Before Super Bowl LII in 2018, the Philadelphia Eagles were preparing for more than just Tom Brady; they were facing the most dominant postseason force of their era. The New England Patriots had appeared in seven Super Bowls since 2001 and won five of them. They had defeated the Eagles before, in Super Bowl XXXIX. That loss still lingered. This time, the stakes felt bigger. The Patriots came in with a 13–3 regular season record, and Brady had thrown for over 4,577 yards in 2017. For Philadelphia, every detail mattered. They couldn’t afford to be careless—not against a team known for exploiting even the smallest oversight.

Chris Long opened up on Exciting Mics about just how cautious the Eagles became. “We were running fake plays in walk-through,” he said. “Because we were worried somebody was camped out in the upper deck.” Long recalled asking teammates about unfamiliar plays, and Lane Johnson and Brandon Brooks replied, “Dude, we’re running fake plays.” It wasn’t random—it was deliberate. That fear didn’t come out of nowhere. Long admitted, “You know, New England… Spygate, the whole thing.” The paranoia was real—and deeply rooted.

The Eagles’ fears weren’t just superstition. Back in 2007, a Patriots staff member was caught filming Jets’ defensive signals during a game. The then Jets coach Eric Mangini, once Belichick’s assistant, had tipped off NFL Security. The fallout was huge, and the NFL fined Belichick $500,000—the largest fine ever for a coach—and stripped the team of a first-round draft pick. Commissioner Goodell called it “a calculated and deliberate attempt” to break rules. The Eagles remembered. Even a decade later, players acted like spies might still be watching.

Long also shared how secretive the Eagles were before calling the Philly Special, their most iconic play. “I think I was standing next to… somebody,” he said, “and they were like, hey Trick, if I do this, this pretty cool trick play, I think maybe.” Players crowded around, trying not to look too obvious. The play came from a quiet meeting between Nick Foles and coach Doug Pederson. It wasn’t just creative—it was bold, especially before halftime.

The irony couldn’t be richer. A team that once faked plays out of fear ended up pulling off the most fearless play of the night. The Philly Special wasn’t just a touchdown—it was a message: “We’re not afraid of them.” The Eagles turned paranoia into power. They racked up 538 total yards—the most ever against a Belichick-coached defense in a postseason game. Nick Foles threw for 373 yards and won Super Bowl MVP. They scored on eight of ten possessions and never punted once. History had taught them caution. But for all the rivalry and mind games, there’s no lingering resentment.

Chris Long defends Bill Belichick against media backlash

Chris Long and Ryan Clark didn’t mince words when defending Bill Belichick against what they see as a media hit job. “He was a lot cooler than at least I thought he would be,” Clark said, reflecting on their time co-hosting Inside the NFL. He added, “I feel like some of the equity he built up doing TV, they took away from him.” Long, who played under Belichick during the Patriots’ 2016 Super Bowl run, agreed: “A lot of people have been waiting to beat Bill up because he’s always had the upper hand with the media.”

Clark and Long believe Belichick’s personal life has become fair game simply because the media sees a crack in his legendary aura. “It is a little bit of a dent in the armor. So it’s like, ‘We’re going to attack him,” Clark argued. Long echoed the sentiment: “He’s got a younger girlfriend. He is not the first older m———– to like younger women.” They don’t deny the public curiosity, but to them, this feels like payback: “They always had a disdain for him because they couldn’t get him to do what they wanted.”

Beyond personal resentment, Clark and Long pointed to real discomfort among Belichick’s critics. “He didn’t have to be any different for them, and they resented him,” Clark said. As media voices questioned his girlfriend’s presence at UNC practices and his son’s hiring, Clark stressed that Belichick “anticipated blowback.” Long added, “Let’s not act like they were not ready to do this.” While some reports cite valid concerns, the players insist the coverage has become invasive, driven less by facts than by decades of built-up frustration toward a man they couldn’t control.