New Season Is Here But The Eagles Are Still Trolling Tom Brady, Patriots
BOSTON (CBS) -- Even with the new season underway, and last year's Super Bowl now a distant memory, the Philadelphia Eagles are still doing their best to troll the New England Patriots.
The Eagles kicked off the 2018 NFL season with an ugly 18-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Philly, and they took a play from New England's Super Bowl LII playbook to spark their offense. On their second drive of the third quarter, Eagles head coach Doug Pederson dialed up a trick play on a third-and-5 from the Atlanta 41-yard line, which ended with receiver Nelson Agholor hitting quarterback Nick Foles for a key 15-yard pickup. Philadelphia marched down the field after the conversion and scored their first touchdown of the game to go up 10-6.
While many noted that the play looked a lot like the "Philly Special" from Super Bowl LII, Pederson confirmed after the game that it was actually the trick play the Patriots unsuccessfully ran in the game. Tom Brady couldn't catch Danny Amendola's pass on a third-and-5 in the second quarter, which would have been a big gain for New England -- if not a touchdown. Instead it went off his fingertips and the Patriots were forced to punt. You know how the rest goes.
Pederson said Thursday night's play is called "Philly Philly," but didn't bring up the fact that Brady didn't convert back in February. That was left to notorious Patriot-hater Lane Johnson, as the Eagles offensive lineman made sure to point out that Brady couldn't come down with the catch seven months ago.
"It was the same play the Patriots used -- the one that Tom dropped," he said after the game.
Good for the Eagles for executing the play and winning the game. But at some point, maybe Johnson should stop talking about the Patriots any chance he gets.
