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In one of the most unlikely performances we’ll ever see, backup quarterback Nick Foles wins Super Bowl MVP after leading the Philadelphia Eagles to their first title in franchise history.
Foles went toe-for-toe with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52, capping off a remarkable run after replacing Carson Wentz late in the regular season. Wentz tore his ACL in Week 14, but the Eagles never flinched when Foles went under center, still getting the No. 1 seed and dispatching the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, and now the Patriots to win the Lombardi Trophy.
He finished the game with 373 yards and three touchdowns on 28-of-43 passing, outpacing the Patriots for much of the evening.
Foles secured his MVP award with a phenomenal game-winning drive, moving the Eagles 75 yards on 14 plays and hitting Zach Ertz for his third touchdown of the game. That put the Eagles, up, 38-33, a lead they would not relinquish.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, Foles also caught a touchdown on a trick play, becoming the first player in Super Bowl history to record a passing and receiving touchdown in the same game.
A lot of credit must go to Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, who did a brilliant job retooling the offense around his backup QB when Wentz went down. With a steady dose of play-action and RPO plays, Pederson trusted Foles to keep the offense vertical and take occasional downfield shots. As a result, the Eagles’ offense rarely skipped a beat even without Wentz.
It’s been a wild few years for Foles, who made the Pro Bowl under Chip Kelly in 2012 but has since been bouncing around as a journeyman. He even considered retirement at some point last year before coming back to the Eagles as Wentz’s backup. Now Foles is an instant folk hero in Philly, and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.
Go crazy, Eagles fans. This is one for the record books.