Eagles Win Super Bowl LII

The Philadelphia Eagles have won their first Super Bowl championship, holding off the New England Patriots in a classic.

Philadelphia prevailed in a 41-33 victory in Minneapolis, riding an all-time performance from backup quarterback Nick Foles. Carson Wentz‘s backup accounted for four touchdowns, being on the receiving a historic trick play at the goal line at the end of the first half, to help propel the Eagles to their first championship since 1960.

For his work, Foles earned MVP honors.

The 29-year-old quarterback, now in his second Eagles stint, turned in back-to-back dominant outings to lift the team to the NFL’s summit — his best work coming to hand the Patriots their third Super Bowl defeat of the Bill Belichick era.

Foles completed 28 of 43 passes, throwing for three touchdowns to counter Tom Brady‘s bid for another comeback. The Patriots icon broke his own Super Bowl record by throwing for 505 yards, adding three touchdown passes. But Brandon Graham intervened in a crucial spot to stymie Brady and New England’s bid for a second straight Super Bowl title.

Graham’s pass rush stripped the ball from Brady and denied the Patriots’ offense a chance at a game-winning touchdown drive. The Patriots, like they did in a Super Bowl XLVI loss to the Giants, had a final-play opportunity. But the Eagles thwarted their hail mary to preserve the championship in a game that broke the all-time record for yardage in a Super Bowl.

The teams combined for 1,151 yards, 75 of those coming on the Eagles’ go-ahead touchdown drive that ended in a Foles-to-Zach Ertz connection. That ended up being enough to clinch a championship in Doug Pederson‘s second season as HC. Philadelphia constructed a dramatic improvement from its 7-9 2016 effort.

The 85th-year franchise won three playoff games — despite being underdogs in all three — to hold seed in the NFC then upend the Patriots, winning a Super Bowl in its third try and avenging a loss to the Patriots 13 years ago.

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