By Tucker Bagley, Sports Talk Philly staff 
The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl. After last night's 38-7 drubbing of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game, there is a lot to unpack. Nick Foles looked out of this world, Doug Pederson continued to push all the right buttons and the Eagles defense made life miserable for Case Keenum all evening. But first, we'll start with an unsung hero who travelled a long way to get in the end zone and an even longer way to get to Philadelphia.
Going Deep
Patrick Robinson was not going out of bounds. At least, that is what he told his teammates before the NFC Championship Game. As the eight-year veteran corner raced down the sideline after intercepting Keenum in the first quarter, Robinson looked over his right shoulder and liked what he saw.
"I looked to my right and I saw a lineman and a running back," Robinson explained after the game. "I knew I could get past the lineman and then I saw [Ronald] Darby running down the field and he got the running back."
Darby's vicious block sprung Robinson free and the veteran scampered into the end zone, untouched. The score tied the game and settled an Eagles team that struggled from the opening kickoff.
"There was a lot of emotion going on both sides," Pederson said. "Credit Minnesota for going down on the opening drive and scoring, but to then get the interception, to get the touchdown, to get ourselves back into the game; it kind of settled us down."
Perhaps the only thing more incredible than Robinson's journey into the end zone was his journey to Philadelphia. A first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints in 2008, Robinson started 33 games during his first five years in the league. The Saints let him walk in free agency after the 2014 season and Robinson latched on with the San Diego Chargers on a one-year, $2 million contract.
Robinson played well as the Chargers slot cornerback and parlayed that one-year deal into a $12 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts last season. However, after being relatively ineffective for much of the season, the Colts put Robinson on the IR in December and decided to release him, despite having two more years on his contract.
After being released by the Colts, Robinson barely made the Eagles' roster out of training camp. The veteran started the year as the Eagles slot corner and then filled in on the outside as injuries mounted in the secondary. Robinson ended up leading the Eagles with four interceptions in the regular season and also tied a career high with 18 pass breakups.
The stat sheet will say Robinson traveled 50 yards, but his actual distance was more than twice that distance. And his marathon ignited a spark in the stadium. The Eagles went on to score 38 unanswered points and blow out a team that was favored coming into the contest.
Robinson's run into the end zone and the history books just caps off an incredible year for a 30-year-old veteran who has gone from cast off to afterthought to postseason hero. What a journey.
Injury Report
Did Not Play: Dannell Ellerbe (hamstring)
Measurables
71%: The Vikings defense finished as one of the best third-down units in NFL history, allowing opposing offenses to convert just 25.2% of their third-down opportunities. However, Foles and company absolutely shredded Minnesota on third down, converting 10 of their 14 third downs, including numerous third and longs. In addition, Foles also threw for a pair of touchdowns on third down.
141.4: Speaking of Foles, he was absolutely stellar all night long. In fact, he posted the highest passer rating in a conference championship since Kurt Warner carved up the Eagles defense in the 2008 NFC Championship Game. Not only did Foles go 26-33 for 352 yards and three touchdowns, but he was perfect in the second half. Foles completed all 11 of his second half passes for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns for a perfect passer rating of 158.3 and a near-perfect QBR of 99.9.
0: For the second-straight week, the Eagles defense allowed zero points in the second half. The Birds are the 13th team in NFL history to perform this feat in the playoffs. This week, the Eagles gave up zero points after the first drive of the game and effectively put the clamps on a Vikings offense that hadn't been held to less than 14 points since Week 4. Jim Schwartz's crew continues to play at an unbelievably high level, especially after they faltered against the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders at the end of the regular season.
Up-Down Drill
Up: Halapoulivaati Vaitai
Big V was a concern heading into the game. The second-year tackle was tasked with blocking Everson Griffen, who finished the regular season with 13.0 sacks. How did the youngster respond? He simply shut out the elite pass-rusher. Griffen had just two tackles and two quarterback hits. Vaitai has improved so much since he was forced to fill in for Jason Peters earlier in the year and even though he remains the weak link on the Eagles offensive line, he isn't as much of a liability as he once was.
Up: Zach Ertz
Ertz had been relatively quiet over the past few weeks, but he exploded on Sunday night for eight catches and 93 yards. Ertz caught all of his targets, notched five first downs and converted four third-down opportunities. Ertz was Foles's go-to guy and it was clear just how comfortable each guy was playing with each other. Heading into the Super Bowl, the Eagles need every single one of their weapons to be ready against the New England Patriots and Ertz seems to be in prime shape for a big performance on the game's biggest stage.
Up: Ronald Darby
Darby was all over the place and he finished the night with seven total tackles and three pass breakups. One of those breakups ended up being intercepted by Corey Graham. Darby did allow a few completions on underneath routes, but he never got beat over the top and was making plays on the ball all night.
Up: Derek Barnett
Rookie pass-rushers rarely have much success. But it's pretty cool to see Barnett make one of the biggest plays of the night, strip-sacking Keenum in the second quarter when the Vikings were threatening to tie the game. The Eagles scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession and never looked back. That was also the Eagles only sack of Keenum, although they did hit the Vikings' QB eight times.
A Moment of Appreciation for Howie Roseman
Not only have the Eagles won this year in spite of so many injuries, but it's amazing how so many of the team's offseason acquisitions are contributing to this team. Here's a look at some of the veterans the Eagles acquired since the end of 2016:
Foles: Starting quarterback, possible Son of God.
LeGarrette Blount: 11-yard TD run.
Jay Ajayi: Team's leading rushing, 73 yards on 18 carries.
Torrey Smith: 41-yard TD catch.
Alshon Jeffery: Two touchdowns and 85 receiving yards.
Chris Long: Fumble recovery and he hit Keenum on Robinson's interception.
Darby: Three pass breakups.
Robinson: Pick six.
That is eight veteran pickups who contributed in a big way to the Eagles making it to the Super Bowl. Yes, the best way to build a team is through the NFL Draft, but it's amazing just how good Roseman was this offseason. It's hard to imagine this success being replicated on a year-by-year basis, but it's obvious Roseman knows what he is doing and is certainly deserving of the Executive of the Year Award.
Three-Step Drop
1. As we praise the good with Roseman, it would be responsible to point out some of the bad as well. Tim Jernigan was a big acquisition in the offseason and he played like a monster early in the year. The Eagles rewarded him with a four-year, $48-million contract, but since then Jernigan has all-but-disappeared.
Since signing his contract on November 9th, Jernigan has yet to register more than one solo tackle in a game and has just one total sack. Jernigan didn't even register a single statistic in last night's game and it seems like Beau Allen is cutting into his snaps big time. Maybe Jernigan is still hampered by an ankle injury he suffered around the same time he signed his monster extension, but he certainly isn't playing like a guy who is worth $48 million right now.
2. How good is Pederson? His hiring was viewed as uninspired at best and he was the subject of a lot of criticism before this season. He's responded by rallying this team every single week and designing an offense that has been dominant for much of the season. How long has it been since fans could be confident in the Eagles' coach being an asset and not a liability? Pederson's ability to pivot this offense after Carson Wentz's injury is nothing short of masterful. He may not be as exciting as the wunderkind Sean McVay, but Pederson should be Coach of the Year.
3. Let's just take a step back for a moment and realize what occurred last night. The Philadelphia Eagles, playing the best defense in the NFL, hung 38 unanswered points in the NFC Championship Game despite being without five big contributors: Wentz, Peters, Darren Sproles, Jordan Hicks and Chris Maragos. The Eagles are one win away from their first championship since 1960. Last night's win may have been the most important victory for this franchise in the last 50+ years.
The Eagles face a stiff test in two weeks, but this team keeps coming up big in big moments and it wouldn't be totally shocking if they defeat the New England Patriots. Take a look around, because it may be a little while until they're this close to glory again.
Who's Next
It's been 13 years since the Eagles played in Super Bowl XXXIX, but they will face the same opponent, the same coach and the same quarterback when they play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII on February 3rd in Minnesota. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have become the de facto NFL dynasty and the Eagles are already listed as 5.5-point underdogs in the game.
The Eagles can't afford to fall behind early, but even a late lead isn't safe with Brady and Belichick on the other sideline. The Patriots have overcome double-digit, fourth quarter deficits in their past two Super Bowl victories and again yesterday afternoon against the Jaguars. This game will be the Eagles toughest contest of the season and it will take another Herculean effort from Foles and company for the Eagles to deliver the city of Philadelphia their first Lombardi Trophy.
