Philadelphia Eagles: Past Super Bowl Woes Start at Quarterback
By Erik Lambert
The Philadelphia Eagles haven’t won a football championship since 1960. That just doesn’t feel right considering how prominent they’ve been for years.
Since the dawn of the Super Bowl era in 1966, the Eagles have made the playoffs 21 times. Super Bowl LII will mark the third time they’ve had a chance to win a Lombardi trophy. Or the third “bite at the apple” as some players would say. Prayers are rampant for this determined bunch to be the ones who finally end 57 years of suffering. Problem is the source of their shortcomings in this game might not be up to the task once again.
People have listed many reasons for why the Eagles fell short in each of their Super Bowl defeats since 1980. In truth, it’s not that complicated. Looking back the source of those disappointments can be pointed at one position: the quarterbacks. While both Ron Jaworski and Donovan McNabb were really good players, both suffered from one of the vital keys to losing big games. They couldn’t protect the football.
- Ron Jaworski in Super Bowl XV: 3 INTs
- Donovan McNabb in Super Bowl XXXIX: 3 INTs
Nick Foles under pressure to succeed where they failed
Jaworski was haunted by one man in that Super Bowl in the Raiders linebacker Rod Martin. He claimed all three interceptions and helped his team to produce a 27-10 blowout. McNabb too had his own personal boogeyman 24 years later in safety Rodney Harrison who claimed two of the three picks that helped New England stay ahead in their 24-21 victory. Turnovers have been key for the Eagles all season and it will fall on the shoulders of Nick Foles to ensure the same curse that has befallen his predecessors doesn’t strike him as well.
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There is one piece of good news worth noting. In three postseason games in his career, Foles is a perfect 5-0 in touchdown-to-interception ratio. So he at least knows how to take care of the football in big games. At the same time, he’s never played in one with the level of mental pressure like a Super Bowl. He’s also never played against the Patriots and their complex defensive schemes. These factors make it hard to gauge how he’ll respond. Can he alter the Eagles’ QB woes in this game? It would be quite the story if he did.