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Nick Foles stood tall in the pocket , ignored the pressure and made one big throw after another.

On the biggest stage of his life, Foles silenced the critics who thought the Eagles couldn’t get to the Super Bowl without MVP candidate Carson Wentz. Foles threw for 352 and three touchdowns to lead Philadelphia to a convincing 38-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC championship game Sunday.

Now he’s headed to Minnesota to face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

”Words can’t describe what I feel right now,” Foles said. ”All glory goes to God. I’m grateful and humbled to be part of this team. No one in the locker room doubted me. We kept working, I got more reps in practice and it’s a rhythm thing.”

While Wentz watched from the sideline, using a cane to walk following surgery to repair his torn left ACL, Foles picked apart the NFL’s top-ranked defense. He tossed a perfect 53-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery with the pocket collapsing around him to give Philadelphia a 21-7 lead in the second quarter.

Foles then directed a 60-yard drive in 29 seconds to set up a field goal before halftime. He fired a 49-yard TD pass to Torrey Smith off a flea flicker to start the second half and tossed a 5-yard TD to Jeffery early in the fourth to make it 38-7.

Foles was at his best on third downs, completing 10 of 11 for 159 yards and two TDs. The Eagles had been 0 for 13 on third-and-10 or longer after Wentz went down. On Sunday, Foles threw an 11-yard pass to Zach Ertz on third-and-10 on the Eagles’ first touchdown drive. His long TD pass to Jeffery came on third-and-10.

The Eagles (15-3) have been underdogs in both playoffs games, mostly because Wentz was no longer playing. They were the first No. 1 seed not favored in a divisional round game, a 15-10 win over the Falcons. The Vikings (14-4) were 3-point favorites despite also being led by a backup quarterback – Case Keenum , Foles’ good friend and former teammate.

”You know everyone was against us,” Foles said. ”Coming out here, stick together and come away with an amazing victory against a great team.”

Keenum congratulated Foles in the tunnel after the game.

”He did a great job,” Keenum said.

Foles walked into the X-ray room after the game, but told The Associated Press after he came out: ”I’m good. I’m fine.”

Foles put on a passing clinic, completing 78.8 percent of his passes (26 of 33). Not bad for a guy who contemplated retirement before the 2016 season.

”I’m not surprised,” said Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who held the same position with the Eagles in 2013. ”I’ve seen the best of Nick.”

A third-round pick by former Eagles coach Andy Reid in 2012, Foles had tremendous success as a starter under Chip Kelly his sophomore season. He threw 29 TDs and only two picks in 11 starts, including playoffs in 2013. Foles posted a passer rating of 119.2 , third-highest in league history. He tied an NFL record with seven TD passes in a game at Oakland in November 2013 won an offensive MVP award at a Pro Bowl.

But Foles was traded to St. Louis for Sam Bradford in March 2015. He lost his starting job to Keenum and asked for his release after Jared Goff was drafted No. 1 overall. Foles considered hanging up his cleats before Reid persuaded him to go to Kansas City to be Alex Smith’s backup.

After one season with the Chiefs, Foles returned to Philly to provide insurance behind Wentz.

He’ll become a folk hero if he can deliver the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl title.

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Billy Hamilton eluded a rundown tag, and the Cincinnati Reds escaped with a victory.

Joey Votto hit a bases-loaded triple in the 10th inning after Hamilton slipped out of a rundown, and the Reds beat the Royals 5-1 on Tuesday night.

”Billy showed his athleticism and got out of that jam there and set it up for Joey,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said.

Hamilton got hung up between third and home when pitcher Kevin McCarthy (4-3) tipped Tucker Barnhart’s line drive with his glove. McCarthy picked up the ball behind the mound and threw home, and Hamilton looked done until he sidestepped Alcides Escobar’s tag and dived back safely into third base to leave the bases loaded with one out.

”I see the guy running back toward third base, I said, `Gimme the ball,”’ Escobar said. ”When I tried to tag him I thought, `Oh my God , where did the guy go?’ That was a great move right there.”

Hamilton’s speed and maneuvering set up the victory.

”That goes down as one of the more crazy things I’ve seen him do,” said Barnhart, who homered in the ninth to tie it.

Royals manager Ned Yost argued with third base ump Jeff Nelson that Hamilton ran out of the base path.

”In their judgment he didn’t leave the baseline,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. ”I said, `In my judgment he did. Can you check with Laz (Diaz, plate umpire)?’ Laz was of the same opinion. You don’t really have much ground there.”

Votto then tripled on a 2-1 count to the right-center wall, and Eugenio Suarez singled home Votto.

”I was looking for a quality pitch that I could put a little air on,” Votto said. ”Can’t hit the ball on the ground there. Can’t hit it too shallow. I got a good pitch and put a good swing on it.”

Dave Hernandez (2-0) hit a batter and struck out two.

Barnhart drove a 2-2 pitch by Kelvin Herrera over the right-field fence into in the Royals’ bullpen to lead off the ninth.

It was Herrera’s second blown save in 16 opportunities.

After Barnhart’s home run, Herrera walked Votto for his first walk of the season in his 27th relief appearance. He also walked Jesse Winker with two outs before retiring Adam Duvall on a groundball to end the inning.

Ian Kennedy, who has won one of his last 27 home starts , pitched eight scoreless innings, allowing three singles. He was removed after 104 pitches and the Royals holding a 1-0 lead.

”I leave it up to the staff to make that decision, not me,” Kennedy said on coming back for the ninth. ”I kind of felt like Kelvin has been so good this year I imagined that was probably my last inning.”

Kennedy retired 12 straight after navigating his way out of a bases-loaded jam to end the second.

The Reds loaded the bases in the second inning on Scooter Gennett’s leadoff single and walks by Suarez and Duvall. Kennedy got out of that jam when Jose Peraza flied out to center fielder Abraham Almonte, who threw out Gennett attempting to score.

Hunter Dozier led off the fifth with a 425-foot homer to left on a 2-2 pitch by Sal Romano.

That was the only hiccup for Romano. He allowed only three singles outside of Dozier’s home run in eight innings.

The Royals have dropped eight of nine and have lost 22 of 32 home games.

SPELLING LESSON

The Kaufman Stadium scoreboard spelled the opposing team as ”Cincinatti.”

ROSTER MOVES

Royals: RHP Justin Grimm (low back stiffness) was recalled from his minor league injury rehab with Triple-A Omaha and activated. The Royals optioned rookie RHP Trevor Oaks to the Storm Chasers. OF Jorge Bonifacio, who is finishing an 80-game suspension, will begin a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday with Omaha. Major League Baseball suspended Bonifacio for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: RHP Homer Bailey (right knee inflammation) allowed five runs on six hits in three innings in a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Louisville. All the runs scored in the fifth when Bailey allowed two doubles and a triple. ”I talked to (Louisville bench coach) Dick Schofield and he basically said the first two innings looked good and then he got hit hard,” Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said.

Royals: Jorge Soler (bruised left big toe) returned to the lineup for the first time since Friday.

UP NEXT

Reds: RHP Tyler Mahle has allowed two earned runs over 10 innings in his first two June starts, going 1-0.

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel is 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA in his past four starts.

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