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Zach Ertz went out wide in the formation in yet another play-calling twist by Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-johnny-townsend-jersey , facing one-on-one coverage from New England safety Devin McCourty with the Patriots leading the Eagles by one point late in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.

Ertz cut inside on a slant pattern, causing McCourty to stumble and trail the route, and moved into perfect position to catch the pass from Nick Foles and launch his body across the goal line with 2:21 left .

The NFL’s frequently contested and often confusing process-of-the-catch rule left some doubt for the Eagles, with a nerve-wracking wait for the replay review to confirm the touchdown before the Eagles were officially in the lead.

There’s no mystery about this, though: Ertz has turned himself into one of the league’s elite tight ends.

”He just really had a solid year, all the way around,” right tackle Lane Johnson said. ”He really improved on his blocking this offseason, took a lot of things to heart. Just became a better football player, man Authentic Justus Annunen Jersey , and caught that touchdown there at the end. I just couldn’t be happier for him. He works his tail off.”

Ertz had seven catches for 67 yards to help Foles and the Eagles outlast the Patriots 41-33 in a Super Bowl that featured the most combined yardage gained in the history of the NFL in the modern era.

The most important of the nine times Foles threw his way was that play that culminated with the ball popping up in the air after Ertz landed on the green Eagles paint in the end zone.

Ertz caught it on the ricochet, but the key for the legality of the play was going to be whether he turned himself into a runner before crossing the plane or if he was still in the process of making the catch. The former was the ruling.

”That seemed like an eternity over there. I mean, if they overturn that, I don’t even know what’s a catch anymore,” Ertz said.

”I had three steps in the ground. I extended for it. My back leg dragged on the ground. The city of Philly would’ve been hot if they’d have overturned that. Luckily for our city they did not.”

With a career-high eight touchdown catches with 824 receiving yards in 14 games during the regular season, Ertz came through with the kind of performance that he needed after a trying year for both him and the team in 2016.

During a December defeat that season in Cincinnati, Pederson said afterward that not all of his players gave maximum effort. Ertz was caught on camera sliding through a pair of Bengals defenders , including hard-hitting linebacker Vontaze Burfict, during one play while quarterback Carson Wentz scrambled out of bounds.

”I never really shied away from that situation I had to endure. There were some people that would say it was definitely just. It was tough. I love that the fans never gave up on me http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-preston-brown-jersey ,” Ertz said. ”I told them at the time that they would never question my effort again, and I’m lucky to be in this situation playing for this city, and I never take it for granted.”

With Rob Gronkowski on the other side, Ertz was automatically going to be the bridesmaid tight end in this game , despite his emergence as one of the NFL’s best.

Now Ertz will not only have the Super Bowl ring that Gronkowski already possessed in double, but he’ll be able to catch up in the trophy case at home. His wife, Julie Ertz, has a World Cup championship from 2015 for the U.S. national soccer team . They were married last March.

”She’s just so happy for me,” Ertz said Authentic John Tavares Jersey , adding: ”Our marriage is extremely strong even though we’re pulled in 1,000 different directions.”

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As far as Javier Baez is concerned, no deficit is too big for the Chicago Cubs to overcome.

Baez and his teammates showed why he feels that way on Saturday.

Baez homered and had four hits – including a game-tying infield single in the eighth – and the Cubs rallied from a five-run deficit for an 8-7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Anthony Rizzo’s RBI groundout capped a four-run eighth inning for Chicago, which has come from behind in each of its last eight wins.

”That’s what we do,” Baez said. ”We fight to the end. We’ve been coming back since 2016.”

Eugenio Suarez homered and Billy Hamilton added three hits and three stolen bases for Cincinnati, which had its five-game winning streak against the Cubs snapped.

Randy Rosario (4-0) allowed two hits in 2 1/3 innings to get the win. Brandon Morrow worked the ninth for his 20th save.

The Reds took a 7-4 lead into the eighth, but reliever Amir Garrett – who retired three straight batters in the seventh – walked Victor Caratini and Addison Russell to start the inning. Pinch hitter David Bote then singled to load the bases.

Jared Hughes (2-3) replaced Garrett and Ben Zobrist greeted him with a two-run double to left-center to trim the deficit to 7-6. Baez followed with a comebacker, but Hughes bobbled the ball and then fell down as he picked it up. Baez was credited with an RBI infield hit as Bote scored for a tie at 7.

”It was right there; it hit my glove,” Hughes said. ”I think it was a hit http://www.titansauthorizedshops.com/authentic-rashaan-evans-jersey , but still, I should have made the play.”

Rizzo then drove in Zobrist with a groundout to second base to put Chicago on top.

”Amir gave us a clean seventh inning, and the wheels fell off in the eighth,” Cincinnati manager Jim Riggleman said.

The five-run deficit was the largest the Cubs have overcome during the eight comeback wins.

”It’s fantastic,” Bote said of Chicago’s string of comebacks. ”The quality at-bats the last two weeks have been incredible.”

Suarez’s three-run blast in the third gave the Reds a 5-0 lead.

Chicago moved closer with a pair of runs in the fourth. Caratini drove in the first with a double and then scored on an RBI groundout by Russell.

Cincinnati reclaimed the five-run advantage with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings on RBI singles by Jesse Winker and Joey Votto.

The Cubs made it 7-3 in the bottom of the sixth as Rosario drove in a run with a single for his first major league hit and RBI.

Baez’s 17th homer leading off the seventh trimmed the deficit to three runs.

HARVEY SOLID

Reds starter Matt Harvey was in line to win his fourth straight start before the eighth-inning meltdown. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) in 5 2/3 innings. He has a 1.88 ERA over his last four starts. ”It’s a good sign that I can go out, not feel great, be out of whack and still get somewhat deep in the game and limit the damage,” Harvey said.

SUN FIELD

Harvey might have completed the sixth without giving up a third run had right fielder Scott Schebler not lost a pop fly by Russell in the sun with one out. It dropped in for a double. Rosario followed with a single to drive in Russell.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: OF Jason Heyward left the game after taking a foul ball to the groin in the third inning. 3B Kris Bryant (left shoulder inflammation) took batting practice, fielded grounders and ran the bases before the game. Manager Joe Maddon said Bryant will go on a rehab assignment before being activated http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-mike-remmers-jersey , although the details haven’t been worked out yet.

UP NEXT

LHP Jon Lester (11-2, 2.25 ERA) looks to become the NL’s first 12-game winner on Sunday in the finale of the three-game series. Lester has won seven straight starts. RHP Luis Castillo (5-8, 5.53) pitches for the Reds.

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