With Super Bowl LIII now here, the Eagles' time as defending Super Bowl champions is almost over.
Before the clock hits zero, lets take a look back at their win in Super Bowl LII:
Eagles run out of the tunnel: One of the most memorable moments of the day, without question, was the Eagles' entrance. The contrast between the two teams was evident from the very beginning. The Patriots ran out of the tunnel as if it was business as usual. The Eagles ran out like a scene from a movie, fire blazing, Meek Mill blasting and the entire team sprinting. I picked the Eagles going into the game, but it was at that moment I was extremely confident they were going to win.
The opening drive for a field goal: As the 2018 Eagles can tell you, starting quick is key, and it was something that the 2017 Eagles were excellent at. The opening drive gets overlooked, but it was a big one in many ways. It got the offense going and it settled down Nick Foles. The catch by receiver Torrey Smith on the drive, in which he almost had to pin the ball to his helmet, was huge. The seven minute, 67-yard drive that resulted in a 25-yard field goal was a tone-setter for the day.
Alshon's touchdown catch: Watching it live, I thought instantly that it was the best catch I had ever seen with my own two eyes, and maybe ever. That might sound like a stretch, but when you take into account the degree of difficulty, the fact he held onto the ball and the stage in which he made the catch, Jeffery's 34-yard grab truly was an amazing play. The touchdown was also important because it was right after a Patriots' field goal drive, answering their score and giving the Eagles back the lead.
McLeod and Jenkins end Brandin Cooks: It was a tough day for Patriots receiver Brandin Cooks. First, he got upended by safety Rodney McLeod, who caught him in midair and essentially slammed him to the ground. After that, safety Malcolm Jenkins ended Cooks' day, drilling him when he wasn't looking and sending him into the locker room. The two plays were very symbolic of the entire day — the Eagles were simply the far more aggressive team.
Clement's huge catch before the half: The big play right before halftime will always be the Philly Special, but the huge catch by running back Corey Clement before the touchdown shouldn't be overlooked. The perfectly called pass on third-and-three to Clement went for 55-yards, moving the Eagles from their own 37-yard line to the Patriots' eight-yard line. The timing of the play was crucial, as the Patriots had completely grabbed momentum back from the Eagles. It also set up one of the most memorable plays in the history of the Super Bowl.
Philly Special: The Philly Special has been discussed at length from almost every angle. What I will always remember about the play is the stunned silence in the stadium as it happened. Even though Foles was wide open, watching it live it was almost like everyone in the stadium couldn't process what they just saw. It wasn't until Foles was running toward the corner of the end zone that the cheers started from Eagles' fans, realizing what had just happened. In addition to being a memorable play, it was also a huge one, as it gave the Eagles a 22-12 lead, as opposed to just 15-12, entering the second half.
Clement touchdown: If Jeffery's touchdown catch was one of the best catches I have ever seen, then Foles' touchdown pass to Clement is certainly one of the best throws. Not only did the touchdown answer a Patriots' touchdown, but the 22-yard pass couldn't have been placed better if Foles was allowed to hand it to Clement in the end zone. Foles had almost no space to squeeze the ball into, but somehow he did, finding Clement between two defenders and the back of the end zone. An unreal throw.
Patriots take the lead: Despite all of the big plays the Eagles made, it is easy to forget that the Patriots did actually take the lead back, 33-32, with just over nine minutes to play. I remember at the time turning to my then-colleague Steve Politi and saying the only way they were going to win is if they killed about eight minutes of clock on the next drive.
Game-winning drive: The Eagles didn't exactly hit eight minutes on the next drive, but the seven-minute, 14-play, 75-yard drive for the game-winning touchdown they went on after the Patriots took the lead truly was incredibly clutch. Watching the Eagles' offense sputter along this season made re-watching that drive all that more impressive. The Eagles ability to kill clock and go on long drives in 2017 was one of the big reasons they made it as far as they did, and their ability to come up with a clock-killing drive to end the game was huge.
4th Down conversion: One of the most underrated plays of the Eagles' win was Foles' fourth-down conversion to tight end Zach Ertz. As risky as the Philly Special play was, Pederson going for it on 4th-and-1 from his own 45-yard line and over five minutes left in the game was an even riskier call. If the Eagles don't make that play, the game was over. Foles side stepped the pressure, gets it to Ertz, who stretches for the first-down. Such an underrated play.
The Graham strip: The feeling in the stadium after Graham's strip of Brady was similar to the one after the Philly Special. A feeling of just complete shock. After the Eagles took the lead, everyone was preparing for the last drive by Brady. Then after just one completion, it was over. I'll always remember the look in Graham's eyes on the replay, and how wide open his eyes were as he celebrated. That was the moment everyone in the stadium knew the game was over.
Locker room: Super Bowl LII was the fourth Super Bowl I covered. Growing up, I always thought it would be cool to be in the locker room of a team that had just won the Super Bowl. The first three experiences, however, didn't live up to the hype. The players were mostly just getting changed. It seemed like a normal locker room after any game.
That was not the case with the Eagles.
The Eagles locker room was exactly what you would hope a championship locker room would be like — music blasting, players crying, stuff being thrown, the trophy being passed around. It was a party. You could feel the combination of relief and complete euphoria from everyone in the franchise that they had won.
If the Eagles do win another Super Bowl, it is hard to imagine it will ever top the feeling those players had in the locker room in Minnesota.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
