Philly Special ESPN 30 for 30 Credit: ESPN
By Michael Grant on

There’s a lot to like about the latest 30 for 30. Who wouldn’t want to relive the most memorable trick play in Super Bowl history?

The Philly Special is as much a part of Philadelphia lore as the Rocky statue. While the Sylvester Stallone character was fictional, this moment was real and on the biggest stage in America. The underdog Eagles used the element of surprise to upset the New England Patriots 41-33 in February 2018, winning their first Super Bowl title in franchise history.

Directed by Angela Zender and Shannon Furman, The Philly Special delivers what you expect from a basic sports documentary. It reunites five key members of the play: quarterback Nick Foles, tight end Trey Burton, running back Corey Clement, center Jason Kelce, and coach Doug Pederson. They look back on the season and their roles in The Philly Special.

Most Eagles enthusiasts will enjoy the nostalgia. The documentary, of course, features plenty of old takes on how Philadelphia had no chance against the mighty Patriots, especially with a backup quarterback. For a passionate fanbase, watching that archival footage never gets old.

However, as entertaining as The Philly Special can be, it falls short of the lofty standards of previous 30 for 30s. One issue is that the documentary lasts roughly 1 hour, including commercials. It could easily have been 90 minutes to 2 hours, which would have allowed more time to go into greater detail. The Philly Special tries to focus on both the team and the play, but there isn’t enough runtime to do justice to both.

One of the biggest omissions in this documentary is the lack of information about the origins of The Philly Special. There should have been more on how Doug Pederson first added it to the Eagles’ playbook. What inspired it? Did he see it elsewhere and copy it? What is the history of that play? These are reasonable questions viewers might have. The Wikipedia page on The Philly Special provides some good details. The documentary should have expanded on those.

There are some new revelations. The Philly Special offers a plausible explanation for why Foles called the play “Philly Philly” rather than “Philly Special.” Credit where credit is due. 

The Philly Special could also have included more input from longtime Eagles fans. It notes that many have Philly Special tattoos. While there is a brief interview with a tattoo artist, it would have been fascinating to speak with someone who chose to add that art to their body.

Another thing missing from The Philly Special is additional context. Part of what made Philadelphia such an unusual champion was how that franchise later unraveled. Nick Foles went from Super Bowl MVP to leaving as a free agent in 2019. Carson Wentz was never the same after his injury. Doug Pederson was fired after the 2020 season.

Adding an extra hour would have strengthened the documentary. Instead, we get a solid 30 for 30 that doesn’t quite measure up to previous ones.

The Philly Special is available on ESPN+.

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.

View all posts by Michael Grant