When Was the Last Time the Eagles Were In the Super Bowl?
Eagles Super Bowl Jinx Is Over
For such a historic franchise, the Eagles could never get over the hump when it came to winning the big one. The last time they made a Super Bowl appearance, it seemed like they would fall to 0-3 in the championship game considering they had Nick Foles going up against Tom Brady.
However, the backup to Carson Wentz had an incredible game leading the Eagles to a 41-33 victory. Foles captured MVP honors, after tossing for 373 yards and three touchdowns.
In spite of what he did with his arm, his most memorable moment in the game came on a catch. Head coach Doug Pederson devised a trick play known as the “Philly Special” with Foles ending up on the receiving end of a touchdown pass.
Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl History
Only two times prior to that championship had the Eagles even made it to the big one. Brady got the better of them in Super Bowl XXXIX after receiver Freddie Mitchell had a little too much to say before the game, motivating a marvelous Pats’ defense. New England won 24-21 as Donovan McNabb ran out of gas in the 4th quarter.
Speaking of defense, the Eagles never really stood a chance in their other appearance against the Raiders. Philly QB Ron Jaworski was intercepted by Raiders linebacker Rod Martin three times, a Super Bowl record that stands to this day, as Oakland rolled to a 27-10 victory.
Should the Eagles Be Favored in Super Bowl Odds?
After their playoff performance thus far, the Eagles deserve to be favorites. It starts with the defense that has continued to dominate. They are the top ranked unit when it comes to opponents passing yards and it seems like they have gotten even better in that facet as the postseason has rolled along.
Granted, they were facing the 49ers fourth string quarterback in addition to Brock Purdy who really couldn’t throw after injuring his elbow, but that’s because of the incredible pressure the defensive line generates. With 70 sacks, Philadelphia dropped opposing QBs 15 more times than any other squad during the regular season.
After Daniel Jones torched the Vikings in the Wild Card Round, Philly held him to just 135 yards through the air in the Divisional Round. Against the 49ers, who were obviously decimated at the QB position, the Eagles didn’t even allow 100 passing yards.
It’s the age old adage that defense wins championships, and if you believe that to be true, then there is no doubt the Eagles earned the right in the Super Bowl odds to be the chalk.
Changes in Eagles’ Super Bowl Odds
An off-season trade for wide receiver AJ Brown boosted Philly’s Super Bowl odds, however with odds sitting around +2100, they were still hovering in and around the top 10 contenders prior to the season kicking off. As many as five NFC teams had shorter odds, including the 49ers, who they just dispatched easily in the conference championship.
After racing out to a 4-0 start, the Eagles’ title odds shortened all the way down to +750 and would continue to improve as the season progressed. While we have given the defense their flowers, a lot of credit has to go to Jalen Hurts as well.
Jalen’s Jump Year Over Year Stats
**Including Playoffs**
Odds only faded for the Eagles after their quarterback went down in Week 15. Without him, they lost back-to-back games with Gardner Minshew at the pivot and their odds fell to +525.
However, following the shellacking they delivered to the Giants where Hurts showed everybody that his shoulder is more than capable of handling the rigors of playoff football, sportsbooks eventually pushed the Eagles to the pole position in the Super Bowl odds.
By the middle of last week, they jumped the Chiefs as the chalk to win the title and that’s where they should remain up to kickoff in Super Bowl LVII.
