PHILADELPHIA — The top-seeded Eagles are in search of their first
trip to the Super Bowl since the 2004 season when they host the
second-seeded Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game on
Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles (14-3) posted a 15-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons in
the divisional round last Saturday and will participate in the NFC
Championship Game for the first time since the 2008 season. They
dropped a 32-25 decision to the Arizona Cardinals in that contest.

Philadelphia hasn’t hosted an NFC Championship Game since recording
a 27-10 win over the Falcons following the 2004 season.

The Vikings (14-3) advanced following a thrilling 29-24 victory
over the New Orleans Saints. Stefon Diggs hauled in a 61-yard
touchdown catch from quarterback Case Keenum on the final play of
the game Sunday.

Like the Eagles, Minnesota has yet to win a Super Bowl. The Vikings
have dropped five consecutive NFC Championship games.

Philadelphia will enter Sunday’s game as an underdog, especially
with quarterback Carson Wentz out with a torn ACL.

“It’s about those players in that dressing room, whether we’re
three-point underdogs or three-point favorites. They really don’t
listen to that stuff,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said. “Of course,
they have been sort of force-fed for about two weeks now, three
weeks now, the information, and they just stick together. They just
stick together and find a way and it’s been that way all season.”

Backup quarterback Nick Foles did an admirable job against the
Falcons, completing 23 of 30 passes for 246 yards and a 100.1
passer rating. In two career playoff games with the Eagles — the
other coming in a 26-24 loss to the Saints in 2014 — Foles is 46
of 63 for 441 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 102.7
passer rating.

“I am very humbled to win this game and to be a part of this team,”
Foles said. “That’s what it’s always been about. I know there was a
lot of people against us this last week. Just answering questions,
and just hearing about it.

“… The biggest thing in our locker room is we believe in one
another. Everyone believes, and that was shown on display. The city
of Philadelphia obviously believes because they were here and loud.
So we are grateful for that. Honestly, it’s unbelievable to win
this game and we are not finished.”

The Vikings are in search of their first trip to the Super Bowl
since the 1976 season — Super Bowl XI.

During the regular season, the Vikings’ defense ranked first in
points allowed per game (15.8) and yards given up per game (275.9).
Defensive end Everson Griffen was tied for fourth in the league
with a career-best 13 sacks this season.

While the Vikings likely have seen video of Diggs’ amazing catch a
million times, another game awaits in the NFC Championship.

“We should celebrate this and enjoy this,” tight end Kyle Rudolph
told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “It’s hard to win playoff games.
There’s a lot of guys in this locker room, including myself, this
is our first playoff win. But it’s just the beginning. We’ve still
got a lot of work to do.

“It’d be a shame to let something like that go to waste by us not
showing up.”

The incredible final play will be etched in viewers’ minds forever.

“I don’t think it’s still really sunk in as far as like what
something like that’s going to be,” guard Jeremiah Sirles told
ESPN.com. “That’s the stuff that in 20 years, you turn on NFL Films
and it’s going to be the 2018 NFL Classic. Something like that that
you can’t take away from any player that’s in this room right now.
We’ll always be a part of something that happened that was super
special like that.”

A win over the Eagles would not only clinch a trip to the Super
Bowl, but it would also be the Vikings’ first playoff victory
against Philadelphia in four tries. The last time the teams met was
in the 2008 wild-card round.

The Vikings are 0-4 all-time in the Super Bowl. In order to get a
fifth shot, they’ll have to travel to a hostile environment and
knock out the No. 1 seed.

“They’re a pretty resilient bunch,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told
ESPN.com. “They’re pretty determined in what they’re always trying
to get done. They’re always trying to get better. They’re a good
group of guys that work really hard.”