatest chance. Put Brady under pressure without Blitzing, make the game as slow as possible and control the rhythm of the game. Ideally, this would result in a game with a few points, because, as ex-Giants-Center Shaun O’ Hara had already said in the SPOX interview before the match:”You don’t want to get into a shootout with Tom Brady”.
With his own backup quarterback on the field, much less so, but nevertheless: Philadelphia’s Super Bowl triumph came in a duel with Brady, who produced 1,151 off-play yards (NFL record) and 74 points (second highest Super Bowl value of all time). In which Brady lost as the first quarterback in NFL history with at least 500 passing yards, three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. where New England paid a fine and never punted a single time.
And in which Philadelphia was the first team ever to win, despite over 600 approved yards.
The main reason for Philadelphia to celebrate the Super Bowl title in this way was Head Coach Doug Pederson. For Pederson, who had already created a creative, versatile offense throughout the season with many elements from college, the stage wasn’t too big – on the contrary.
On the one hand, he had designed a fantastic game plan: After the patriots in the Championship Game against Jacksonville had prepared themselves well for the passes from the Run Pass options, Pederson trusted his offensive line and set out from this primarily on the run – so that there were regularly large gaps.
Philadelphia also got its offensive Linemen away from the Line of Scrimmage. A central aspect in the run-blocking of the Eagles. Pederson also announced a total of 21 play-action passes, a new super-bowl record, which gave Foles reassurance, 12 of which he brought to the team-mate for 118 yards and a touchdown.
On the other hand, Pederson made a mistake that many coaches also and especially in the NFL are only too happy to make, not: He didn’t get scared. The Eagles, who employ their own analytics team to get support for the play-calling decisions in Third and Fourth Down, have been unusually aggressive throughout the season, especially at Fourth Down. The Super Bowl was no exception.
Two scenes were not only characteristic for the course and outcome of the game, but also symptomatic for Pederson’s setting. 38 seconds before the half-time break, the Eagles were still one and a half yards away from the Patriots’ final zone. Fourth down, with their own 15:12 lead. Many, many NFL coaches would have chosen the Field Goal here in order to say goodbye to the half-time break with (supposedly) safe points. Just don’t take any chances, Jacksonville was the most extreme example two weeks ago.
Pederson had other plans. He wanted to play the Fourth Down, and not just with a run or play-action pass. We all stood there and wondered what call was coming in and whether we would take the field goal,”said Center Jason Kelce afterwards,” When the play was announced – I can’t say how excited everyone was at the Huddle. We thought it was the perfect call. That’s how Doug was all year. He kept trusting the boys.”
And so there was a direct snap to the back, which passed to the tight end – and Foles found it completely uncovered in the end zone. Touchdown.”We just needed the perfect moment for this play. And we found him,”beamed Pederson.
Philadelphia’s head coach wanted to remain “aggressive”, he told the team in the run-up to the game,”even if we’re in the lead,”said Tight End Zach Ertz. However, this attitude was at least as important when the Eagles had finally fallen behind. Brady had led the Patriots back and New England took the lead with 33:32. The Eagles were back on their own 45-yard line at Fourth Down, five and a half minutes to the end. A yard was missing.
It would have been a picture book punt situation for most coaches. You have enough timeouts, your own defense has to make a stop and can even allow a field goal. Pederson knew, however, that in the duel with Belichick and Brady he should not be the more conservative, the more cautious coach. A 2-yard pass to Ertz gave Philly the first down, a little later the decisive touchdown.
“We knew he’d play this Fourth Down. That’s what he’s been doing all year round,”said receiver Alshon Jeffery, who played a major role in the early Big Plays of the Eagles in the first half with several spectacular catches, and receiver colleague Nelson Agholor added:”He’s been telling us all week that he’s going to be aggressive and do everything we can to keep our foot on the accelerator”.
The Eagles had played a total of 26 Fourth Downs in the regular season, the second-highest value in the league. 17 of them successfully, the top position. The Super Bowl was no surprise in that respect – it was a confirmation and possibly a hint with the post for many of Pederson’s colleagues,”We’ve learned”, it summed up Defensive End Chris Long,”that people are becoming more conservative and don’t know when to run the ball and when to be aggressive. That doesn’t apply to Doug. Our offense has carried us in the second half.”
This was also the merit of Foles himself. He benefited from the play-calling and the weapons around him, but Foles delivered another very good match against the Vikings after his gala in the Championship Game. He moved well inside and outside the pocket, met litters in narrow windows and made hardly any mistakes. This makes him very valuable for the Eagles: On the one hand, as an insurance company, Carson Wentz should not be ready for the start of the coming season due to his torn cruciate ligament.
On the other hand, it may also be a trade option – strong appearances in the playoffs often let teams open up their pockets for quarterbacks. But whether with Foles as insurance or with additional draft picks in the backhand, Eagles fans can be in good spirits that they don’t have to wait another 50 years for a Super Bowl title.
Carson Wentz is the most important building block on the pitch – the franchise quarterback. Pillars of the team like Ertz, Agholor, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Ronald Darby, Brandon Brooks or Lane Johnson are all still young or in their prime, even Malcolm Jenkins and Jason Kelce are both only 30 years old.
Alshon Jeffery had already signed a premature contract extension at the beginning of December, Agholor works like another player in the slot, Corey Clement has not only recommended himself for further tasks in the Super Bowl and Darren Sproles returns after his injury. The defensive line is deeply and individually outstandingly positioned – although this could only be seen in the Super Bowl, contrary to all predictions, only with the bag fumble that was then decisive – and in the Cornerback Corps there is a lot of talent.
In short, the Eagles, which philosophically speaking will continue to invest in the offensive and defensive line, are more than superbly positioned.
Philly has something that can be a basis for success for many years and is the dream of numerous franchises: a young franchise quarterback in combination with a head coach who has shown that he doesn’t coach on the biggest stage imaginable, not to lose – but to win. At first glance, this is a subtle yet elementary difference.
“If you want to know what we call the play,”Pederson grinned at his press conference, referring to the trick play touchdown to Foles. The answer? Philly Special.