Eagles Beat Patriots 41-33, Win Super Bowl For First Time In Franchise History
There will be no sixth Super Bowl banner raised for the Patriots next season. Tom Brady and the Pats came up short against Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles, who won their first Super Bowl in franchise history in Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis by a final of 41-33.
Tight end Zach Ertz caught the go-ahead touchdown for the Eagles with just 2:21 remaining in the fourth quarter to put the Eagles up 38-33. With the ball back in his hands and a chance to give the lead back to the Patriots, Brady fumbled on second-and-2 on the strip by Brandon Graham, which was recovered by rookie Derek Barnett. The Eagles tacked on three more points to go up 41-33 and the Patriots ran out of time to drive back down the field.
Foles won Super Bowl MVP in the win, going 28-for-43 for 373 yards, three touchdowns and one interception for a 106.1 passer rating. He also caught a touchdown on a trick play, reeling in a one-yard pass from tight end Trey Burton with just 1:30 left in the second quarter. The Eagles went up 22-12 at the half.
Brady went 28-for-48 throwing for 505 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, good for a 115.4 passer rating – but not quite good enough for a win.
After Brady and the Patriots drove down the field on their first possession of the second half, Foles and the Eagles answered with an 85-yard touchdown drive of their own to go back up 10, making it 29-19. The Patriots scored two touchdowns against an Eagles field goal to go up 33-32, their only lead of the game that they would quickly relinquish.
Foles reflected on his and the Eagles’ mental toughness during the post-game trophy presentation.
“I felt calm,” said Foles. “I mean, we have such a great group of guys, such a great coaching staff. We felt confident coming in and we just went out there and played football. We’ve played this game since we were little kids, we dreamed about this moment.”
The Eagles and Patriots combined for 1,151 total yards, a Super Bowl record. In a game that featured virtually no defensive stops, the biggest question for the Patriots defense will be why Bill Belichick benched cornerback Malcolm Butler for the game.
The Patriots now head into the offseason with major question marks up and down the roster and also on the coaching staff. Philadelphia, meanwhile, has a massively bright future ahead as defending champions with quarterback Carson Wentz set to return.
— By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
