The Philadelphia Eagles have not been in this position very often -- twice before to be exact. This will be the franchise's third Super Bowl appearance in the team's history as they seek their first NFL title since 1960.

However, this team is different, and they realistically should not be anywhere close to the Lombardi Trophy.

The plight of this team began in late September when their best running back in Darren Sproles tore his ACL and broke his arm in a week 3 game against the Giants.

The injuries did not stop there, yet that did not stop the Eagles from steamrolling their schedule. The headlines were devastating, one after the other.

Jason Peters tore his ACL, forcing the second year man Halapoulivaati Vaitai (Big V) into the mix for the Eagles. His replacement of one of the greatest offensive linemen has been as much as the team could have asked for; the "next man up" philosophy has been something the Eagles have been forced to live by.

In the same game, Peters went down and Jordan Hicks went down with a torn Achilles, meaning the team's best linebacker would also be going on injured reserve.

Nevertheless, the Eagles kept on chugging along, and by week 13 were poised to clinch the division with their trip out west. After a loss to the Seahawks, the Eagles went to Los Angeles and booked a playoff ticket by beating the Rams and clinching the NFC East.

Yet, that day felt somber. It was the most somber Eagles win I can remember, and an entire fanbase felt the same emotion across the country: hopelessness.

Despite the win, MVP candidate quarterback Carson Wentz was done; his season over, with a torn ACL.

After watching the game, and learning that the Eagles potential postseason run would be led by Nick Foles, there was a sense of despair that is very hard to relate to in sports.

A fan base deprived of championships, a city with only one championship in the last two decades -- it was the darkest playoff berth in recent sports history.

However, this team stuck together, and it has landed them in Minnesota for a Super Bowl with the greatest dynasty the NFL has ever seen.

After Wentz went down, defensive captain Malcom Jenkins went off in the locker room. His speech was a defining moment for the team.

Including the playoffs, the Eagles are 5-1 without Carson Wentz, with their only loss coming in week 17 when they rested starters for the majority of the game.

Yet, nobody had given the Eagles a chance since the injury, as Doug Pederson mentioned after the 15-10 win over the Falcons.

The resiliency of this team is unique, but this team has impressed more than just their 15-3 record. This team seems closer than some families are.

Before the season even started, Carson Wentz took the Eagles receivers up to North Dakota for a bonding trip, and the chemistry on the field this year has been second to none in the NFL.

More than just the team spending time together off the field as Wentz, Hicks, and Sudfeld did at Thanksgiving, some of the team's core has taken up roles in social action.

The morning following a Monday Night win against the Redskins on October 23rd, three Eagles starters were perched on the Pennsylvania state capitol, pushing an agenda focused on social reforms for the state of Pennsylvania.

Malcom Jenkins, Chris Long, and Torrey Smith have all put up huge contributions on the field this year to get the Eagles to this point.

In the NFC Championship alone, Long forced an interception and Smith caught a flea flicker that ultimately shut the lights off on the Minnesota sideline.

This Eagles team is different than ones we've seen in the past. The Eagles last played in the Super Bowl in 2004, and the main headlines were about chemistry questions between star receiver Terrell Owens and quarterback Donovan McNabb.

There is no question about the bond and chemistry of this team. The "we all we got, we all we need" battle cry has transformed a 7-9 team into one that is four quarters from a Super Bowl championship.

This team is resilient in ways many NFL teams are not.

There has been no reason to listen to what others think, and after being underdogs in two consecutive playoff games, this Eagles team has a chance to do what none has done before.