Monday 18 November 2019 09:36, UK
Julian Edelman threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Phillip Dorsett as the New England Patriots rallied for a 17-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in a Super Bowl LII rematch.
Tom Brady threw for 216 yards, leading New England back from a 10-0 deficit, but it was wide receiver Edelman who secured their only touchdown in the game, finding Dorsett in the endzone from 15 yards out after a lateral from Brady.
Philadelphia QB Carson Wentz, meanwhile, had 214 yards, struggling to get much going against New England's number one ranked defense, as he was sacked five times and lost a fumble.
This was nothing like the thrilling matchup between the two teams in Super Bowl LII, which saw the Eagles record a 41-33 victory over the Patriots. The teams set or tied 29 Super Bowl records back in February 2018, including most yards in any game (1,151) in league history.
That game saw only one punt from the two teams, combined, while in Sunday's rematch there were 15 in total, including 10 in a row in the second half after New England took the lead.
After settling for three field goals in the first half, the Patriots turned to a trick play to finally get in the endzone. Brady drove the team down to the Eagles 15-yard line on the opening possession of the third quarter before, facing a third-and-11, Brady tossed a backward pass to Edelman, who then picked out Dorsett with a perfect pass.
James White ran in for the subsequent two-point conversion to see the Patriots into a seven-point lead at 17-10, one they would not relinquish as the teams proceeded to trade punts for pretty much the rest of the second half.
The Eagles had one chance to tie the game up in the final minute, with Wentz heaving the ball into the endzone from deep on fourth down, but Nelson Agholor couldn't come down with the football despite getting his hands on the throw.
Earlier, the Eagles had taken a 10-0 lead as Wentz tossed a five-yard TD pass to tight end Dallas Goedert early in the second quarter.
The Patriots didn't cross midfield until Brady connected with Benjamin Watson for 22 yards to move to the Eagles 31-yard line, before Nick Folk hit the first of three field goals in the first half.
The third of those field goals came after Danny Shelton sacked Wentz, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Lawrence Guy at the Eagles 22-yard line.
The win ensures a 19th consecutive winning season for the Patriots (9-1) - one behind the Dallas Cowboys' all-time record of 20 from 1966-85 - while the Eagles (5-5) drop back to .500 after their two-game win streak is snapped.
New England stay in the NFC East with their next opponents, hosting division-leading Dallas in Week 12, while the Eagles take on the Seattle Seahawks, again in Philadelphia.
