Fans in Philly (and beyond) are hyped to see the Eagles play in the Super Bowl this Sunday. After ending the season at 14-3 with an NFC championship under their belts, most (not all) fans are feeling confident heading into Super Bowl LIX. As we anxiously await Sunday, here are some parallels to ponder from their past Super Bowl appearances.
Four Super Bowl Appearances
While it’s momentous for the Eagles to make an appearance in the Super Bowl, it isn’t their first trip. The Eagles have a 1-3 record in the Super Bowl:
- Super Bowl XV, 1981: Oakland Raiders 27, Eagles 10
- Super Bowl XXIXX, 2005: New England Patriots 24, Eagles 21
- Super Bowl LII, 2018: Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33
- Super Bowl LVII, 2023: Kansas City Chiefs 38, Eagles 35
This means the Eagles have appeared in the Super Bowl in four separate decades and are now making their second appearance in the same decade.
Not the First Revenge Game
Revenge is a dish best served cold … and this dish definitely had enough time to chill. While the main storyline for Super Bowl LIX is the Eagles’ rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs after a loss in Super Bowl LVII’s “Kelce Bowl,” it isn’t the first time our team had to face a prior opponent in the championship game.
The Eagles’ appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX ended in a loss to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. That stewed in the hearts of fans until the Eagles returned to the Super Bowl 13 years later to defeat Brady and the Pats. While the number 13 brought bad luck to the Patriots, maybe luck will be on the Eagles’ side this year: It’s been seven years since we last won.
3’s the Magic Number
The number three appears to be a theme for this team, whether lucky or not.
In both of the Eagles’ most recent losses, the Birds only lost by 3 points: 24-21 to the Patriots and 38-35 to the Chiefs. The Chiefs also have the chance to make history as the first NFL team to win three Super Bowls in a row. Had the Eagles not won in 2018, the Patriots would have had three consecutive wins between 2017 and 2019. Let’s hope the Eagles once again manage to block the three-peat for the Chiefs.
Back to NOLA
We’re ready to party on Bourbon Street, as this year’s Super Bowl is taking place in New Orleans, La. But this isn’t the first time the Eagles went to New Orleans in the postseason.
Super Bowl XV’s game between the Oakland Raiders and the Eagles in 1981 was the Eagles’ first Super Bowl appearance and first championship game since 1960.
The Eagles lost that game to the Raiders 27-10. The Raiders no longer play in Oakland, so maybe the outcome will turn out differently this time.
Another Eagle Trots to the Bowl
Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. is a linebacker for the Eagles making his first Super Bowl appearance in his rookie year of professional football. The St. Joe’s Prep alum isn’t the first in his family, however, to go down this path. His father and namesake, Jeremiah Trotter, Sr., played for the Philadelphia Eagles between 1998-2001 and 2004-2006, and finally in 2009. Trotter, Sr. appeared in Super Bowl XXXIX, but lost. Now it’s up to his son to help bring home the trophy. He’ll be wearing his dad’s #54.
No. 2 Seed
The Eagles clinched the No.2 seed for the playoffs, trailing just behind the Detroit Lions in the NFC. The 1980 team also clinched the No. 2 seed in the playoffs before eventually making it to the Super Bowl.
According to postseason rules, when a No.1 seed goes down, the No. 2 seed plays three home games. So because the Lions were eliminated, the Eagles made history this season as the first NFL team to host three home games on the road to the Super Bowl.
Longest Tenured Player to Possibly Make Another Appearance
Despite what appeared to be a season-ending injury, Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham was seen at practice ahead of the Super Bowl. If Graham does indeed return in time for the big game, he will be the longest tenured Eagles player to be in the Super Bowl, playing for 15 seasons and making his third Super Bowl appearance.
