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Oddsmakers asking Eagles' Nick Foles to do what only Peyton Manning has done

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The Eagles defied the oddsmakers by beating Atlanta last week. They are underdogs again this week against Minnesota.
by , STAFF WRITER @edbarkowitz | barkowe@phillynews.com
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Ed Barkowitz

STAFF WRITER

Ed Barkowitz has played in a variety of fantasy sports leagues, but draws the line at fantasy NASCAR. He is a lifelong South Philadelphian, reared about a mile from the sports complex. He attended St. Joseph's Prep high school, and Villanova and Widener universities. Among his most prized possessions is the scorebook he used during the 1980 World Series when he was 10 years old.

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The Eagles were underdogs last week, the first time ever a conference’s No. 1 seed was not favored to win in the divisional round.

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The Eagles are underdogs again this week for the NFC championship game, as Minnesota is laying 3 or 3.5 points. This also is unusual, but it’s not unprecedented.

Since the current playoff format started in 1990, the Eagles are the fifth top seed not to be favored for the conference championship game. Just once has that underdog team gone on to win the game.

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What is the biggest question for the Eagles heading into this game?

Eagles-Vikings NFC championship: Special section preview

After the 1997 season, San Francisco was a 2.5-point underdog and lost to No. 2 seed Green Bay, 23-10. After 2004, Pittsburgh was a 3-point ’dog in a 41-27 loss to No. 2 New England. In the 2012 playoffs, Atlanta was a 3.5-point underdog and lost to second-seeded San Francisco, 28-24.

The only No. 1 seed to win a conference championship as an underdog was Peyton Manning and the Broncos, who beat No. 2 New England, 20-18, after the 2015 season. Manning then went on to win his second Super Bowl and retired a month later.

The upshot is that if then-39-year-old Peyton Manning can beat Tom Brady in this spot, Nick Foles can do the same to Case Keenum.

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