February 4, 2018.
If you’re a football fan, that specific Sunday probably triggers one of two very distinct memories. Either you remember the sheer audacity of a backup quarterback catching a touchdown pass in the end zone, or you remember the crushing weight of a dynasty finally hitting a wall in Minneapolis. Honestly, when people look for the date of 2018 Super Bowl, they usually just want to settle a bar bet or check a calendar. But it was way more than a cold night in Minnesota. It was the night the "Philly Special" became a part of the American lexicon and the New England Patriots’ aura of invincibility took a massive, permanent dent.
U.S. Bank Stadium was freezing. Outside, it was something like 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside, things were heating up in a way nobody expected, mostly because the Philadelphia Eagles were playing like they had absolutely nothing to lose.
The Logistics: When and Where Super Bowl LII Went Down
So, let's get the facts straight for the record. The date of 2018 Super Bowl was Sunday, February 4. This was Super Bowl LII (52 for those who aren't fluent in Roman numerals). Kickoff happened right around 6:30 PM Eastern Time. NBC had the broadcast, and if you remember correctly, Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth were on the call.
Why Minneapolis?
The NFL loves putting their biggest game in brand-new, billion-dollar stadiums. U.S. Bank Stadium had only been open for about two years at that point. It’s this massive, glass-heavy structure that looks like a futuristic Viking ship. It was the second time the city hosted the big game, the first being way back in 1992 at the old Metrodome. It’s kinda wild to think about thousands of people descending on one of the coldest cities in America in the dead of winter, but the "Bold North" marketing campaign really leaned into it.
The Eagles were the underdogs. Massive underdogs. Even though they were the number one seed in the NFC, they were playing with Nick Foles. Carson Wentz, their star MVP-caliber quarterback, had torn his ACL back in December. Nobody—and I mean basically nobody outside of Pennsylvania—thought Foles could outduel Tom Brady.
Why the Date of 2018 Super Bowl Still Resonates with Fans
Most Super Bowls are defensive struggles or blowout wins that get boring by the third quarter. This wasn’t that. Not even close. It was an offensive explosion that broke records left and right.
👉 See also: Why the 2025 NFL Draft Class is a Total Headache for Scouts
Think about this: The teams combined for 1,151 total yards. That is the most yards in any NFL game ever. Not just any Super Bowl. Any game.
Tom Brady threw for 505 yards. He lost. Just let that sink in for a second. He broke the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl and still went home with a silver medal because the Eagles' defense made the one play that mattered at the very end. Brandon Graham’s strip-sack on Brady with about two minutes left is the stuff of legend in Philly. It’s probably the most significant defensive play in the city’s entire sports history.
The Philly Special: A Risk That Defined a Season
We have to talk about the play. It happened on 4th and goal.
Most coaches would kick the field goal. Doug Pederson isn't most coaches. He listened to his backup QB. If you watch the mic’d up footage, you see Foles walk over to the sideline during a timeout and casually ask, "You want Philly Philly?"
Pederson takes a beat, looks at him, and says, "Yeah, let’s do it."
Corey Clement took the snap, flipped it to Trey Burton (a former college QB), who then tossed it to a wide-open Nick Foles. It was beautiful. It was insulting to the Patriots. It was perfect. On the date of 2018 Super Bowl, that play proved that the Eagles weren't just happy to be there; they were there to take the crown.
The Halftime Show and the Pop Culture Factor
It wasn't just about the grass and the pigskin. Justin Timberlake was the halftime performer. It was his first time back on the Super Bowl stage since the whole "wardrobe malfunction" incident with Janet Jackson years prior.
✨ Don't miss: Liverpool FC Chelsea FC: Why This Grudge Match Still Hits Different
Honestly, the reviews were mixed.
He did a tribute to Prince, which made sense given they were in Minneapolis. A giant projection of the Purple One appeared while Timberlake played "I Would Die 4 U." Some people loved the local tribute; others felt it was a bit tacky given Prince’s well-known stance on digital holograms of deceased artists. But hey, it’s the Super Bowl. It’s meant to be over-the-top.
The commercials that year were also pretty memorable. We had the "Tide Ad" campaign with David Harbour which was genuinely clever, and the Danny DeVito M&M’s commercial. It was a peak year for big-budget advertising, mostly because a 30-second spot was costing companies roughly $5 million.
The Aftermath: How Things Changed After Feb 4, 2018
The fallout from this game was huge.
For Philly, it was a catharsis. They had never won a Super Bowl before. Their fans had been through decades of heartbreak—1980, 2004, the list goes on. The parade that followed back in Philadelphia was pure chaos. Jason Kelce dressed as a Mummers player and delivered a speech that will be taught in leadership classes (or maybe bar-fighting classes) for a century.
For the Patriots, it was the beginning of the end of the original dynasty era. While they did come back and win the Super Bowl the following year against the Rams, the 2018 loss exposed some cracks. There was all that drama between Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and Robert Kraft. Specifically, the benching of Malcolm Butler. To this day, nobody really knows why Butler, the hero of Super Bowl XLIX, didn't play a single defensive snap on the date of 2018 Super Bowl.
Belichick has never given a straight answer. Butler has been cryptic about it. But when you give up 41 points and over 500 yards, and your best corner is sitting on the bench with his helmet on, people are going to ask questions.
🔗 Read more: NFL Football Teams in Order: Why Most Fans Get the Hierarchy Wrong
Breaking Down the Key Stats
To give you an idea of the sheer scale of this game, look at how the numbers panned out.
- Final Score: Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33.
- Total First Downs: Philly had 25, New England had 29.
- Third Down Efficiency: The Eagles were 10-of-16. That’s insane. They kept the chains moving and kept Brady off the field.
- Time of Possession: Philadelphia held the ball for 34:04. New England had it for 25:56.
If you're a betting person, you probably remember that the over/under was set at 48.5 points. The teams smashed that before the fourth quarter even started. The Eagles were 4.5-point underdogs at kickoff. People who put money on the "Birds" walked away very happy that Sunday night.
Common Misconceptions About the 2018 Super Bowl
A lot of people think the game was played in 2017 because it’s the "2017 Season." This is where the confusion usually starts. The NFL season starts in September of one year and ends in February of the next. So, while it crowned the champion of the 2017 season, the actual date of 2018 Super Bowl is firmly in 2018.
Another weird one? People forget how close the Patriots came to winning at the very last second.
Even after the strip-sack, Brady got the ball back. He threw a Hail Mary as time expired. The ball was bobbling around in the end zone, hitting players' hands, and for a split second, it looked like it might be caught. If it had been caught, and they got the two-point conversion, we’d have been looking at the first overtime in Super Bowl history (well, second, technically, after the Falcons collapse the year before).
How to Relive the 2018 Super Bowl Experience
If you want to go back and watch the game, the NFL has the full broadcast available on their YouTube channel and NFL+ platform. It's worth it just to see the play-calling.
Actionable Steps for Football Historians:
- Watch the "Philly Special" from the sky-cam angle. You can see the exact moment the New England defense realizes they’ve been fooled. It's a masterclass in deception.
- Look up the Mic’d Up footage. Hearing the hits and the sideline chatter gives you a much better sense of the intensity in that dome.
- Check the 2018 coaching trees. It’s fascinating to see where those coaches ended up. Frank Reich (Eagles OC) got a head coaching job immediately after. John DeFilippo (Eagles QBs) was the hottest name in the league for a minute.
- Analyze the RPO (Run-Pass Option). This game was the "coming out party" for the RPO in the NFL. It changed how defenses had to prepare for athletic quarterbacks and creative play-callers.
The date of 2018 Super Bowl serves as a landmark for when the "old guard" of the NFL had to start looking over their shoulders. It proved that a backup quarterback with a smart scheme and a coach with guts could take down the greatest dynasty in sports history.
Whether you're an Eagles fan who still wears your underdog mask or a Patriots fan who still wonders why Malcolm Butler was benched, February 4, 2018, remains one of the most statistically ridiculous and emotionally charged days in the history of the sport. It wasn't just a game; it was the night the underdog finally had its day.