In 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles were all but written off in mid-December when their star quarterback went down with an injury, joining countless other starters on the sidelines right in the middle of a playoff push.

In 2018, the story is the same.

Now, as these current Eagles look to replicate their improbable title run behind reigning Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, they're putting a new twist on an accessory that defined Philly's journey to the promised land.

Masks.

That's right. They're back, baby. A year after the Eagles popularized rubber dog masks to embrace their "underdog" label throughout the playoffs, the team has unveiled new headgear as it fights to return to the postseason. Fans who saw Philadelphia upset the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night may have seen several Eagles defensive backs sporting a black ski mask after the game, and as reported by The Athletic, the mask is actually part of a deliberate plan hatched inside the team's locker room.

Several weeks ago, The Athletic's Sheil Kapadia wrote, Eagles cornerback De'Vante Bausby suggested the team "could use the mask as a sort of rallying cry" -- a symbol of the defense "stealing" the ball and "robbing" other teams. His fellow corner, injured Super Bowl LII starter Jalen Mills, apparently endorsed the idea, and since then, the Birds have taken turns not only wearing the black ski mask after turnovers but holding it up like a prize in pre-game huddles.

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Fans of opposing teams may laugh, but the masks are nothing to sneeze at if you look at the Eagles' 2017 season. Are the circumstances now and then much different? Absolutely. Then again, however, it's probably not good for anyone in the NFC if the defending champions show signs of their title-run selves, and they did just that against the Rams on Sunday -- complete with masks that make it clear a struggling team is back to having fun.

"Where we are right now, if you want to continue to play, you've got to go take it," veteran safety Malcolm Jenkins told Kapadia. "And so for us, it's kind of that season where we're going to steal everything we got. Whether it's the ball or it's the game or our chance to go play in the postseason, we've got to go take it. And so that's kind of what that ski mask is doing. And for us, I think it's bringing back that energy, having fun, guys are enthusiastic about contributing."

It's not just for the players, either. As safety Rodney McLeod, another victim of injuries this year, told Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice, the Eagles hope Philly fans embrace the ski masks just like they did the dog masks a season ago.

"We say it's robbing season," McLeod said. "It's thievery. Hopefully the fans come out next week and wear the masks with us in the stands. That'd be cool."