Latest news with #PhillySpecial
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Doug Pederson outlines a not-so-subtle plan for post–Super Bowl success
Doug Pederson outlines the needed plan for post–Super Bowl success. A roller-coaster ride... That's how former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson described winning a Super Bowl and the days and months that follow reaching football's summit. He would know. He's the only man living or deceased who can claim to be the first head coach to lead Philadelphia to its first Lombardi Trophy. Accomplishing that feat made Pederson a legend. Yes, everyone knows he has never been called that, but doggone it, he should be. There's a statue depicting the Philly Special outside of Lincoln Financial Field. That's what happens when you deliver one of the best memories to a city that can be demanding but also grateful. Doug Pederson has some advice for the defending-champion Philadelphia Eagles Coach Pederson was recently a guest on NBC Sports Philadelphia's Takeoff podcast with John Clark. It didn't take long for them to begin discussing one of the most incredible memories in franchise history. The Eagles are the reigning and defending Super Bowl champions, even if they don't want to be called that, but everyone knows the old saying. You never forget your first. We love him, but Coach Pederson fibbed, even if he only told us a 'white lie'. During the victory parade, he promised that playing deep into January and February would be Philadelphia's 'new norm'. Each year after that for the remainder of his Eagles tenure, the team produced a worse finish than the previous campaign under his watch. In 2018, Philadelphia struggled but made a run down the stretch to qualify for the postseason. They came a few plays short of qualifying for a second consecutive NFC Championship Game appearance. Nick Foles' final pass as an Eagle was an interception that slipped through Alshon Jeffery's hands. In 2019, the Eagles again finished the regular season with a 9-7 record. This time, they lost in the NFC Wild Card Round. The following season, the Birds and Pederson parted ways following a 4-11-1 finish. This is Nick Sirianni's team now, but everyone still holds a soft spot in their hearts for Doug Pederson. An Eagle through and through, he offered some advice for the current champs to find that chip again and begin the climb towards reaching the mountaintop again. "You've got to think about the price of success. What are you willing to sacrifice?" Pederson's place in Eagles lore is secure. Football's most demanding fan base has long forgiven him for breaking that 'new norm' promise. A new winning culture and adding another Lombardi Trophy will do that. Now, a two-time Super Bowl winner, the Birds begin another season with something that has again become familiar: expectations. The balancing act is where things begin. Philadelphia must weigh long-term goals vs. the pressure of abandoning its 'Let's hunt' mantra and accept the role of being the hunted. The goal is well-known. The schedule is a brutal affair. Who would have thought? The Birds now seek a third Lombardi Trophy.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Super Bowl MVP says ‘Philly Special' is really called something else
The Eagles' 'Philly Special' helped defeat the New England Patriots 41-33 in Super Bowl LII, giving the franchise its first Vince Lombardi Trophy. Now the game's MVP is revealing that the iconic play's popular name tells only part of the story. Retired quarterback Nick Foles went on social media Wednesday and gave a behind-the-scenes look at what the play is really called. 'The full name of the Philly Special is not simply Philly Special,' Foles said. 'You've probably seen it on NFL Films. You've probably seen it on clips over and over again. I did not get in the huddle and look at my wristband and just say Philly Special. The actual full name of the play is Float to Pistol Target Left Bunch, Philly Special on the dummy kill.' Foles also shared a picture of the call sheet from the game, showing the play was listed in the 122nd slot of the game plan. The touchdown was one of the reasons why Foles was named the game's MVP. He also completed 28 of his 43 passes for 373 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Foles went on to explain the particulars of the play, including that the tail end of the call was the part where he yelled 'Lane, Lane,' referring to when he lined up behind right tackle Lane Johnson. The other information refers to the formation. When the ball was snapped, it went directly to running back Corey Clement, who pitched it to tight end Trey Burton. Burton lobbed a pass to the wide-open Foles for a one-yard touchdown reception, giving the Eagles a 22-12 lead before halftime. The Eagles made sure to incorporate the play into their Super Bowl ring, with the 127 diamonds installed on their rings correlating to the combined jersey numbers of Foles, Clement and Burton. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Signature Eagles moments that were mysteriously left off of an NFL tribute
Six signature plays from the Eagles' past 25 years are absent from a ranking of iconic NFL moments. Just like that, Philadelphia Eagles fans are almost ready to put the bow on the new millennium's first 25 years. We've gone from fear that computers would stop working at the close of 1999 to the final six months of 2025. What have we learned, other than time flies? We can think of a few things. Many are more important than the following, but hey, what can we say? This one means a lot to us. Nothing compares to football. Nothing at all... Not the NBA, not the World Series. While baseball may be considered the national pastime, football is truly America's passion. Three iconic Eagles plays find their way onto a list of top NFL moments from the past quarter century. The Eagles have turned the page from this past season's Super Bowl run. The same is true of media members and fans who follow this team's every move, but the latter two contingents are often allowed the freedom to reminisce more often. Take CBS Sports' top 25 NFL moments of the 2000s' first 25 years. It's hard to trim two and a half decades down to 25 moments, but Cody Benjamin did a nice job. He also left off a few that should have made the cut. We'll discuss that more in detail in a moment. Topping Benjamin's list is David Tyree's helmet catch vs. the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 42. '4th and 26' didn't make the cut, but it earned an honorable mention. Three Eagles moments found their way onto the ranking: Saquon Barkley's backwards hurdle (25), DeSean Jackson's punt return vs. the New York Giants in 2010, a.k.a. the Miracle at the New Meadowlands (20), and the Philly Special (9). All are deserving entries, but let's be frank. Three noticeable inclusions are missing. Add these five Eagles highlights to CBS Sports' list Let's not waste a ton of time here. We'll acknowledge the three plays already mentioned, add 4th and 26, and include these last six. The Eagles trailed the Minnesota Vikings by a 7-0 score with 6:42 remaining in the first quarter. Patrick Robinson took care of that. His interception and TD return tied the score. Philly never looked back and won by a 38-7 margin. Everyone has their theory about when they knew the Eagles had Super Bowl 59 in the bag. For many, that thought came early. Cooper DeJean's pick-six off Patrick Mahomes' arm followed consecutive sacks on first and second down and put Philly up by a 17-0 margin. Whenever they have crossed paths, the Eagles have owned Sean McVay for most of his era as the L.A. Rams head coach. Saquon Barkley punished them during two games in his inaugural Eagles season. No one will forever forget his run through the snow. The Rams made a late rally, leading to tense moments, but if not for this beauty, Philadelphia wouldn't have outlasted Los Angeles in the snow. A ball-control offense by Ron Rivera's Washington Commanders helped eat up the clock and end the 2022 Eagles' undefeated streak at eight games. Two years later, it seemed Dan Quinn's squad hoped to employ a similar formula during the most recent NFC Championship Game. Washington chewed up the first 7:57 of game time but was only able to convert a field goal. Following the ensuing kickoff, a toss play was called to Saquon Barkley. There isn't an Eagles fan walking that doesn't remember how that turned out. Never have two Michigan Wolverines met on opposite sides and produced a more iconic moment. Once upon a time, the New England Patriots benefited from the tuck rule and saw a strip-sack overturned. Then came Super Bowl 52. Brandon Graham made one of the greatest defensive plays in Eagles history, knocking the ball from Tom Brady's grasp. A Jake Elliott field goal followed, placing Philly up by eight points. The score would hold, making this the greatest strip sack not only in Super Bowl history but in NFL history as well. Ah yes... Jason Kelce on the Rocky Steps. Name another victory parade speech that carried so many iconic moments. Hungry dogs run faster... No one likes us, and we don't carry... As kids, we memorized speeches in grade school. As adults, Kelce's offering is another that we may be able to recite verbatim.
Fox Sports
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Defenders' monster TDs highlight top plays from UFL Championship Game
The 2025 UFL season is complete, and the DC Defenders are your new league champions. The Defenders went off in Saturday's championship game against the Michigan Panthers, scoring a league-record 58 points in their victory. But the Panthers brought plenty of excitement as well, dropping 34 points in the 58-34 loss. As there was a lot of high-flying action in Saturday's championship game, here are the 10 best plays from the tilt. 10. Defenders' special teams unit forces the fumble After taking a 15-13 lead in the second quarter, the Defenders got the ball back immediately after forcing a fumble on the kickoff return. Micah Baskerville ripped the ball out of Xavier Malone's grasp, allowing Willie Drew Jr. to recover the ball at the Panthers' 7-yard line. 9. Defenders QB Jordan Ta'amu and WR Jaydon Mickens link up for huge gain During one of the few moments that the Defenders were trailing in Saturday's game, Ta'amu and Mickens helped chip away at the Panthers' lead after connecting for a 66-yard reception. The play got the Defenders down to the Panthers' 9-yard line, setting them up for a field goal early in the second quarter. 8. Ta'amu and Mickens connect for their first big play Ta'amu dropped a dime to Mickens for a 26-yard touchdown on a third-and-10 play in the middle of the first quarter. 7. Panthers WR Malik Turner spins his way for six The Panthers kept fighting late in Saturday's game despite trailing 52-19. After hauling in a pass from QB Bryce Perkins, Turner ran downfield and spun out of a Defenders' tackler to reach the end zone for a 26-yard touchdown. 6. Defenders WR Seth Williams makes a big grab Plenty of Defenders' playmakers got in on the fun in Saturday's game. Williams was among them, making a long 46-yard reception on a deep pass from Ta'amu late in the third quarter. 5. Defenders WR Chris Rowland backflips his way into the end zone DC poured it on until the end of Saturday's title game, with Rowland rushing for a 19-yard touchdown before showing off some acrobatics to put the finishing touches on the win. 4. Defenders run "Philly Special" on two-point conversion After scoring a touchdown late in the first half, the Defenders dialed up some trickery. Mickens took his turn to throw a completion to Ta'amu, finding his quarterback in the end zone after getting the ball on an end-around to complete the two-point conversion and extend their lead to 31-13. 3. Panthers RB Nate McCrary dashes away for six Michigan got the first big play of the game when McCrary rushed for a 35-yard touchdown, grabbing a 6-0 lead. 2. Turner takes off for long TD Right after the Defenders ran the "Philly Special" to add to their lead, the Panthers found the end zone with a long touchdown. Perkins lobbed a pass to Turner, who turned a 10-yard completion into a 71-yard touchdown by breaking multiple tackles and dragging a Defenders player with him into the end zone. 1. Ta'amu throws another deep TD to cap off wild first half The back-and-forth scoring between the Defenders and the Panthers in the final two minutes of the first half of Saturday's game concluded with Ta'amu throwing a deep 73-yard touchdown to Ty Scott. The score gave the Defenders a 37-19 lead with 27 seconds remaining in the first half. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience United Football League DC Defenders Michigan Panthers recommended Get more from United Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Axios
09-06-2025
- Health
- Axios
The Philly Special: 7pm dinner rez is the real winner
Just call it the Philly Special — most of us make dinner reservations for the early evening. Why it matters: Eating earlier in the day supports your body's natural clock — boosting metabolism and improving sleep, experts say. Driving the news: 7 o'clock dinners are our jam in Philly, with 19.6% of reservations booked in the 7-8pm hour compared to 17.5% for the rest of the country, per Resy data shared with Axios. Some of us are late Birds, with a higher share of reservations booked after 9pm than those sleepyheads everywhere else. Zoom out: Nationally, dinner times have shifted earlier since the pre-pandemic years. What they're saying: If you have a later dinner, but eat the same amount, "that by itself leads to an increase in cravings, changes in appetite hormones and fewer calories burnt across the waking hours," Frank Scheer, Harvard Medical School professor and Medical Chronobiology Program director, tells Axios.
