Honestly, if you were sitting in a sports bar in early 2018, the vibe was basically "RIP Philly." The Philadelphia Eagles were heading into Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots, and nobody—literally nobody outside of the 215 area code—thought they had a shot. It was a backup quarterback named Nick Foles versus Tom Brady. It was a guy who almost retired against the greatest to ever do it.
But history has a weird way of repeating itself, or in this case, completely flipping the script from thirteen years earlier.
The Eagles and Pats Super Bowl history is actually a tale of two very different cities. You've got the 2005 matchup (Super Bowl XXXIX), which felt like a clinical execution by the Belichick machine. Then you've got the 2018 rematch, which was a chaotic, beautiful, record-breaking shootout that basically broke the internet before breaking the internet was even a thing.
The 2005 Heartbreak: When the Dynasty Was Just Getting Started
Back in February 2005, the world was a different place. Paul McCartney did the halftime show. People were still using flip phones. And the Patriots were the immovable object.
The Eagles, led by Donovan McNabb and a hobbled but heroic Terrell Owens, made it to Jacksonville. Owens shouldn't have even been on the field. He had a broken leg and a torn ligament, but he still went out there and caught 9 passes for 122 yards. It was legendary.
Still, the Patriots did what they do.
They forced four turnovers. Deion Branch tied a then-record with 11 catches and took home the MVP. It was a 24-21 win for New England that cemented them as the dynasty of the 2000s.
You remember the "slow huddle" controversy? People still talk about whether McNabb was actually sick or if the Eagles just didn't have the urgency to beat the clock in the fourth quarter. It was a bitter pill for Philly. They were close, but close doesn't get you a parade on Broad Street.
Super Bowl LII: The Night Everything Changed
Fast forward to February 4, 2018. The Eagles and Pats Super Bowl sequel.
👉 See also: Ohio State Football All White Uniforms: Why the Icy Look Always Sparks a Debate
This game was different from the jump. Most Super Bowls start slow, with both teams feeling each other out like a boxing match. Not this one. This was a track meet.
Stats that sound fake but are actually real:
- Total yards: 1,151 (The most in any NFL game, regular season or playoffs).
- Tom Brady: 505 passing yards (A Super Bowl record).
- Punts: There was exactly one punt the entire game. Just one.
- Final Score: Eagles 41, Patriots 33.
Think about that for a second. Tom Brady threw for over 500 yards and lost. That basically never happens. But Nick Foles was playing out of his mind. He wasn't just "managing" the game; he was aggressive. Doug Pederson, the Eagles' coach, was coaching like he had nothing to lose, probably because he didn't.
The Philly Special: A Play for the Ages
You can't talk about the Eagles and Pats Super Bowl without talking about 4th and goal.
It’s late in the second quarter. The Eagles are up, but they need a touchdown to really put the pressure on. They're on the one-yard line. Most coaches take the points. They kick the field goal and go to the locker room happy.
Pederson? He calls a play where the quarterback, Foles, walks up to the line, pretends to call an audible, and the ball is snapped to the running back, Corey Clement. Clement flips it to Trey Burton (a former college QB), who tosses it to a wide-open Foles in the end zone.
"You want Philly Philly?"
"Yeah, let's do it."
That short exchange between Foles and Pederson is now part of NFL lore. It was the moment everyone realized the Eagles weren't scared of the big bad Patriots.
✨ Don't miss: Who Won the Golf Tournament This Weekend: Richard T. Lee and the 2026 Season Kickoff
Why the Underdog Narrative Was Actually True
We use the word "underdog" a lot in sports, but the Eagles really leaned into it. They wore literal plastic German Shepherd masks during the playoffs.
They were the first #1 seed in history to be an underdog in every single playoff game. Losing Carson Wentz to an ACL tear in Week 14 was supposed to be the end. The media wrote them off. The Vegas oddsmakers wrote them off.
But Foles found a rhythm. He had this calm, almost Zen-like approach that neutralized the Patriots' pass rush. He finished the game with 373 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Brandon Graham Strip-Sack
For all the offense, the game was actually won on a defensive play.
With just over two minutes left, the Patriots had the ball. Everyone watching had seen this movie before. Brady was going to march down the field, score a touchdown, and win his sixth ring. It felt inevitable.
Then Brandon Graham got a hand on the ball.
He swiped it right out of Brady’s hand. Derek Barnett recovered it. The air went out of the stadium for New England fans and exploded for the Philly faithful. It was the only sack of the entire game, and it happened at the exact moment the Eagles needed it.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Matchup
A lot of people think the Patriots played a bad game. They didn't.
🔗 Read more: The Truth About the Memphis Grizzlies Record 2025: Why the Standings Don't Tell the Whole Story
In fact, offensively, New England was nearly perfect. Danny Amendola had 152 yards. Rob Gronkowski had two touchdowns in the second half. Chris Hogan was carving up the secondary.
The difference was the Eagles' "multiple" attack. They didn't rely on one guy.
- LeGarrette Blount (a former Patriot!) ran for 90 yards and a score.
- Jay Ajayi kept the chains moving.
- Nelson Agholor was a nightmare in the slot.
- Zach Ertz caught the go-ahead touchdown with 2:21 left.
It was a team win in the purest sense. Bill Belichick even made the controversial decision to bench Pro Bowl cornerback Malcolm Butler, a move that still hasn't been fully explained to this day. Without Butler, the Patriots' secondary looked lost against Foles' RPO (Run-Pass Option) schemes.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Super Bowl Party
Whether you're a die-hard fan or just here for the wings, looking back at the Eagles and Pats Super Bowl history gives you some serious "expert" talking points:
- The Power of the RPO: If you want to sound smart, mention how the Eagles used the Run-Pass Option to freeze the Patriots' linebackers. It’s what allowed Nick Foles to look like an MVP.
- The "Post-Wentz" Strategy: Note that the Eagles didn't change their playbook for Foles; they actually got more aggressive.
- The Dynasty Ripple Effect: This loss was the beginning of the end for the Brady-Belichick era in New England, while it gave Philadelphia its first-ever Lombardi Trophy.
If you're looking to re-watch one of these, go for Super Bowl LII. It's widely considered one of the top five Super Bowls ever played because of the sheer volume of points and the high-stakes drama.
To really understand the impact, look at the streets of Philadelphia on February 8, 2018. An estimated 700,000 people showed up for a parade. They didn't just win a game; they exorcised the ghosts of 2005.
Check out the full box scores and play-by-play breakdowns on the NFL's official archive to see just how close the margins were in both games. Knowing the stats is one thing, but feeling the shift in momentum—especially that Brandon Graham sack—is why we watch football in the first place.