By 6:40 p.m., the players were tired of the message drilled into their heads.
"All week, we just kept hearing everybody say that they (the Vikings) were the No. 1 defense but I guess everybody forgot they were coming to Philadelphia," linebacker Nigel Bradham said. "I know one thing, in this house we're the No. 1 defense, and it's going to stay that way."
Sunday's 38-7 steamrolling win makes it back-to-back playoff games that the defense has shut out the opposition in the second half. With 10:20 remaining in the first quarter, the Vikings scored their first and only points of the night.
"The one thing about this defense is they don't panic. They don't panic. They didn't panic all year," defensive end Vinny Curry said. "And that's just a hat tipped to the players, to our defensive coaching staff."
"We had to make a play because they drove right down and scored and if we didn't have belief in ourselves and a little toughness, you might've thought, 'Aw man, this is going to be a long night,'" said defensive end Chris Long. "But we know what we're capable of as a defense, as an offense, as a football team. On defense, we had to go out and make a big play and create a big turnover."
Long bothered quarterback Case Keenum on a throw that led to Patrick Robinson's 50-yard interception return for a touchdown which gave Philadelphia the jolt they needed. On the night, the Eagles forced three turnovers. A strip-sack from Derek Barnett on a third down in the second quarter robbed the Vikings of one of their few red zone opportunities. An interception from safety Corey Graham with minutes remaining solidified the second-half shutout.
"These football games, you just have to weather the storm early in the game," head coach Doug Pederson said during his press conference following the win. "There's a lot of emotion going on both sides, obviously, and credit Minnesota for going down (on the) opening drive and scoring. Then to get the interception, the touchdown. To kind of get ourselves back into the game, we just kind of got to settle down. Once you ride that wave of emotion it becomes football after that. We knew talking even on the sidelines that we had to kind of stop their run just a little bit, and then we had to stick with the run offensively and make plays as the game went on."
The Philadelphia Eagles are the NFC Champions. They defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 38-7, and will play in Super Bowl LII.
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Challenger the Eagle
WR Nelson Agholor
QB Nick Foles
Eagles Drumline
"Underdog masks" making an appearance at the tailgates
Fans having fun tailgating
Championship Sunday
Lincoln Financial Field is gameday ready
Lincoln Finanical Field
Lincoln Financial Field
S Malcolm Jenkins
TE Zach Ertz
TE Brent Celek
CB Ronald Darby
CB Patrick Robinson
Fans and their dogs enjoying the tailgate before the game
Our furry fans getting ready to cheer on the Eagles
Fans are gameday ready
Almost time to fly
All we got, all we need
Huddle up
Welcome to our house
Best fans ever
Military members carrying the American Flag into the game
Military members carrying the American Flag into the game
Military members carrying the American Flag into the game
We've got dogs and wolves at Lincoln Financial Field tonight
Fly Eagles Fly
HeadHouse Plaza before the game
Game time
Time to fly
LB Nigel Bradham
T Halapoulivaati Vaitai
WR Mack Hollins, QB Nick Foles, and QB Nate Sudfeld
QB Nick Foles
Captains
Fly Eagles Fly
QB Nick Foles
CB Jalen Mills
CB Patrick Robinson
CB Patrick Robinson
CB Patrick Robinson
CB Jalen Mills
LB Najee Goode
S Malcolm Jenkins
RB LeGarrette Blount
QB Nick Foles
LB Nigel Bradham
K Jake Elliott
TE Zach Ertz
WR Alshon Jeffery
RB Jay Ajayi
Trenches
CB Jalen Mills
DE Brandon Graham
TE Brent Celek
Head Coach Doug Pederson
DT Tim Jernigan
QB Nick Foles
RB Jay Ajayi
TE Zach Ertz
QB Carson Wentz
Hug me
RB Jay Ajayi
LB Najee Goode
Philly! Philly!
WR Alshon Jefferey
TE Zach Ertz
DT Tim Jernigan
DE Derek Barnett
TE Zach Ertz
The fans can feel it
RB Jay Ajayi
Who let the dogs out?
RB LeGarrette Blount
Sweet victory
Pure bliss
WR Alshon Jeffery and WR Mack Hollins
WR Torrey Smith
WR Torrey Smith
DE Vinny Curry
CB Jalen Mills
TE Zach Ertz
Fly Eagles Fly
CB Jalen Mills
QB Nick Foles
DE Brandon Graham
WR Nelson Agholor
DE Chris Long
WR Alshon Jeffery
Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz
DE Vinny Curry
DT Tim Jernigan
S Malcolm Jenkins
DT Tim Jernigan
Head Coach Doug Pederson
S Malcolm Jenkins
RB LeGarrette Blount
DE Derek Barnett
WR Nelson Agholor
TE Trey Burton
The Roots at halftime
The Roots at halftime
Let the celebration begin
WR Torrey Smith
WR Torrey Smith
Strike a pose
Defensive flex
QB Nick Foles and Doug Pederson
Head Coach Doug Pederson
Head Coach Doug Pederson
Head Coach Doug Pederson
WR Nelson Agholor
NFC Champions
All we got, all we need
Head Coach Doug Pederson
LB Nigel Bradham
RB Jay Ajayi
QB Nick Foles
CB Ronald Darby
CB Rasul Douglas
CB Patrick Robinson
NFC Champions
