“So that’s what y’all wanted to see, huh?”
Those eight words, uttered by Jalen Hurts upon his arrival at the Week 15 postgame podium, nicely sum up the ride of the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles. Hell, put it on the commemorative shirts and make it the title of the season highlight video. The Eagles had just beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers for their franchise-record 10th consecutive win, and their stone-faced quarterback took aim at his critics who thought the team was in danger of squandering its potential.
Hurts knew. The whole team did. One, these Eagles knew they had what it took to be champions. Two, they knew that plenty of people out there thought they didn’t. Three, they knew the only way to change minds was to go out there and win the games. So they did. Fourteen times in the regular season and four more in the playoffs. There are no more opponents left.
Eight weeks later, this time on a much bigger podium, in the middle of the stadium that has hosted more Super Bowls than any other, this building where so many players and teams have stamped their legacies and altered the history of this league that has so captured our collective attention, Hurts stood in a cloud of green confetti holding the Lombardi Trophy.
