A 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots helped the Eagles become the new American football champions.
The Philadelphia Eagles were heavily favored to face the New England Patriots heading into the final game of the season. The Patriots had a veteran roster, featured arguably the best quarterback in history, Tom Brady, and were the defending champions heading into the Super Bowl.
However, defensive tackle Brandon Graham was the one who put an end to the Patriots with a brave break to steal the ball from Tom Brady, helping the Eagles end the game with a score of 41-33. This was the first Super Bowl championship in the team’s history, after winning the NFL national championship three times in 1948, 1949 and 1960.
Quarterback Nick Foles led his teammates through four quarters of a run against the Patriots to win the Super Bowl MVP award. This was something few expected when Foles arrived in Philadelphia in March 2017 as a backup. It wasn’t until the 14th round that the 1989-born quarterback was brought on to replace the injured Carson Wentz. In the Super Bowl, Foles completed 28 of his 43 passes, creating three touchdowns downfield.
Foles has stepped out of the shadow of Tom Brady, a five-time Super Bowl winner and four-time MVP. In a game where Brady was out of form, the Patriots’ defense was vulnerable. Foles’ straight-line throws and the ability of LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement to break the Eagles’ lead.
Meanwhile, the Eagles defense had a day as good as it has been for much of the season. Graham dropped the ball to Derek Barnett with about two minutes left in the game, and that was the moment Philadelphia fans saw the Super Bowl.
Entering the game as champions, the Patriots are expected to successfully defend their title, with bookmakers giving the Eagles a 5.5-point handicap. Tom Brady is the most talked about name at America’s number one sporting event, with the chance to become the first player to win six Super Bowls.
It wasn’t the 40-year-old quarterback’s day, however. Brady and his teammates trailed the Eagles in the second and third quarters before a Rob Gronkowski touchdown to make it 33-32 in the fourth quarter. But the next move didn’t help him pull off the Patriots’ miraculous comeback against the Atlanta Falcons last year. The Eagles got another touchdown in the end zone and Brady was stripped of the ball, leaving the Patriots no time to recover.
Brady finished the Super Bowl with 457 yards passing and three touchdowns, one of the best performances by a quarterback in a losing Super Bowl.
The 52nd Super Bowl in history ended with echoes for the future. Quarterback Nick Foles may leave the Eagles because he does not want to continue playing backup to Carson Wentz. Meanwhile, two veterans who made up the Patriots’ golden period with five Super Bowl championships, Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick, are rumored to retire together after this game.