2003 Philadelphia Eagles season
Encyclopedia
The 2003
Philadelphia Eagles
season was their 71st in the league
. They matched their previous season's record, going 12–4, however, they were again upset in the NFC Conference Championship. The team made the playoffs for the fourth straight year, won its third straight NFC East
division title, and had the NFC's top record for the second straight season.
After losing their final game in Veterans Stadium
to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in the 2002 NFC Championship, Philadelphia looked to turn the page with the opening of brand-new Lincoln Financial Field
, but the stadium got an inaspicious start when the Eagles dropped their first two games there, including a season-opening loss to Tampa Bay. A crushing loss to the Dallas Cowboys
left the Eagles, expected to compete for the Super Bowl, at a precarious 2–3, and it looked to be 2–4 before Brian Westbrook
returned a punt for a touchdown to shock the New York Giants
in the closing minutes of their Week 7 contest. The play turned the Eagles' season around and they won their next nine games, finishing with a 12–4 record. In the playoffs, the Eagles needed a miracle conversion on 4th and 26
to defeat the Green Bay Packers
, but the magic had run out by the next week and the team dropped a 14–3 decision to the Carolina Panthers
at Lincoln Financial Field in the NFC Championship.
A preseason holdout by running back Duce Staley
resulted in a running back by committee situation by Staley, Westbrook, and Correll Buckhalter
. The trio rushed for a combined 1,613 yards and 20 touchdowns and became known as "The Three-Headed Monster." The rushing attack, which also benefited from 355 rushing yard and three touchdowns by quarterback Donovan McNabb
, carried the offense, which featured a weak receiving corps that did not record a touchdown until Week 9. There were calls early in the season to replace McNabb with backup A.J. Feeley
, but McNabb would find his rhythm and enjoy a great season. The defense weathered early injuries to defensive backs Bobby Taylor
and Brian Dawkins
to eventually surrender the seventh-fewest points in the league. Cornerback Troy Vincent
, in his final season as an Eagle, was elected to the Pro Bowl
. The weakness in the defense would be in stopping the run, something the team struggled with even at the height of their nine-game winning streak.
Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.
, who ruined the Eagles' bid for a Super Bowl
the previous season by defeating them in the their final game at Veteran's Stadium
, spoiled the opening of Lincoln Financial Field
by thoroughly dominating the Eagles in a 17–0 shutout. A big run by James Thrash
gave the Eagles a chance at an early field goal, but head coach Andy Reid
tried a fake field goal to rookie tight end L.J. Smith
, who let the ball go off of his fingertips. Early in the second quarter, Tampa Bay put up a field goal for a 3–0 lead, while the Eagles looked out of sync. A touchdown pass to Joe Jurevicius
, who had made a huge reception in the 2002 NFC Championship, made it 10–0. Jurevicius caught another short touchdown on the next drive, which ate half of the fourth quarter. The loss was thoroughly embarrassing, and adding injury to insult, Brian Dawkins
and Bobby Taylor
both had to leave the game with injuries.
to only a first quarter field goal. Duce Staley
scored Philadelphia's first points of the season early in the second quarter, but two Tom Brady
touchdown passes in the second quarter made it 17–7 Patriots at halftime. Brady found Deion Branch
for a touchdown in the third quarter before Eagles' placekicker David Akers
booted a 57-yarder, his career high. Tedy Bruschi
intercepted Donovan McNabb
for a touchdown to break it open at 31–10. In total, the offense gave up six turnovers and seven sacks.
a 23–13. The Eagles methodically built a 16–0 lead through the first three quarters. Correll Buckhalter
scored a short touchdown in the first quarter, and David Akers
added three field goals. In the final period, Drew Bledsoe
rallied Buffalo to two straight touchdowns, cutting the lead to 16–13. However, Brian Westbrook
broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and charged through the middle for a 62-yard touchdown run to seal the deal. Donovan McNabb
, nursing a sore thumb on his throwing hand, threw for 172 yards and rushed for 47, while the defense played a solid game, especially in the first half.
to a 27–25 victory. David Akers
opened the scoring with a 52-yard field goal, and a short touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb
to fullback Jon Ritchie
gave Philadelphia a 10–0 lead in the second quarter. Redskin quarterback Patrick Ramsey
rushed for a touchdown to cut into the Eagles' lead, and the teams traded field goals to make it 13–10 Eagles at halftime. In the third quarter, the Redskins tied the game on a field goal. The Eagles defense restored the lead when defensive lineman Darwin Walker
hit Ramsey as he was throwing, flinging the ball into the air and into the arms of teammate N.D. Kalu who returned it 15 yards for the touchdown. After another Washington field goal in the fourth quarter, Brian Westbrook
scored on 19-yard run with three minutes left to play, which put Philadelphia up 27–16 and appeared to end the game, as in Buffalo the previous week. The Redskins instead mounted a furious rally, with kicker John Hall
booting a 53-yard field goal, the special teams recovering an onside kick, and Ramsey firing a 32-yard touchdown pass to Darnerien McCants
with seconds remaining. However, the Eagles broke up the two-point conversion to preserve Philadelphia's first victory in Lincoln Financial Field
. The defense turned in a relatively strong performance despite the absence of Pro Bowlers Brian Dawkins
, Troy Vincent
, and Bobby Taylor
.
and fell to them 23–21, their first loss to Dallas since 1999
. Andy Reid
tried an opening kickoff onsides kick, which had helped spark the Eagles' 2000
season opening route of Dallas, but the Cowboys' new coach, Bill Parcells
, was not fooled and the gamble blew up in Philadelphia's face. Randal Williams
fielded the bouncing kick and raced into the end zone untouched in three seconds – the fastest touchdown in NFL history. Brian Westbrook
's five-yard touchdown run in the second quarter tied the score, but Billy Cundiff
kicked a field goal just before halftime to make it 10–7 Dallas. Troy Hambrick
finished a third quarter Dallas drive with a one-yard touchdown to open a 17–7 Cowboy lead. A 52-yard catch-and-run by Duce Staley
on the Eagles' ensuing drive brought Philadelphia within three points, but the Cowboys answered back with another field goal. With less than five minutes left to play, Correll Buckhalter
broke free for a 20-yard touchdown run, giving Philadelphia a 21–20 lead. A long kick return helped set up Dallas' go-ahead field goal. Donovan McNabb
, who struggled mightily throughout the game with a thumb injury, could not advance the team into field goal range after James Thrash
returned the kickoff to midfield. Westbrook, Staley, and Buckhalter combined for over 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The loss dropped Philadelphia to 2–3 and a repeat of a division title appeared in doubt.
delivered the play of the year for the Eagles, returning a punt with less than two minutes left to win the game 14–10 over the New York Giants
. In the first quarter, Westbrook's five-yard touchdown run (his fourth in four games) gave Philadelphia a 7–0 lead. New York got a field goal in the second quarter and a Jeremy Shockey
touchdown reception in the third to take a 10–7 lead. It could have been more, as they drove inside the Philadelphia 40-yard line seven times, but usually squandered their opportunities. Meanwhile, the Eagles' offense was virtually non-existent throughout the game. Donovan McNabb
had his worst game as a professional, only completing 9-of-23 passes for a meager 64 yards. Inside the two-minute warning, the Giants forced the Eagles to burn their timeouts, then punted to give it back to the dormant Philadelphia offense and end the game. However, Westbrook fielded the Jeff Feagles
punt on a bounce, broke through the first few defenders, and began to race down the left sideline and into the end zone, stealing the victory and saving the Eagles' season. The 84-yard punt return was a turning point for Philadelphia, saving them from falling to 2–4 and propelling them on a what would be a nine-game winning streak.
, 24–17 in a sea-saw game. After a 30-yard field goal gave New York the first points, Correll Buckhalter
scored on a six-yard run to take the lead. Santana Moss
hauled in a 60-yard bomb from Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde
to go up 10–7. In the second quarter, Buckhalter scored his second touchdown, from seven yards out, to retake the lead for Philadelphia. For the Jets, quarterback Chad Pennington
, returning from a preseason injury, took over midgame as planned. After a Donovan McNabb
interception in the third quarter, Pennington drove his team down the field and LaMont Jordan
finished the drive with a touchdown run and a 17–14 New York lead. McNabb rebounded and led the Eagles to a go-ahead touchdown – a four-yard pass to fullback Jon Ritchie
. A big tackle by Darwin Walker
on LaMont Jordan on 4th and 1 led to Philadelphia's final points – a field goal by David Akers
. McNabb passed for 141 yards and a touchdown, an improvement over his dismal performance against the Giants. Buckhalter had his second-career 100-yard game, along with two scores. The Eagles improved to 4–3 and were now only one game out of first place.
and defeated the lowly Atlanta Falcons
23–16. A turnover on the opening kickoff led to a short field goal for David Akers
. Following a Lito Sheppard
interception in the red zone, the Donovan McNabb
connected with Freddie Mitchell
for a 39-yard touchdown pass – the first to a wide receiver all season for the Eagles. The second quarter belonged to Atlanta, as they scored thirteen unanswered points and went into halftime ahead 13–10. Philadelphia took care of business in the second half, tying the game on a field goal, while the defense stifled the Falcon offense, which switched quarterbacks in the third quarter. A pair of big catches by rookie tight end L.J. Smith
powered a drive that ended in a Duce Staley
touchdown run and a Philadelphia lead. The teams traded field goals later in the fourth quarter, but the defense kept Atlanta out of the end zone. McNabb had his first 300-yard passing game in two years, Correll Buckhalter
rushed for 92 yards, and L.J. Smith had a breakout performance with six catches for 97 yards. The Eagles went to 5–3 and suddenly had three wins in a row.
on Monday Night Football
, Donovan McNabb
led the Eagles to a last-minute victory over Brett Favre
and the Green Bay Packers
. Both offenses struggled on a wet field in the first half. David Akers
and Ryan Longwell
each missed field goals, and the only points of the half would be a 24-yard touchdown reception by Packer halfback Ahman Green
. The Eagles got on the board with a short Akers field goal after a long drive in the third quarter. Donovan McNabb
then scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give Philadelphia a 10–7 lead. However, Ahman Green broke a 45-yard run to the end zone that put Green Bay back on top 14–10. The Philadelphia defense came up with a big stop to give McNabb and the offense one last chance with 2:43 left in the game. McNabb marshalled the team downfield and with less than thirty seconds remaining, he hit Todd Pinkston
in the end zone with the game-winning touchdown pass. The Packers struggled to hold onto the ball (Favre especially), and turned it over three times compared to zero turnovers for the Eagles. Ahman Green rushed for 192 yards in defeat (Green Bay rushed for 241 as a team). The suddenly red-hot Eagles were now 6–3 on the season.
in an easy 28–10 route. The Giants scored first on a short field goal, but the Eagles answered back late in the first quarter when Donovan McNabb
drove the team down the field, setting up a one-yard touchdown by Correll Buckhalter
. Brian Westbrook
scored on a 29-yard pass play in the second quarter and a four-yard run in the third quarter as Philadelphia went ahead 21–3. Tiki Barber
, who rushed for over 100 yards, scored in the fourth quarter, but Westbrook took in his third touchdown on a short pass to end the scoring. McNabb had one of his best games, completing 24 of 30 passes for 314 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Westbrook, developing a reputation as a 'Giant killer,' had 108 all-purpose yards to go along with his three touchdowns. The win moved the Eagles to 7–3 and virtually knocked the reeling Giants out of contention, while A Dallas loss allowed the Eagles to move into a tie for first place in the NFC East
.
33–20. Todd Pinkston
pulled down a 48-yard bomb to open the game, and the drive ended in a chip-shot David Akers
field goal. Brian Westbrook
scored on a 15-yard run and it 10–0 Eagles. Correll Buckhalter
scored in the second quarter as Philadelphia pulled away. Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks completed a touchdown pass later in the quarter, but Akers kicked another field goal to end the half 20–7 Philadelphia. After another Akers field goal, Deuce McAllister
broke a 76-yard touchdown run to narrow the score to 23–14. The Eagles, who moved the ball easily all game, responded with another field goal and a Donovan McNabb
to fullback Jon Ritchie
touchdown pass to open a 33–14 lead. McAllister scored again, but the conversion failed and Philadelphia had won its sixth straight. McNabb threw for 259 yards and did not allow an interception for the fourth consecutive week. Duce Staley
, McNabb, Westbrook, and Buckhalter combined for 201 rushing yards to counter the 177 rushing yards by McAllister.
squared off in a key battle for NFC
supremacy and the Eagles emerged with the win. A rare Donovan McNabb
interception allowed Carolina to score a quick field goal. But he rebounded, leading the Eagles on a 10-play drive capped by a touchdown plunge by Duce Staley
. In the second quarter, David Akers
connected for his first field goal. He was good from 48-yards out in the third quarter to put Philadelphia up 13–3. Carolina's offense then struck when Jake Delhomme
found Steve Smith for a 24-yard touchdown pass to make it 13–10 going into the final quarter. A long drive by McNabb ended in a big Akers field goal. Then, the defense provided a big play when a blitz by linebacker Nate Wayne
caused a fumble, recovered by Darwin Walker
. This set up a McNabb 10-yard touchdown pass to James Thrash
, who was pushed into the end zone by Carolina defenders trying to tackle him. The two point conversion by Philadelphia failed. Delhomme completed another touchdown, this one to Muhsin Muhammad
, but kicker John Kasay
missed the extra point, leaving the score 22–16. Trying to burn the clock, McNabb slowly marched the Eagles down the field and Akers came on to kick his fourth field goal, giving the Eagles a nine-point lead. While Akers was 4-for-4 on field goals and won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, Kasay was 1-for-4 with a missed extra point. Staley, Correll Buckhalter
, and Brian Westbrook
combined for 118 rushing yards, while McNabb was efficient, completing 18-of-26 passes. The big win moved Philadelphia to 9–3, with the top record in their conference.
essentially at stake, the Eagles crushed the Bill Parcells
-led Dallas Cowboys
36–10. Dallas tried early to establish their running game, and late in the first quarter, they scored the game's first points on a field goal. Philadelphia evened the score in the second quarter, then took the lead when Donovan McNabb
guided the offense down the field and tossed a short pass to Brian Westbrook
, who broke several tackles on his 16-yard scamper to the end zone. Dallas responded with a long drive that ended in a Quincy Carter
touchdown pass, sending the game to halftime tied 10–10. The Eagles would own the second half. Sheldon Brown picked off Carter, setting up a shovel pass touchdown to Duce Staley
. Later, a botched shotgun ended with Carter kicking the ball out of the endzone on an intentional safety as Philadelphia assumed a 19–10 lead. Another interception, this one by Bobby Taylor
, resulted in tight end L.J. Smith
's first career touchdown reception. David Akers
added a field goal in the fourth quarter, and a 64-yard burst through the middle by Correll Buckhalter
in the final minutes made it 36–10. The defense, especially the pass defense, absolutely shut Dallas down in the final two quarters. McNabb finished with 248 passing yards and three touchdowns and Buckhalter had 115 yards on 13 carries. The Eagles record went to 10–3 and the team had all but wrapped up their third straight division title.
matchup in Miami, the Eagles had roughly 20,000 fans who made the trip in attendance as they beat the 8–4 Dolphins in a shootout. A 59-yard bomb to Todd Pinkston
opened the game, and two plays later, Brian Westbrook
danced through the defense and into the end zone on a 21-yard run for a quick touchdown. The Miami Dolphins
answered with a touchdown, and on the Eagles' ensuing possession, Donovan McNabb
took it in himself for a score. Quickly, the Dolphins came back with another touchdown, but Philadelphia retook the lead when Freddie Mitchell
completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Westbrook, who beat linebacker Zach Thomas
, on a trick play. The teams traded field goals before halftime, and in the third quarter a rushing touchdown by Ricky Williams
tied the game at 24–24. In the fourth quarter, Correll Buckhalter
, on a short sweep, dove over the pylon for the go-ahead touchdown. The Eagles would drain the clock on their next drive and eventually added a field goal to take a ten-point lead and put the game away. The Eagles scored four touchdowns on a defense that had only given up 17 all season. Their record improved to 11–3 and their winning streak was now at nine games.
snapped the Eagles' nine-game winning streak. A bad snap led to an early field goal miss for San Francisco, but after an Eagles 3-and-out, the 49ers took back over and scored on a 15-yard screen pass to Kevan Barlow
. The defense then tightened and creating a turnover that led to a short Duce Staley
touchdown run. Todd Pinkston
fumbled away a touchdown out of the endzone after catching a long pass from Donovan McNabb
. The Eagles took a 14–7 lead on another short-yardage Staley touchdown. A 33-yard pass from Garcia to Brandon Lloyd
tied the score at halftime. Before the half was over, 49ers star Terrell Owens
had broken his collarbone, and Eagles starting linebacker Carlos Emmons
had broken his leg – a big blow for the playoffs. Brian Westbrook
returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter – bringing back recent memories of his big touchdown in the Meadowlands
. San Francisco answered with two fields goals and a touchdown by Barlow (followed by a successful two-point conversion) to take a 28–21 lead. McNabb rallied the Eagles, driving them down the field (with Freddie Mitchell
coming up with a big 4th down reception). McNabb beat the blitz and Pinkston made a backward diving catch to tie the game with a minute left. In overtime, Tony Parrish
picked off McNabb and returned it inside the Eagles 5-yard line. Todd Peterson kicked the game winner and the Eagles' streak ended. McNabb had two interceptions and David Akers
missed two field goals. Pinkston had 121 receiving yards and a touchdown, but Barlow rushed for 154 for San Francisco.
title, the Eagles walloped the Washington Redskins
31–7. Donovan McNabb
called for a quick snap and threw the ball to Chad Lewis
for a touchdown when he noticed Washington had left him uncovered for Philadelphia's first score. A 96-yard drive, the longest of the season, ended with McNabb bootlegging it into the end zone as Philadelphia took control early. Freddie Mitchell
made it 21–0 Philadelphia with a touchdown reception later in the second quarter. Rock Cartwright
scored a one-yard touchdown a few minutes later, but that was all Washington would get. Correll Buckhalter
added a touchdown and David Akers
kicked a field goal as Philadelphia cruised 31–7. McNabb passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns, Todd Pinkston
had 74 receiving yards, and the defense recorded five sacks. However, Brian Westbrook
, one of the top weapons of the Philadelphia offense, tore his biceps muscle and was lost for the playoffs.
game", the Eagles came back and beat the Green Bay Packers
in one of the most dramatic playoff games in their history. Inspired after the death of his father, Brett Favre
led the Packers to victories in their final four games to win the NFC North
Division, then led the team into overtime against the Seattle Seahawks
in a game eventually won on an interception return by former Eagle Al Harris. The Packers were proclaimed by experts as the "team of destiny" and had the sympathy of the nation. The Eagles, who finished 12–4, had ended the season with nine wins in ten games, but had some injuries on defense and were without running back Brian Westbrook
for the playoffs. On a wall in the Eagles' locker room, it was written, "If they're the team of destiny, where does that leave us?"
The Eagles offense came out sluggishly, failing to record a first down on their first three drives. One play after Donovan McNabb
turned the ball over on a fumble, Brett Favre
hit Robert Ferguson with a 40-yard touchdown pass after Ferguson had burnt the Philadelphia coverage. A 44-yard scramble by McNabb got Philadelphia into the Green Bay red zone, but David Akers
missed a 33-yard field goal. Favre promptly marched the Packers down the field and found Ferguson again for a 7-yard touchdown and it was 14–0 Packers as the first quarter came to a close. In the second quarter, the Eagles went to the air and McNabb tossed a big 45-yard pass to Todd Pinkston
, then fired a quick 7-yard touchdown pass to Duce Staley
to cut the Packer lead in half. Late in the half, the defense came up with a goal line stand after Green Bay had 1st and goal from the four-yard line. On 4th and 1, Packer running back Ahman Green
was stuffed and the game went to halftime 14–7.
On their two possessions in the third quarter, the Packers got inside the Philadelphia 40-yard line, but they failed to score both times. The Eagles, again attacking through air, drove it into the Green Bay red zone. On the first play of the fourth quarter, McNabb scrambled to the right and found Pinkston in the front right corner of the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. Favre completed a 44-yard bomb to Javon Walker
to get inside the Eagles 10-yard line a few minutes later, but the Packers settled for a field goal and went up 17–14. With 8:44 left to play, the Packers took back over and began a long drive that drained the clock. The drive stalled at the Philadelphia 41-yard line, and the Packers decided to punt on 4th and 1 with just over two minutes left in regulation. The Eagles took over and immediately Staley burst forward for 22 yards, but a costly sack and two incomplete passes left the Eagles at 4th and 26
from their own 26-yard line. On what looked to potentially be the final play of their season, McNabb fired a laser over the middle that Freddie Mitchell
came down with for a 28-yard gain. McNabb completed another pass to Mitchell and a 10-yarder to Pinkston to get to the Packer 19-yard line. With seconds left in regulation, Akers booted the 33-yard field goal home and the game went to overtime. After a three-and-out by Philadelphia, Favre was chased on his first play and heaved the ball into the air, almost like a punt. Brian Dawkins
caught the pass and the returned it well inside Packer territory. McNabb got the Eagles up to the Packer 13-yard line and Akers came on to kick the game-winner, sending Philadelphia to the NFC Championship and leaving Green Bay's "destiny" in ashes. McNabb had thrown for 248 yards and two scores, while also running 11 times for 107 yards. Pinkston caught 7 passes for 95 yards in one of the biggest games of his career. Ahman Green ran for 156 yards off of the Eagles defense.
. It was their third straight championship game defeat, and second in a row at home. They had beaten the Panthers 25–16 in Week 13 in Carolina, but the Panthers' opportunistic defense disrupted the wounded Eagles offense, holding them to three points and dashing their hopes for a Super Bowl a week after the 4th and 26
miracle. The Panthers, just two years removed from a 1–15 season, went 11–5 in 2003, winning the NFC South
. In the playoffs, they defeated Dallas 29–10 and beat the St. Louis Rams
in double overtime on a 69-yard touchdown catch by Steve Smith.
Carolina drove into Philadelphia territory on their opening drive, but punted the ball away. Donovan McNabb
marched the Eagles down the field, reaching the Carolina 32-yard line after a 23-yard catch and run by Correll Buckhalter
. However, the drive stalled and the Eagles punted. The teams traded punts again, but early in the second quarter Jake Delhomme
broke through and led the Panthers down the field, completing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad
on a badly thrown ball that somehow beat the Eagles' double coverage. McNabb responded with a long drive, but on 1st and 10 from the Carolina 23-yard line, he was knocked down by his own lineman being pushed back, and was hit by linebacker Greg Favors
after he was down. The Eagles sideline pleaded for a late-hit call, but to no avail. McNabb returned after one play, and had a 10-yard completion to Freddie Mitchell
(which was initially ruled a drop). This set up a 41-yard field goal by David Akers
that made it 7–3. Philadelphia's final drive of the half was ended when rookie Ricky Manning Jr. picked off McNabb, who was visibly hurt. While the Eagles defense played well, the offense was stifled by four first half sacks.
With McNabb playing with torn cartilage in his ribs, the Eagles went to the ground, using Buckhalter and Duce Staley
to drive into Carolina's red zone on their first drive of the third quarter. However, Ricky Manning Jr. stepped in front of a McNabb pass intended for Todd Pinkston
and came away with his second interception, which proved to be tremendous blow. On Philadelphia's next possession, receiver James Thrash
was hit as the ball arrived and Ricky Manning Jr. grabbed the deflection and returned it 13-yards to the Philadelphia 37-yard line, his third interception. DeShaun Foster
helped power the ball to the Eagles' one-yard line, and on first and goal from there, he ran over linebacker Mark Simoneau
as he pushed into the end zone. Now behind 14–3, Philadelphia's crippled offense was unable to pick up a first down the rest of the quarter. On the first drive of the fourth quarter, Koy Detmer
finally came in to replace the injured McNabb. Detmer led the Eagles to the Panther 11-yard line, but he was then intercepted by Dan Morgan
, ending the Eagles' final threat. Philadelphia got the ball back one final time, and as McNabb watched from the sidelines, could not get past midfield.
For the second year in a row, the Philadelphia fans were forced to watch another team celebrate on their field. The five sacks and four interceptions by Carolina's defense were devastating, while receivers Pinkston and Thrash were manhandled by the Panther secondary throughout the game. The injury to McNabb, on an offense already missing Brian Westbrook
, left the offense punchless and made the 14–3 deficit insurmountable. In three quarters of action, McNabb was 10-for-22 for only 100 yards, while Buckhalter and Staley combined for 127 rushing yards. The Panthers rushed for 155 yards on the night. After what looked at times to be a blessed season, the Eagles' playoff campaign ended with an NFC Championship Game defeat, yet again.
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
season was their 71st in the league
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. They matched their previous season's record, going 12–4, however, they were again upset in the NFC Conference Championship. The team made the playoffs for the fourth straight year, won its third straight NFC East
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
division title, and had the NFC's top record for the second straight season.
After losing their final game in Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in the 2002 NFC Championship, Philadelphia looked to turn the page with the opening of brand-new Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, but the stadium got an inaspicious start when the Eagles dropped their first two games there, including a season-opening loss to Tampa Bay. A crushing loss to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
left the Eagles, expected to compete for the Super Bowl, at a precarious 2–3, and it looked to be 2–4 before Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
returned a punt for a touchdown to shock the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the closing minutes of their Week 7 contest. The play turned the Eagles' season around and they won their next nine games, finishing with a 12–4 record. In the playoffs, the Eagles needed a miracle conversion on 4th and 26
4th and 26
4th and 26 is the commonly used name for a famous play on Sunday, January 11, 2004, during the 2003–04 NFL playoffs. The play occurred during the fourth quarter of a divisional playoff game between the visiting Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in...
to defeat the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, but the magic had run out by the next week and the team dropped a 14–3 decision to the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
at Lincoln Financial Field in the NFC Championship.
A preseason holdout by running back Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
resulted in a running back by committee situation by Staley, Westbrook, and Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
. The trio rushed for a combined 1,613 yards and 20 touchdowns and became known as "The Three-Headed Monster." The rushing attack, which also benefited from 355 rushing yard and three touchdowns by quarterback Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
, carried the offense, which featured a weak receiving corps that did not record a touchdown until Week 9. There were calls early in the season to replace McNabb with backup A.J. Feeley
A.J. Feeley
Adam Joshua Feeley is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
, but McNabb would find his rhythm and enjoy a great season. The defense weathered early injuries to defensive backs Bobby Taylor
Bobby Taylor (American football)
Robert Taylor, III is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks.-Early life:...
and Brian Dawkins
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
to eventually surrender the seventh-fewest points in the league. Cornerback Troy Vincent
Troy Vincent
Troy Darnell Vincent is a former Defensive Back for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dolphins with the 7th overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin.Mr...
, in his final season as an Eagle, was elected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
. The weakness in the defense would be in stopping the run, something the team struggled with even at the height of their nine-game winning streak.
Player Selections
The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick. It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with.Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.
| = Pro Bowl Pro Bowl In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those... er |
= Hall of Famer Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees... |
| Rd | |PLAYER | |COLLEGE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | |||
| Defensive End | ||||
| 1 | 30 | Pick Traded to San Diego Chargers | ||
| 2 | 61 | |||
| Tight End | Rutgers Rutgers Scarlet Knights football The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play... |
|||
| 3 | 95 | |||
| Wide Receiver | Virginia | |||
| 4 | Pick Traded to Green Bay Packers | |||
| 4 | 131 | |||
| Defensive End | Miami (FL) | |||
| 5 | Traded Pick to Green Bay Packers | |||
| 6 | 185 | |||
| Tackle | Southern Miss The University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi, informally known as Southern Miss, is a large public research university located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, United States. It is situated north of Gulfport, Mississippi and northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana... |
|||
| 6 | 202 | Traded Pick to Atlanta Falcons | ||
| 7 | 244 | |||
| Defensive Back | LSU | |||
| 7 | 245 | Traded Pick to Green Bay Packers |
Staff
Opening training camp roster
| Philadelphia Eagles 2003 opening training camp roster | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks Running Backs UR UR UR Wide Receivers UR UR UR UR Tight Ends UR R |
Offensive Linemen R UR UR UR UR UR UR UR Defensive Linemen R UR UR R UR UR |
Linebackers UR UR UR Defensive Backs UR UR R UR UR Special Teams Notations
|
||||||
Regular season
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | TV Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8, 2003 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
L 17–0 | ABC 9:00pm | |
| 2 | September 14, 2003 | New England Patriots New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
L 31–10 | CBS 4:15pm | |
| 3 | Bye | ||||
| 4 | September 28, 2003 | at Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 23–13 | FOX 1:00pm | |
| 5 | October 5, 2003 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 27–25 | FOX 4:15pm | |
| 6 | October 12, 2003 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 23–21 | FOX 1:00pm | |
| 7 | October 19, 2003 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 14–10 | FOX 1:00pm | |
| 8 | October 26, 2003 | New York Jets New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 24–17 | CBS 4:15pm | |
| 9 | November 2, 2003 | at Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 23–16 | FOX 4:15pm | |
| 10 | November 10, 2003 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 17–14 | ABC 9:00pm | |
| 11 | November 16, 2003 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 28–10 | FOX 1:00pm | |
| 12 | November 23, 2003 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
W 33–20 | FOX 1:00pm | |
| 13 | November 30, 2003 | at Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion... |
W 25–16 | FOX 1:00pm | |
| 14 | December 7, 2003 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
W 36–10 | FOX 1:00pm | |
| 15 | December 15, 2003 | at Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 34–27 | ABC 9:00pm | |
| 16 | December 21, 2003 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 31–28 (OT) | FOX 4:15pm | |
| 17 | December 27, 2003 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 31–7 | ESPN 8:30pm | |
Playoffs
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | TV Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | January 11, 2004 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 20–17 | FOX 4:30pm | |
| Conference Championship | January 18, 2004 | Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion... |
L 14–3 | FOX 6:30pm | |
Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, who ruined the Eagles' bid for a Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
the previous season by defeating them in the their final game at Veteran's Stadium
Veteran's Stadium
Veterans Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in New Britain, Connecticut. Opened in 1982, it is dedicated to the soldiers of the city who lost their lives in various U.S. wars, particularly Vietnam....
, spoiled the opening of Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
by thoroughly dominating the Eagles in a 17–0 shutout. A big run by James Thrash
James Thrash
James Thrash is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Missouri Southern State....
gave the Eagles a chance at an early field goal, but head coach Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
tried a fake field goal to rookie tight end L.J. Smith
L.J. Smith
John Smith III , commonly known as L.J., which stands for "Little John", is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, who let the ball go off of his fingertips. Early in the second quarter, Tampa Bay put up a field goal for a 3–0 lead, while the Eagles looked out of sync. A touchdown pass to Joe Jurevicius
Joe Jurevicius
Joseph Michael Jurevicius is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Penn State....
, who had made a huge reception in the 2002 NFC Championship, made it 10–0. Jurevicius caught another short touchdown on the next drive, which ate half of the fourth quarter. The loss was thoroughly embarrassing, and adding injury to insult, Brian Dawkins
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
and Bobby Taylor
Bobby Taylor (American football)
Robert Taylor, III is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks.-Early life:...
both had to leave the game with injuries.
Week 2: vs. New England Patriots
The situation went from bad to worse as the Eagles suffered a second straight disastrous loss, again at their new home. The defense, already ravaged by injuries, fought hard and held the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
to only a first quarter field goal. Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
scored Philadelphia's first points of the season early in the second quarter, but two Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
touchdown passes in the second quarter made it 17–7 Patriots at halftime. Brady found Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
for a touchdown in the third quarter before Eagles' placekicker David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
booted a 57-yarder, his career high. Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Bruschi
Tedy Lacap Bruschi is a former professional American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
intercepted Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
for a touchdown to break it open at 31–10. In total, the offense gave up six turnovers and seven sacks.
Week 4: at Buffalo Bills
After two devastating losses to start the season, the Eagles used an early bye week to regroup and defeated the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
a 23–13. The Eagles methodically built a 16–0 lead through the first three quarters. Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
scored a short touchdown in the first quarter, and David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
added three field goals. In the final period, Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
rallied Buffalo to two straight touchdowns, cutting the lead to 16–13. However, Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and charged through the middle for a 62-yard touchdown run to seal the deal. Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
, nursing a sore thumb on his throwing hand, threw for 172 yards and rushed for 47, while the defense played a solid game, especially in the first half.
Week 5: vs Washington Redskins
Coming off a crucial win at Buffalo, the Eagles battled their division-rival Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
to a 27–25 victory. David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
opened the scoring with a 52-yard field goal, and a short touchdown pass from Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
to fullback Jon Ritchie
Jon Ritchie
Jon David Ritchie is a former professional American football fullback in the National Football League with the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders.-Early years:Ritchie attended Cumberland Valley High School from 1989 to 1993...
gave Philadelphia a 10–0 lead in the second quarter. Redskin quarterback Patrick Ramsey
Patrick Ramsey
Patrick Allen Ramsey is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins 32nd overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
rushed for a touchdown to cut into the Eagles' lead, and the teams traded field goals to make it 13–10 Eagles at halftime. In the third quarter, the Redskins tied the game on a field goal. The Eagles defense restored the lead when defensive lineman Darwin Walker
Darwin Walker
Darwin Jamar Walker is an American football defensive tackle in National Football League who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
hit Ramsey as he was throwing, flinging the ball into the air and into the arms of teammate N.D. Kalu who returned it 15 yards for the touchdown. After another Washington field goal in the fourth quarter, Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
scored on 19-yard run with three minutes left to play, which put Philadelphia up 27–16 and appeared to end the game, as in Buffalo the previous week. The Redskins instead mounted a furious rally, with kicker John Hall
John Hall (American football)
John Hall is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He kicked for Port Charlotte High School and played college football at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While at Wisconsin, Hall played and won three bowl games...
booting a 53-yard field goal, the special teams recovering an onside kick, and Ramsey firing a 32-yard touchdown pass to Darnerien McCants
Darnerien McCants
Darnerien McCants is a Canadian football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
with seconds remaining. However, the Eagles broke up the two-point conversion to preserve Philadelphia's first victory in Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. The defense turned in a relatively strong performance despite the absence of Pro Bowlers Brian Dawkins
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
, Troy Vincent
Troy Vincent
Troy Darnell Vincent is a former Defensive Back for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dolphins with the 7th overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin.Mr...
, and Bobby Taylor
Bobby Taylor (American football)
Robert Taylor, III is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks.-Early life:...
.
Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys
The 2–2 Eagles met the 3–1 Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and fell to them 23–21, their first loss to Dallas since 1999
1999 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1999 Philadelphia Eagles season was Donovan McNabb’s rookie season. The Eagles hired Andy Reid away from the Green Bay Packers to be their new head coach. As of the start of the 2011 season, he is the longest tenured coach in the league.-NFL Draft:...
. Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
tried an opening kickoff onsides kick, which had helped spark the Eagles' 2000
2000 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2000 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in a postseason appearance. The season started in Dallas famously known for the onside kick that the Eagles kicked and recovered to start the game. This game is known as the Pickle Juice Game.-NFL Draft:...
season opening route of Dallas, but the Cowboys' new coach, Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
, was not fooled and the gamble blew up in Philadelphia's face. Randal Williams
Randal Williams
Randal Ellison Williams is an American football free agent tight end in the National Football League.Williams attended Deerfield Academy and then the University of New Hampshire...
fielded the bouncing kick and raced into the end zone untouched in three seconds – the fastest touchdown in NFL history. Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
's five-yard touchdown run in the second quarter tied the score, but Billy Cundiff
Billy Cundiff
William A. "Billy" Cundiff is an American football placekicker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
kicked a field goal just before halftime to make it 10–7 Dallas. Troy Hambrick
Troy Hambrick
Troy Hambrick is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He played for the Arizona Cardinals in 2004, and played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2000 to 2003. In his career, he has amassed 2,179 yards rushing and 276 yards receiving in 61 games played...
finished a third quarter Dallas drive with a one-yard touchdown to open a 17–7 Cowboy lead. A 52-yard catch-and-run by Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
on the Eagles' ensuing drive brought Philadelphia within three points, but the Cowboys answered back with another field goal. With less than five minutes left to play, Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
broke free for a 20-yard touchdown run, giving Philadelphia a 21–20 lead. A long kick return helped set up Dallas' go-ahead field goal. Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
, who struggled mightily throughout the game with a thumb injury, could not advance the team into field goal range after James Thrash
James Thrash
James Thrash is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Missouri Southern State....
returned the kickoff to midfield. Westbrook, Staley, and Buckhalter combined for over 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The loss dropped Philadelphia to 2–3 and a repeat of a division title appeared in doubt.
Week 7: at New York Giants
Brian WestbrookBrian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
delivered the play of the year for the Eagles, returning a punt with less than two minutes left to win the game 14–10 over the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the first quarter, Westbrook's five-yard touchdown run (his fourth in four games) gave Philadelphia a 7–0 lead. New York got a field goal in the second quarter and a Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Shockey
Jeremy Charles Shockey is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants 14th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
touchdown reception in the third to take a 10–7 lead. It could have been more, as they drove inside the Philadelphia 40-yard line seven times, but usually squandered their opportunities. Meanwhile, the Eagles' offense was virtually non-existent throughout the game. Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
had his worst game as a professional, only completing 9-of-23 passes for a meager 64 yards. Inside the two-minute warning, the Giants forced the Eagles to burn their timeouts, then punted to give it back to the dormant Philadelphia offense and end the game. However, Westbrook fielded the Jeff Feagles
Jeff Feagles
Jeffrey Allan Feagles is a retired American football punter. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 1988. He played college football at the University of Miami, and most recently played for the New York Giants of the National Football League.Feagles is...
punt on a bounce, broke through the first few defenders, and began to race down the left sideline and into the end zone, stealing the victory and saving the Eagles' season. The 84-yard punt return was a turning point for Philadelphia, saving them from falling to 2–4 and propelling them on a what would be a nine-game winning streak.
Week 8: vs New York Jets
A week after the so-called "Miracle at the Meadowlands III", the Eagles defeated the Big Apple's other team, the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 24–17 in a sea-saw game. After a 30-yard field goal gave New York the first points, Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
scored on a six-yard run to take the lead. Santana Moss
Santana Moss
Santana Terrell Moss is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:...
hauled in a 60-yard bomb from Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
to go up 10–7. In the second quarter, Buckhalter scored his second touchdown, from seven yards out, to retake the lead for Philadelphia. For the Jets, quarterback Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
, returning from a preseason injury, took over midgame as planned. After a Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
interception in the third quarter, Pennington drove his team down the field and LaMont Jordan
LaMont Jordan
LaMont Damon Jordan is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
finished the drive with a touchdown run and a 17–14 New York lead. McNabb rebounded and led the Eagles to a go-ahead touchdown – a four-yard pass to fullback Jon Ritchie
Jon Ritchie
Jon David Ritchie is a former professional American football fullback in the National Football League with the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders.-Early years:Ritchie attended Cumberland Valley High School from 1989 to 1993...
. A big tackle by Darwin Walker
Darwin Walker
Darwin Jamar Walker is an American football defensive tackle in National Football League who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
on LaMont Jordan on 4th and 1 led to Philadelphia's final points – a field goal by David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
. McNabb passed for 141 yards and a touchdown, an improvement over his dismal performance against the Giants. Buckhalter had his second-career 100-yard game, along with two scores. The Eagles improved to 4–3 and were now only one game out of first place.
Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons
In Week 9, the Eagles travelled to the Georgia DomeGeorgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
and defeated the lowly Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
23–16. A turnover on the opening kickoff led to a short field goal for David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
. Following a Lito Sheppard
Lito Sheppard
Lito Decorian Sheppard is an American football cornerback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Florida.Sheppard has also played for the New York...
interception in the red zone, the Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
connected with Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Lee Mitchell, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League for four seasons. A four-sport athlete at Kathleen High School, Mitchell committed to the University of California, Los Angeles to play football for the Bruins...
for a 39-yard touchdown pass – the first to a wide receiver all season for the Eagles. The second quarter belonged to Atlanta, as they scored thirteen unanswered points and went into halftime ahead 13–10. Philadelphia took care of business in the second half, tying the game on a field goal, while the defense stifled the Falcon offense, which switched quarterbacks in the third quarter. A pair of big catches by rookie tight end L.J. Smith
L.J. Smith
John Smith III , commonly known as L.J., which stands for "Little John", is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
powered a drive that ended in a Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
touchdown run and a Philadelphia lead. The teams traded field goals later in the fourth quarter, but the defense kept Atlanta out of the end zone. McNabb had his first 300-yard passing game in two years, Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
rushed for 92 yards, and L.J. Smith had a breakout performance with six catches for 97 yards. The Eagles went to 5–3 and suddenly had three wins in a row.
Week 10: at Green Bay Packers
Playing in a rainy Lambeau FieldLambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
led the Eagles to a last-minute victory over Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
and the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Both offenses struggled on a wet field in the first half. David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
and Ryan Longwell
Ryan Longwell
Ryan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...
each missed field goals, and the only points of the half would be a 24-yard touchdown reception by Packer halfback Ahman Green
Ahman Green
Ahman Rashad Green is a retired American football running back. He is the all-time leading rusher for the Green Bay Packers. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. The Eagles got on the board with a short Akers field goal after a long drive in the third quarter. Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
then scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give Philadelphia a 10–7 lead. However, Ahman Green broke a 45-yard run to the end zone that put Green Bay back on top 14–10. The Philadelphia defense came up with a big stop to give McNabb and the offense one last chance with 2:43 left in the game. McNabb marshalled the team downfield and with less than thirty seconds remaining, he hit Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in...
in the end zone with the game-winning touchdown pass. The Packers struggled to hold onto the ball (Favre especially), and turned it over three times compared to zero turnovers for the Eagles. Ahman Green rushed for 192 yards in defeat (Green Bay rushed for 241 as a team). The suddenly red-hot Eagles were now 6–3 on the season.
Week 11: vs New York Giants
Playing at home, the Eagles dominated the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in an easy 28–10 route. The Giants scored first on a short field goal, but the Eagles answered back late in the first quarter when Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
drove the team down the field, setting up a one-yard touchdown by Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
. Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
scored on a 29-yard pass play in the second quarter and a four-yard run in the third quarter as Philadelphia went ahead 21–3. Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah "Tiki" Barber is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia....
, who rushed for over 100 yards, scored in the fourth quarter, but Westbrook took in his third touchdown on a short pass to end the scoring. McNabb had one of his best games, completing 24 of 30 passes for 314 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Westbrook, developing a reputation as a 'Giant killer,' had 108 all-purpose yards to go along with his three touchdowns. The win moved the Eagles to 7–3 and virtually knocked the reeling Giants out of contention, while A Dallas loss allowed the Eagles to move into a tie for first place in the NFC East
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
.
Week 12: vs New Orleans Saints
In a game that featured 272 penalty yards, the Eagles topped the 5–5 New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
33–20. Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in...
pulled down a 48-yard bomb to open the game, and the drive ended in a chip-shot David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
field goal. Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
scored on a 15-yard run and it 10–0 Eagles. Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
scored in the second quarter as Philadelphia pulled away. Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks completed a touchdown pass later in the quarter, but Akers kicked another field goal to end the half 20–7 Philadelphia. After another Akers field goal, Deuce McAllister
Deuce McAllister
Dulymus Jenod "Deuce" McAllister is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
broke a 76-yard touchdown run to narrow the score to 23–14. The Eagles, who moved the ball easily all game, responded with another field goal and a Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
to fullback Jon Ritchie
Jon Ritchie
Jon David Ritchie is a former professional American football fullback in the National Football League with the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders.-Early years:Ritchie attended Cumberland Valley High School from 1989 to 1993...
touchdown pass to open a 33–14 lead. McAllister scored again, but the conversion failed and Philadelphia had won its sixth straight. McNabb threw for 259 yards and did not allow an interception for the fourth consecutive week. Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
, McNabb, Westbrook, and Buckhalter combined for 201 rushing yards to counter the 177 rushing yards by McAllister.
Week 13: at Carolina Panthers
The 8–3 Eagles and 8–3 Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
squared off in a key battle for NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
supremacy and the Eagles emerged with the win. A rare Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
interception allowed Carolina to score a quick field goal. But he rebounded, leading the Eagles on a 10-play drive capped by a touchdown plunge by Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
. In the second quarter, David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
connected for his first field goal. He was good from 48-yards out in the third quarter to put Philadelphia up 13–3. Carolina's offense then struck when Jake Delhomme
Jake Delhomme
Jake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
found Steve Smith for a 24-yard touchdown pass to make it 13–10 going into the final quarter. A long drive by McNabb ended in a big Akers field goal. Then, the defense provided a big play when a blitz by linebacker Nate Wayne
Nate Wayne
Nathaniel Wayne, Jr. is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Mississippi He graduated with a degree in criminal justice. He was known as "Mr...
caused a fumble, recovered by Darwin Walker
Darwin Walker
Darwin Jamar Walker is an American football defensive tackle in National Football League who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
. This set up a McNabb 10-yard touchdown pass to James Thrash
James Thrash
James Thrash is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Missouri Southern State....
, who was pushed into the end zone by Carolina defenders trying to tackle him. The two point conversion by Philadelphia failed. Delhomme completed another touchdown, this one to Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad II is a retired American football wide receiver who played for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
, but kicker John Kasay
John Kasay
John David Kasay is an American football kicker for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
missed the extra point, leaving the score 22–16. Trying to burn the clock, McNabb slowly marched the Eagles down the field and Akers came on to kick his fourth field goal, giving the Eagles a nine-point lead. While Akers was 4-for-4 on field goals and won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, Kasay was 1-for-4 with a missed extra point. Staley, Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
, and Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
combined for 118 rushing yards, while McNabb was efficient, completing 18-of-26 passes. The big win moved Philadelphia to 9–3, with the top record in their conference.
Week 14: vs Dallas Cowboys
In another key game, with the NFC EastNFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
essentially at stake, the Eagles crushed the Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
-led Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
36–10. Dallas tried early to establish their running game, and late in the first quarter, they scored the game's first points on a field goal. Philadelphia evened the score in the second quarter, then took the lead when Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
guided the offense down the field and tossed a short pass to Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
, who broke several tackles on his 16-yard scamper to the end zone. Dallas responded with a long drive that ended in a Quincy Carter
Quincy Carter
Lavonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
touchdown pass, sending the game to halftime tied 10–10. The Eagles would own the second half. Sheldon Brown picked off Carter, setting up a shovel pass touchdown to Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
. Later, a botched shotgun ended with Carter kicking the ball out of the endzone on an intentional safety as Philadelphia assumed a 19–10 lead. Another interception, this one by Bobby Taylor
Bobby Taylor (American football)
Robert Taylor, III is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks.-Early life:...
, resulted in tight end L.J. Smith
L.J. Smith
John Smith III , commonly known as L.J., which stands for "Little John", is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
's first career touchdown reception. David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
added a field goal in the fourth quarter, and a 64-yard burst through the middle by Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
in the final minutes made it 36–10. The defense, especially the pass defense, absolutely shut Dallas down in the final two quarters. McNabb finished with 248 passing yards and three touchdowns and Buckhalter had 115 yards on 13 carries. The Eagles record went to 10–3 and the team had all but wrapped up their third straight division title.
Week 15: at Miami Dolphins
On a Monday Night FootballMonday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
matchup in Miami, the Eagles had roughly 20,000 fans who made the trip in attendance as they beat the 8–4 Dolphins in a shootout. A 59-yard bomb to Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in...
opened the game, and two plays later, Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
danced through the defense and into the end zone on a 21-yard run for a quick touchdown. The Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
answered with a touchdown, and on the Eagles' ensuing possession, Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
took it in himself for a score. Quickly, the Dolphins came back with another touchdown, but Philadelphia retook the lead when Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Lee Mitchell, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League for four seasons. A four-sport athlete at Kathleen High School, Mitchell committed to the University of California, Los Angeles to play football for the Bruins...
completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Westbrook, who beat linebacker Zach Thomas
Zach Thomas
Zachary Michael Thomas is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Tech....
, on a trick play. The teams traded field goals before halftime, and in the third quarter a rushing touchdown by Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
tied the game at 24–24. In the fourth quarter, Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
, on a short sweep, dove over the pylon for the go-ahead touchdown. The Eagles would drain the clock on their next drive and eventually added a field goal to take a ten-point lead and put the game away. The Eagles scored four touchdowns on a defense that had only given up 17 all season. Their record improved to 11–3 and their winning streak was now at nine games.
Week 16: vs San Francisco 49ers
A home overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
snapped the Eagles' nine-game winning streak. A bad snap led to an early field goal miss for San Francisco, but after an Eagles 3-and-out, the 49ers took back over and scored on a 15-yard screen pass to Kevan Barlow
Kevan Barlow
Kevan C. Barlow is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
. The defense then tightened and creating a turnover that led to a short Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
touchdown run. Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in...
fumbled away a touchdown out of the endzone after catching a long pass from Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
. The Eagles took a 14–7 lead on another short-yardage Staley touchdown. A 33-yard pass from Garcia to Brandon Lloyd
Brandon Lloyd
Brandon Matthew Lloyd is an American football wide receiver for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
tied the score at halftime. Before the half was over, 49ers star Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
had broken his collarbone, and Eagles starting linebacker Carlos Emmons
Carlos Emmons
Carlos Antoine Emmons is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League...
had broken his leg – a big blow for the playoffs. Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter – bringing back recent memories of his big touchdown in the Meadowlands
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
. San Francisco answered with two fields goals and a touchdown by Barlow (followed by a successful two-point conversion) to take a 28–21 lead. McNabb rallied the Eagles, driving them down the field (with Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Lee Mitchell, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League for four seasons. A four-sport athlete at Kathleen High School, Mitchell committed to the University of California, Los Angeles to play football for the Bruins...
coming up with a big 4th down reception). McNabb beat the blitz and Pinkston made a backward diving catch to tie the game with a minute left. In overtime, Tony Parrish
Tony Parrish
Anthony W. Parrish is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
picked off McNabb and returned it inside the Eagles 5-yard line. Todd Peterson kicked the game winner and the Eagles' streak ended. McNabb had two interceptions and David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
missed two field goals. Pinkston had 121 receiving yards and a touchdown, but Barlow rushed for 154 for San Francisco.
Week 17: at Washington Redskins
Playing on a Saturday night to clinch the NFC EastNFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
title, the Eagles walloped the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
31–7. Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
called for a quick snap and threw the ball to Chad Lewis
Chad Lewis
Chad Wayne Lewis is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams.-Early life:...
for a touchdown when he noticed Washington had left him uncovered for Philadelphia's first score. A 96-yard drive, the longest of the season, ended with McNabb bootlegging it into the end zone as Philadelphia took control early. Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Lee Mitchell, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League for four seasons. A four-sport athlete at Kathleen High School, Mitchell committed to the University of California, Los Angeles to play football for the Bruins...
made it 21–0 Philadelphia with a touchdown reception later in the second quarter. Rock Cartwright
Rock Cartwright
Roderick Rashaun Cartwright is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
scored a one-yard touchdown a few minutes later, but that was all Washington would get. Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
added a touchdown and David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
kicked a field goal as Philadelphia cruised 31–7. McNabb passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns, Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in...
had 74 receiving yards, and the defense recorded five sacks. However, Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
, one of the top weapons of the Philadelphia offense, tore his biceps muscle and was lost for the playoffs.
Divisional Round: vs Green Bay Packers
In what became known as the "4th and 264th and 26
4th and 26 is the commonly used name for a famous play on Sunday, January 11, 2004, during the 2003–04 NFL playoffs. The play occurred during the fourth quarter of a divisional playoff game between the visiting Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in...
game", the Eagles came back and beat the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in one of the most dramatic playoff games in their history. Inspired after the death of his father, Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
led the Packers to victories in their final four games to win the NFC North
NFC North
The NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference, based in the Upper Midwest region of the United States...
Division, then led the team into overtime against the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in a game eventually won on an interception return by former Eagle Al Harris. The Packers were proclaimed by experts as the "team of destiny" and had the sympathy of the nation. The Eagles, who finished 12–4, had ended the season with nine wins in ten games, but had some injuries on defense and were without running back Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
for the playoffs. On a wall in the Eagles' locker room, it was written, "If they're the team of destiny, where does that leave us?"
The Eagles offense came out sluggishly, failing to record a first down on their first three drives. One play after Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
turned the ball over on a fumble, Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
hit Robert Ferguson with a 40-yard touchdown pass after Ferguson had burnt the Philadelphia coverage. A 44-yard scramble by McNabb got Philadelphia into the Green Bay red zone, but David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
missed a 33-yard field goal. Favre promptly marched the Packers down the field and found Ferguson again for a 7-yard touchdown and it was 14–0 Packers as the first quarter came to a close. In the second quarter, the Eagles went to the air and McNabb tossed a big 45-yard pass to Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in...
, then fired a quick 7-yard touchdown pass to Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
to cut the Packer lead in half. Late in the half, the defense came up with a goal line stand after Green Bay had 1st and goal from the four-yard line. On 4th and 1, Packer running back Ahman Green
Ahman Green
Ahman Rashad Green is a retired American football running back. He is the all-time leading rusher for the Green Bay Packers. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
was stuffed and the game went to halftime 14–7.
On their two possessions in the third quarter, the Packers got inside the Philadelphia 40-yard line, but they failed to score both times. The Eagles, again attacking through air, drove it into the Green Bay red zone. On the first play of the fourth quarter, McNabb scrambled to the right and found Pinkston in the front right corner of the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. Favre completed a 44-yard bomb to Javon Walker
Javon Walker
Javon Lataff Walker is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers 20th overall of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
to get inside the Eagles 10-yard line a few minutes later, but the Packers settled for a field goal and went up 17–14. With 8:44 left to play, the Packers took back over and began a long drive that drained the clock. The drive stalled at the Philadelphia 41-yard line, and the Packers decided to punt on 4th and 1 with just over two minutes left in regulation. The Eagles took over and immediately Staley burst forward for 22 yards, but a costly sack and two incomplete passes left the Eagles at 4th and 26
4th and 26
4th and 26 is the commonly used name for a famous play on Sunday, January 11, 2004, during the 2003–04 NFL playoffs. The play occurred during the fourth quarter of a divisional playoff game between the visiting Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in...
from their own 26-yard line. On what looked to potentially be the final play of their season, McNabb fired a laser over the middle that Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Lee Mitchell, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League for four seasons. A four-sport athlete at Kathleen High School, Mitchell committed to the University of California, Los Angeles to play football for the Bruins...
came down with for a 28-yard gain. McNabb completed another pass to Mitchell and a 10-yarder to Pinkston to get to the Packer 19-yard line. With seconds left in regulation, Akers booted the 33-yard field goal home and the game went to overtime. After a three-and-out by Philadelphia, Favre was chased on his first play and heaved the ball into the air, almost like a punt. Brian Dawkins
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
caught the pass and the returned it well inside Packer territory. McNabb got the Eagles up to the Packer 13-yard line and Akers came on to kick the game-winner, sending Philadelphia to the NFC Championship and leaving Green Bay's "destiny" in ashes. McNabb had thrown for 248 yards and two scores, while also running 11 times for 107 yards. Pinkston caught 7 passes for 95 yards in one of the biggest games of his career. Ahman Green ran for 156 yards off of the Eagles defense.
NFC Championship: vs Carolina Panthers
In a monumentally disappointing result for Philadelphia, the Eagles lost the NFC Championship 14–3 to the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. It was their third straight championship game defeat, and second in a row at home. They had beaten the Panthers 25–16 in Week 13 in Carolina, but the Panthers' opportunistic defense disrupted the wounded Eagles offense, holding them to three points and dashing their hopes for a Super Bowl a week after the 4th and 26
4th and 26
4th and 26 is the commonly used name for a famous play on Sunday, January 11, 2004, during the 2003–04 NFL playoffs. The play occurred during the fourth quarter of a divisional playoff game between the visiting Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in...
miracle. The Panthers, just two years removed from a 1–15 season, went 11–5 in 2003, winning the NFC South
NFC South
The NFC South is a division in the National Football Conference of the National Football League. It was created prior to the 2002 NFL season, when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams. The NFC South currently has four members: the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New...
. In the playoffs, they defeated Dallas 29–10 and beat the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in double overtime on a 69-yard touchdown catch by Steve Smith.
Carolina drove into Philadelphia territory on their opening drive, but punted the ball away. Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
marched the Eagles down the field, reaching the Carolina 32-yard line after a 23-yard catch and run by Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter
Correll Buckhalter is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
. However, the drive stalled and the Eagles punted. The teams traded punts again, but early in the second quarter Jake Delhomme
Jake Delhomme
Jake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
broke through and led the Panthers down the field, completing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad
Muhsin Muhammad II is a retired American football wide receiver who played for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
on a badly thrown ball that somehow beat the Eagles' double coverage. McNabb responded with a long drive, but on 1st and 10 from the Carolina 23-yard line, he was knocked down by his own lineman being pushed back, and was hit by linebacker Greg Favors
Greg Favors
Gregory Bernard Favors is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
after he was down. The Eagles sideline pleaded for a late-hit call, but to no avail. McNabb returned after one play, and had a 10-yard completion to Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Lee Mitchell, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League for four seasons. A four-sport athlete at Kathleen High School, Mitchell committed to the University of California, Los Angeles to play football for the Bruins...
(which was initially ruled a drop). This set up a 41-yard field goal by David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
that made it 7–3. Philadelphia's final drive of the half was ended when rookie Ricky Manning Jr. picked off McNabb, who was visibly hurt. While the Eagles defense played well, the offense was stifled by four first half sacks.
With McNabb playing with torn cartilage in his ribs, the Eagles went to the ground, using Buckhalter and Duce Staley
Duce Staley
Duce Staley is a former American football running back in the National Football League best known for his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at University of South Carolina...
to drive into Carolina's red zone on their first drive of the third quarter. However, Ricky Manning Jr. stepped in front of a McNabb pass intended for Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in...
and came away with his second interception, which proved to be tremendous blow. On Philadelphia's next possession, receiver James Thrash
James Thrash
James Thrash is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Missouri Southern State....
was hit as the ball arrived and Ricky Manning Jr. grabbed the deflection and returned it 13-yards to the Philadelphia 37-yard line, his third interception. DeShaun Foster
DeShaun Foster
DeShaun Xavier Foster is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at UCLA.-Early years:...
helped power the ball to the Eagles' one-yard line, and on first and goal from there, he ran over linebacker Mark Simoneau
Mark Simoneau
Mark Lee Simoneau is a former American football linebacker who played for ten seasons in the National Football League. He played college football at Kansas State and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played for the Falcons from 2000–2002, before he was...
as he pushed into the end zone. Now behind 14–3, Philadelphia's crippled offense was unable to pick up a first down the rest of the quarter. On the first drive of the fourth quarter, Koy Detmer
Koy Detmer
Koy Dennis Detmer is a retired American football quarterback. He was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado. He is the younger brother of former NFL quarterback Ty Detmer, and son of coach Sonny...
finally came in to replace the injured McNabb. Detmer led the Eagles to the Panther 11-yard line, but he was then intercepted by Dan Morgan
Dan Morgan
Daniel Thomas "Dan" Morgan, Jr. is a former American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers 11th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft...
, ending the Eagles' final threat. Philadelphia got the ball back one final time, and as McNabb watched from the sidelines, could not get past midfield.
For the second year in a row, the Philadelphia fans were forced to watch another team celebrate on their field. The five sacks and four interceptions by Carolina's defense were devastating, while receivers Pinkston and Thrash were manhandled by the Panther secondary throughout the game. The injury to McNabb, on an offense already missing Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
, left the offense punchless and made the 14–3 deficit insurmountable. In three quarters of action, McNabb was 10-for-22 for only 100 yards, while Buckhalter and Staley combined for 127 rushing yards. The Panthers rushed for 155 yards on the night. After what looked at times to be a blessed season, the Eagles' playoff campaign ended with an NFC Championship Game defeat, yet again.
Final roster
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Offensive Linemen R UR UR Defensive Linemen UR R UR |
Linebackers Defensive Backs UR R UR Special Teams |
Reserve Lists R UR Practice Squad UR UR Notations
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