‘Philly Special’ and ‘America’s Game’ Premiere Wednesday, September 5 on NFL Network

The night before the 2018 NFL regular season kicks off, NFL Network celebrates the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. On Wednesday, September 5, Philly Special: Doug Pederson and the 2017 Eagles premieres at 8:00 PM ET, followed by America’s Game: 2017 Eagles at 9:00 PM ET.

​ Philly Special: Doug Pederson and the 2017 Eagles

At 8:00 PM ET, Philly Special: Doug Pederson and the 2017 Eagles airs on NFL Network, providing a behind-the-scenes look at some of the biggest moments and decisions that led to the Eagles’ first Super Bowl championship in franchise history. Building off of the success of 2015’s Do Your Job: Bill Belichick and the 2014 Patriots, 2016’s Worth the Wait: Gary Kubiak and the 2015 Denver Broncos and 2017’s Do Your Job Part II, this year’s edition features sitdown interviews with Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and others.

Narrated by Philadelphia native and Tony Award-winning actor Leslie Odom Jr., the hour-long show tells the story of the 2017 season from the coaches’ perspectives, providing insight on a variety of decisions that were made throughout the year regarding personnel, game-planning and in-game adjustments, as well as how the team overcame injuries and the “underdog” label to defeat Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

Among the topics discussed in Philly Special include:

• The hiring of Doug Pederson as head coach and the selection of Carson Wentz with the number two overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft
• How Philadelphia Eagles players approached Pederson about the team’s play-calling following the Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and the impact it had in a season-defining win over the New York Giants in Week 3
• The confidence the team had in backup quarterback Nick Foles and how the coaching staff adjusted the offense to fit his strengths
• Coaching insight on Super Bowl LII plays such as the Philly Special, the game-winning touchdown by Zach Ertz and the fourth quarter sack of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady

The following Eagles personnel were interviewed for Philly Special:

• Jeffrey Lurie – Owner
• Doug Pederson – Head Coach
• Howie Roseman – General Manager
• Frank Reich – Offensive Coordinator
• Jim Schwartz – Defensive Coordinator
• John DeFilippo – Quarterbacks Coach
• Duce Staley – Running Backs Coach
• Mike Groh – Wide Receivers Coach
• Jeff Stoutland – Offensive Line Coach
• Justin Peelle – Tight Ends Coach
• Dave Fipp – Special Teams Coordinator
• Cory Undlin – Defensive Backs Coach
• Chris Wilson – Defensive Line Coach
• Ken Flajole – Linebackers Coach
• Tim Hauck – Safeties Coach

Provided below are select quotes from Philly Special:

– “My message to the team was about finish. The whole theme of the season was ownership. So, if we’re ever in that moment, let’s own the moment and let’s finish the game.” – Doug Pederson on the message to the team the night before Super Bowl LII

– “That was really a snapshot of who Doug was all year.” – Frank Reich on the Philly Special

– “It reminded me of what they said when we hired Andy Reid: the worst coaching hire, he never really called the plays, what were they thinking?” – Jeffrey Lurie on the hiring of Doug Pederson as head coach

– “It’s not ‘My Way or the Highway’ philosophy – it’s a collaborative effort. It always has been, always will be.” – Doug Pederson on his coaching philosophy

– “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, the MVP of the National Football League just went down.’ We clinched the NFC East that night – it was a somber locker room, it was a little bit of a somber plane ride home. Inside in my gut, I was crushed.” – John DeFilippo on Carson Wentz’s season-ending injury

– “It was like the collective football world had completely written off the Philadelphia Eagles. I’m sure there were maybe one or two people who believed but I’m not sure about that. I think it was 100 percent the Eagles were finished.” – Frank Reich on the perception of the Eagles following Carson Wentz’s injury

 America’s Game: 2017 Eagles

At 9:00 PM ET, America’s Game: 2017 Eagles premieres, featuring in-depth interviews with Carson Wentz, Nick Foles, Brandon Graham and LeGarrette Blount telling the story of the Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Narrated by actor and Philadelphia native, David Boreanaz, America’s Game delves deep into the Eagles’ championship season. In the hour-long show, Wentz, Foles, Graham and Blount recount the season in their own words, concluding with the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory.

This year’s edition of America’s Game is the 52nd episode of the long-running special which celebrates the Super Bowl champions.

Provided below are select quotes from America’s Game: 2017 Eagles:

– “Playing in this city, I think you do feel that extra burden, that extra responsibility but I think you embrace it. You know how hungry they had been for a Super Bowl.” – Carson Wentz

– “Love just means you care for one another unconditionally. You have no hidden agenda, you really want what’s best for the person next to you, and with that you can do amazing things.” – Nick Foles

– “He was a big part of why I wanted to go there. I wanted to play with Carson Wentz…I can’t put him in front of Tom [Brady] right now, but he definitely has the potential to be in that elite class of quarterbacks that have played in this league.” – LeGarrette Blount

– “One of my favorite things about Coach Pederson as a play-caller is just his aggressiveness. As a quarterback and as a player that plays for him, that gives us confidence. It just showed throughout the playoffs, in those big moments he didn’t back down.” – Carson Wentz

– “It was perfect. The way things ended there was not to my liking. I had told them how bad I wanted to be there and how much I wanted to stay there and I didn’t want to leave. They couldn’t get a deal done for me. I just feel like they didn’t respect me at all.” – LeGarrette Blount on facing his former team, the New England Patriots, in Super Bowl LII

– “When I knocked that ball out and I put it on the ground and I saw Derek Barnett pick it up, the first thing I thought about was we won the game for Philly. It was like heaven on earth.” – Brandon Graham