The NFL Roundup: Super Bowl LII Recap

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

​It was January 1998, and on a couch in Colorado, my family was huddled around the television on a Sunday evening to see if by chance, a miracle was about to unfold before our eyes; would the Denver Broncos finally pull it off and win their first ever Super Bowl title? For some time during the game, it seemed as though such a victory was in doubt, but wouldn’t you know it? With less than a minute to go, a wonderful defensive play clenched the victory for the Broncos, leading to an eruption of joy in my household as my father and I, lifelong Broncos fans, finally got to enjoy the wonder of our hometown team winning it all, and I make mention of that story today, simply because…not every football fan gets to tell the tale of where they were the night their team finally won their first Super Bowl Championship.
 
For a long time, Eagles fans were in that boat. Sure, the team had won a few NFL Championships back in the day, but a Super Bowl victory is something that simply eluded this team…until last night. Because on February 4, 2018, Philly fans around the world watched something magical unfold at U.S. Bank Stadium…they watched their boys best one of the finest teams in NFL History to win their first ever Super Bowl title, and what truly makes last night’s victory so incredibly special, is the sheer fact that this team pulled it off in the most thrilling of fashion.
 
Because for four quarters, this team simply would not quit. If the Patriots scored, they did their best to answer. If Tom Brady made a big play, they refused to be rattled. They simply wanted this game more, and once again they fully embraced their role as the underdog and used it to their advantage, playing with a level of swagger and bravado that gave them the edge necessary to stand up to the mighty Patriots and well, I think it’s safe to say at this point, that Super Bowl LII may go down as one of the finest championship games ever played simply due to the fact that the Eagles managed to completely rattle Brady and the Pats.
 
In fact, I cannot recall a time I’ve ever seen every member of the Patriots, both coaching staff and players, look as flustered and uncomfortable as they did last night, and really, their concern over the fact that the Eagles weren’t backing down, led to a cavalcade of failures through and through. They couldn’t pull off the trick plays, they made critical mistakes on special teams, they watched their run game come and go and while the passing game wasn’t exactly a bust, the fact that Brady and his receivers didn’t connect on simple plays only added to the frustration and well, we all know how this story ends.
 
But the Patriots folly simply doesn’t matter today. Because the Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl LII Champions and last night, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters and brothers and sisters all huddled around the television in their homes, or their friend’s homes or at a local bar, embraced and hollered with joy over the fact that their boys finally did it. They brought home the hardware, they won their first ever Super Bowl Championship and they should relish in every single moment of this victory because it’s quite the special moment when your team finally wins the big one, and I do hope these fans tell the tale of where they were the night that the Eagles won their first Super Bowl over and over again, so that the wonder of that moment stays alive for generations to come…   

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