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Nick Foles, Eagles continue postseason magic with late win over Bears

The backup QB, just like he did last year in the playoffs, leads Philadelphia as Chicago misses a potential winning field goal in the final seconds.
 
Published Jan. 7, 2019|Updated Jan. 7, 2019

CHICAGO — The Eagles kept messing up. They're simply a team that doesn't give up.

Nick Foles hit Golden Tate with a 2-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 56 seconds remaining against the NFL's stingiest defense, lifting the Philadelphia past Chicago 16-15 Sunday in an NFC wild-card game.

Former Eagles kicker Cody Parkey missed a potential winning 43-yard field goal with 10 seconds left, the ball hitting the left upright, then the crossbar before falling to the ground and silencing the raucous crowd.

"I think the big thing is we saw some adversity tonight in the first half (and) I had a couple of turnovers," Foles said. "I think the big thing is that no one loses faith, no one stops believing, everyone just keeps talking, keeps believing in one another, and we just rallied. Our defense really kept us in this game."

The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (10-7) squeezed into the playoffs by beating Washington and having the Bears (12-5) help them by knocking off the Vikings in the season finale. Philadelphia thanked its benefactor with a 12-play, 60-yard drive on which Foles, the Super Bowl MVP in February, hit six passes.

Tate made a reaching grab in the right side of the end zone near the goal line.

"We found a way," said Tate, acquired in a trade-deadline deal with the Lions in October.

Philly plays at New Orleans on Sunday in a conference semifinal.
No team has repeated as Super Bowl champion since New England in 2004, and the Eagles are a sixth seed. The last sixth seed to win the title was the 2010 Packers.

These Eagles, led by Foles once again replacing an injured Carson Wentz, just like last season, and a defense down to backups at several positions, seem to have that magic touch again.

It was a sizzling ending to a game marked by superior defense and critical mistakes by the Eagles. They had to survive after Tarik Cohen, an All-Pro punt returner, took back the kickoff after Philly's go-ahead score 35 yards. Mitchell Trubisky completed two passes to get the Bears close enough for Parkey, who had been 11-of-12 in the fourth quarter on field goals before missing the biggest kick of his career.

"One of the worst feelings in the world to let your team down, so I feel terrible," said the Jupiter, Fla., native.

"That's an amazing team we just played against, and it came down to the wire," Foles said.

The Bears are 1-15 all-time in playoffs when trailing after three quarters. They fell behind when Foles connected with rookie Dallas Goedert for a 10-yard touchdown in the third that was set up by a 33-yard pass interference call on cornerback Prince Amukamara.

Although the Eagles outplayed the Bears in the first half, errors left them behind 6-3. A 15-yard personal penalty on defensive end Michael Bennett aided Chicago's drive to a 36-yard field goal by Parkey, then a dropped potential interception in the end zone by safety Tre Sullivan allowed Parkey to make a 29-yarder as the half concluded.

Philadelphia also had an interception by cornerback Avonte Maddox deep in Chicago territory overturned by video replay.

Philly scored on the game's opening series, a 50-yard drive culminating with Jake Elliott's 43-yard field goal. And again on its first possession in the third as Goedert got open behind cornerback Adrian Amos, who had an end-zone interception of Foles' ill-advised throw in the second quarter.

"We had a lot of fun, and I love our guys to death," Bears coach Matt Nagy said.