February 07, 2024
Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports
Brock Purdy and Patrick Mahomes, much to the horror of Eagles fans, will be facing off in the Super Bowl this week.
A nauseating Super Bowl is just days away. Andy Reid could be on his way to his third Super Bowl after years of coming up short in big games in Philadelphia. Conversely, a 49ers team that loves to run their mouth and concocted a one-sided rivalry (regardless of what Deebo Samuel says...) could be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy while punking the Eagles.
Yuck.
This is less than ideal vibes wise for the Super Bowl, but how bad is it in historical context?
Here are the worst Super Bowls for Eagles fans this century. To note... even if one team was super unappealing heading into the game, there being a clear-cut choice rooting interest will knock it down the list (looking at you Raiders-Buccaneers...).
Let's start, breaking them down into different tiers...
24. Super Bowl LVII: Eagles-Chiefs, 2022
23. Super Bowl LII: Eagles-Patriots, 2017
22. Super Bowl XXXIX: Eagles-Patriots, 2004
These all had the potential to be the best day of Eagles fans' lives. Just one of them was, but what a glorious day it was.
21. XLI: Colts-Bears, 2006
20. XLIV: Saints-Colts, 2009
19. XLVIII: Seahawks-Broncos, 2013
18. XLVII: Ravens-49ers, 2012
17. LVI: Rams-Bengals, 2021
16. 50: Broncos-Panthers, 2015
There was no real ill will here for Philadelphians. There were a couple clunkers in here, but Rams-Bengals and Ravens-49ers were nice matchups.
15. Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots-Seahawks, 2014
14. Super Bowl LI: Patriots-Falcons, 2016
13. Super Bowl LII: Patriots-Rams, 2018
Once the Patriots' early 21st century dynasty picked up a few rings, no one wanted to see them win anymore, particularly, after they knocked off the Eagles in the Super Bowl. At the very least, the Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl might be the best football game ever. Football fans were rewarded for sitting through another Tom Brady love fest.
12. Super Bowl LIV: Chiefs-49ers, 2019
11. Super Bowl LV: Buccaneers-Chiefs, 2020
Watching Reid in the Big Game after all of those horrific playoffs losses with the Birds? Brutal.
10. Super Bowl XLV: Packers-Steelers, 2010
9. Super Bowl XL: Steelers-Seahawks, 2005
8. Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots-Rams, 2001
7. Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots-Panthers, 2003
6. Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens-Giants, 2000
5. Super Bowl XXXVII: Buccaneers-Raiders, 2002
This is where the games start to suck big time. All of these matchups have tangible connections to the Eagles. They include divisional rivals (Giants), regional rivals (Steelers) and teams that beat the Eagles on the way to the Super Bowl (Rams, Packers, Buccaneers). That 2002 NFC Championship Game loss to the Bucs was the worst in the history of Philly sports, but it was a saving grace that the Raiders were an easy team to rally around, particularly with Philly-born quarterback and NFL MVP Rich Gannon under center. Naturally, Oakland got their teeth kicked in 48-21.
4. Super Bowl XLII: Giants-Patriots, 2007
3. Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers-Cardinals, 2008
2. Super Bowl LVIII: Chiefs-49ers, 2023
1. Super Bowl XLVI: Giants-Patriots, 2011
Just the worst of the worse. I rank the 2007 Super Bowl a bit lower because the Patriots were undefeated cheaters and it was best for the overall health of the sport if they lost even with the hated Giants also in the game.
Steelers-Cardinals was torture because I loathe the Steelers fans I've encountered in my life who skipped out rooting for the Birds for a bandwagon squad. "They're a Pennsylvania team." Philadelphia is essentially its own entity. Get real. I've never in my life introduced myself and said, "I'm from Pennsylvania." Boo. The Eagles ruining their Super Bowl chances in Arizona that January made it all the worse.
Chiefs-49ers, as I previously discussed, is a double whammy.
The 2011 Giants-Patriots rematch is the low point. Was Eli Manning really going to win two rings before the Eagles ever won the Super Bowl? Were the Patriots going to continue making the NFL boring as the steamrolled through the century? Does anyone have Bane on speed dial? Terrible.
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