Chapter 454 Dark Horse Battle
In previous years, one team would create a miracle, which was enough to alarm the entire league.
This year, both teams performed fairy tales and overturned everything as dark horses. It is no wonder that the NFL is in chaos inside and outside.
but.
Let me tell you, how did the Philadelphia Eagles redeem themselves?
With the rise of the season, all eyes are focused on second-year quarterback Wentz. He was even far ahead in the regular season MVP odds. It is conceivable that when Wentz was reimbursed for the season, it was also close to the playoffs. At the critical moment of the game, the Philadelphia Eagles' blood froze into ice in an instant.
However, in a desperate situation, the Philadelphia Eagles stood firm, showed the foundation of a mature team, and relied on two weapons to complete the comeback.
First, backup quarterback Nick Foles, a surprise player.
This quarterback, who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 88th overall pick in the third round of 2012, has always had a mediocre career with no outstanding performance. He is generally regarded as a qualified backup quarterback, and that's all.
In the third year of his rookie contract, the Philadelphia Eagles chose to trade him to the St. Louis Rams. After that, Foles began his wandering career. After being laid off by the Kansas Chiefs at the end of last season, Foles returned to the Philadelphia Eagles as the Wentz As a backup, he was completely in Wentz's shadow.
After Wentz's torn ligament ended the season, Foles showed his adaptability and quickly adapted to Peterson's tactical system. He was given orders in critical situations and played the role of fire captain in the last three games of the regular season. He played steadily and Two wins and one loss ended the season for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Moreover, amidst all the doubts, the playoffs turned out to be a drama that perfectly replicated the wonderful performance of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Flacco in the 2012 season. The NFC finals directly defeated the confident Minnesota Vikings. The defensive team was left dizzy and looking for teeth on the ground.
The Philadelphia Eagles swept their opponents, stormed to the NFC Championship, and advanced to the Super Bowl.
This feeling and this scene can't help but awaken the memories of the entire alliance that have been dormant for eighteen years——
In the 1999 season, a player named Kurt Warner went from being an undrafted player that no one cared about until the age of 28 when he became the main player in the NFL for the first time in his career due to injuries to the main player. In his first starting season as the main quarterback of the St. Louis Rams, he completed a series of feats, winning the regular season MVP, Super Bowl MVP and reaching the Super Bowl championship.
To this day, Warner is still the most legendary Cinderella player in NFL history; at the same time, Warner is also the last player in the NFL to win both the regular season MVP and the Super Bowl MVP in the same season.
Previously, everyone said that Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Keenum wrote Cinderella's fairy tale and was expected to inherit Warner's mantle; who knew, after a turn, people discovered that the real successor to Warner should be Foles.
Sure enough, in the world of competitive sports, there is never a shortage of miracles.
then.
Foles, a discarded player who returned to the Philadelphia Eagles after being laid off by the Kansas City Chiefs, is now about to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl finals. This is another hotly discussed topic.
Obviously, what Foles will do when facing the Kansas City Chiefs again is also a big attraction.
Second, the defensive team is a stable metronome. Ignored, forgotten, underestimated, and despised, the defensive team always plays superheroes at critical moments to turn the tide. After Wentz was retired for the season, they stepped up and took over the game, ensuring that the offensive team could move forward without worries and lead the Philadelphia Eagles all the way. Reach the Super Bowl finals.
In the 2017 season, when people mentioned the rise of the Philadelphia Eagles, their attention often focused on the offense——
Peterson's dazzling and crisp on-the-spot offensive tactical layout, and the comprehensive transformation and growth of second-year quarterback Wentz have swept away the gloom and injected new vitality into this team, showing a completely different look.
but.
Real professionals know that the Philadelphia Eagles, like the Kansas City Chiefs, are really eye-catching in terms of their offense, but in terms of data, the real hero in helping both teams reach the Super Bowl is the defense. .
As mentioned before, when people discuss strong defensive teams this season, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings bear the brunt, coupled with a star-studded Pittsburgh Steelers, largely allowing the Philadelphia Eagles to hide behind the light, all the way Playing the role of a pig and eating the tiger in a low-key manner.
This season, only four teams in the league have allowed less than 5,000 total defensive yards: Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, Pittsburgh Steelers and...Philadelphia Eagles.
In the team's overall defensive rankings, the Philadelphia Eagles rank fourth in the league, even better than the sixth-ranked Pittsburgh Steelers. Although their pass defense ranks 10th, their ground defense ranks second in the league.
Additionally, the Philadelphia Eagles rank fourth in the league in red zone defense.
In other words, this team is often able to show intensity and tenacity in confrontations at critical moments. This is the fundamental reason why the Philadelphia Eagles still advance to the Super Bowl with their heads held high after Wentz was retired for the season.
In the upcoming Super Bowl decisive battle, the Philadelphia Eagles' ground defense and the Kansas City Chiefs' ground offense will inevitably clash against each other. There is no doubt that this will be a highlight.
In the second week of the regular season, the Philadelphia Eagles underestimated Levi's ability and failed to effectively limit Levi's ground running. At the same time, Peterson focused on the passing attack and almost completely abandoned the ground attack. One plus and one minus. , the Philadelphia Eagles ended up ruining a good game.
In this reunion, it is obvious that the Philadelphia Eagles will not make the same mistake again. How does Peterson deploy offensive tactics to make up for the shortcomings of Wentz's absence and conceal the truth from Reid, and how to deploy defensive tactics to limit Reid's offensive strategy, especially Levi's season?
At the same time, the Kansas Chiefs will not rest on their laurels. How did Reid avoid the Minnesota Vikings' mistakes in the NFC finals and restricted Peterson's offense, and how did he break Peterson's defensive team through changeable offensive tactics. The stability will be a key matchup.
It is precisely because of the familiarity and even the similarity in playing styles to a certain extent that the on-the-spot performance of the two teams will determine the situation of the game.
As mentioned before, it can be seen from the Pro Bowl and All-American first/second team lists that neither the Kansas Chiefs nor the Philadelphia Eagles rely on star strategies to win. Their ability to reach this point is inseparable from the strength of the entire team, even if It is the outstanding players who also rely on the overall excellent performance of the team to highlight the unique charm of rugby.
From different angles and to varying degrees, both teams are dark horses. They were completely absent from the championship teams before the season started, but they still fought hard all the way to the Super Bowl stage——
Who can win to the end will be the ultimate suspense of the 2017 season.
(End of chapter)