The recent culmination of the most memorable season in Philadelphia Eagles history has left an entire fanbase collectively in shock. Literally nobody expected the impossible to happen, for the Eagles to embark on a historic January run fueled by their swagger as underdogs. It took a last-second defensive stop to topple the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons before a blowout win against Minnesota set up a Super Bowl rematch – 13 years later – against the evil empire of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
The franchise’s first Super Bowl title will obviously never be forgotten, as will a number of key plays in their first two rounds of the postseason. But what transpired in January shouldn’t overshadow a regular season that also stands as the most memorable, and probably most enjoyable, in team history.
Below are the 50 moments from the 2017 season that will undoubtedly stand the test of time, especially for the most diehard of fans. It’s not just individual plays that made the list, but it’s games, injuries, offseason acquisitions, midseason acquisitions and even a victory parade speech. They are as follows, beginning with a bold proclamation that a successful analyst likely wishes he could retract.
50. Michael Lombardi calls out Doug Pederson
A few days before the start of the 2017 season, former NFL general manager and current analyst Michael Lombardi boldly asked if the Eagles would be willing to throw away their entire season just by sticking to the Pederson principle. Lombardi even called Pederson the most unqualified head coach he’s seen in his 30 years in the National Football League. Although Lombardi probably didn’t expect his comments to generate such publicity, he should have known what happens once you put a bold proclamation in print. Let’s just say Lombardi took one in the loss column here.
49. Big showdown with Andy Reid shows Eagles may be pretenders
After shocking the defending Super Bowl champions in the Thursday Night Football season opener, many pundits wondered if the Kansas City Chiefs were the best team in the NFL. They continued their hot start by taking down Carson Wentz and the Eagles by a 27-20 score that really wasn’t that close. The lowpoint was left guard Isaac Seumalo surrendering three sacks and showing that he definitely is not the answer at the position. With a 1-1 record through two games, the Eagles looked to be just as many expected: a good but not great team with significant holes.
48. Jon Dorenbos trade saves his life
The Eagles’ trade of long-snapper Jon Dorenbos in August was disappointing, considering Dorenbos was the longest-tenured member of the Eagles, but it wasn’t surprising. The 36-year-old’s play had slipped recently and the Eagles wanted to go with the much younger Rick Lovato. But a routine physical by Saints doctors revealed a potentially life-threatening condition for Dorenbos, an aortic aneurysm, which ultimately forced Dorenbos to retire. And now? Well, now Hollywood is making a movie about Dorenbos’ life. Here’s a brief glimpse of Dorenbos’ childhood.
47. Nick Foles scoops fumble on goal line vs Atlanta
There are moments throughout the course of a season, or even a game, that feel like destiny. Nick Foles’ scoop fumble recovery against the Atlanta Falcons in the second quarter of the Eagles’ first postseason game legitimately felt like one of those moments. It was third-and-goal from the two-yard line when Foles handed off to Corey Clement, who promptly fumbled the ball after a hit on the one-yard line. In a play reminiscent of Andrew Luck against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2013 postseason, Foles lurched forward, scooped the ball and appeared to score the team’s first touchdown of the playoffs. Although replays showed Foles was down a yard short, the Eagles converted on fourth down on a LeGarrette Blount sweep run.
46. Jalen Mills’ interception touchdown vs SF
Jalen Mills’ reverse-field, 37-yard interception return touchdown gave the Eagles a 17-0 lead against the lowly San Francisco 49ers. Mills was one of the more enjoyable success stories for the Eagles, as the 2016 seventh-round pick took a big step forward while emerging as one of the league’s better cornerbacks.
45. Sidney Jones makes debut in season finale
One of the more bold draft decisions in Eagles history came when Howie Roseman selected cornerback Sidney Jones, who had torn his Achilles just six weeks earlier, midway through the second round. Jones missed virtually the entire season while recovering from his injury, but was able to make his NFL debut in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys. Heading into 2018, Jones projects to compete for a starting spot alongside Ronald Darby.
44. Kamu Grugier-Hill handles kickoffs
Perhaps no moment demonstrated the Eagles as a complete team more than linebacker and special teamer Kamu Grugier-Hill handling kickoffs against the Dallas Cowboys in week 10. After Jake Elliott suffered a concussion on a special teams tackle, the Eagles were forced to turn to their emergency kicker, who was masquerading as a linebacker. Grugier-Hill filled in admirably, of course, averaging 65 yards per kickoff, including a touchback.
43. The Rob Gronkowski Drive
Holding All-World tight end Rob Gronkowski to just one catch for nine yards was one of the reason why the Eagles held a double-digit lead at halftime of the Super Bowl. But things changed immediately on the opening drive of the third quarter, as Gronk turned in what could go down as the most dominant individual drive by a receiving threat in Super Bowl history. He caught four passes for 68 yards, including a touchdown, cutting the Eagles’ lead to 22-19.
42. Darren Sproles’ season, possible tenure in Philly, ends in Week 3
Darren Sproles saw an abrupt end to his 2017 season in week 3 against the New York Giants when, on the same play, he broke his arm and tore his ACL. The Eagles’ all-time leader in punt return touchdowns, Sproles’ tenure in Philadelphia may have ended, as the 34-year-old is a free agent this offseason.
41. Last-second defensive stop beats Giants
Life without Carson Wentz began for the Eagles against the New York Giants, a 2-12 team that had practically given up on the season. Although Nick Foles threw four touchdowns and led a 13-point comeback, it took a goal-line stop by the Eagles’ defense in the final minute to preserve the 34-29 victory.
40. Eagles annihiliate Dallas with 30-point second half
With an extra week to prepare, the Eagles came out flat on the road against the hated Dallas Cowboys, trailing 9-7 at halftime. Then Wentz and company erupted for 30 points in the second half, cruising to an easy 37-9 win that clinched the team’s first winning record since 2014.
39. Ronald Darby dislocates ankle
One of the more interesting offseason moves for Howie Roseman was the trade of a third-round pick and Jordan Matthews to the Buffalo Bills for cornerback Ronald Darby. Darby had been a legitimate shutdown corner as a rookie but struggled throughout 2016 and found himself expendable under new head coach Sean McDermott. With the Eagles, Darby was immediately slated as the number one cornerback. Disaster struck in the season opener when Darby dislocated his ankle and missed the next nine games before returning in Week 11.
38. Brandon Graham walkoff vs Rams
Lost in the panic over Carson Wentz’s injury against the Los Angeles Rams was the Eagles still needing to win a crucial game to stay in the race for home-field advantage. On the game’s final play, the Rams tried the desperation lateral, but Brandon Graham grabbed Tavon Austin’s toss and dashed 16 yards into the end zone to clinch the victory.
37. Chris Long donates entire 2017 salary
Imagine doing your job for free. That’s essentially what defensive end Chris Long did this past year. After donating his first six game checks to to provide scholarships for two students in Charlottesville, Virginia, Long announced he was giving the his remaining yearly salary to launch the Pledge 10 for Tomorrow campaign. Long got a nice shoutout on Twitter from former President Barack Obama and won the NFLPA Community MVP award, joining Malcolm Jenkins (2016) as the second straight Eagles player to win the award.
36. Zach Ertz deflection vs Kansas City
One of the flukiest plays you’ll ever see came when Carson Wentz connected with Zach Ertz for a 53-yard completion against the Kansas City Chiefs in week 2. The badly overthrown pass sailed five yards beyond Ertz, but richocheted off cornerback Terrance Mitchell’s arm, where Ertz snagged it and picked up an additional 21 yards.
35. Carson Wentz third down magic on season’s first drive
It was pretty obvious that Carson Wentz was going to be a special quarterback, even as he struggled for most of his rookie season. It took just one drive for Wentz to launch his MVP campaign. Against the Washington Redskins, Wentz eluded a couple of defenders before completing a 58-yard bomb to Nelson Agholor for a touchdown. At the time of the play, it was the best in the career of both Wentz and Agholor.
34. LeGarrette Blount 68-yard power run vs LAC
LeGarrette Blount legitimately looked like Beast Mode on a 68-yard run against the Chargers in Week 4. Although Blount didn’t score, the play stands as the signature moment of the year for a veteran running back the Eagles didn’t even sign until a month after the start of free agency.
33. Jalen Mills INT vs Cam makes Eagles contenders
Four wins in five games was a good start to the season for the Eagles, but it’s not like they had defeated any impressive teams. The Redskins, Giants, Chargers and Cardinals all looked like they would finish with a losing record, and the only legitimate contender the Eagles played, the Chiefs, had handled them easily. A victory on the road against the 4-1 Panthers showed the Eagles were a threat to the rest of the NFC. It was Jalen Mills’ interception of Cam Newton with three minutes remaining that clinched the win for Philadelphia.
32. Carson Wentz falling touchdown to Corey Clement
All season, Carson Wentz has made plays like this seem routine. While falling and off balance, he managed to hit Corey Clement perfectly in stride for a nine-yard touchdown pass. It was the game against the Redskins in Week 7 that showed the world Carson Wentz was a legitimate MVP candidate.
31. Carson Wentz falling heave to Nelson Agholor
Not a lot went right for the Eagles against the Seattle Seahawks, a game highlighted by Carson Wentz’s fumble out the back of the end zone that essentially proved to be the difference between winning and losing. However, Wentz did provide an MVP-caliber play, hitting Nelson Agholor for a 51-yard completion on a play where he was all but wrapped up by Seahawks defensive end Quinton Jefferson.
30. LeGarrette Blount 0 carries vs Kansas City
Remember early in the season when there was a general paranoia that the Eagles wouldn’t be able to run the ball? The low point came in the week two loss to Kansas City, when starting running back LeGarrette Blount failed to register a single carry. At that moment, the outlook of the running back position was completely in doubt, but by next week, Blount re-established himself as the starter by carrying 12 times for 67 yards and a score against the Giants.
29. Chris Long sack fumble starts comeback in LA
Even after losing MVP favorite Carson Wentz to what would later be diagnosed as a torn ACL, the Eagles had a critical road game to win against the Rams if they wanted to remain the number one seed in the NFC. The key play in the fourth quarter came by a fair of former Rams, as Chris Long sacked Jared Goff and Rodney McLeod returned the fumble nine yards to set up Jake Elliott’s eventual go-ahead field goal.
28. Carson Wentz to Nelson Agholor for 72 yards vs Arizona
The highlight of Nelson Agholor’s breakout season came in week 5, when he scored a 72-yard touchdown on a 3rd and 19 throw from Carson Wentz. Agholor, who was benched and ridiculed for his ineffective play in 2016, made a fantastic grab of Wentz’s pass, spun safety Budda Baker around and fell backwards into the end zone to give the Eagles a 31-7 lead midway through the third quarter.
27. Darby, Elliott, Barnett clinch home field on Christmas
Considering the circumstances, you could legitimately call the Eagles’ victory against the Oakland Raiders their most unlikely and impressive of the season, especially considering the way the final minute was so unlike the first 59. With the game tied at 10, Ronald Darby intercepted Derek Carr at midfield, setting up Jake Elliott’s eventual go-ahead 48-yard field goal. On the final play, a desperation lateral play by Oakland resulted in a 23-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Derek Barnett, giving the Eagles a 19-10 victory, and, more importantly, home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
26. Fletcher Cox game-winning touchdown beats Washington
One of the most impressive stats for the 2017 Eagles: In the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, they allowed zero points while scoring 21 points by their defense. That’s unreal, and it speaks to the clutch factor of the defense as an overall unit. In week one, Brandon Graham strip-sacked Kirk Cousins, leading to a fumble that was returned 20 yards for a game-clinching score by Fletcher Cox.
25. Jake Elliott 53-yard field goal before halftime vs Atlanta
One of the biggest strengths for the Eagles in 2017 was their ability to score in the final two minutes of halves. Had they not done so against Atlanta, they undoubtedly would have been one-and-done in the playoffs. After Nick Foles hit Alshon Jeffery for a 15-yard completion with one second remaining in the first half, rookie kicker Jake Elliott converted on a 53-yard field goal to cut the Falcons’ lead to 10-9.
24. Nick Foles to Alshon sets up The Kick
One of the wildest fourth quarters in team history saw the Eagles allow 24 points to the Giants yet still come away with a much-needed divisional victory. The play that will go down in Eagles’ lore is rookie kicker Jake Elliott’s 61-yard walkoff field goal, but it was a timely 19-yard completion from Carson Wentz to Alshon Jeffery with one second remaining that made Elliott’s heroics possible.
23. Tom Brady drop on trick play
Nick Foles caught his only target for a touchdown. Tom Brady dropped his. And that might be the difference in a wild Super Bowl that saw a 40-year old Brady fail to pull in a Danny Amendola pass on what could have been a 20-yard gain early in the second quarter. It was a questionable playcall, to say the least, by Bill Belichick, to have the greatest quarterback in NFL history essentially switch positions on a crucial third-down conversion. Ironically, the Patriots used the same trick play against the Eagles in their previous matchup, in 2015, with Brady hauling in a 36-yard reception from Amendola.
22. Malcolm Jenkins knocks out Brandin Cooks
Perhaps the most underrated moment of the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory came when the Patriots lost their most dangerous receiver early in the second quarter. After Brandin Cooks hauled in a 23-yard reception from Tom Brady, he looked for running room, spinning completely around before he was absolutely crushed by Malcolm Jenkins. The hit, deemed legal and not flagged or fined, has a chance to go down in team history with the Bednarik hit on Gifford and the Dawkins hit on Crumpler.
21. Nick Foles to Alshon Jeffery for first Super Bowl touchdown
Perhaps the most telling moment of Nick Foles’ improbable Super Bowl performance was his first quarter touchdown throw to Alshon Jeffery. Foles’ 34-yard completion to Jeffery was an absolute dime and gave the Eagles’ number one receiver a chance to do what he does best: go up and make a play. Jeffery’s catch is even more remarkable after he revealed that he had played the entire season with a torn rotator cuff.
20. Nick Foles to Corey Clement gives Eagles ten-point Super Bowl lead
Grade every individual throw of Nick Foles’ postseason and this has to be the best. With the Eagles holding a 22-19 lead in the third quarter, Foles threw an absolute dime, shredding a pair of Patriots defenders on a 22-yard touchdown strike to Corey Clement.
19. Carson Wentz escape on MNF
You could watch football for a decade and you might never see a more impressive individual play by a quarterback. Against the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football, Carson Wentz broke out of a sack, a play where he was literally covered by Redskins defenders to the point that he couldn’t be seen. Wentz’s 17-yard scramble stands as perhaps his signature play from a breakout sophomore season that undoubtedly would have ended with an MVP trophy were it not for his untimely injury.
18. Nick Foles signed as backup to replace disgruntled Chase Daniel
Imagine the Eagles’ Super Bowl run with Chase Daniel at quarterback. Yeah, exactly. It would have ended at home against Atlanta in the divisional round. Perhaps the most underrated moment of the offseason came when disgruntled backup Chase Daniel, he of one career touchdown pass, insisted he wanted to compete for a starting job elsewhere. The Eagles tried but failed to trade him, probably because he’s Chase Daniel, ultimately leading to his release, which also carried a $7 million cap hit. That, of course, set the stage for the signing of Nick Foles to be Carson Wentz’s backup.
17. Zach Ertz Super Bowl fourth down conversion
The analytics said go for it. Common football sense said punt. Doug Pederson chose analytics. And he was right. It’s the Philly Special that will be regarded as arguably the greatest playcall of the Super Bowl, but the most daring decision came when the Eagles elected to go for 4th and 2 from their own 48-yard line, trailing 33-32, with 5:39 remaining. Although he was immediately pressured, Foles hit Ertz for a two-yard completion, a play that rose the Eagles’ chances of winning from 33.6 to 48 percent. And the rest is history.
16. Torrey Smith Immaculate Deflection
The Eagles don’t win the Super Bowl without this play. They really don’t. It’s the luckiest play of the entire postseason for any team. With less than a minute before halftime against the Atlanta Falcons, Nick Foles overthrew Torrey Smith on a pass that easily should have been intercepted. But safety Keanu Neal badly misjudged his jump, the ball carroming off his knee back seven yards in the other direction. Smith, of course, caught the deflection for 20 yards. Two plays later, Alshon Jeffery caught a sideline pass to stop the clock with one second remaining, just like in week three against the Giants, and Jake Elliott connected on a 53-yard field goal. Had the Smith reception and Elliott field goal never happened, the Falcons could have kicked an easy field goal on their final drive of the game to win 13-12.
15. Jay Ayaji midseason trade
Howie Roseman told the football world that the Eagles were legitimate Super Bowl contenders when he traded a fourth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for disgruntled running back Jay Ajayi. Ajayi averaged 5.8 yards per carry over seven regular season games with the Eagles before averaging 85 total yards per game in the postseason. Under contract for one more season, Ajayi figures to again be the lead back for the NFL’s best offense in 2018.
14. Carson Wentz record-breaking TD on torn ACL
Just about every NFL player with a torn ACL has something in common. Their season ends immediately. Not for Carson Wentz, who tore his ACL diving for the end zone against the Rams, but stayed in the game to finish the drive for the Eagles. On fourth and goal, Wentz tossed a touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery, who made an impressive fingertip catch to give the Eagles a 31-28 lead late in the third quarter. The touchdown pass was Wentz’s 33rd of the season, breaking Sonny Jurgensen’s 56-year-old single-season franchise record.
13. Jason Peters, Jordan Hicks lost for season
For many fans, the Eagles’ season unofficially ended when Carson Wentz tore his ACL against the Rams in Week 14. But for pessimistic fans, it ended when two of the Eagles’ most important players were lost for the season against the Washington Redskins in Week 7. Peters suffered a torn ACL and MCL, and with a $16 million cap hit in 2018, it’s unknown whether the 36-year-old future Hall of Fame left tackle will return to Philadelphia. Hicks suffered a ruptured Achilles and will look to prove that he is healthy in 2018 before hitting free agency, or signing a long-term contract extension, next offseason.
12. Four straight blowouts cap nine-game win streak
The pinnacle of the Eagles’ nine-game winning streak came when they dismantled four straight opponents in dominant fashion. First, it was a 33-10 shellacking of the San Francisco 49ers, an expected blowout considering C.J. Beathard was playing quarterback. Then came a 51-23 stomping of the Denver Broncos, highlighted by Carson Wentz’s four touchdown passes. Following a bye week, the Eagles throttled the Cowboys 37-9, behind 30 points in the second half. And finally, a 31-3 win against the Chicago Bears and rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky completed a nine-game winning streak for the surging Eagles.
11. Nick Foles to Torrey Smith fleaflicker
Had the Philly Special never happened, the flashy fleaflicker the Eagles orchestrated in the NFC championship game would be the trick play everyone was talking about this offseason. With victory all but assured against the Minnesota Vikings in the conference championship game, Doug Pederson stayed aggressive. After Corey Clement took the handoff, he pitched back to Nick Foles, who launched a perfect 41-yard bomb to Torrey Smith in the corner of the end zone, giving the Eagles a 31-7 lead and sending pandemonium throughout the city of Philadelphia.
10. Lane Johnson unveils underdog mask
For some casual fans, the underdogs mantra may be the defining moment of the postseason for the 2017 Eagles. Unveiled by Lane Johnson, the underdog mask was worn by thousands of Eagles fans during their victories over Atlanta, Minnesota and New England.
9. Jake Elliott 61-yard walkoff field goal
Among just regular season games, Jake Elliott’s 61-yard walkoff field goal to stun the New York Giants in week three has to stand as one of the five best endings in franchise history. Many forget how exciting the actual game was, as the Eagles allowed 24 points in the fourth quarter before a late comeback set the stage for Elliott’s record-setting kick. Oh, and it was the rookie’s second-ever game at the NFL level.
8. Julio Jones stopped on fourth down
There’s no Vikings blowout, no Philly Special, no Brandon Graham sack fumble, no Super Bowl victory, if not for the Eagles’ defense stopping Matt Ryan and Julio Jones on fourth and goal in the final minute of the divisional playoff game. Watch the replay, and you can make a legitimate argument that Julio Jones should have come down with the touchdown catch. But he didn’t, thanks to especially tight coverage by Jalen Mills, and the Eagles came away with a 15-10 win in their first of three straight playoff games as underdogs.
7. Patrick Robinson interception touchdown
The score shows the Eagles routed the Minnesota Vikings, 38-7, to advance to the Super Bowl, and the score would be correct. But before the Eagles rolled off 38 consecutive points, they trailed 7-0 with the Vikings clearly outplaying the Eagles. Everything changed when a pair of under-the-radar free agent acquisitions provided the blueprint for the most memorable defensive touchdown in Eagles history. Chris Long’s hit on Case Keenum caused the ball to sail into Patrick Robinson’s arms, with the former first-round pick returning the interception 50 yards with a reverse-field scamper that NFL.com voted the best individual defensive touchdown of the 2017 NFL season.
6. Jason Kelce parade speech
Greatest speeches in world history, ranked:
1 – Martin Luther King Jr.: I Have a Dream
2 – Abraham Lincoln: Gettysburg Address
3 – Lou Gehrig: Luckiest Man
5. Zach Ertz touchdown
The Philly Special will go down as the most fun touchdown in Eagles history, but Zach Ertz’s game-winner proved to be the most important. Ertz’s 11-yard score with 2:21 remaining completed a 14-play, 75-yard drive that burned more than seven minutes off the clock and gave the Eagles a 38-33 lead they would not relinquish. The 11th touchdown of the postseason for the Eagles, Ertz’s score was the first by a player who was on the Eagles the previous season.
4. Brandon Graham strip sacks Tom Brady
The moment was all too familiar for Tom Brady. Trailing 38-33 with just over two minutes remaining, the GOAT needed to lead the Patriots 75 yards, against a defense he had shredded all game, to clinch the franchise’s record-tying sixth Super Bowl title. Then Brandon Graham happened. On second down, Graham hit Brady, forcing a fumble that was recovered by rookie Derek Barnett, and unofficially handing the Eagles the victory. It’s the biggest and most important play in the history of the franchise
3. Philly Special
It’s arguably the greatest playcall in the history of Philadelphia sports, any Super Bowl, perhaps any NFL game ever. It’s a play so legendary, so memorable, so gutsy that it’s known only as Philly Special. You all know what happened. With the Eagles facing a fourth-and-goal right before halftime, an undrafted running back, Corey Clement, took a direct snap, and pitched the ball to an undrafted third-string tight end, Trey Burton, who tossed a perfect pass to a wide open Nick Foles for the score. There’s no question that the Eagles would not have won the Super Bowl had they failed to convert, and it will go down as the signature play from the most memorable day in franchise history.
2. Carson Wentz tears ACL
Other than a handful of disappointing yet all-too-familiar Eagles postseason losses, the loss of Carson Wentz to a torn ACL was arguably the most devastating moment for the Eagles this millennium. Well, so we thought. When Wentz was lost for the season, the Eagles had nearly clinched home-field advantage, but nobody realistically gave the team any shot at competing for a Super Bowl title with Nick Foles at quarterback. The rest, as they say, is history, and now the primary focus is on the franchise’s young signalcaller as he works through a long and arduous rehabilitation process.
1. Eagles win Super Bowl
The moment Tom Brady’s desperation Hail Mary fell harmlessly to the ground, the Philadelphia Eagles had achieved what many had thought would never happen. They were Super Bowl champions for the first time in franchise history, completing one of the most unlikely postseason runs the league has ever seen. With their MVP quarterback, future Hall of Fame tackle and quarterback of the defense all on injured reserve, the Eagles embraced their mantra as underdogs, becoming the third team to win the Super Bowl without entering a single postseason game as favorites. Not only is the missing identity in the heart of every Eagles fan finally fulfilled, but the Eagles appear to have all the makings of the next NFL powerhouse.
