The Hashtag
#PhillySpecial immortalized the trick-play touchdown in Super Bowl LII where Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Nick Foles lined up as a receiver and caught a touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal, helping upset the heavily favored New England Patriots and delivering Philadelphia its first Super Bowl championship.
The Play (February 4, 2018)
Game Context
Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis. Eagles led Patriots 15-12 with 38 seconds left in second quarter, 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
The Sequence
- Formation: Foles motioned out of shotgun to right side as receiver
- Direct snap: To running back Corey Clement
- Toss back: Clement pitched to tight end Trey Burton
- Pass: Burton threw back across field to Foles in left corner of end zone
- Catch: Foles (6’6” QB) caught TD, chest-high pass
- Score: 22-12 Eagles (two-point conversion failed, halftime 22-12)
Announcer Al Michaels: “And they’re going for it… a throw… IT’S CAUGHT FOR A TOUCHDOWN BY THE QUARTERBACK! FOLES CATCHES IT!”
Play Name Origin
Inspired by similar play (“Philly Philly”) run by Chicago Bears in 2016 (QB Brian Hoyer caught TD in regular season). Eagles coach Doug Pederson and Foles refined it.
The Audacity
The Context Made It Legendary
Why it was gutsy:
- 4th down: Failure = Patriots get ball back at 1-yard line
- 38 seconds left: Could have taken chip-shot field goal (safer 18-12 lead)
- Super Bowl: Highest-pressure stage
- Backup QB: Foles was Plan B after Carson Wentz ACL tear
- Against Belichick: Patriots coach known for defensive adjustments
- Underdogs: Eagles were 4.5-point underdogs despite home-field-ish advantage (Minneapolis)
The conversation (caught on mic):
- Foles to Pederson: “You want ‘Philly Philly’?”
- Pederson: “Yeah, let’s do it.”
Bill Belichick’s Reaction
The Patriots coach was caught completely off guard:
- Confusion: Patriots defenders hesitated
- Blown assignment: No one covered Foles (QB-turned-receiver)
- Shock: Belichick’s face showed rare emotion on sideline
The Game (Super Bowl LII)
Final Score: Eagles 41, Patriots 33
Key moments:
- 1st quarter: Patriots led 3-0
- 2nd quarter: Eagles scored 22 unanswered (Philly Special key score)
- Halftime: Justin Timberlake performed, Eagles led 22-12
- 3rd quarter: Eagles extended to 29-19, Patriots closed to 29-26
- 4th quarter: Eagles answered with FG (32-26), Patriots tied 33-33
- Final drive: Foles drove Eagles to game-winning FG (38-33), then Eagles strip-sacked Brady to seal it
Nick Foles’ Performance
- 373 passing yards: Outdueled Tom Brady (505 yards)
- 3 passing TDs: Plus 1 receiving TD (Philly Special)
- Super Bowl MVP: Backup QB won MVP over Brady
Patriots’ Offensive Explosion
Brady’s 505 yards were most ever in Super Bowl loss:
- Rob Gronkowski: 2 TDs
- No defense: Eagles shredded Patriots D, Patriots shredded Eagles D
- Final possession: Brady strip-sacked by Brandon Graham, Eagles recovered
Philadelphia’s Celebration
City Goes Wild
- 1 million+: Estimated parade attendance
- Crisco on poles: City greased light poles (fans climbed anyway)
- Snowballs at Vikings fans: Payback for NFC Championship game
- “We All We Got, We All We Need”: Team motto became city slogan
- Broad Street parade: Biggest in Philly history
First Championship
- 52-year drought: Last championship 1960 (pre-Super Bowl era)
- Andy Reid heartbreak: Former coach who couldn’t win big one
- Process vindicated: Sixers’ “Trust the Process” mentality spread to Eagles
The Trick Play Legacy
Cultural Impact
Philly Special entered sports lexicon:
- Statue unveiled (2018): Bronze statue outside Lincoln Financial Field
- Commemorative shirts: “PHILLY SPECIAL” with play diagram
- Youth football: Every Pop Warner team tried it
- Madden NFL: Added as playbook option
Copycat Attempts
Numerous teams tried variations:
- Most failed: Defenses now watch for QB-as-receiver
- Some worked: Bears, Titans had success with similar plays
Doug Pederson’s Legacy
The call defined Pederson’s coaching:
- Aggressive: 4th-down king, go-for-it mentality
- Creative: Willing to run unorthodox plays
- Player-friendly: Listened to Foles’ suggestion
- Championship: Validated approach
Later fired (2021): After 4-11-1 season, fell out with front office. Hired by Jaguars 2022.
Nick Foles’ Career Arc
Journeyman QB
Despite Super Bowl MVP:
- 2018 Eagles: Backup again when Wentz healthy
- Jaguars (2019): $88M contract, benched after 4 games
- Bears (2020): Backup/starter, mediocre
- Colts (2022): Backup
- Retirement (2023): Age 34
The paradox: Won Super Bowl MVP, never became franchise QB. The Philly Special defined him more than stats.
Carson Wentz
The injured franchise QB watched from sideline:
- 2017 MVP candidate: 33 TDs, 13-2 record before ACL tear
- Lost job: Never regained starter role long-term
- Traded (2021): To Colts, then Commanders, then retired 2023
- Irony: Foles won ring Wentz couldn’t
The Patriots’ Perspective
Rare Belichick Failure
- Defensive collapse: Allowed 41 points, most in Belichick SB loss
- Trick play beaten: Unusual for Patriots to be outschemed
- Brady’s effort wasted: 505 yards, 3 TDs, still lost
Tom Brady
- 0-2 vs. NFC East in SBs: Lost to Giants twice (2007, 2011), Eagles (2017)
- Statistics meaningless: Most yards ever, still lost
- 7 total SB wins: This loss became footnote (won 2018, 2020)
Why It Endures
The Philly Special represents:
- Underdog triumph: Backup QB beats GOAT
- Coaching audacity: 4th-and-goal in Super Bowl
- Perfect execution: High-risk play worked flawlessly
- Belichick beaten: Patriots outcoached (rare)
- Philadelphia catharsis: 52-year title drought ended
The moment: Foles catching the ball, arms raised, pure joy—became instant Super Bowl lore.
Related: #SuperBowlLII #Eagles #Underdogs
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