The Philly Special
The Gutsiest Play in Super Bowl History
“You want Philly Philly?”
“Yeah, let’s do it.”
The buildup to the infamous play from Super Bowl LII might be more captivating than the play itself.
It’s an incredible exchange in the biggest of moments. Quarterback Nick Foles runs over to coach Doug Pederson ahead of a fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, asking to run “Philly Philly.” Pederson stares at Foles for a few seconds, weighs a decision with a hundred million people watching, and more or less says:
“Sure, why not?
An Unlikely Playoff Hero
But really, there was never any doubt. The Philadelphia Eagles had already soared from the magic of Nick Foles down the stretch of the 2017 season and through the playoffs. Starting quarterback Carson Wentz, who was an MVP candidate himself that year, went down with a torn ACL in December, and Foles stepped up, going 4-1 in the next five starts. That included two playoff victories on the road to Super Bowl LII.
Foles had success before in Philadelphia, going 14-4 as a starter in the 2013-14 seasons under former coach Chip Kelly. He had been thrust into a similar situation back then, too. In 2013, Michael Vick went down with a hamstring injury, opening the door for Foles to take over the starting role. He never relinquished the starting spot that season, either, throwing 27 touchdowns to just two picks.
At the time, it was the best single-season touchdown-to-interception ratio of all time. Tom Brady - who else would it be? - topped that ratio in the 2016 season, but Foles would get the last laugh this game.
An Epic Play Call in an Epic Super Bowl
Fast forward through a few uneven years in St. Louis and Kansas City, and Foles was back where he belonged in Philadelphia, on the cusp of a Super Bowl victory. Initially a backup, but comfortable in the organization and clearly deriving his powers from being in this role.
As the Eagles lined up with 38 seconds to go before the half, Foles went to the line like he was calling an audible, shifting ever so slightly to his right. Right before the ball was snapped, announcer Cris Collinsworth sees the play developing and utters a quick “Uh oh” before it unfolds.
The ball was snapped to running back Corey Clement, who ran left and then flipped it to tight end Trey Burton, running right; the entire Patriots defense fell for it. Amidst the chaos, Foles snuck away from the scrum of linemen, breaking free towards the end zone. Burton tossed it to a wide-open Foles for the easiest game of catch you’ll ever see in a Super Bowl.
You might remember the Patriots themselves tried a similar trick play earlier that same quarter, a pass to a wide-open Brady, who let the ball slip right through his fingers.
Again, Foles got the last laugh.
Philly Philly’s Legacy
Thanks to the Philly Special, the Eagles went into halftime with a 22-12 lead, which they knew still wouldn’t be close to enough. The year prior, the New England Patriots stunned the Atlanta Falcons and the rest of the world by coming back from a 28-3 deficit to win Super Bowl LI 34-28 in overtime. When it comes to playing Tom Brady in a Super Bowl, you go for every point you can get.
In typical cinematic fashion, NFL Films described the play as “an undrafted rookie running back tossing to a third-string tight end, throwing to a backup quarterback. There isn’t a play in the playbook that illustrates what makes this Philly team special more than the Philly Special.”
Fortune - and football glory - favors the bold, and there has never been as gutsy a play in the Super Bowl as the Philly Special. The Eagles won Super Bowl LII 41-33, a shootout that gave the franchise its first-ever Super Bowl victory and its first NFL championship since 1960.
It might never have happened without that trick play.
Pay homage to Philly Philly - and for always going for it - with our Philly Special tee.
