Philadelphia Eagles: The ‘Philly Special’ strikes again

The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t hold anything back in their Week 1 win against the Falcons. They brought back one of the most famous plays in Eagles history.

The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t wait long to pull out a blast from the past in their 18-12 win against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1. The Eagles were able to squeak past the Falcons on  Thursday night, and all the talk was about a play that looked all too familiar to Eagles fans.

With 7:41 remaining in the third quarter and the Eagles trailing 6-3, they were in need of a jump-start. Leave it to the duo of quarterback Nick Foles and head coach Doug Pederson to conjure up a play call that will forever have them linked.

They decided to run the “Philly Special” — only this time, it was dubbed the “Philly, Philly.” On third down in Atlanta territory, Foles handed the ball to running back Corey Clement. Clement then tossed it to wide receiver Nelson Agholor on what looked to be a reverse.

Agholor then did his best Trey Burton impersonation and threw the ball to Foles streaking down the sidelines for a 15-yard gain and a first down:

Up to that point in the game, the Eagles offense only had 150 total yards, and they looked stagnant and out of place. It was exactly the play call that was needed to get the Eagles offense and the fans in Lincoln Financial Field going. That drive resulted in a Jay Ajayi touchdown to put the Eagles on top 10-6 and it was the “Philly, Philly” that provided the spark.

Week 1’s version was a little different than the one we saw in Super Bowl LII. In the Super Bowl, Foles was a decoy, as he pretended to call an audible at the line of scrimmage, while the ball was snapped directly to Clement.

This time around, Foles stood in the shotgun and handed the ball directly to Clement. And this time, it was former high school quarterback Nelson Agholor who tossed the ball instead of the now-Bear Burton. Even with different parts, the end result was very similar with Foles catching a crucial pass that proved to be a difference-maker in a tight game.

Pederson admitted after the game that this version of the “Philly, Philly” was almost a direct copy of what the Patriots ran against the Eagles in the Super Bowl. The main difference being that Tom Brady dropped that pass and Foles was able to hold on to.

The aggressive and daring style of both Pederson and Foles helped the Eagles find a way for lightning to strike twice. And while this game won’t be remembered as the most well-played game of all time, it will definitely be remembered for the Eagles coming up with something “special” to start the season off with a victory.