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Underdog Magic Finally Runs Out As Eagles Fall To Saints

The Eagles burst out to a big lead early on, but the game belonged to New Orleans from there on out.

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After pulling off unlikely upset victories week after week, the Eagles luck finally ran out on Sunday as they fell to a tough Saints team in New Orleans, 20-14, ending their season.

Coming into the NFC Divisional playoff game as near-universal underdogs, with the Saints favored by 8.5 points, the Eagles deflated a roaring Superdome crowd by a leaping out to a 14-0 lead. The Saints dominated things from there on out, and sealed the deal on an interception in the closing minutes of the game as the Eagles attempted to put together a game winning drive.

It was easy to forget that the Eagles were almost never here, just two wins away from another Super Bowl appearance. After falling to 4-6 earlier this year, they closed out the season on a 5-1 run, securing their playoff spot only in the final minutes of the 2018 season thanks to a Minnesota Vikings loss. They followed that up with a huge upset victory in the opening round against the 12-4 Bears in Chicago.

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Things got rolling with an opening interception off Saints legendary passer Drew Brees by Cre'Von Blanc. Then it was time for Foles to work his magic, throwing five straight completions and capping it with a 37-yarder to Jordan Matthews for the opening score.

Up 7-0, the Eagles got the ball back and drove down swiftly. Foles would ultimately throw seven straight completions before a miss, and ultimately took it in himself with a one-yard run to put the Birds up 14-0. The Saints, considered a Super Bowl favorite ever since they beat the Eagles 48-7 back in November, looked like a shadow of their former selves as the Birds dominated the early going.

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Injuries played a significant factor early on, as Eagles offensive lineman Brandon Brooks and Saints defensive end Sheldon Rankins were both wheeled off the field. Brooks appears to be out for the game and possibly the rest of the season, per reports from the stadium. The Birds also lost cornerback Rasul Douglas in the first half.

The Saints finally got their groove going in the second quarter, and dominated the next two and a half quarters of football completely. The Eagles drives after the first quarter totaled less than 60 total yards, while the Saints earned nearly 300.

A quick Saints drive in the second made it 14-7. After a stop in their own territory with a few minutes left, the Saints managed to get deep enough into Eagles territory to knock in a field goal, making it 14-10 at the half.

The Eagles got the ball to start off the second half but the Saints quickly got it back, and Brees led them on a time-consuming drive that took up most of the rest of the quarter. It included a few pinpoint bullets from Brees, including this one on 2nd and 20:

New Orleans took their first lead of the game on that drive, on a Brees toss to Michael Thomas, putting them up 17-14. All told, the 18-play, 92-yard drive took a whopping 11:29 off the clock. It was the longest drive in the NFL Divisional playoff round since 2007, per ESPN.

Once again, the Eagles couldn't put anything together on the ensuing drive. The Saints then took another four minutes off the clock with a drive from their own 15, spurred by a huge run by Mark Ingram.

They didn't score a touchdown, but knocked down a 39-yard field goal to take a 20-14 lead with just over 10 minutes left. The Saints missed a 52-yard field goal attempt with three minutes left that would've put the game out of reach, giving Foles and the Eagles one final chance.

Foles got the Eagles down to the Saints 40-yard line, but a huge interception byt the Saints Marshon Lattimore effectively ended the Eagles' season.

Sunday marked the Eagles' third straight do-or-die game on the road, and their fifth on the road in the last six weeks.

The Saints will now go on to face the Rams, who beat the Cowboys on Sunday, in New Orleans next week. In the AFC, the Chiefs will host the Patriots. The winners of next week's games will meet in the Super Bowl.

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Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images

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