Eagles look to win first ever Super Bowl

“Defense wins championships.”

The Philadelphia Eagles, whose defense showed up big in the playoffs, will hoist the Lombardi trophy for the first time in franchise history ever on Feb. 4.

Super Bowl XLII kicks off with the Eagles and Patriots squaring off in front of the biggest audience in professional football. Sixty hard-fought minutes of football later, confetti will fall, players will cry and fans will cheer. It will be a night to remember for Eagles fans in Philadelphia, and a night to forget for all bandwagon Patriots fans everywhere.

For the third time in the postseason, the Eagles are listed as underdogs, and for the third time, the Eagles will shatter that expectation.

After holding on against a fiery Atlanta Falcons team and destroying a tough Minnesota Vikings team in the postseason, many would think the Eagles would get the respect that they deserve against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. However, this lack of respect only motivates Eagles players and fans alike, who have embraced the underdog branding.

This mentality, along with the Eagles’ ability to overcome adversity, has brought them far this season. In week 14, the Eagles lost their superstar quarterback and MVP front-runner Carson Wentz, but backup quarterback Nick Foles has shown he can also compete with the best of them.

Despite setbacks, each player still plays his part in helping this team be one of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL.

This Eagles team is built from the ground up, starting with the linemen. They can consistently win both sides of the battle of the trenches. Their offensive line is littered with All-Pro and Pro-Bowl talent who can give Foles time and create running lanes for the running backs. Their front seven on defense is also a tough unit that can generate pressure and lay hits on Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Because of this, the Eagles have a good chance against the Patriots, as Brady’s game has suffered in the past when he is pressured a lot by the defense.

The Eagles secondary will also play a major role in stopping the Patriots offense. They only allowed 10 and seven points to the Falcons and Vikings respectively in the playoffs, an impressive feat, considering the Falcons and Vikings both have stellar receivers and capable pass-catching backs.

On the other side of the ball, the Eagles skill position players on offense have shown they can make big plays, but also grind out the necessary yards. Foles, who many wrote off early on, has been improving each week after getting more familiar to the system, highlighted by a 352-yard and three touchdown performance against the a stout Vikings secondary in the conference championship.

Redwood P.E. teacher Jen Vandenberg has been an Eagles fan since she was 10 years old and sophomore Chris Feng has been an Eagles fan for four years.

Vandenberg thought the regular season went very well this year. “They had a couple games where I was worried we would lose, but we ended up winning,” she said.

Wentz’s injury really scared Eagles fans and left their hopes of winning the Super Bowl hanging.

I was super bummed when Wentz went down,” Vandenberg said. “ He was having such a great season.  I must admit I was very nervous at first with Nick Foles as the starter.”

But, Feng said he had faith in Foles, calling him one of the best backups in the league.

The Eagles being labeled as underdogs does not bother Feng or Vandenberg either. They have been underdogs twice and won both games, and blowing out the Vikings in one of them, so he is not worried.

“I love when the Eagles are underdogs,” Vandenberg said. “We tend to show up big for those games.

The road to their first ever Super Bowl will have to pass through the Patriots, but Feng said that they are very beatable. Vandenberg said the Eagles’ strong defense must pressure Brady into making mistakes and then they have to capitalize on those mistakes.  For offense, they need to take care of the ball and play consistent.

“It would be utterly amazing to win the Super Bowl,” Vandenberg said. “The team and fans have been through many rough seasons, so winning would be pretty special.”

In fact, she has promised her students that they would not have to run any more miles if the Eagles won, converting many of her students to fans.

In the end, the Eagles are set to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. By embracing the underdog mentality and overcoming injuries, they have gone far and will be able to bring their rabid fan base their first ever Lombardi Trophy.