Remembering The Eagles’ Comeback In 2013 Snow Bowl Against Lions

Part of what makes football such a great game is that it is played in almost every weather condition. No matter how much rain pours down on the field, no matter how cold it might be, no matter how much snow piles up in between the hash marks, the game goes on. Those conditions have created some truly memorable games throughout the NFL.

One such contest took place in Philadelphia during the 2013 season, when the Detroit Lions came to town to face the hometown Eagles.  What resulted was a game that became more memorable than anyone imagined, way beyond the mere fact that it was played in heavy snow.

This game was hugely important for both teams. The Lions were in the midst of a surprisingly strong season, putting up a 7-5 record behind a typically solid campaign from franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford. Running backs Reggie Bush and Joique Bell also gave Detroit a good 1-2 punch on the ground, creating a formidable offense that promised to keep the Lions in the game against the Eagles.

Opposing Stafford was Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles. After an injury to Michael Vick opened the door for Foles to grab the starting spot, he did just that, putting together a season with 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions in 13 appearances. LeSean McCoy was one of the best running backs in the league, playing a huge role in the Eagles' 7-5 record before this meetup.

Further helping out Philadelphia was the fact that this game was played on its home turf. Aside from a rabid fan base, the Eagles had plenty of experience playing in similar weather to games like this one. The forecast called for a couple of inches of snow and 30-degree temperatures, but an unexpected snowband over the stadium caused a whopping 8 inches to fall during the game.

The first quarter of the game put the defenses on display. Both teams went three-and-out on their first possessions, and while the Lions strung together a 10-play drive the second time they had the ball, a Joique Bell fumble stopped the possession in its tracks. Despite the turnover, the Eagles failed to capitalize, punting the ball back after failing to pick up a single first down.

After another seemingly promising Detroit possession ended in a fumble, again from Bell, Philly's offense went three-and-out yet again. At this point, the Eagles had run 12 plays from scrimmage without managing to move the chains, illustrating how poorly the offense was playing to kick off a hugely important game. It did not help that the snow was falling increasingly hard, making passing more and more difficult as the game went on.

The game's first score came early in the second quarter. Foles had thrown an interception on the first play of Philly's fourth possession, setting up Detroit in prime scoring position. Bell redeemed himself for his fumbles, punching in a 2-yard score. The weather was so bad that the Lions opted to go for two instead of attempting a kick, with Bell converting the try on a pass from Stafford.

Thankfully for all the fans who chose to stick out the awful weather, the action finally began to heat up in the third quarter. The Eagles were forced to punt again with 8:34 left in the third quarter, which Jeremy Ross promptly returned for a 58-yard score. The two-point conversion attempt failed, putting Detroit up 14-0.

The Eagles' offense had been asleep at the wheel for more than half of the game, but Foles finally woke up after the punt return score. A succession of deep passes to wide receivers Riley Cooper and DeSean Jackson led to a 44-yard strike to the latter, finally getting Philadelphia on the board and narrowing the deficit to a single score.

Things got even crazier in the fourth quarter. The first possession of the period ended in a 40-yard rushing touchdown from McCoy, an iconic run that is featured on snow game highlight reels all across the internet. Not to be outdone, Jeremy Ross returned the kickoff 98 yards for a score to put the Lions in front, 20-14. McCoy replied with yet another long touchdown, a ridiculous 57-yard scamper through heavy snow, shaking defenders out of their (snow) shoes en route to a 22-20 Philadelphia lead.

The Eagles continued to pour it on after forcing a Detroit punt. The run game once again led them to the goal line, with Foles sneaking it into the end zone from the 1-yard line for another score, making it 28-20. The defense promptly forced another fumble, stripping Stafford and recovering the ball to give the Eagles a chance to end things for good. Backup running back Chris Polk came through, delivering a 38-yard dagger to put a seesaw-like affair on ice, once and for all, at 34-20.

The MVP of the game was, without a doubt, LeSean McCoy. He finished with a final stat line of 217 yards and two touchdowns on 7.5 yards per carry. The defense deserves an honorable mention for forcing three turnovers, but McCoy's iconic tromps through the snow became a defining sign of the Eagles teams of the era.