For the first time ever, the Philadelphia Eagles have won the Super Bowl. With a final score of 41-33, Nick Foles and the Eagles’ soaring offense outlasted Tom Brady and the Patriots’ attempt to win a sixth NFL championship. 

This game was thrilling from start to finish, and thanks in part to the amount of offense that took place. The two teams combined for over 1,100 total offensive yards. In 60 minutes of football, there was just one punt. 

Foles was named Super Bowl MVP (weird, right?) and he deserved it, too. Foles was 28-of-43 passing for 373 yards, three passing touchdowns, one interception, and a receiving touchdown. He received some major help from his running backs, Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount, who each averaged over six yards per carry.  

The defining moment of the game (aside from the Foles receiving touchdown) came late in the fourth quarter when Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham strip-sacked Brady and got his team the ball back, thwarting any chance of the patented Tom Brady comeback.  

Fallout

The Eagles and most citizens of Philadelphia have been on a week-long party tour that has nearly demolished the city. The victory parade took place on Thursday, with an estimated two million people to showing up, some arriving as early as 5 a.m. for a parade that started at 11 a.m.  

The Patriots, on the other hand, have been taking a long look at their future. Rob Gronkowski is looking at his options (retirement being one of them). Brady told reporters, “I expect to be back, but we’ll see.”

Defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is leaving for the head job in Detroit, while offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels almost took a job as the Colts head coach.

McDaniels told the Indianapolis Colts prior to the Super Bowl that he would accept their offer to be the team’s next head coach. But in a shocking turn of events Wednesday, McDaniels backed out and said he would remain the offensive coordinator for the Patriots.

Why? Most likely to be the successor to Bill Belichick. 

Belichick is getting older and most people speculate that he will retire when Brady retires, which will most likely be in the next few years. After that, McDaniels, who has worked under Belichick for nine non-consecutive years, would be an obvious and comfortable successor to one of the NFL’s most successful franchise.  

Another possible determining factor to McDaniels’ change of heart is the health of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Luck has been dealing with a shoulder injury that kept him off the field for the entire 2017 season.

According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen (via Adam Schefter), some doctors think Luck may need more surgery. This makes the Indianapolis head coaching position less attractive. 

Colts general manager Chris Ballard spoke to the media with disappointment and confusion in regards to the McDaniels decision. But at the end of his press conference, he gently stated that “The rivalry is back on.”

In other news, former Patriots’ quarterback and current 49ers’ quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo signed a five-year, $137.5-million deal with San Francisco on Thursday.

Garoppolo, who just finished the last year of his rookie contract, was traded from the Patriots to the 49ers in the middle of the season. He went 5-0 as a starter for the 49ers, who went 1-10 without him. 

Many Patriots fans were hoping Garoppolo would be the successor to Brady in New England, but New England knew that Garoppolo would be able to find a max contract deal the Patriots wouldn’t be able to afford — at least not with Brady on the team.

And, somehow, Brady still has a few years left in him. 

ESPN’s way-too-early power rankings have the 49ers, who went 6-11 last season, at No. 14. 

Columnist Brent Jansen can be found on Twitter @brentjans. Any tips or suggestions should be forwarded via email to [email protected]. For video updates from The Seahawk, subscribe to our YouTube channel.