Here’s a look at the Top 5 (most impactful) plays between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles in Sunday’s Super Bowl:
THE HIT
After a 23-yard catch, Patriots receiver Brandin Cooks circled trying to pick up more yardage, turned to his right and was drilled by Malcolm Jenkins in a helmet-to-helmet hit in the second quarter. It was the kind of hit that gets players fined or suspended. Cooks had become a Tom Brady favourite and was the team’s best deep threat with 16 catches of more than 20 yards during the 2017 season. Cooks was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
THE INTERCEPTION
Nick Foles had his top receiver Alshon Jeffery open downfield. The long pass fell into Jeffery’s left hand, but as he tried to pull it back into his body, he tipped it into the air with his right hand, directly into the arms of New England defender Duron Harmon, whose interception was the first turnover of the game.
THE GAMBLE
Facing a fourth down and less than two yards to go, the Eagles opted to go for it, rather than kick a field goal. They resorted to some trickery. QB Nick Foles moved up and Corey Clement took the snap. He handed off to Trey Burton, who lobbed a pass toward Foles who was all alone for the touchdown. NBC colour commentator Cris Collinsworth said it could go down in the books as “one of the all-time greatest play calls.” Questioned at halftime, Eagles coach Doug Pederson said of the gamble: “We had just come all the way down the field and I wasn’t about to stop.” Early in the second half, Collinsworth revisited the play, saying: “I still can’t get over it, that was so bold.”
THE TOUCHDOWN
Maybe the Eagles got a break as they took a 29-19 lead in the third quarter. The NFL review of the scoring play puzzled Collinsworth. Corey Clement ran out of the Eagles backfield and Nick Foles found him near the back of the end zone, throwing the ball into double coverage. It was one of those plays that by the strict rulebook maybe shouldn’t have been a touchdown. Clement caught the ball, took a couple of steps, but as he strode and stepped out of the back of the end zone, the ball appeared to be loose — not fumbling out of his hands, but moving around. We’ve seen this kind of play overturned plenty of times. “I give up,” said Collinsworth. “If that ball’s not loose when his last foot comes down … I give up. I would have called that incomplete.”
THE FINAL DRIVE
The Patriots got the ball back with 2:21 left, trailing 38-33. On their second play, Brady dropped back to pass and as he was being hit by Brandon Graham, the ball slipped out of his hands right into the arms of Derek Barnett. Fumble. Game over.
