2007 Philadelphia Eagles season
Encyclopedia
The 2007
Philadelphia Eagles
season marked the 75th anniversary of the Eagles franchise. The team compiled an 8–8 record and a last-place finish in the NFC East
.
After a playoff run in 2006
and the return of Donovan McNabb
from injury, the Eagles were considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender. With McNabb and bona fide star running back Brian Westbrook
, the offense was an obvious weapon, but there were questions about the defense. However, the team's first few games displayed a tough Jim Johnson
"bend but don't break defense" and an inconsistent offense. The Eagles dropped three of their first four, but they unleashed an offensive outburst in a Week 3 blowout over the Detroit Lions
56–21. A primetime loss to the Dallas Cowboys
in early November left Philadelphia 3–5.
The Eagles rallied and won a road game over the Washington Redskins
the next week, and followed that with a win at home against the Miami Dolphins
. In the win over Miami, McNabb went down with another November injury, the fourth time in six seasons that had occurred. The next three games, all against winning clubs, would prove to be the crux of the season for Philadelphia. Backup A.J. Feeley
almost pulled off a big upset of the New England Patriots
, who would finish the regular season 16–0, but a fourth quarter lead was surrendered. The Eagles would again lose second half leads to the Seattle Seahawks
and their rival and eventual world champion
New York Giants
. These losses wiped out any chances of making the playoffs. The team finished the season with three straight wins, including a 10–6 win over the Cowboys, who were 12–1 entering the game.
Despite missing two games, McNabb threw for 3324 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Westbrook had one of the top seasons of any running back in the league, rushing for 1333 yards and seven touchdowns, and catching 90 passes for 771 yards and 5 touchdowns. New acquisition Kevin Curtis
led the team with 1110 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions (half of them coming against Detroit). Third-year receiver Reggie Brown had a slow start, but finished with 780 receiving yards. On defense, Trent Cole
's 12.5 sacks earned him a Pro Bowl spot and second-year linebacker Omar Gaither
led the team with 103 tackles. As a unit, the defense came up with several important goal-line stands throughout the season.
, it was an offseason of controversial transactions for the Eagles. The fates of quarterback Jeff Garcia
and wide receiver Donte' Stallworth
were the two immediate questions facing the Eagles after the season ended. Ultimately, the team decided to keep neither of them. The Eagles signed A.J. Feeley
to a three-year contract to be the backup quarterback, allowing Garcia to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in March 2007. A week later, Stallworth inked a deal with the New England Patriots
.
Philadelphia filled the new hole in the receiving corps by signing free agent Kevin Curtis
from the St. Louis Rams. They then made a trade with the Buffalo Bills
on March 26, 2007, sending longtime defensive tackle Darwin Walker
to the Bills in exchange for Takeo Spikes
to provide much-needed linebacker help, and backup quarterback Kelly Holcomb
.
In the draft, the Eagles traded down, selecting University of Houston
quarterback Kevin Kolb
in the second round. The selection of Kolb sent a signal that the Eagles were looking towards a point in the future past Donovan McNabb
, who had missed significant time in the three of the past five seasons.
In training camp and the preseason, McNabb, wearing a knee brace, showed that he had recovered from his knee surgery and was ready to go. He stated, as he did the season before, that the team was capable of reaching the Super Bowl
. He was stunned when Eagles' management decided to cut veteran middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter
on August 21.
The talk of the preseason turned out to be the booming punts of Australian rules football
import Saverio Rocca
. The Aussie outbooted veteran Dirk Johnson
to earn the starting job.
and the Green Bay Packers
. After Green Bay's first drive, Philadelphia's punt return man Greg Lewis muffed the punt which resulted in a fumble recovery in the end zone for the Packers. A 53-yard Green Bay field goal put the Eagles in a 10–0 deficit. Sheldon Brown
's interception led to a field goal in the second quarter. Jason Avant
's nine-yard touchdown reception from Donovan McNabb
tied the game, and in the third quarter, David Akers
made his second field goal from 47-yards out to make it 13–10 Philadelphia. Favre responded with a 13-play field goal drive to even the score. Later, J.R. Reed
muffed a punt and the Packers recovered at the Eagles 31-yard line and Mason Crosby
kicked a 42-yard game winner. Brian Westbrook
had 131 all-purpose yards and Avant had three catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. The defense collected four sacks, two turnovers, and only allowed 46 rushing yards. This was the only game that the Packers offense did not score a touchdown.
, the Eagles lost to a 20–12 decision to the Washington Redskins
. A long reception by Santana Moss
led to a first quarter field goal for the Redskins. The Eagles responded with a pair of David Akers
field goals in the second quarter to take a 6–3 lead. With nine seconds remaining in the half, Washington quarterback Jason Campbell
passed to Chris Cooley in the end zone for a touchdown and Redskin lead. The teams traded field goals in the third quarter, and Clinton Portis
rushed for a six-yard touchdown early in the final quarter to make it 20–9. Donovan McNabb
drove the Eagles to a field goal to bring them within eight points. On their last series, the Eagles got to the Washington nine-yard line, but the drive stalled there, preserving the Redskin victory. McNabb threw for 240 yards, Brian Westbrook
had 162 all-purpose yards, and Akers connected on four field goals.
. The offense scored touchdowns on their first five possessions. Brian Westbrook
ran for a 25-yard rushing touchdown three minutes into the game. The Lions tied the score, but the Eagles came right back with another Westbrook rushing score. Then, Donovan McNabb
and receiver Kevin Curtis
hooked up on 68-yard touchdown pass. Early in the second quarter, McNabb passed to Curtis again, this time for a 12-yard score and a 28–7 Eagles lead. A few minutes later, McNabb found Curtis for a 43-yard touchdown pass, Curtis's third touchdown in a seven minute span. Jon Kitna
attempted to rally the Lions, throwing two second quarter touchdown passes, but McNabb fed Westbrook a short pass that went for a 43-yard touchdown, making it 42–21. The Philadelphia defense tightened up in the second half, while Correll Buckhalter
and Tony Hunt added short rushing touchdowns for the Eagles. McNabb, who had a perfect quarterback rating and did most of his damage in the first half, was 21 for 26 with 381 passing yards and four touchdowns. Curtis caught eleven passes for 221 yards and three scores. Westbrook had over 100 yards both rushing and receiving, with two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. Defensively, the Eagles recorded nine sacks.
. Penalties, sacks, and the absence of Westbrook stymied the offense, which scored 56 points last week, throughout the first three quarters. The Giants took the lead on a touchdown reception by Plaxico Burress
in the second quarter. A botched handoff led to a defensive touchdown for Kawika Mitchell
and a 16–0 New York lead. David Akers' 53-yard field goal in the fourth quarter allowed the Eagles to avoid a shutout. Osi Umenyiora
had six of the Giants' sacks. Correll Buckhalter
rushed for 103 yards in the defeat. The loss drops Philadelphia to 1–3, their worst start since 1999
, as they entered their bye week.
and beat the throwback-clad New York Jets
16–9. A 36-yard gain by Thomas Jones
helped set up a short field goal by Mike Nugent
on New York's opening drive. On third and long on the Eagles' ensuing possession, Donovan McNabb
connected with Kevin Curtis
, who shook free from a tackle and scored on a 75-yard reception. In the second quarter, David Akers
kicked a 22-yard field goal to make it 10–3 Eagles. After the Jets narrowed it to 10–6, the Eagles embarked on a 16-play drive that ended on an Akers' field goal miss. Just before halftime, Akers missed again wide right. He made a pair of shorter field goals in the third quarter to stretch Philadelphia's lead to 16–6. A McNabb interception gave the Jets the ball inside the Eagles' red zone, but New York came away with only a field goal, leaving them down by a touchdown. On their next possession, late in the fourth quarter, the Jets managed to get a 2nd and 1 situation at the Eagles' four yard-line. The Philadelphia defense held and the Eagles came away with a 16–9 victory. Brian Westbrook
had 120 rushing yards and Curtis had 121 receiving yards with a touchdown. McNabb had 278 passing yards and Akers was three for five in the field goal department. The Eagles' record went to 2–3, as well as going 9–0 coming off a bye-week under coach Reid.
. The game was a defensive struggle throughout and a field goal fest through the first three quarters. Eagles kick David Akers
connected on field goals of 24, 33, and 37. Bears kicker Robbie Gould
hit on field goals of 31, 22, 41, and 45 respectively. The Bears held a three point lead late until Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb
threw a touchdown strike to tight end Matt Schobel
to give the Eagles a 16–12 lead. Eagles punter Sav Rocca
pinned the Bears deep in their own territory with under two minutes remaining and no timeouts left, leaving the Bears to have to cover 97 yards if they wished to take the lead. Bears quarterback Brian Griese
marched the team down the field and capped off the drive with a 15 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad
with nine seconds remaining. The final was 19–16 Bears. The Eagles fell short on their final opportunity, and fell to 2–4.
team coached by former Andy Reid
protege Brad Childress
. Rookie phenom Adrian Peterson and quarterback Kelly Holcomb
, who spent the offseason on the Eagles’ roster, took the Vikings down the field for the game’s first score – a nine-yard touchdown pass to Visanthe Shiancoe
. A 50-yard reception by Greg Lewis down the field set up David Akers
’ first field goal, then Donovan McNabb
guided the Eagles to a touchdown drive early in the second quarter, with Brian Westbrook
the recipient of a short six-yard scoring pass. Westbrook carried it up the middle from the one-yard line on Philadelphia’s next drive to make it 17–7. Ryan Longwell
booted a 39-yard field goal for Minnesota to draw the score to 17–10 later in the second quarter. Akers and Longwell traded field goals in the third quarter to make it 20–13. A 48-yarder by Longwell in the final quarter drew the Vikings to within four points, but they would get no closer, while Akers added his third field goal to restore the seven point lead. McNabb’s 333 passing yards were his most since the Detroit game, while Reggie Brown topped 100 yards for the first time all season. Westbrook had 92 all-purpose yards and a touchdown on the ground and in the air. Trent Cole
recorded two sacks.
and Terrell Owens
handed the Eagles a decisive 38–17 loss on Sunday night football in Philadelphia. Julius Jones
powered into the end zone from two yards out on Dallas’ opening drive, but Brian Westbrook
answered with a short touchdown of his own after a 45-yard reception by Reggie Brown gave the Eagles’ first-and-goal. Then Tony Romo
took over, hitting Tony Curtis for a short passing touchdown. Marion Barber III
carried it in from five yards out for Dallas after Donovan McNabb
was intercepted by the Cowboys’ defense. Romo connected with Owens for a 45-yard bomb in the third quarter, making the score 28–7 Dallas. After a David Akers
’ field goal, Romo got his third touchdown on a 20-yard pass to tight end Jason Witten
. McNabb finished the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Hank Baskett
. McNabb passed for a touchdown and 264 yards, but also two interceptions. Westbrook racked up 156 all-purpose yards in another strong showing. Owens burned the Eagles’ defense for 174 receiving yards. Philadelphia fell to 3–5 and the team was largely uncompetitive against the Dallas squad.
at FedEx Field in week 10. Penalties on Washington’s defense helped allow a short McNabb to Brian Westbrook
touchdown pass on Philadelphia’s opening drive. A fumble by L.J. Smith
gave Washington the ball inside Eagle territory, and Jason Campbell
capitalized with a touchdown pass to James Thrash
, the former Eagle. The extra point was missed, but Campbell hit Thrash for another score later in the second quarter. The two-point conversion failed, leaving it 12–7 Washington. A Redskin field goal stretched Philadelphia’s deficit to 15–7 in the third quarter, but L.J. Smith
, who spent much of the early season injured, caught an eight-yard touchdown from McNabb. The Eagles went for two to try to tie it, but were not successful. Campbell fired back with his third touchdown pass, this one to Keenan McCardell
, to make it 22–13. McNabb needed five plays to get the points back, launching a 45-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Brown for the touchdown. Ladell Betts
fumbled the ball away in Eagle territory on Washington’s next possession, but McNabb was sacked and fumbled it back to the Redskins on the next play. The Redskins eventually had first-and-goal from the three-yard line, but the Philadelphia defense had yet another huge goal-line stand, and Washington settled for a field goal to go up 25–20. The Eagles got the ball back with four minutes to play, and Westbrook immediately took a short pass and broke free for a 57-yard touchdown to go ahead 26–25 (the two-point conversion failing again). The defense came up big again, with Mike Patterson sacking Campbell to jar the ball loose, and Trent Cole
recovering. Westbrook carried it in from ten yards out to seal the deal. McNabb, who surpassed Ron Jaworski
for the most career completions in franchise history (2,090 at game's end), passed for 251 yards and four touchdowns in the 33–25 win. Westbrook rushed for 100 yards and had 83 receiving yards, with three total touchdowns. The comeback win improved the Eagles record to 4–5.
at muddy Lincoln Financial Field
and won 17–7. The offenses struggled in the first quarter, and the first points would actually come via special teams in the second quarter, when Ted Ginn Jr. returned a punt 87 yards to paydirt for Miami. Later in the quarter, McNabb, who had already thrown two interceptions, was hit as he threw, spraining his ankle. David Akers
came on to make a 34-yard field goal, and McNabb left the game. A.J. Feeley
was spun up to play quarterback, but threw an interception of his own on his first drive. In the third quarter, Correll Buckhalter
took the ball in from eight yards out for the go-ahead touchdown, making it 10–7. Feeley, after some helpful runs from running back Brian Westbrook
, connected with receiver Jason Avant
to increase the lead. The defense played a strong second half, and Westbrook carried seven times on the final drive, which killed the final 6:40 of the game. Without McNabb, Andy Reid
leaned hard on Westbrook, who shattered his career-high with 32 carries, while picking up 148 yards. McNabb’s post-game x-rays were negative. The win marked the first time Philadelphia had won consecutive games all season, as well as allowing them to reach .500 and remain in the playoff hunt in the NFC.
as 22-point underdogs in their matchup against the 10–0 New England Patriots
– the first meeting of the teams since Super Bowl XXXIX
. The Eagles started A.J. Feeley
due to McNabb’s injury, and Asante Samuel
picked off a Feeley pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the game. The Eagles responded with a 14-play drive, capped by a one-yard diving touchdown by Brian Westbrook
. Tom Brady
finally got a chance late in the first quarter, and marched New England down the field before Heath Evans
took it in from a yard out to make it 14–7 Patriots. However, Feeley answered back with a 28-yard touchdown to third receiver Greg Lewis. Andy Reid
then tried an onside kick. Hank Baskett
recovered the ball, but the Eagles were forced to punt. In a ten-play drive of all pass attempts, the Patriots had first-and-goal, but settled for a field goal to take a 17–14 lead. Feeley found Lewis again on the next series, this time an 18-yard strike with three minutes left in the half, giving Philadelphia the lead. Brady connected with Jabar Gaffney
to retake the lead 24–21 with seconds left in the half. A long drive by New England in the third quarter resulted in a missed field goal, and Feeley responded with a touchdown drive capped by an eight-yard reception in the end zone by Reggie Brown and the Eagles took a 28–24 lead as the game moved into the final quarter. Laurence Maroney
scored from four yards out midway through the fourth as the Patriots went back on top 31–28. Feeley took the Eagles to within field goal range, but was picked off trying for a touchdown and the Patriots’ perfect season survived. Feeley had 345 passing yards and three touchdowns, but his three interceptions were costly. Westbrook had 92 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, while Greg Lewis racked up a surprising 88 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The loss drops the Eagles to 5–6.
with A.J. Feeley
at quarterback. Feeley was picked off by Lofa Tatupu
on the first play leading to a two-yard touchdown carry for running back Shaun Alexander
. On the Eagles' ensuing drive, Correll Buckhalter
ran for a 30-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Tatupu caught his second interception on the Philadelphia's next possession and returned it to the Eagles' eight-yard line. Two plays later, Matt Hasselbeck
completed a short touchdown pass to Bobby Engram
. David Akers' field goal at the end of the first quarter made it 14–10, and Hasselback connected with Nate Burleson
for a 43-yard score as Seattle went ahead 21–10. Kevin Curtis
got open for a 24-yard touchdown reception to bring the Eagles within four points. With a minute left in the half, Philadelphia had first-and-goal from the one-yard line, but four straight plays failed to reach the end zone. A Bobby Engram fumble early in the second half gave Philadelphia the ball at the Seattle 40-yard line, and Brian Westbrook
, who had been stopped three times at the one-yard line earlier, rushed to the left for a 29-yard touchdown and Philadelphia's only lead. Maurice Morris
broke through on the left side for a 45-yard touchdown run and the Seahawks retook the lead 28–24 midway through the third quarter. The Eagles' Westbrook returned a punt 64 yards to the Seahawk 14-yard line, and Feeley tossed another interception to Tatupu. Feeley threw for one touchdown and four interceptions, giving him eight in two and a half games. Westbrook had 139 all-purpose yards and a score and Curtis caught six passes for 111 yards and a score of his own.
. The Eagles, with Donovan McNabb
back under center, scored on their opening drive with Brian Westbrook
finding the end zone on an 18-yard pass from McNabb. The Giants scored an FG after having first-and-goal from the one-yard line. Another New York field goal just before halftime left the score 7–6. A fumble recovery gave Philadelphia the ball at the Giant eight-yard line, and David Akers
kicked a short field goal. Later in the third quarter, Westbrook fumbled and Sam Madison
recovered for New York. Eli Manning
connected with Plaxico Burress
for a 20-yard touchdown two plays later giving the Giants a 13–10 lead. A 41-yard pass to Burress set up another Lawrence Tynes
field goal making it 16–10. Akers kicked a 39-yarder after a nearly eight-minute drive by the Eagles in the fourth quarter. On the Eagles' next drive, they crossed into Giant territory, but turned the ball over on downs. After a three-and-out, New York punter Jeff Feagles
kicked the ball to the Eagles' 11-yard line with :51 to play and no timeouts. McNabb led the Eagles down the field, giving Akers a chance from 57 yards out. Akers hit the right upright and the FG was missed with 1 second remaining. Westbrook rushed for 116 and had a receiving touchdown, while Trent Cole
had two sacks. Burress had 136 yards and one score. The home loss leaves the Eagles at 5–8.
an upset loss with a big effort from the defense. The defenses dominated the first quarter at Texas Stadium
. Dallas got the first score in the second quarter on a field goal after Quintin Mikell
fumbled away a Tony Romo
pass he had just intercepted. But, Romo was picked off again on Dallas' next possession, this time by Lito Sheppard
. Donovan McNabb
and Brian Westbrook
marched the Eagles to the one-yard line, where McNabb tossed a touchown pass to Reggie Brown for a 7–3 Philadelphia lead with seconds left in the half. On Dallas' second possession of the third quarter, Romo moved deep into Eagles' territory with two long passes to Patrick Crayton
, but the Cowboys could only muster a field goal. A 13-play drive early in the fourth quarter led to short David Akers
field goal and a 10–6 lead for the Eagles. Philadelphia had held second half leads over superior opponents for three straight weeks, but lost each game. This time, the defense shut down the Cowboys' efforts to score. Brian Dawkins
recorded Philadelphia's third interception mid-way through the final quarter. With the Eagles possessing the ball at the Cowboy 25-yard line, just over two minutes left, and Dallas out of timeouts, Westbrook broke through the defense and had a clear path to the end zone. Westbrook went down at the 1-yard line and allowed the Eagles to run out the clock instead of scoring the touchdown and kicking the ball off. McNabb passed for 208 yards and rushed for 53 more, while Westbrook had 81 rushing yards and 63 receiving yards. The defense used three sacks and three interceptions to help contain the Dallas offense. The victory kept the Eagles' mathematical hopes alive of gaining the final wild card spot, but they were eliminated Monday night when the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears.
at the Superdome
– site of two losses in 2006
, including one in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. The first quarter would be a shootout, with the teams combined for 5 touchdowns and over 300 yards of offense. On the third play from scrimmage, Donovan McNabb
scrambled for a 40-yard gain, but fumbled, only to have the ball recovered in the end zone for a touchdown by receiver Kevin Curtis
. A 52-yard bomb to wideout Devery Henderson
keyed a four-play drive ending in a New Orleans touchdown by running back Aaron Stecker
. McNabb's second fumble was recovered by New Orleans in Philadelphia territory, setting up another short touchdown for Stecker. The Eagles offense again moved the ball and Correll Buckhalter
scored on a 20-yard scamper and the game was tied 14–14. On Philadelphia's next drive, McNabb found the open Reggie Brown for a 31-yard touchdown pass and a Philadelphia lead. In the second quarter, David Akers
and Martin Gramatica
traded field goals as the offenses settled down. The Saints had 2nd-and-goal from the 1-yard line on their opening drive of the second half, but the Eagles' defense stepped up with another big goal line stand and the seven point lead was preserved. McNabb then led the Eagles on a 98-yard, seven minute drive that ended in a 9-yard touchdown pass to Greg Lewis. The Saints answered with two field goals to get within eight at 31–23, but a McNabb to Curtis touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter wrapped things up for Philadelphia. McNabb looked mobile and was effective, throwing for three scores and 263 yards. Brian Westbrook
had 100 rushing yards, while Curtis had 78 receiving yards, a touchdown reception, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. The second straight win raised the Eagles' record to 7–8 and gave them a chance to finish .500 with a win over the Buffalo Bills
.
in a contest of 7–8 teams trying to finish the year at .500. On Philadelphia's second possession, Donovan McNabb
used a series of short passes to move the Eagles to a 1st-and-goal situation. On 3rd-and-goal, McNabb hit rookie tight end Brent Celek
for a touchdown. McNabb took the Eagles inside the Buffalo red zone again on the next drive, but he was intercepted and Buffalo's offense countered with a long drive ending in a Ryan Lindell field goal in the second quarter. Behind McNabb's arm, the Eagles conducted a two-minute drill and came away with a 38-yard David Akers
field goal to make the halftime score 10–3. After Buffalo kicked another field goal in the third quarter, McNabb took the Eagles into Bills territory and completed a pass to Reggie Brown, who fumbled before he got to the end zone. Kevin Curtis
was there to recover the fumble for a touchdown – for the second week in a row. Philadelphia went on top 17–6, but a 56-yard run by Marshawn Lynch
helped the Bills to another field goal, putting them within eight with more than a quarter to play. A botched shotgun by center Jamaal Jackson
was recovered by the Bills at the Eagle 28-yard line, but on 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1, the Eagles' defense stuffed Marshawn Lynch, ending the Bills' scoring threat. That would turn out to be Buffalo's last opportunity, as the Eagles offense and defense ground out the clock over the final quarter. McNabb threw for 345 yards and a touchdown. Brian Westbrook
had 99-all purpose yards and Reggie Brown had 83 receiving yards. The win at home allowed the Eagles to finish at 8–8, and finish in last place in the NFC East.
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
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 marked the 75th anniversary of the Eagles franchise. The team compiled an 8–8 record and a last-place finish 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....
.
After a playoff run in 2006
2006 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2006 Philadelphia Eagles season ended in the Eagles finishing 10–6, reclaiming the NFC East, and winning a playoff game at home. The season ended in a Divisional Round playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints, but was seen as a success in the face of the adversity of losing starting quarterback...
and the return of 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...
from injury, the Eagles were considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender. With McNabb and bona fide star 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...
, the offense was an obvious weapon, but there were questions about the defense. However, the team's first few games displayed a tough Jim Johnson
Jim Johnson (football coach)
Jim Johnson was an American football coach, formerly serving as defensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles...
"bend but don't break defense" and an inconsistent offense. The Eagles dropped three of their first four, but they unleashed an offensive outburst in a Week 3 blowout over the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
56–21. A primetime 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...
in early November left Philadelphia 3–5.
The Eagles rallied and won a road game over 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,...
the next week, and followed that with a win at home against 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...
. In the win over Miami, McNabb went down with another November injury, the fourth time in six seasons that had occurred. The next three games, all against winning clubs, would prove to be the crux of the season for Philadelphia. 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...
almost pulled off a big upset of the 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...
, who would finish the regular season 16–0, but a fourth quarter lead was surrendered. The Eagles would again lose second half leads to 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...
and their rival and eventual world champion
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
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...
. These losses wiped out any chances of making the playoffs. The team finished the season with three straight wins, including a 10–6 win over the Cowboys, who were 12–1 entering the game.
Despite missing two games, McNabb threw for 3324 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Westbrook had one of the top seasons of any running back in the league, rushing for 1333 yards and seven touchdowns, and catching 90 passes for 771 yards and 5 touchdowns. New acquisition Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
led the team with 1110 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions (half of them coming against Detroit). Third-year receiver Reggie Brown had a slow start, but finished with 780 receiving yards. On defense, Trent Cole
Trent Cole
-2005:Cole was selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles with the draft pick acquired from the Washington Redskins for wide receiver James Thrash. He signed a 4-year contract before his rookie season....
's 12.5 sacks earned him a Pro Bowl spot and second-year linebacker Omar Gaither
Omar Gaither
-Philadelphia Eagles:Gaither was drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Gaither received significant playing time later in the 2006 season due to the struggles and injury of starter Matt McCoy. Gaither got his first NFL start at weakside linebacker on December...
led the team with 103 tackles. As a unit, the defense came up with several important goal-line stands throughout the season.
Offseason
After returning to the top of the NFC East in 20062006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
, it was an offseason of controversial transactions for the Eagles. The fates of quarterback Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
and wide receiver Donte' Stallworth
Donte' Stallworth
Donté Lamar Stallworth is an American football wide receiver is currently playing for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
were the two immediate questions facing the Eagles after the season ended. Ultimately, the team decided to keep neither of them. The Eagles signed 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...
to a three-year contract to be the backup quarterback, allowing Garcia to sign with 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 March 2007. A week later, Stallworth inked a deal with the 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...
.
Philadelphia filled the new hole in the receiving corps by signing free agent Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
from the St. Louis Rams. They then made a trade with the 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...
on March 26, 2007, sending longtime defensive tackle 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...
to the Bills in exchange for Takeo Spikes
Takeo Spikes
Takeo Gerard Spikes is an American football linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals 13th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft...
to provide much-needed linebacker help, and backup quarterback Kelly Holcomb
Kelly Holcomb
Bryan Kelly Holcomb is a former American football quarterback of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 1995...
.
In the draft, the Eagles traded down, selecting University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
quarterback Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
in the second round. The selection of Kolb sent a signal that the Eagles were looking towards a point in the future past 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 had missed significant time in the three of the past five seasons.
In training camp and the preseason, McNabb, wearing a knee brace, showed that he had recovered from his knee surgery and was ready to go. He stated, as he did the season before, that the team was capable of reaching the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. He was stunned when Eagles' management decided to cut veteran middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter
Jeremiah Trotter
Jeremiah Trotter is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stephen F...
on August 21.
The talk of the preseason turned out to be the booming punts of Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
import Saverio Rocca
Saverio Rocca
Saverio "Sav" Giovanni Rocca is a punter for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and former Australian rules footballer for both and in the Australian Football League. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles.He is one of a few players who have converted from...
. The Aussie outbooted veteran Dirk Johnson
Dirk Johnson
Dirk Johnson is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1998...
to earn the starting job.
Preseason
| Game | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 13, 2007 | Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his... |
L 29–3 | M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of... |
| 2 | August 17, 2007 | 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 27–10 | 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... |
| 3 | August 26, 2007 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L 27–13 | Heinz Field Heinz Field Heinz Field is a stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It primarily serves as the home to the Pittsburgh Steelers and University of Pittsburgh Panthers American football teams, members of the National Football League and National Collegiate Athletic Association respectively... |
| 4 | August 30, 2007 | 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... |
L 13–11 | 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... |
Regular season
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9, 2007 | 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... |
L 16–13 | Lambeau Field Lambeau 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... |
| 2 | September 17, 2007 | 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,... |
L 20–12 | 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... |
| 3 | September 23, 2007 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 56–21 | 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... |
| 4 | September 30, 2007 | 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... |
L 16–3 | Giants Stadium 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... |
| 5 | Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
|||
| 6 | October 14, 2007 | 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 16–9 | Giants Stadium 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... |
| 7 | October 21, 2007 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 19–16 | 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... |
| 8 | October 28, 2007 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
W 23–16 | Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
| 9 | November 4, 2007 | 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 38–17 | 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... |
| 10 | November 11, 2007 | 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 33–25 | FedEx Field |
| 11 | November 18, 2007 | 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 17–7 | 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... |
| 12 | November 25, 2007 | 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 31–28 | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... |
| 13 | December 2, 2007 | 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... |
L 28–24 | 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... |
| 14 | December 9, 2007 | 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... |
L 16–13 | 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... |
| 15 | December 16, 2007 | 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 10–6 | Texas Stadium Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675... |
| 16 | December 23, 2007 | 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 38–23 | Louisiana Superdome Louisiana Superdome The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA... |
| 17 | December 30, 2007 | 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 17–9 | 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... |
Week 1: at Green Bay Packers
Two muffed punts hurt the Eagles in their season opener against Brett FavreBrett 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...
. After Green Bay's first drive, Philadelphia's punt return man Greg Lewis muffed the punt which resulted in a fumble recovery in the end zone for the Packers. A 53-yard Green Bay field goal put the Eagles in a 10–0 deficit. Sheldon Brown
Sheldon Brown (football player)
Sheldon Dion Brown is an American football cornerback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
's interception led to a field goal in the second quarter. Jason Avant
Jason Avant
Jason Raye Avant is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
's nine-yard touchdown reception 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...
tied the game, and in the third 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....
made his second field goal from 47-yards out to make it 13–10 Philadelphia. Favre responded with a 13-play field goal drive to even the score. Later, J.R. Reed
J.R. Reed
Herbert Lee "J. R." Reed is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played football at Hillsborough High School to later go on and play college football at South Florida.Reed has also been a...
muffed a punt and the Packers recovered at the Eagles 31-yard line and Mason Crosby
Mason Crosby
Mason Walker Crosby , is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s...
kicked a 42-yard game winner. 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...
had 131 all-purpose yards and Avant had three catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. The defense collected four sacks, two turnovers, and only allowed 46 rushing yards. This was the only game that the Packers offense did not score a touchdown.
Week 2: vs. Washington Redskins
Playing their home opener on 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...
, the Eagles lost to a 20–12 decision to 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,...
. A long reception by 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:...
led to a first quarter field goal for the Redskins. The Eagles responded with a pair of 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 goals in the second quarter to take a 6–3 lead. With nine seconds remaining in the half, Washington quarterback Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
passed to Chris Cooley in the end zone for a touchdown and Redskin lead. The teams traded field goals in the third quarter, and Clinton Portis
Clinton Portis
Clinton Earl Portis is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
rushed for a six-yard touchdown early in the final quarter to make it 20–9. 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 Eagles to a field goal to bring them within eight points. On their last series, the Eagles got to the Washington nine-yard line, but the drive stalled there, preserving the Redskin victory. McNabb threw for 240 yards, 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...
had 162 all-purpose yards, and Akers connected on four field goals.
Week 3: vs. Detroit Lions
Attired in their throwback uniforms of yellow and baby blue, the Eagles won their first game, a 56–21 rout of the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. The offense scored touchdowns on their first five possessions. 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...
ran for a 25-yard rushing touchdown three minutes into the game. The Lions tied the score, but the Eagles came right back with another Westbrook rushing score. Then, 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...
and receiver Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
hooked up on 68-yard touchdown pass. Early in the second quarter, McNabb passed to Curtis again, this time for a 12-yard score and a 28–7 Eagles lead. A few minutes later, McNabb found Curtis for a 43-yard touchdown pass, Curtis's third touchdown in a seven minute span. Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
attempted to rally the Lions, throwing two second quarter touchdown passes, but McNabb fed Westbrook a short pass that went for a 43-yard touchdown, making it 42–21. The Philadelphia defense tightened up in the second half, while 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 Tony Hunt added short rushing touchdowns for the Eagles. McNabb, who had a perfect quarterback rating and did most of his damage in the first half, was 21 for 26 with 381 passing yards and four touchdowns. Curtis caught eleven passes for 221 yards and three scores. Westbrook had over 100 yards both rushing and receiving, with two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. Defensively, the Eagles recorded nine sacks.
Week 4: at New York Giants
The New York Giants tied an NFL record with twelve sacks as they dealt the Eagles a 16–3 loss. Philadelphia entered the game with five starters out due to injury, including running back 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...
. Penalties, sacks, and the absence of Westbrook stymied the offense, which scored 56 points last week, throughout the first three quarters. The Giants took the lead on a touchdown reception by Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
in the second quarter. A botched handoff led to a defensive touchdown for Kawika Mitchell
Kawika Mitchell
Kawika Uilani Mitchell is an American football linebacker who currently is a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round in the 2003 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, and New Orleans Saints...
and a 16–0 New York lead. David Akers' 53-yard field goal in the fourth quarter allowed the Eagles to avoid a shutout. Osi Umenyiora
Osi Umenyiora
-2003:Umenyiora was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the New York Giants out of Troy State University, now Troy University. He was number 72. As a rookie in 2003, he played in 13 games with one start.-2005:...
had six of the Giants' sacks. 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 103 yards in the defeat. The loss drops Philadelphia to 1–3, their worst start since 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, as they entered their bye week.
Week 6: at New York Jets
Coming off of their bye week, the Eagles returned to the MeadowlandsGiants 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...
and beat the throwback-clad 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...
16–9. A 36-yard gain by Thomas Jones
Thomas Jones (football player)
Thomas Quinn Jones is an American National Football League running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals seventh overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at The University of Virginia. Jones has also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago...
helped set up a short field goal by Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent
Mike Nugent is an American football placekicker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
on New York's opening drive. On third and long 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...
connected with Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
, who shook free from a tackle and scored on a 75-yard reception. 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....
kicked a 22-yard field goal to make it 10–3 Eagles. After the Jets narrowed it to 10–6, the Eagles embarked on a 16-play drive that ended on an Akers' field goal miss. Just before halftime, Akers missed again wide right. He made a pair of shorter field goals in the third quarter to stretch Philadelphia's lead to 16–6. A McNabb interception gave the Jets the ball inside the Eagles' red zone, but New York came away with only a field goal, leaving them down by a touchdown. On their next possession, late in the fourth quarter, the Jets managed to get a 2nd and 1 situation at the Eagles' four yard-line. The Philadelphia defense held and the Eagles came away with a 16–9 victory. 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...
had 120 rushing yards and Curtis had 121 receiving yards with a touchdown. McNabb had 278 passing yards and Akers was three for five in the field goal department. The Eagles' record went to 2–3, as well as going 9–0 coming off a bye-week under coach Reid.
Week 7: vs. Chicago Bears
The Bears traveled to Philadelphia to take on the EaglesPhiladelphia 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...
. The game was a defensive struggle throughout and a field goal fest through the first three quarters. Eagles kick 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 on field goals of 24, 33, and 37. Bears kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
hit on field goals of 31, 22, 41, and 45 respectively. The Bears held a three point lead late until Eagles 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...
threw a touchdown strike to tight end Matt Schobel
Matt Schobel
Matthew Thomas Schobel is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian....
to give the Eagles a 16–12 lead. Eagles punter Sav Rocca
Saverio Rocca
Saverio "Sav" Giovanni Rocca is a punter for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and former Australian rules footballer for both and in the Australian Football League. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles.He is one of a few players who have converted from...
pinned the Bears deep in their own territory with under two minutes remaining and no timeouts left, leaving the Bears to have to cover 97 yards if they wished to take the lead. Bears quarterback Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
marched the team down the field and capped off the drive with a 15 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver 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...
with nine seconds remaining. The final was 19–16 Bears. The Eagles fell short on their final opportunity, and fell to 2–4.
Week 8: at Minnesota Vikings
Coming off their last-second home loss to Chicago, the Eagles ground out a 23–16 victory on the road against a Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
team coached by former 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...
protege Brad Childress
Brad Childress
Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
. Rookie phenom Adrian Peterson and quarterback Kelly Holcomb
Kelly Holcomb
Bryan Kelly Holcomb is a former American football quarterback of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 1995...
, who spent the offseason on the Eagles’ roster, took the Vikings down the field for the game’s first score – a nine-yard touchdown pass to Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe Shiancoe
Visanthe Shiancoe is an American football tight end who currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-High school:...
. A 50-yard reception by Greg Lewis down the field set up 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....
’ first field goal, then 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 Eagles to a touchdown drive early in the second quarter, with 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...
the recipient of a short six-yard scoring pass. Westbrook carried it up the middle from the one-yard line on Philadelphia’s next drive to make it 17–7. 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...
booted a 39-yard field goal for Minnesota to draw the score to 17–10 later in the second quarter. Akers and Longwell traded field goals in the third quarter to make it 20–13. A 48-yarder by Longwell in the final quarter drew the Vikings to within four points, but they would get no closer, while Akers added his third field goal to restore the seven point lead. McNabb’s 333 passing yards were his most since the Detroit game, while Reggie Brown topped 100 yards for the first time all season. Westbrook had 92 all-purpose yards and a touchdown on the ground and in the air. Trent Cole
Trent Cole
-2005:Cole was selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles with the draft pick acquired from the Washington Redskins for wide receiver James Thrash. He signed a 4-year contract before his rookie season....
recorded two sacks.
Week 9: vs. Dallas Cowboys
The division-leading 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 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...
handed the Eagles a decisive 38–17 loss on Sunday night football in Philadelphia. Julius Jones
Julius Jones
Julius Andre Maurice Jones is an American football running back who played college football at the University of Notre Dame and is currently a member of the Free Agent Class of the National Football League. Before signing with the Saints on October 12, 2010, Julius had stints with the Dallas...
powered into the end zone from two yards out on Dallas’ opening drive, but 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...
answered with a short touchdown of his own after a 45-yard reception by Reggie Brown gave the Eagles’ first-and-goal. Then Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
took over, hitting Tony Curtis for a short passing touchdown. Marion Barber III
Marion Barber III
Marion Sylvester Barber III is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota....
carried it in from five yards out for Dallas 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...
was intercepted by the Cowboys’ defense. Romo connected with Owens for a 45-yard bomb in the third quarter, making the score 28–7 Dallas. After a 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, Romo got his third touchdown on a 20-yard pass to tight end Jason Witten
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten is an American football tight end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee....
. McNabb finished the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Hank Baskett
Hank Baskett
Henry Randall "Hank" Baskett III is a wide receiver who is currently a free agent. Baskett has played for three NFL teams, the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts....
. McNabb passed for a touchdown and 264 yards, but also two interceptions. Westbrook racked up 156 all-purpose yards in another strong showing. Owens burned the Eagles’ defense for 174 receiving yards. Philadelphia fell to 3–5 and the team was largely uncompetitive against the Dallas squad.
Week 10: at Washington Redskins
The team rallied for a win over the 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,...
at FedEx Field in week 10. Penalties on Washington’s defense helped allow a short McNabb 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...
touchdown pass on Philadelphia’s opening drive. A fumble by 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...
gave Washington the ball inside Eagle territory, and Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell is an American football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
capitalized with a 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....
, the former Eagle. The extra point was missed, but Campbell hit Thrash for another score later in the second quarter. The two-point conversion failed, leaving it 12–7 Washington. A Redskin field goal stretched Philadelphia’s deficit to 15–7 in the third quarter, but 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 spent much of the early season injured, caught an eight-yard touchdown from McNabb. The Eagles went for two to try to tie it, but were not successful. Campbell fired back with his third touchdown pass, this one to Keenan McCardell
Keenan McCardell
Keenan Wayne McCardell is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League and current wide receivers coach for the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Redskins in the 12th round of the 1991 NFL Draft...
, to make it 22–13. McNabb needed five plays to get the points back, launching a 45-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Brown for the touchdown. Ladell Betts
Ladell Betts
Matthew Ladell Betts is an American football running back who is currently a free agent He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa....
fumbled the ball away in Eagle territory on Washington’s next possession, but McNabb was sacked and fumbled it back to the Redskins on the next play. The Redskins eventually had first-and-goal from the three-yard line, but the Philadelphia defense had yet another huge goal-line stand, and Washington settled for a field goal to go up 25–20. The Eagles got the ball back with four minutes to play, and Westbrook immediately took a short pass and broke free for a 57-yard touchdown to go ahead 26–25 (the two-point conversion failing again). The defense came up big again, with Mike Patterson sacking Campbell to jar the ball loose, and Trent Cole
Trent Cole
-2005:Cole was selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles with the draft pick acquired from the Washington Redskins for wide receiver James Thrash. He signed a 4-year contract before his rookie season....
recovering. Westbrook carried it in from ten yards out to seal the deal. McNabb, who surpassed Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
for the most career completions in franchise history (2,090 at game's end), passed for 251 yards and four touchdowns in the 33–25 win. Westbrook rushed for 100 yards and had 83 receiving yards, with three total touchdowns. The comeback win improved the Eagles record to 4–5.
Week 11: vs. Miami Dolphins
After their big road win in Washington, the Eagles hosted the winless Miami DolphinsMiami 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...
at muddy 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...
and won 17–7. The offenses struggled in the first quarter, and the first points would actually come via special teams in the second quarter, when Ted Ginn Jr. returned a punt 87 yards to paydirt for Miami. Later in the quarter, McNabb, who had already thrown two interceptions, was hit as he threw, spraining his ankle. 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....
came on to make a 34-yard field goal, and McNabb left the game. 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...
was spun up to play quarterback, but threw an interception of his own on his first drive. In the third 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....
took the ball in from eight yards out for the go-ahead touchdown, making it 10–7. Feeley, after some helpful runs from 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...
, connected with receiver Jason Avant
Jason Avant
Jason Raye Avant is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
to increase the lead. The defense played a strong second half, and Westbrook carried seven times on the final drive, which killed the final 6:40 of the game. Without McNabb, 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...
leaned hard on Westbrook, who shattered his career-high with 32 carries, while picking up 148 yards. McNabb’s post-game x-rays were negative. The win marked the first time Philadelphia had won consecutive games all season, as well as allowing them to reach .500 and remain in the playoff hunt in the NFC.
Week 12: at New England Patriots
In front of a national audience, the Eagles traveled to FoxboroFoxborough, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile...
as 22-point underdogs in their matchup against the 10–0 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...
– the first meeting of the teams since Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
. The Eagles started 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...
due to McNabb’s injury, and Asante Samuel
Asante Samuel
Asante T. Samuel is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
picked off a Feeley pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the game. The Eagles responded with a 14-play drive, capped by a one-yard diving touchdown by 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...
. 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,...
finally got a chance late in the first quarter, and marched New England down the field before Heath Evans
Heath Evans
Bryan Heath Evans is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
took it in from a yard out to make it 14–7 Patriots. However, Feeley answered back with a 28-yard touchdown to third receiver Greg Lewis. 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...
then tried an onside kick. Hank Baskett
Hank Baskett
Henry Randall "Hank" Baskett III is a wide receiver who is currently a free agent. Baskett has played for three NFL teams, the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts....
recovered the ball, but the Eagles were forced to punt. In a ten-play drive of all pass attempts, the Patriots had first-and-goal, but settled for a field goal to take a 17–14 lead. Feeley found Lewis again on the next series, this time an 18-yard strike with three minutes left in the half, giving Philadelphia the lead. Brady connected with Jabar Gaffney
Jabar Gaffney
Derrick Jabar Gaffney is an American football wide receiver for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
to retake the lead 24–21 with seconds left in the half. A long drive by New England in the third quarter resulted in a missed field goal, and Feeley responded with a touchdown drive capped by an eight-yard reception in the end zone by Reggie Brown and the Eagles took a 28–24 lead as the game moved into the final quarter. Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney
Laurence Maroney is an American football running back who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 21st overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.-Early years:Maroney attended Normandy Senior High School in St...
scored from four yards out midway through the fourth as the Patriots went back on top 31–28. Feeley took the Eagles to within field goal range, but was picked off trying for a touchdown and the Patriots’ perfect season survived. Feeley had 345 passing yards and three touchdowns, but his three interceptions were costly. Westbrook had 92 all-purpose yards and a touchdown, while Greg Lewis racked up a surprising 88 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The loss drops the Eagles to 5–6.
Week 13: vs. Seattle Seahawks
The Eagles met the 7–4 Seattle SeahawksSeattle 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...
with 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...
at quarterback. Feeley was picked off by Lofa Tatupu
Lofa Tatupu
-Seattle Seahawks:Tatupu quickly established himself as one of the top defensive players in the league as a rookie in 2005, in which he was named to the Pro Bowl, while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles, with 104, en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history...
on the first play leading to a two-yard touchdown carry for running back Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
. On the Eagles' ensuing drive, 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....
ran for a 30-yard touchdown run to tie the game. Tatupu caught his second interception on the Philadelphia's next possession and returned it to the Eagles' eight-yard line. Two plays later, Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
completed a short touchdown pass to Bobby Engram
Bobby Engram
Simon J. "Bobby" Engram III is currently the offensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
. David Akers' field goal at the end of the first quarter made it 14–10, and Hasselback connected with Nate Burleson
Nate Burleson
Nathaniel Burleson is an American football player, who currently plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . Burleson played college football for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL...
for a 43-yard score as Seattle went ahead 21–10. Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
got open for a 24-yard touchdown reception to bring the Eagles within four points. With a minute left in the half, Philadelphia had first-and-goal from the one-yard line, but four straight plays failed to reach the end zone. A Bobby Engram fumble early in the second half gave Philadelphia the ball at the Seattle 40-yard line, 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...
, who had been stopped three times at the one-yard line earlier, rushed to the left for a 29-yard touchdown and Philadelphia's only lead. Maurice Morris
Maurice Morris
Maurice Autora Morris is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon.-Early life:Morris attended Chester High School in Chester, South...
broke through on the left side for a 45-yard touchdown run and the Seahawks retook the lead 28–24 midway through the third quarter. The Eagles' Westbrook returned a punt 64 yards to the Seahawk 14-yard line, and Feeley tossed another interception to Tatupu. Feeley threw for one touchdown and four interceptions, giving him eight in two and a half games. Westbrook had 139 all-purpose yards and a score and Curtis caught six passes for 111 yards and a score of his own.
Week 14: vs. New York Giants
The Eagles lost 16–13 to 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...
. The Eagles, with 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...
back under center, scored on their opening drive with 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...
finding the end zone on an 18-yard pass from McNabb. The Giants scored an FG after having first-and-goal from the one-yard line. Another New York field goal just before halftime left the score 7–6. A fumble recovery gave Philadelphia the ball at the Giant eight-yard line, 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 short field goal. Later in the third quarter, Westbrook fumbled and Sam Madison
Sam Madison
Samuel Adolfus Madison, Jr. is an American football cornerback who is retired. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville....
recovered for New York. Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
connected with Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
for a 20-yard touchdown two plays later giving the Giants a 13–10 lead. A 41-yard pass to Burress set up another Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence Tynes
Lawrence James Henry Tynes is an American football placekicker for the New York Giants. He was originally signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2001.-Early years:...
field goal making it 16–10. Akers kicked a 39-yarder after a nearly eight-minute drive by the Eagles in the fourth quarter. On the Eagles' next drive, they crossed into Giant territory, but turned the ball over on downs. After a three-and-out, New York punter 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...
kicked the ball to the Eagles' 11-yard line with :51 to play and no timeouts. McNabb led the Eagles down the field, giving Akers a chance from 57 yards out. Akers hit the right upright and the FG was missed with 1 second remaining. Westbrook rushed for 116 and had a receiving touchdown, while Trent Cole
Trent Cole
-2005:Cole was selected in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles with the draft pick acquired from the Washington Redskins for wide receiver James Thrash. He signed a 4-year contract before his rookie season....
had two sacks. Burress had 136 yards and one score. The home loss leaves the Eagles at 5–8.
Week 15: at Dallas Cowboys
The Eagles snapped a three-game skid and dealt the 12–1 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...
an upset loss with a big effort from the defense. The defenses dominated the first quarter at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
. Dallas got the first score in the second quarter on a field goal after Quintin Mikell
Quintin Mikell
Quintin Perry Mikell is an American football safety for the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Boise State....
fumbled away a Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
pass he had just intercepted. But, Romo was picked off again on Dallas' next possession, this time by 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...
. 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...
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...
marched the Eagles to the one-yard line, where McNabb tossed a touchown pass to Reggie Brown for a 7–3 Philadelphia lead with seconds left in the half. On Dallas' second possession of the third quarter, Romo moved deep into Eagles' territory with two long passes to Patrick Crayton
Patrick Crayton
Patrick Jamel Crayton is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was a originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
, but the Cowboys could only muster a field goal. A 13-play drive early in the fourth quarter led to short 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 and a 10–6 lead for the Eagles. Philadelphia had held second half leads over superior opponents for three straight weeks, but lost each game. This time, the defense shut down the Cowboys' efforts to score. 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...
recorded Philadelphia's third interception mid-way through the final quarter. With the Eagles possessing the ball at the Cowboy 25-yard line, just over two minutes left, and Dallas out of timeouts, Westbrook broke through the defense and had a clear path to the end zone. Westbrook went down at the 1-yard line and allowed the Eagles to run out the clock instead of scoring the touchdown and kicking the ball off. McNabb passed for 208 yards and rushed for 53 more, while Westbrook had 81 rushing yards and 63 receiving yards. The defense used three sacks and three interceptions to help contain the Dallas offense. The victory kept the Eagles' mathematical hopes alive of gaining the final wild card spot, but they were eliminated Monday night when the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Chicago Bears.
Week 16: at New Orleans Saints
Now functioning as a spoiler, the Eagles traveled to face the 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 ....
at the Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
– site of two losses in 2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
, including one in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. The first quarter would be a shootout, with the teams combined for 5 touchdowns and over 300 yards of offense. On the third play from scrimmage, 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...
scrambled for a 40-yard gain, but fumbled, only to have the ball recovered in the end zone for a touchdown by receiver Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
. A 52-yard bomb to wideout Devery Henderson
Devery Henderson
-New Orleans Saints:On November 5, 2006, Devery had his best day as a professional in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he caught 3 passes for 111 yards and 2 touchdowns. Henderson had 158 receiving yards on 5 catches, including a 76 yard touchdown, against the Atlanta Falcons on November...
keyed a four-play drive ending in a New Orleans touchdown by running back Aaron Stecker
Aaron Stecker
Aaron Stecker is a former American football running back. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Western Illinois....
. McNabb's second fumble was recovered by New Orleans in Philadelphia territory, setting up another short touchdown for Stecker. The Eagles offense again moved the ball 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....
scored on a 20-yard scamper and the game was tied 14–14. On Philadelphia's next drive, McNabb found the open Reggie Brown for a 31-yard touchdown pass and a Philadelphia lead. 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....
and Martin Gramatica
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
traded field goals as the offenses settled down. The Saints had 2nd-and-goal from the 1-yard line on their opening drive of the second half, but the Eagles' defense stepped up with another big goal line stand and the seven point lead was preserved. McNabb then led the Eagles on a 98-yard, seven minute drive that ended in a 9-yard touchdown pass to Greg Lewis. The Saints answered with two field goals to get within eight at 31–23, but a McNabb to Curtis touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter wrapped things up for Philadelphia. McNabb looked mobile and was effective, throwing for three scores and 263 yards. 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...
had 100 rushing yards, while Curtis had 78 receiving yards, a touchdown reception, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. The second straight win raised the Eagles' record to 7–8 and gave them a chance to finish .500 with a win over the 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...
.
Week 17: vs. Buffalo Bills
In their final game of the season, the Eagles posted a 17–9 victory over 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...
in a contest of 7–8 teams trying to finish the year at .500. On Philadelphia's second 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...
used a series of short passes to move the Eagles to a 1st-and-goal situation. On 3rd-and-goal, McNabb hit rookie tight end Brent Celek
Brent Celek
Brent Steven Celek is an American football tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Cincinnati.-Early years:...
for a touchdown. McNabb took the Eagles inside the Buffalo red zone again on the next drive, but he was intercepted and Buffalo's offense countered with a long drive ending in a Ryan Lindell field goal in the second quarter. Behind McNabb's arm, the Eagles conducted a two-minute drill and came away with a 38-yard 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 to make the halftime score 10–3. After Buffalo kicked another field goal in the third quarter, McNabb took the Eagles into Bills territory and completed a pass to Reggie Brown, who fumbled before he got to the end zone. Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
was there to recover the fumble for a touchdown – for the second week in a row. Philadelphia went on top 17–6, but a 56-yard run by Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
helped the Bills to another field goal, putting them within eight with more than a quarter to play. A botched shotgun by center Jamaal Jackson
Jamaal Jackson
Jamaal Jackson is an American football offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
was recovered by the Bills at the Eagle 28-yard line, but on 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1, the Eagles' defense stuffed Marshawn Lynch, ending the Bills' scoring threat. That would turn out to be Buffalo's last opportunity, as the Eagles offense and defense ground out the clock over the final quarter. McNabb threw for 345 yards and a touchdown. 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...
had 99-all purpose yards and Reggie Brown had 83 receiving yards. The win at home allowed the Eagles to finish at 8–8, and finish in last place in the NFC East.