FanPost

The unheralded plays from the Eagles' Super Bowl win (Volume 1)

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

[Editor's note: Promoted from the FanPosts.] If you're like me you haven't gone more then a few hours without watching something Super Bowl related, the full TV broadcast, the Eagles year book, film breakdown, GIFs of Tom Brady dropping things. At this point we have seen the highlight plays hundreds of times, Alshon Jeffery mossing Eric Rowe, Grahams strip sack, just about every one of Nick Foles' MVP worthy throws; these plays will never get old, we will never forget them and we will never get tired of seeing them. Recently I started wonder about all the other plays though, the seemingly insignificant ones, the hard to see on the TV feed ones, the ones made by the role players, the special teamers, the backups, guys like Shelton Gibson who only played a single snap.

With that in mind I decided to try and find each players best play from the Super Bowl. I started watching the coaches film over and over again looking for contributions to the Eagles Super Bowl victory no matter how small. In the end I decided to rank the plays, because people love lists. What could be more fun than arguing about special teams tackles for the next month?

Below are the plays I ranked 46-26, I'll continue the series over the next few weeks as we wait for training camp to start.

46. Chance Warmack
giphy.0.gif

Chance got to play 4 offensive snaps when Stefen Wisniewski left the game with a minor injury, this was one of them. He steps on Big V's foot and trips him before getting rag dolled out of the way, Vintage Warmack.

45. - 42. Donnie Jones, Shelton Gibson, Mack Hollins, Rick Lovato

giphy.0.gif

Donnie Jones' only punt was a decent enough, 43 yards with good hang-time giving Hollins and Gibson a chance to get down field and force a fair catch. Both Hollins and Gibson did a great job, Mack blows right by his man and Gibson tosses his man out of the way like a sack of rice. It's hard to see but Rick Lovato did a great job holding on for dear life after getting bulldozed at the snap.

41. - 39. Rasul Douglas, Dannell Ellerbe, Nate Gerry

giphy.0.gif

Ellerbe starts the play on the LII logo, he scrapes to his left and lays a shot on somebody. Douglas is lined up at the left end and does a nice job not getting called for a block in the back and then turns around to get in on the play. Gerry is dead center on NFL logo, he kinda floats around and then gets a block near the end of the return that could have sprung Kenjon Barner if not for the kicker. The plays get better I swear.

38. Nate Sudfeld

giphy.0.gif

Nate didn't get on the field but he was the first person to hug Nick Foles when the Eagles won the Super Bowl, thats gotta count for something. I also want to use this moment to point out to everyone that I wanted Nate Sudfeld in the 2016 NFL Draft:

I9ddyVQ.0.png


37. Mychal Kendricks
giphy.0.gif

Kendricks fights off the block from Gronk, holds his ground and makes the tackle

36. Beau Allen

giphy.0.gif

Here's a heads up play from Allen to sniff out the screen and then sprint downfield after it. It's also fun to watch him almost kill Danny Amendola

35. Timmy Jernigan

giphy.0.gif

This might be the most physically impressive play of the Super Bowl, he takes two 300lb offensive linemen and tosses them like a couple of old tires.

34. Vinny Curry
giphy.0.gif

First play of the game, Curry comes off the edge unblocked, keys on the back and peels off quick enough to disrupt Brady. Curry forced an errant throw and incompletion on a really well set up screen play.

33. Najee Goode

giphy.0.gif

Following the Eagles first TD of the game, Goode is lined up on the hash mark, he comes down field unblocked and tackles Dion Lewis forcing the Pats to begin their drive at the 17 yardline.

32. - 28. The offensive line

Isaac Seumalo

giphy.0.gif

This stretch play was only good for a couple of yards but Seumalo controls his man and forces him out of the gap, Seumalo looked decent this year when lined up as a tackle.

Lane Johnson
giphy.0.gif

Lane had a quite game which is a good thing, he basically just lined up and blocked the shit out of whoever was across from him. This is a great shot of him taking Lawerence Guy for a ride.

Brandon Brooks

giphy.0.gif

Brooks picks up a delayed blitz here giving Foles the chance to get to his 2nd read and pick up a nice chunk on 2nd and 14.

Wiz

giphy.0.gif

On this 3rd and 6 the Pats bring a blitz with a double twist. Wiz, like he had done all season, kept his head up and calmly passed off the DT and stayed in position to stonewall the looping end. Big shout out to Bill Belichick for benching Malcolm Buttler for Johnson Bademosi here.

Big V
giphy.0.gif

I let this one run a little long because it's so fun watching Corey Clement stiff arm the shit out of people. Big V doesn't have the greatest technique here, he bends at the waist but luckily James Harrision uses a bull rush and it doesn't matter because Big V is, well, really big. This was his best play by default because he was a mess in the Super Bowl. Here's a shot of him getting bull rushed almost getting flagged for holding and then letting Harrison pile drive Foles.

giphy.0.gif

Don't worry we will get to Jason Kelce later.

27. Fletcher Cox

giphy.0.gif

On the first play of the Pats final drive Brady has Chris Hogan coming open out of his break; Cox gets pressure up the middle and forces Brady to pull the ball down allowing Long to get a hit in.

26. Patrick Robinson

giphy.0.gif

giphy.0.gif

This one is subtle but really good. Robinson is in the slot with 7 defensive players dropping into zone coverage. Robinson knows that once the #1 WR clears he no longer has flat responsibility, he trails #2 and then takes a nice deep drop to sink underneath the in breaking routes. It doesn't look like much especially in the first gif but in the second you can see Brady looking to throw one of those in breaking routes, Robinson has done his job and Brady pulls the ball. This play essentially ended any chance of the Pats scoring before halftime.

...

Keep an eye out for Volume 2 with plays 25 -16!