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One day away from Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans, one thing is certain - the team under the most pressure has to be the Philadelphia Eagles. If the Kansas City Chiefs lose, yes, they will miss out on a chance at a three-peat, something that has never happened before. But it's an unprecedented opportunity, and no one would really blame them. Plus, they still have Patrick Mahomes in his prime and the dynasty they've built over the past seven years, reaching five Super Bowls in that span. On the other hand, the Eagles are the ones really feeling the pressure. A second Super Bowl loss - the biggest game of all - in three years, against the same team, would leave everyone in Philadelphia asking, "How are we ever going to top the Chiefs?" That question could haunt the players, and while the Eagles are a young team that could make another run with Jalen Hurts, opportunities like this can't be taken for granted. You never know if they'll get another chance.
Jalen Hurts Channeling His Inner Michael Jordan
First, let's acknowledge that regardless of the outcome, Hurts, at just 26 years old, is already a historic figure in Eagles franchise history. He is the only quarterback in the Super Bowl era to lead the Eagles to multiple Super Bowls. Critics argue that he benefits from having an elite roster, especially a strong offensive line, which means he isn't "needed" as much to win. But let's not be foolish - Hurts deserves his credit because without him, the Eagles would not have made it back to the big game. Last season, when the Eagles were eliminated by the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round, the offense was decimated by injuries and could only put up nine points. But what stood out the most was what Hurts said after the loss: "Obviously, we took a turn there and things didn't end the way we wanted. But it's simply not our turn. It's not our turn."
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These words prompted social media s to compare Hurts' mindset to Michael Jordan's when he was eliminated by the Detroit "Bad Boys" Pistons for the third straight year. Here is what Jordan said when asked about losing to Detroit: "All you can do is wish them good luck. We fought hard. They were the better team. And we want to be where they are, but we still gotta wait our turn."
The words are strikingly similar, though with some differences. Keep in mind that Jordan had yet to win any of his six championships at the time. So, Jalen Hurts, if the Eagles lose, there's still time to get back to the Super Bowl.
The Eagles vs. Super Bowl Trends
Hurts and the Eagles have already broken their first major curse. Hurts ended a streak of 19 straight quarterbacks who failed to return to the Super Bowl after losing their first trip as a starter. Those QBs include active quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, Jimmy Garoppolo and Brock Purdy. Now he'll try to become the first quarterback since John Elway 27 years ago to win a Super Bowl as a starter after losing his first trip. The second curse they must overcome? The Kirk Cousins curse. Since Cousins entered the league in 2012, no team that ever lost to him in the regular season has gone on to win the Super Bowl. Not one. So when the Eagles lost 22-21 to the Falcons on Monday night in Week 2, did they seal their fate?
We'll find out tomorrow, but I'll say it again - the Eagles are the team under the most pressure. Because of that, I expect them to go all out, just like the Chiefs. If I had to make one bet, I'd take Hurts on any touchdown, as his 20 points (three TDs, one two-point conversion) against Kansas City in their last Super Bowl tied the record set by New England's James White in Super Bowl 51. Why wouldn't the Eagles use the same strategy again this year? After all, the Eagles remain underdogs (+1), and in the last 10 Super Bowls, underdogs have won outright and covered the spread six times. Furthermore, underdogs have won 10 of the last 15 Super Bowls.
Is this the sign you've been waiting for to put all your money on the Eagles as underdogs?