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Flashback Friday: Philadelphia Eagles clinches a top seed in the playoffs

By Dominique Smith

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 25: Chris Long #56 of the Philadelphia Eagles strips the ball from Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders in the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Raiders 19-10. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 25: Chris Long #56 of the Philadelphia Eagles strips the ball from Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders in the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on December 25, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Eagles defeated the Raiders 19-10. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia Eagles clinched a first-round bye with a win against the New York Giants in Week 15, but they weren’t done yet. With the number one seed on the line, ‘The Birds’ were looking to defeat the Oakland Raiders.

The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants in Week 15 of the 2017 season. That win was credited largely to the offense.

Week 16 would be a different story. The defense would lead the way, and Philly would need four full quarters to get the upper hand on the Oakland Raiders.

Philadelphia went on to win 19-10, and clinch the number-one seed. Here’s how it all went down.

The Philadelphia Eagles get off to a quick start.

The Philadelphia Eagles managed to get on the board first when quarterback Nick Foles found his running back Jay Ajayi for a 17-yard touchdown. ‘The Birds’ took the lead at 7-0.

This would be the Eagles’ first and last offensive touchdown of the game. For much of the game, Philly’s offense just couldn’t get anything going.

The Raiders would respond with a touchdown of their own. That tied the score at seven. Luckily for the Eagles, their offensive production would also take a turn for the worse.

Jake Elliot is clutch.

Philadelphia’s kicker Jake Elliott had made a name for himself with his game-winners and timely kicks during the 2017 season.

Elliot added to his already impressive resume with his two field goals against Oakland. First, he hit a 35-yarder with two minutes to play in the third quarter. That one tied the ball game at ten.

The rookie didn’t stop there. With less than thirty seconds to play in regulation and the number one seed on the line, Elliot nailed a 48-yard field goal to help the Birds take the lead at 13-10.

The Defense shows no mercy.

Philly’s defense was unrelenting against the Raiders. They forced a total of five turnovers.

Two that stand out came in the second half, thanks to a fumble and an interception. The fumble led to a game-tying field goal at the end of the third quarter. The interception led to a game-winning field goal with twenty-two seconds to play in the ball game.

In the final moments, Philadelphia’s defense scored a touchdown on a fumble return.

Philly’s 19-10 victory over Oakland clinched the number-one seed for ‘The Birds’. Heading into Week 17, the Eagles were 13-2 on the season. The next thought on their mind was the NFC Playoffs, and having home-field advantage and a first-round bye would make accomplishing their goals a bit more obtainable.

Check out the highlights:

Video courtesy of the NFL’s YouTube page

Here’s a look at the stat leaders

Philadelphia

Passing: Nick Foles (QB): 19-38, 163 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: Jay Ajayi (RB): 14 CAR, 52 YDS

Receiving: Zach Ertz (TE): 9 REC, 81 YDS

Oakland

Passing: Derek Carr (QB): 15-29, 140 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT

Rushing: Marshawn Lynch (RB): 25 CAR, 95 YDS

Receiving: Amari Cooper (WR): 3 REC, 66 YDS, 1 TD

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