By Tucker Bagley, Sports Talk Philly staff writer 
As we all recover from an epic game last night, we return with a special Super Bowl edition of Eagles Armchair that explores the future of Carson Wentz and breaks down the New England Patriots win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
Going Deep
As I wake up this morning and continue to try and process what occurred on a 100-yard patch of turf in NRG Stadium last night, it's hard to look at Matt Ryan's deficiency and Tom Brady's greatness without thinking about Carson Wentz and the Eagles eventual hopes of finally bringing a Lombardi Trophy down Broad Street.
No, it probably won't happen tomorrow. It might not happen with this regime, but if Super Bowl LI is any indication, the Eagles can afford to be patient with their new franchise quarterback.
Exhibit A, of course, is Ryan. The Exton, Pa., native just finished his ninth season and seems to have finally found his groove, winning NFL MVP and posting a quarterback rating of 144.1 last night, the third-highest mark in Super Bowl history and the best in a losing effort. He's 31 and playing for his second coach.
Like Wentz, Ryan was drafted to a team who had just hired a rookie head coach. There were ups and downs during the Smith era, but it took the hiring of Dan Quinn and Kyle Shanahan to fully unlock Ryan's potential and elevate him from above-average starter to elite field general.
Wentz showed immense potential in his rookie season, exhibiting the type of moxie that is usually reserved for the top performers at his position. However, expecting him to be a truly elite quarterback on such a bad team at this point in his career seems rather unrealistic.
What if he's like Ryan and needs a different coaching staff to unlock his entire set of skills? It's too early to call it quits on Doug Pederson and company, and it seems like the Eagles have made sure they've done everything in their power to put him in a position to be successful, but it takes such a specific set of ingredients for a team and a player to become great. In time, we may learn that Pederson and Wentz aren't a match made in heaven.
Now, any comparison to Brady would simply be unfair to the young signal-caller. With last night's comeback, Brady cemented his legacy as the greatest quarterback of his generation, and quite possibly, ever. We may never see a player with his penchant for coming up big in big games, ever. But what we can focus on is his longevity. Brady's preparation is legendary, but he's now 39 years old and playing at the top of his game. With rules continuing to trend toward protecting the quarterback, who's to say Wentz won't be able to play at a high level for the next 12 or 13 years?
Which, once again, brings us back to the idea of patience. It's hard to be patient when your team hasn't experienced a championship since 1960, but with Wentz, the Eagles have their best shot since the turn of the millennium. It may not work out with this regime. It may not work out with the next one. As Jeffrey Lurie has aged, his patience has grown thin and he will make sure that anyone who isn't contributing to the ultimate goal is no longer employed for the Philadelphia Eagles.
But the honeymoon between Wentz and the fans is bound to end soon, and it's worrisome what may happen. Will he become a bum if the team isn't winning a Super Bowl every year by the end of the decade? Will he be run out of town by a fan base so desperate for greatness, they may turn their back on someone who is right on the cusp of achieving it?
Hopefully not, because kids with his potential don't come around very often.
Numbers Game
0: During the Brady-Belichick era, the Patriots have scored zero points in the first quarter of the Super Bowl. That's simply astonishing for a team that has had as much success in the big game as they have. Even in Super Bowl XXXIX, the Eagles held the Pats scoreless for the first 28:50 of the game.
12: Teams with a pick-six were 12-0 in the Super Bowl before last night. Instead of Robert Alford's interception being the biggest turnover of the game, it was Ryan's fumble late in the fourth quarter that breathed new life back into the Patriots and let them back into the game. Once again, the importance of turnovers cannot be understated.
23:27: The Falcons were held to just over 23 minutes of possession, their second lowest mark of the season. Of course, their lowest total came against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10 when the Eagles defeated the Falcons 24-15.
Quotables
"I don't know … I just tried to catch it."
-Julian Edelman on his fourth-quarter, circus catch.
The Patriots were on the wrong side of what has been widely considered to be the greatest catch in Super Bowl history. Edelman's juggling catch may have surpassed David Tyree's last night. It was an indescribable moment of greatness.
"Sometimes when you get your butt kicked, you just have to stand up and admit it."
-Dan Quinn, following his team's epic collapse.
Birds'-Eye View
I see you E Rowe. Get big
— walter thurmond III (@WaltThurm3) February 6, 2017
The Eagles' former safety tweeted in response to Rowe's pass breakup against Taylor Gabriel in the third quarter. The Eagles' former second-round pick held his own last night and certainly looked like a guy who could help the Pats as the press on for more Lombardi Trophies.
It's crazy how fast my timeline has switched up …
— Jordan Hicks (@JordanHicks) February 6, 2017
There was an odd change in perception as the Patriots began to storm back in the second half. Early in the game, it seemed like everyone was relishing in the Patriots demise, but as Brady and company started to climb their way back into the game, the football universe seemed to get behind them in hopes of witnessing greatness. Our wishes were ultimately granted.
Tom a bad man!!!
— Darren Sproles (@DarrenSproles) February 6, 2017
Real recognizes real.
Unbelievable.
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) February 6, 2017
One day, somebody will be tweeting that about him.
Awards Section
Unsung Hero Award: Stephen Gostkowski
Much of the accolades from last night will go to Brady and running back James White, but Gostkowski's kickoffs in the second half were a vital part to New England's historic comeback. On their final two drives, the Falcons had to start at their own 10-yard-line and 11-yard-line, respectively. Gostkowski was able to pop up kicks, forcing Atlanta to field the kicks outside its own end zone. Despite him missing an extra point early in the contest, Gostkowski really aided his defense with great kicks down the stretch.
The Goat Award: Kyle Shanahan
The Falcons' game management in the fourth quarter was questionable at best. On their penultimate drive, the Falcons found themselves in field goal range, but Shanahan called a pass on 2nd-and-11, but Ryan got sacked and a holding call on 3rd-and-23 pushed Atlanta out of field goal range. The history books will point to Brady mounting a historic comeback and the Falcons defense falling apart down the stretch, but Atlanta's inability to stay on the field or cash in on a field goal attempt were absolute daggers.
The G.O.A.T. Award: Tom Brady
Five Super Bowls, most ever. Four Super Bowl MVPs, most ever. Greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. Debate over.
Three-Step Drop
1. What's next for the Falcons? Up until the fourth quarter it looked like they were poised to be the next NFC powerhouse, but such a devastating loss can alter the course of a franchise. Just look at the Panthers who's fortunes turned completely around after losing the Super Bowl last season. The Falcons are better than their NFC South counterparts, but it's worth wondering just how far this team can fall after last night's collapse.
2. We'll take a quick break from the Super Bowl talk to discuss some other news that broke over the weekend: the 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. The city of Philadelphia had it's interest piqued with both Brian Dawkins and Terrell Owens listed as finalists. However, neither man got in, which is ridiculous. Owens is one of the greatest receivers of all time, ranking second in all-time receiving touchdowns and third in receiving yards.
Unlike the Basketball Hall of Fame, which inducts too many players, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has a limit of five inductees per year, which has forced a huge log jam of deserving players at numerous positions. When things such as personal bias can affect a player's candidacy, something needs to be done. The NFL and the Hall of Fame need to figure something out, because too many deserving players are sitting on the outside.
3. It is incredible to watch just how much Julio Jones opens things up for his teammates on offense. Not only did he get open and make big plays, but Jones commanded so much attention from the Patriots defense it left a number of his fellow receivers in favorable situations down the field.
However, Jones was only targeted once in the second half as the Falcons crumbled. Wide receivers can be dynamic game-changers, but it's so interesting how easily they can be taken out of the game by a variety of factors.
Who's Next?
Way-too-early Super Bowl LII prediction: Aaron Rodgers finally gets over the hump and wins his second Super Bowl, out-dueling Brady who finally starts to show the effects of his age.
