Eagles prove the underdog winning formula
SUPERBOWL 52 was one of the greatest ever. With the final score being 41-33, fans were treated to an offensive explosion with little defense to support it. This high scoring affair did more than give Philadelphia its first Lombardi Trophy however; it reiterated the winning formula for the ‘underdog’.
There is a reason these teams are not the favorites. They’re either not as consistently good as their opponent, or injuries have affected them or in the Eagles case, they are facing arguably the greatest dynasty in sports history. They are expected to lose.
So, Philadelphia and so many other underdogs before them, decided to ‘go for it’.Obviously everyone plays to win come the last game of the season, but when you are not favorites, you have to play an almost reckless style of game, as if this is your last ever game.
What is there to lose? No one is going to be surprised if you lose, so what will a few risks do? Change the end margin from 10 to 30? That hardly matters, a loss is a loss. But every so often the risks come off, and the world bears witness to some of the finest cinderella stories.
In recent memory, sports around the world have been treated to some of the finest of these; the Western Bulldogs and Richmond breaking premiership droughts in the AFL, the Cleveland Cavaliers following suit in the NBA and now the Eagles in the NFL. Why? Because these underdog teams have ‘gone for it’ come that final game of the year.
Philadelphia quarter back Nick Foles was a fine example of this, as from the first drive, he was aggressive. He made some unbelievable passes, but the ones he missed were just as ambitious. He consistently put the Patriots defense under pressure with long drives down the field, all of which seemed catchable.
Like I said earlier, play as if it is your last. For Nick Foles, this was a reality. He was a back-up to one of the MVP nominees, who tore his ACL in Week 14. Foles was not sure if this opportunity would ever come again once Carson Wentz returned, so he threw aggressively and powerfully, because playing safe is never how you should play in possibly your only Super Bowl.
Head Coach Doug Pederson led this charge. He allowed Foles to call a trick play that they had never run in a game, with a receiver throwing a touchdown to Foles; on fourth down. The result? A 10-point lead instead of a six-point lead going into the half. New England would have expected a field goal, but why do what they expect? Make them uncomfortable and surprise them, that is how underdogs win.
What did they do after scoring a touchdown to go up 15-3? Went for the two-point conversion instead of the easy one-point kick. Why? Because it is aggressive and makes a defense that just allowed a 20-yard rushing touchdown nervous and puts them under pressure. They missed the conversion, but it sets a precedent for the rest of the game, and their continued attack eventually paid off.
Look at the NBA Finals in 2016, when Cleveland fell behind 3-1 to Golden State. In order to get back in the serious, the Cavs had to change. Whilst their play obviously lifted, their confidence and swagger went up a notch. LeBron blocked everything and was in their face, Kyrie attacked and attacked and backed his stroke. They played and acted like a team that was up 3-1, which creates doubt in the Warriors minds.
One of my favorite Australian examples is Hawthorn beating Geelong in the 2008 Grand Final. The Cats were the best side all year, no way they could be beaten. So the Hawks, with their young and inexperienced side just attacked and attacked.
They ran forward, pressured manically and broke lines, playing with a confidence against the reigning premiers that Geelong had not faced in two years.
They gave away 50-metre penalties with late hits on superstar Gary Ablett Jr., took shots from 60-plus meters, attacked through the middle and played confidently. Why not? They weren’t supposed to win anyway, the odd free kick here and there or a missed goal won’t hurt them.
In recent memory, this has been the only way the favorites have been knocked off. The chances of beating them playing it safe or playing their game are slim. But the chances of being able to throw them off their game with a different approach are definitely higher.
If underdogs are to win, they need to take risks. It won’t always come off, there’ll be times, like Fremantle in the 2013 Grand Final, where it won’t quite be your day and you will fall just short. But no one expects it to be your day anyway. But every so often, like the Eagles, Hawthorn, Cleveland and even the Tigers in 2017, the risks reap rewards greater than anyone could have ever expected.