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Eagles fans are forever bracing for disaster. They never thump their chests without first knocking on wood. The Philly Phaithful is full of fatalists who are certain that they are not entitled to have nice things.

So the Eagles' much-maligned, oft-misunderstood, long-suffering fanbase was as emotionally prepared for what happened on Sunday night as any fans could ever be. Because they have seen it all before.

Carson Wentz threw a touchdown pass to take the lead in a wild back-and-forth battle with the Rams. Then he left the game with a knee injury.

Nick Foles and the Eagles defense led them back from a fourth-quarter deficit with turnovers and a pair of field goals, and the Eagles clinched the NFC East and a playoff berth with a 43-35 win while gloomy reports of a possible ACL tear circulated on the Internet.

The Eagles never waltz into the postseason. They limp or stagger in. And the more charmed the season seems to be, the more extreme the pre-playoff peril.

The Eagles needed a narrow late-season win over the Cowboys to clinch home-field advantage when they stormed through the NFC back in 2004. But they lost Terrell Owens to an ACL tear in the effort.

Donovan McNabb broke a leg before throwing four touchdown passes against the Cardinals to lift the Eagles to 7-3 near the end of the 2002 season, so Wentz was in good company when he stayed in the game for one more touchdown after getting injured when diving for a score. McNabb—a rising MVP candidate in 2002, like Wentz this year—was lost for the remainder of the regular season. Backup Koy Detmer went down the following week.

Pro Football Talk described the mood in the Eagles organization as "subdued" as they awaited a return to Philly and a firm Wentz diagnosis on Sunday night. Eagles fans were ready to bust out the black armbands.

But there's no reason to despair just yet. The Eagles may court disaster whenever the Super Bowl appears within reach, but they never quit.

Without T.O., they manufactured playoff wins over the Vikings and Falcons in 2004, then gave the Patriots everything they had (including T.O.) in the Super Bowl.

A.J. Feeley led the Eagles to a 4-1 record when McNabb got hurt. Then McNabb returned to lead the Eagles to the NFC Championship game and an extended run as contenders.

So the Eagles have a history of overcoming the loss of irreplaceable players. This version of the team has the tools to do it: a great defense (though it took some lumps on Sunday), a strong running game, even a backup quarterback in Foles who has led the team to the postseason before. Remember: One of the NFL's other top teams is currently quarterbacked by Case Keenum. Anything is possible.

Those old McNabb and T.O. stories don't end in Super Bowl victories. No Eagles story has ever ended in a Super Bowl victory. But they often end with the Eagles persevering through adversity and exceeding expectations. For now, that will have to do.

Enjoy the playoff berth as much as you can, Eagles fans. And don’t give up hope, because the Eagles themselves never do.