When second-year quarterback Carson Wentz went down with a season-ending ACL injury in early December, most Eagles fans assumed their team would have to wait at least one more season to win the first Super Bowl in franchise history. Instead, the Eagles rallied around their backup quarterback Nick Foles to claim the team’s first title. The Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII in Minnesota on Sunday night.
The Eagles got off to a quick start on their first drive of the game. After taking the game’s opening kickoff, they drove right down the field and had several chances to score a touchdown before settling for a Jake Elliott field goal.
The Patriots responded with a field goal of their own. They used a long pass from Tom Brady to Chris Hogan to get into field goal position before Stephen Gostkowski tied things up 3-3.
But the Eagles weren’t finished scoring in the first quarter. They got the ball back and drove down the field again before Foles connected with Alshon Jeffery for a 34-yard touchdown pass.
Brady and the Patriots had a chance to respond in the second quarter, but Brady failed to reel in a catch on a trick play.
The Eagles took advantage of the Patriots miscues by scoring again on a 21-yard run by LeGarrette Blount, who won a Super Bowl with the Patriots last season.
But the Patriots refused to allow the Eagles to run away with the game. Gostkowski kicked another field goal about a minute after Blount’s touchdown. They got into field goal position after Rex Burkhead broke off a long run for New England.
The Patriots then picked Foles off in the red zone after the Eagles drove all the way down the field again.
The Patriots drove the ball down the field themselves as the second quarter wound down and scored just before the two-minute warning on a 26-yard run by James White.
But the Eagles stole a trick out of the Patriots’ playbook just before halftime as coach Doug Pederson called for a trick play that ended with Foles catching a touchdown. It put the Eagles up 22-12 at the half.
The scoring continued at the start of the second half. Rob Gronkowski caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady less than three minutes into the third quarter.
Eagles running back Corey Clements responded by catching a 22-yard touchdown pass five minutes later.
Undeterred, the Patriots scored again less than four minutes later on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Hogan.
And after the Eagles kicked a field goal at the start of the fourth quarter to extend their lead to six, the Patriots mounted one more drive down the field to take a 33-32 lead on a 4-yard Gronkowski touchdown reception.
But it would be all Eagles from there on out. Zach Ertz caught a touchdown pass from Foles with 2:21 left on the clock.
Brandon Graham then forced a Brady fumble on the ensuing Patriots drive.
Elliott kicked a field goal to put the Eagles up by eight with just over a minute left.
And that sealed it. A last-second Hail Mary attempt by Brady was knocked down to give the Eagles a historic win.
The Eagles had been 0-2 in the Super Bowl in franchise history heading into Sunday night. With the Eagles win, there are now just 12 NFL teams without Super Bowls, which includes the Bengals, Bills, Browns, Cardinals, Chargers, Falcons, Jaguars, Lions, Panthers, Texans, Titans, and Vikings.
