The Philadelphia Eagles gave fans flashbacks of their Super Bowl win when they executed a trick play to perfection against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, but it turns out they actually stole the play from an opponent.
Facing a critical 3rd-and-5 from the Falcons’ 41-yard line, Eagles coach Doug Pederson called a play where wide receiver Nelson Agholor ended up with the ball on a double-reverse and completed a pass to a wide-open Nick Foles. The play went for 15 yards and helped Philly keep a touchdown drive alive.
THAT'S THE PHILLY SPECIAL'S MUSIC#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/JPddGV2wYT
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 7, 2018
The play has been coined the “Philly Special,” but Pederson admitted after the game that it was actually a New England Patriots’ special. If you remember, Tom Brady had a crucial drop in the Super Bowl last year when the Patriots ran the exact same play. Here’s a side-by-side that shows how similar the two plays were, with the only difference being that Foles caught the ball:
The Patriots' play from the Super Bowl vs. the Eagles' play tonight pic.twitter.com/dhJKUpBlDs
— Sean Wagner-McGough (@seanjwagner) September 7, 2018
Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson, who did nothing but bash the Patriots all offseason, also had no problem admitting the play was lifted from New England’s playbook.
Eagles OT Lane Johnson on Nelson Agholor’s throw to Nick Foles, tells team broadcast it wasn’t Philly Special: “It was the same play the Patriots used — the one that Tom dropped.”
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 7, 2018
Pederson deserves credit for calling the play at the perfect time, but it wasn’t the same play that helped Philly win the Super Bowl. In fact, there may be a good reason the Eagles chose not to break that one out again.
