History of the Philadelphia Eagles
Encyclopedia
The official NFL
history of the Philadelphia Eagles
begins in 1933. The Eagles' history may be divided into eight distinct eras. In their history, the Eagles have appeared in the Super Bowl
twice, but they have never won in. The Eagles have won three NFL Championships, the precursor to the Super Bowl, in four appearances.
The beginning era of the Eagles history, 1933 to 1939, was influenced by its owner, and then also coach, Bert Bell
. After Bell ostensibly sold the team, to Alexis Thompson in 1940, the second era of the Eagles history was largely directed by their coach and future Hall of Famer
, Greasy Neale.
, Philadelphia's NFL franchise, the Frankford Yellow Jackets
, who had won the NFL Championship in 1926
, went bankrupt and ceased operations midway through the season. After more than a year searching for a suitable replacement, the NFL granted an expansion franchise to a syndicate headed by former University of Pennsylvania
teammates Lud Wray
and Bert Bell
. Bell and Wray had previously played football together on the "Union Club" squads, the Union Club of Phoenixville
in 1920 and the Union Quakers of Philadelphia
in 1921.
In exchange for an entry fee of $2,500, the Bell-Wray group was awarded the assets of the failed Yellow Jackets organization. Drawing inspiration from the insignia of the centerpiece of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
's New Deal
, the National Recovery Act, Bell and Wray named the new franchise the Philadelphia Eagles. Neither the Eagles nor the NFL officially regard the two franchises as the same, citing the aforementioned period of dormancy. The Eagles simply inherited the NFL rights to the Philadelphia area. Also, almost no players from the 1931 Yellow Jackets
ended up with the 1933 Eagles
.
The new team played its first game on October 15, 1933, against the New York Giants
at the Polo Grounds
in New York City
. They lost the game 56-0. The Eagles struggled over the course of their first decade, never winning more than three games. For the most part, the Eagles' rosters were composed of former Penn
, Temple
and Villanova
players who put in a few years before going on to other things.
In 1935
, Bell, by that point the team's General Manager
, proposed an annual college draft
to equalize talent across the league. The draft was a revolutionary concept in professional sports. Having teams select players in inverse order of their finish in the standings, a practice still followed today, strove to increase fan interest by guaranteeing that even the worst teams would have the opportunity for annual infusions of the best college talent. Between 1927 (the year the NFL changed from a sprawling association to a narrower, major-market league) and 1934, a triopoly of three teams (the Chicago Bears
, New York Giants
and Green Bay Packers
) had won all but one title since 1927
(the lone exception being the Providence Steam Roller
of 1928).
the University of Chicago
's Heisman Trophy
-winning back, Jay Berwanger
. Fortunately for the Eagles, they had managed by then to trade his rights to the Chicago Bears. Berwanger, who had no interest in playing professional football, elected to go to medical school instead.
The Eagles' first major recruiting success would come in 1939, with the signing of Texas Christian
's All-America
quarterback, Davey O'Brien
; O'Brien proceeded to shatter numerous existing single-season NFL passing records in his rookie season. That year
, the Eagles
participated in the first televised football game, against the Brooklyn Dodgers
, at Ebbets Field
in Brooklyn (as was to be expected of the 1930s Eagles, they lost the game, 23-14).
, the team moved from Philadelphia Municipal Stadium to Shibe Park. Lud Wray's half-interest in the team was purchased by Art Rooney
, who had just sold the Pittsburgh Steelers
to Alexis Thompson. Soon thereafter, Bell/Rooney and Thompson swapped franchises, but not teams. Bell/Rooney's entire Eagles' corporate organization, including most of the players, moved to Pittsburgh (The Steelers' corporate name remained "Philadelphia Football Club, Inc." until 1945) and Thompson's Steelers moved to Philadelphia, leaving only the team nicknames in their original cities. Since NFL franchises are territorial rights distinct from individual corporate entities, the NFL does not consider this a franchise move and considers the current Philadelphia Eagles as a single unbroken entity from 1933. http://www.daytontriangles.org/toindianapolis.htm
After assuming ownership, Thompson promptly hired Greasy Neale as the team's head coach. In its first years under Neale, the team continued to struggle. In 1943
, when manpower shortages stemming from World War II
made it impossible to fill the roster, the team temporarily merged with the Steelers to form a team popularly known as the "Steagles
." The merger, never intended as a permanent arrangement, was dissolved at the end of the 1943 season. This season saw the team's first winning season in its 11-year history, with a finish of 5-4-1. In 1944
, however, the Eagles
finally experienced good fortune, as they made their finest draft
pick to date: running back Steve Van Buren
. At last, the team's fortunes were about to change.
Led by Van Buren and Neale, the Eagles became a serious competitor for the first time. They had their first winning season as a separate team in 1944. After two more second-place finishes (1945
and 1946
), the Eagles
reached the NFL title game
for the first time in 1947
. Van Buren, end Pete Pihos
and Bosh Pritchard
fought valiantly, but the young team fell to the Chicago Cardinals
, 28-21, at Chicago
's Comiskey Park
. Undeterred, the young squad rebounded and returned to face the Cardinals
once more in the 1948 championship
. With home-field advantage (and a blinding snowstorm) on their side, the Eagles
won their first NFL Championship, 7-0. Due to the severity of the weather, few fans were on hand to witness the joyous occasion. That would not be the case the following season
, however, when the Eagles
returned to the NFL championship game
for the third consecutive year and won in dominating fashion in front of a large crowd in Los Angeles, beating the Los Angeles Rams
, 14-0.
In Thompson's final draft, Chuck Bednarik
was selected as the first overall pick in the 1949 NFL Draft
. An All-American lineman/linebacker from the University of Pennsylvania, Bednarik would go on to become one of the greatest and most beloved players in Eagles history. 1949
also saw the sale of the team by Thompson to a syndicate of 100 buyers, known as the "Happy Hundred
", each of whom paid a fee of $3,000 for their share of the team. While the leader of the "Happy Hundred" was noted Philadelphia businessman James P. Clark, one unsung investor was Leonard Tose
, a name that would eventually become very familiar to Eagles fans.
champion Cleveland Browns
, who had just (with the other AAFC franchises) joined the NFL, the Eagles
stumbled in the standings. 1950
proved Greasy Neale's last as head coach, and in 1951
, Neale was replaced by Alvin "Bo" McMillan. McMillan, in turn, would get seriously ill the night before the season opener, and was replaced by Wayne Millner, who would last for all of one year before being replaced by Jim Trimble. While the remnants of the great 1940s teams managed to stay competitive for the first few years of the decade, and while younger players like Bobby Walston and Sonny Jurgensen
occasionally provided infusions of talent, the team lacked the stuff of true greatness for most of the 1950s. The Eagles considered trying to purchase Temple Stadium
in 1952
when the team was unhappy with their lease at Shibe Park. Temple University claimed the property to have been appraised for $1 million and said they were uninterested in selling. In 1958
, however, the franchise took key steps to improve, hiring Buck Shaw
as Head Coach and acquiring Norm Van Brocklin
in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams
. That year also saw the team move from Connie Mack Stadium (formerly Shibe Park) to Franklin Field
, and attendance doubled. The 1959
squad
showed real flashes of talent, and finished in second place in the Eastern Division.
remains the most celebrated year in Eagle history. Shaw, Van Brocklin and Bednarik (each in his last season before retirement) led a team more notable for its grit than its talent (one observer later quipped that the team had "nothing but a championship") to its first division title since 1949. The team was aided by their two Pro Bowl receivers, WR Tommy MacDonald (who would later pen a short autobiography titled "They Pay Me to Catch Footballs") and TE Pete Retzlaff. On December 26, 1960, one of the coldest days in recorded Philadelphia history, the Eagles faced Vince Lombardi
's Green Bay Packers
in the NFL title game
and dealt the mighty Lombardi the sole championship game loss of his storied career. Bednarik was the last NFL player to play an entire game without leaving the field in that game, lining up at center on offense and at linebacker on defense. Fittingly, the game ended as Bednarik tackled a struggling Jim Taylor and refused to allow him to stand until the last seconds had ticked away.
Flush with excitement from the 17-13 victory, with the talented Jurgensen poised to take the reins of the offense, the future looked promising. That promise, however, proved illusory.
In 1961
, the Eagles
finished just a half-game behind the New York Giants
for first place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 10-4 record. Despite the on-the-field success, however, the franchise was in turmoil. Van Brocklin had come to Philadelphia and agreed to play through 1960 with the tacit understanding that, upon his retirement as a player, he would assume the mantle of Head Coach. Ownership, however, opted to hire Nick Skorich
upon Buck Shaw’s retirement, and Van Brocklin quit the organization in a fit of pique. In 1962
, the bottom dropped out as the team was decimated by injury and managed only three wins. The off-field chaos would continue through 1963
, as the remaining 65 shareholders out of the original Happy Hundred sold the team to Jerry Wolman
, a 36-year-old Washington developer who outbid local bidders for the team, paying an unprecedented $5,505,000 for control of the club. In 1964, Wolman hired former Cardinals and Washington Redskins
coach Joe Kuharich
to a 15 year contract.
Kuharich would prove utterly unworthy of the honor, wasting top-tier talent such as Timmy Brown
, Ollie Matson
, Ben Hawkins and Jurgensen and effectively running the franchise into the ground. At Kuharich’s insistence, Jurgensen was traded to the Redskins for Norm Snead in 1964
: Jurgensen would go on to a Hall of Fame career while Snead, although serviceable, lacked the talent to lift the team out of mediocrity. By 1968
, fans were in full revolt. Chants of “Joe must go” echoed through the increasingly empty bleachers of Franklin Field. Adding insult to injury, the Eagles
managed to eke out meaningless wins in two of the last three games of the season, costing the franchise the first pick in the draft, and with it the opportunity to add O. J. Simpson
to the roster. (With the second pick, the Eagles chose Leroy Keyes
, who played only four years in an Eagles uniform.) The last game of 1968, played on December 15, helped cement the rowdy reputation of Philadelphia fans when some of them booed and threw snowballs at an actor playing Santa Claus
. By 1969
, Wolman, a former millionaire, was bankrupt and the franchise under the administration of a federal bankruptcy court. At the end of the bankruptcy proceedings, the Eagles were sold to Leonard Tose
, the self-made trucking millionaire and original member of the Happy Hundred. Tose's first official act was to fire Kuharich.
With an earned reputation as a fast-living high-flier, Tose infused the organization with some much-needed panache. Initially, however, he ran the team with more enthusiasm than ability, as was exemplified by his choice to replace Kuharich, the hapless Jerry Williams. Tose also selected former Eagles great Pete Retzlaff
as General Manager.
. In its first season, the “Vet” was widely acclaimed as a triumph of ultra-modern sports engineering, a consensus that would be short-lived. Equally short-lived was Williams’s tenure as head coach: after a 3-10-1 record in 1970
and three consecutive blowout losses to open the 1971 season
, Williams was fired and replaced by assistant coach Ed Khayat. Khayat proved little better, and was released after another dismal season in 1972
where the Eagles finished 2-11-1. The two wins (both on the road) proved to be unexpected surprises, however. Philadelphia beat Kansas City (which had been in the AFC Championship a year before) 21-20 and Houston 18-17 on six field goals by kicker Tom Dempsey. The latter game became known as the "Johnny Rodgers Bowl", because the loser would finish with the worst record in the league and obtain the #1 draft pick of 1973, which was then assumed to be Nebraska wingback Johnny Rodgers. The Oilers ultimately got the #1 pick, which instead turned out to be University of Tampa defensive end John Matuszak
(who ironically would end up facing Philadelphia in the Super Bowl several years later). Khayat was replaced by offensive guru Mike McCormick, who, aided by the skills of Roman Gabriel
and towering young receiver Harold Carmichael
, managed to infuse a bit of vitality into a previously moribund offense. New general manager Jim Murray also began to add talent on the defensive side of the line, most notably through the addition of future Pro Bowl linebacker Bill Bergey
. Overall, however, the team was still mired in mediocrity. McCormick was fired after a 4-10 1975 season
, and replaced by a college coach unknown to most Philadelphians. That coach would become one of the most beloved names in Philadelphia sports history: Dick Vermeil
.
Vermeil faced numerous obstacles as he attempted to rejuvenate a franchise that had not seriously contended in well over a decade. Despite the team’s young talent and Gabriel’s occasional flashes of brilliance, the Eagles
finished 1976
with the same result—a 4-10 record—as in 1975. 1977
, however, saw the first seeds of hope begin to sprout. Rifle-armed quarterback Ron Jaworski
was obtained by trade with the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for popular tight end Charlie Young. The defense, led by Bergey and defensive coordinator Marion Campbell
, began earning a reputation as one of the hardest hitting in the league. By the next year
, the Eagles had fully taken Vermeil’s enthusiastic attitude, and made the playoffs for the first time since 1960. Young running back Wilbert Montgomery
became the first Eagle since Steve Van Buren to exceed 1,000 yards in a single season. (1978
also bore witness to one of the greatest, and unquestionably most surreal moment in Eagles history: "The Miracle at the Meadowlands
," when Herman Edwards
returned a late-game fumble by Giants
' quarterback Joe Pisarcik
for a touchdown with 20 seconds left, resulting in a 19-17 Eagles victory - the Eagles
would later edge into the playoffs that year with a 9-7 season.) By 1979
, in which the Eagles
tied for first place with an 11-5 record and Wilbert Montgomery shattered club rushing records with a total of 1,512 yards, the Eagles were poised to join the NFL elite.
, the team, led by coach Dick Vermeil
, quarterback Ron Jaworski
, running back Wilbert Montgomery, wide receiver Harold Carmichael, and linebacker Bill Bergey
, dominated the NFC, facing its chief nemesis, the Dallas Cowboys
, in the NFC Championship. The game was played in cold conditions in front of the Birds' faithful fans at Veterans Stadium
. Led by an incredible rushing performance from Montgomery, whose long cutback TD run in the first half is surely one of the most memorable plays in Eagles history, and a gutsy performance from fullback Leroy Harris, who scored the Eagles' only other TD that day, the Birds earned a berth in Super Bowl XV with a 20-7 victory.
The Eagles traveled to New Orleans for Super Bowl XV
and were heavy favorites to knock off the Oakland Raiders
, who were merely a wild card team. Things did not go the Eagles' way, beginning with the disastrous decision by Tose to bring comedian Don Rickles
into the pregame locker room to lighten the mood. Jaworski's first pass was intercepted by Rod Martin, setting up an Oakland touchdown. Later in the first quarter, a potential game-tying 40-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Parker was nullified by an illegal motion penalty. The final score was 27-10. Veteran journeyman quarterback Jim Plunkett was named the game's MVP. In a bizarre coincidence, Joe Kuharich died on the same day.
got off to a great start in the 1981 season
, winning their first six games. They eventually ended up 10-6 and earned a wild card berth. However, they were unable to repeat as NFC champs when they were knocked out in the wild card round by the New York Giants
, 27-21. After the Eagles finished 3-6 in the strike-shortened 1982 season, Vermeil quit the team, citing "burnout." He was replaced by defensive coordinator Marion Campbell
, aka "the Swamp Fox." Campbell had helped to popularize the "bend-don't-break" defensive strategy in the 1970s. Under Campbell, however, the team struggled, although his stewardship was notable in that it saw the arrival of all-time football greats Reggie White
and Randall Cunningham
. The 1983-85 seasons would see the Eagles go 5-11, 6-9-1, and 7-9, respectively.
, when Buddy Ryan
was named head coach. Immediately infusing the team with his tough, hard-as-nails attitude, the Eagles quickly became known for their tough defense and tougher personalities. Ryan began rejuvenating the team by releasing several aging players, including Ron Jaworski. Randall Cunningham took his place, and despite a 5-10-1 season, he began showing considerable promise. 1987
saw another strike, reducing the season by one game. The substitutes who were filling in for the strikers turned in a poor performance, being crushed 41-22 by the Dallas Cowboys
. After the strike ended, the regular Eagles
team won a 37-20 revenge game against Dallas. The season record was 7-8, three games having been played by substitutes. The Eagles
would reach the playoffs
in 1988
, but lost to the Chicago Bears
20-12 in what became known as the "Fog Bowl
", due to the weather conditions during the game.
. The defense is commonly acknowledged as among the greatest in league history, and as the best never to win a championship.
The two 1989 matches with Dallas were known as the Bounty Bowls. Both were won easily by the Eagles (the Cowboys finished 1-15 that year), and were marked by Ryan insulting new Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson
, putting a "bounty" on their kicker, and for Eagles fans throwing snowballs on the season ender.
On November 12, 1990, during a Monday Night Football
game at the Vet, the Eagles
crushed the Washington Redskins
by a score of 28-14, with the defense scoring three of the team's four touchdowns. More lopsided than its score would indicate, the game quickly acquired the sobriquet "the Body Bag Game
", attesting to the physical damage inflicted by the tougher Eagles squad. The Eagles knocked out the starting Washington quarterback, and then seriously injured his replacement as well. Running back Brian Mitchell, who would later be signed by the Eagles, was forced to play quarterback for the Redskins. Unfortunately, the Redskins returned to Veterans stadium in the first round of the playoffs
and defeated the Eagles 20-6, ending their season. Buddy Ryan was fired at the end of the season. Despite his tough talk, the Eagles failed to win a playoff game in the five years he had been head coach.
, the Eagles
became the first NFL team since 1975 to rank first in the league in both rushing and passing yardage allowed, but competing in a strong division were unable to reach the playoffs despite a 10-6 record. Along with White, notable defensive stars included Jerome Brown, Clyde Simmons
, Seth Joyner
, Eric Allen
, Wes Hopkins
, and Andre Waters
.
With Ryan's firing by Norman Braman, Ryan's former Offensive Coordinator, Rich Kotite
, took the helm of the franchise. In 1992
, Kotite led the Eagles
back into the postseason
with an 11-5 record. In the Wild Card Round, the Eagles soundly defeated the New Orleans Saints
by a final score of 36-20. The Eagles were eliminated by Dallas
in the next round (34-10). At the end of the season, DE Reggie White would leave the team through free agency. In the 1992 NFL Off-season, DT Jerome Brown died in a high speed automobile crash on June 25. In 1993
and 1994
, Kotite's Eagles would fall apart after initially promising starts, and missed the playoffs in each season, going 8-8 and 7-9. By this point, Braman had become unpopular among most local fans and a polarizing presence in the front office. Under rising scrutiny and deflating optimism, he sold the team to current owner Jeffrey Lurie
, who proceeded to fire Kotite. The New York Jets
almost immediately hired him as their new head coach, where he was by all accounts a miserable failure.
Lurie's choice to replace Kotite was San Francisco 49ers
Defensive Coordinator Ray Rhodes
, who successfully lobbied 49ers star Ricky Watters
to join the team as a free agent. In 1995
, Rhodes's first season, the Eagles
got off to a slow start by losing 3 out their first 4 games: they subsequently rebounded, finishing with a 10-6 record and a playoff spot. In the Wild Card Round, the Eagles played at home and overwhelmed the Detroit Lions
58-37, with 31 of Philadelphia's points coming in the second quarter alone. Despite this dominating performance, yet again, the Eagles were eliminated in the next round by the Dallas Cowboys
(30-11). Ironically, this would be Randall Cunningham's last game as an Eagle. Cunningham would score the only touchdown of the game and the last Eagles post season touchdown until the Eagles defeated Tampa Bay
in the 2000-01 playoffs
.
1995 was perhaps most notable in that it signaled the end of Randall Cunningham
's tenure as starting quarterback. Rhodes benched Cunningham in favor of Rodney Peete, leading to friction between the two. Before the benching, news reports circulated that owner Jeffrey Lurie and Head Coach Ray Rhodes tried to trade Cunningham to the Arizona Cardinals. However, no such trade was executed and Cunningham retired shortly after the season.
In 1996
, the Eagles
donned new uniforms and got off to a good start, winning three of their first four games. However, a week-5 Monday night game at Veterans Stadium against the hated Cowboys
would witness a season-ending knee injury to Peete and the loss of the team's momentum, and the transition to an offense led by Ty Detmer
and Watters. While Detmer played well and Watters running for 1,411 yards, the season followed an all-too-familiar pattern: 10-6 record, and early elimination (a 14-0 shutout by the 49ers
) in the playoffs
. The continued early playoff exits led to fans and local media blaming the high priced free agent signings (Irving Fryar
, Watters, Troy Vincent
, and Guy McIntyre
) for not stepping up in big games, most notably the postseason. Rhodes gradually deteriorated under the stress of the job, and players were beginning to grow tired of his brash demeanor and totalitarian approach to coaching. After an up-and-down 6-9-1 campaign in 1997
, the team hit rock bottom in 1998
. They lost a franchise record 13 games and were ranked dead last in numerous offensive statistics. Home game attendance was declining, a quarterback controversy was deteriorating an already rudderless locker room, and the players had all but tuned out the embattled coaching staff. Left with little choice after a 3-13 campaign, fan revolt and sagging team morale, Lurie fired Rhodes.
, who began by drafting Syracuse QB Donovan McNabb with the #2 pick in the 1999 draft (the Eagles would have had the #1 pick, but it was awarded to the rebooted Cleveland Browns). Despite clearing up roster space for new talent by releasing unpopular, aging veterans (such as Watters and Irving Fryar
), Reid was still a virtual unknown at the time of his selection as head coach, and his appointment was met with considerable skepticism in Philadelphia. McNabb was also not considered a good choice to draft by Eagles fans. When he was drafted, many Eagles fans booed the selection, believing that the Eagles should draft Ricky Williams. The choices proved wise, however: with Reid leading the way and McNabb emerging as one of the game's great players. However, 1999 was a rebuilding year and so the Eagles only won five games and game attendance was still looking stale as two home games were not sold out- resulting in local TV blackouts
- while the other 6 were only sold out due to several small business owners purchasing the remainder of the unsold tickets to spare TV viewers. The Week 5 game saw Dallas WR Michael Irvin
suffer a career-ending spinal injury where Eagles fans stood up and cheered as he lay on the field. Even the TV commentators expressed their disgust at this behavior. The 2000 season
saw the team go 11-5, reaching the playoffs
as a wildcard which rejuvenated the fan base and optimism. After brushing aside the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
21-3, the Eagles
moved to the second round of the playoffs, only to lose a 20-10 game against the Giants
.
The 2000 regular season opener in Dallas (September 3), became known in NFL lore as the "Pickle Juice Game". Kickoff temperature in Texas Stadium was 109 degrees Fahrenheit and soared to nearly 120, making it the hottest game in league history, beating a previous record set during the 1997 Cowboys-Cardinals match in Arizona. The nickname came about because a certain Eagles trainer had been preparing for the projected high temperatures by having the players drink the juice from jars of dill pickles in order to retain body moisture and stave off cramps and heat exhaustion. The experiment proved a success as the Cowboys lost the game 44-14 and had multiple players benched for inability to handle the brutal temperatures (the Eagles had no players benched). The game also had significance because it marked the beginning of Philadelphia's domination of the NFC East and the end of the Cowboys' dominance.
After compiling an 11-5 record in 2001
, the Eagles
reached the playoffs
again, this time at the top of their division. In a near-rerun of the previous year, they disposed of the Buccaneers
in a 31-9 game. In the second round, the Eagles defeated the Bears
33-19 at Soldier Field
. Reaching the NFC Championship game, they were unable to stop the St. Louis Rams
, who defeated them 29-24
Despite injuries, McNabb led the Eagles
to a 12-4 season in 2002
. Once again, they reached the NFC Championship, but lost at home 27-10 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers
.
, the Eagles were shut out 17-0 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in the first regular-season game ever played at Lincoln Financial Field
. Once again, the team went 12-4 for the season. By reaching the conference championship game in the same year as this defeat, they became the first team in modern history to get that far in the postseason after having been shut out at home in its first game. They achieved that distinction despite getting only five touchdown catches all year from their wide receivers, which tied the league low since the regular-season schedule was lengthened to its present 16 games in 1978 (this record would be broken in 2004 when the New York Giants
' wide receivers caught only two touchdown passes). The Eagle receivers even went through both September and October without a TD catch — the last time an NFL team had done that was in 1945.
No doubt with the latter two facts in mind, the Eagles actively pursued premier wide receiver Terrell Owens
, and acquired him in a controversial three-way deal with the Baltimore Ravens
and the San Francisco 49ers
, on March 16, 2004.
began with a bang as Owens caught three touchdown passes from McNabb in their season opener against the New York Giants
. Owens would end up with exactly 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdown receptions, although his season ended prematurely with an ankle injury on December 19, 2005 against the Dallas Cowboys
. Their 12-7 victory in this game gave them home field advantage throughout the conference playoffs for the third year in a row. [This distinction also includes a "bye" in the first round (also known as the Wild Card Round) of the playoffs, which the top two teams in each conference receive.] The Eagles tied a record by clinching the NFC East division crown (their fourth straight such title) after only their eleventh game of the season, matching the mark set by the 1985 Chicago Bears
and the 1997 San Francisco 49ers
. Their final two regular-season games thus rendered meaningless, the Eagles sat out most of their first-string players in these games and lost them both, yet still finished with a 13-3 record, their best 16-game season ever. McNabb had his finest season to date, passing for 3,875 yards and 31 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions. This made him the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 30 or more TD passes and fewer than 10 interceptions in a single regular season. They then began their playoff run with the Divisional round at home against the sixth-seeded Minnesota Vikings
. The Eagles led from the start and never looked back, as McNabb led a very efficient passing attack (21 of 33 for 286 yards and 2 TDs), Brian Westbrook dominated on the ground with 70 rushing yards, and Freddie Mitchell performed very well on the receiving corps (5 receptions for 65 yards and a TD), as Philadelphia won 27-14, setting up their fourth-straight NFC Championship appearance.
The Eagles' futility in Conference Championship games had become notorious. In 2002, the Eagles had fallen in the NFC Championship Game against the Rams
in St. Louis, 29-24. In 2003, the Eagles hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
at Veterans Stadium and were widely viewed as the overwhelming favorites—this view no doubt accentuated by the expected emotional boost that many anticipated would power the team, given that the game was to be the last at "the Vet." After a promising start, however, the game slipped away, and the ensuing 27-10 loss devastated a fan base that had already become too accustomed to disappointment. In 2004, a banged-up Eagles squad managed to overcome numerous injuries, particularly to its defense, to reach the NFC Championship for the third year in a row, only to suffer a heartbreaking 14-3 loss against the Carolina Panthers.
's much-hyped Atlanta Falcons
, 27-10, sending them to their first Super Bowl in 24 years. The victory sent the city of Philadelphia into wild celebrations.
were heavily favored. The game was a defensive struggle through the third quarter, but in the fourth, the Patriots took the lead, with the Eagles trailing ten points. The early game struggle left everyone exhausted, and for his best efforts, McNabb could not get the team within field goal range. He was picked off in the closing seconds of the game. The final score was 24-21, and the Patriots had won their third Super Bowl in four years.
began in a strange and erratic fashion with a 14-10 road loss to the Atlanta Falcons
on Monday Night Football
, a game in which Donovan McNabb suffered a chest bruise
. In addition, Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter
was ejected prior to kick-off for getting involved in an altercation with Falcons cornerback Kevin Mathis
. In the Week 2 home opener in Philadelphia, the Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers
in a rout 42-3; however, McNabb was diagnosed with a sports hernia following the game. Weeks 3 and 4 saw the Eagles struggle somewhat but still manage to defeat the Oakland Raiders
(23-20) and mount a stunning comeback from an 18-point deficit to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs
at Arrowhead Stadium
(37-31). In week 5, the Eagles were manhandled by the Dallas Cowboys
in Dallas
, losing by 23 points (33-10). Following a bye week, the Eagles pulled off a miraculous 20-17 win against the San Diego Chargers
when cornerback Matt Ware
returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Fans hoped the play would “wake up” the Eagles and save the season similar to Brian Westbrook
's fourth quarter punt return against the New York Giants
in 2003. However, in the next week, the Eagles were unable to stop the running and passing attack of the Denver Broncos
, losing 49-21.
Week after week, Andy Reid had come under criticism for the Eagles' lack of dedication to a running game and overworking an injured Donovan McNabb, who was on pace to break the records for all-time passing attempts and completions. The Eagles had also allowed themselves to get behind in the first quarters of games, only to end up fighting from behind in the remaining quarters. Some analysts speculated the Eagles' problems were due to not finding replacements for former defensive linemen Corey Simon
and Derrick Burgess
, poor pass rush, poor special teams, and the contract disputes with Brian Westbrook and Terrell Owens, along with Owens' virtually weekly controversies. They had also been hindered by injuries to McNabb, Corell Buckhalter, Todd Pinkston
, Lito Sheppard
, Dirk Johnson, and David Akers
.
On November 4, 2005, on ESPN
, Terrell Owens criticized the Eagles front office for not recognizing his 100th touchdown catch. He also agreed with Michael Irvin
's statement that the Eagles would be undefeated had Brett Favre
been the quarterback. Despite Owens's apology the next day to the front office (but not to McNabb), he was suspended indefinitely. There were also reports that he got into a fist fight with Hugh Douglas and challenged other players in the locker room which contributed to his suspension. At Andy Reid's press conference after the Washington
loss, he announced T.O. would no longer be playing this year for the Eagles due to conduct detrimental to the team.
Things only got worse for the Eagles. They lost a Sunday night match-up to their division rival, the Washington Redskins
17-10. Then, when they went home and played a rematch with their much-hated rival, the Cowboys, on Monday Night Football, a late game interception by Roy Williams sealed their doom. Not only did they lose 21-20, but the already suffering Donovan McNabb
got shoved to the ground, worsening his sports hernia and ending his season.
On November 20, former Detroit
quarterback Mike McMahon was named the Eagles starter. However, his wild gun passing didn't do much to phase the Giants, as the Eagles went down again 27-17. Then, on November 21 Donovan McNabb announced that he would undergo surgery for his sports hernia. The Eagles would finish the season without at least eight of their projected starters heading into the season, including Pinkston, Hank Fraley
, Dirk Johnson, and Pro Bowlers McNabb, Brian Westbrook
, Sheppard, Tra Thomas, and the exiled Owens.
Their next-to-last win of the season came a week later against the injury-ravaged Green Bay Packers
19-14. At a home game on December 5, on Monday Night Football, the Eagles retired #92, which had belonged to the late Reggie White
. Unfortunately, they got shut out by the NFC West and eventful NFC champion Seattle Seahawks
42-0. Afterwards, they lost to the Giants at home (26-23). Their last win of the season came on the road against the St. Louis Rams
(17-16). Then they lost their last two games of the season to the Arizona Cardinals
on the road 27-21 and then they lost their last home game of the season to the wild card Washington Redskins 31-20. They ended their 2005 season at 6-10, which marked the first time since 1999 that the Eagles failed to make the playoffs.
After expectations of a return to the Super Bowl, it appeared the Eagles would have to retool in the 2006 off-season to make another run for the Vince Lombardi Trophy
.
, the Eagles started off hot, beating the Houston Texans
in Houston 24-10. And they kept the streak going, jumping to a 24-7 lead against the Giants before losing 30-24 in overtime. They won their next two games easily, beating the 49ers
in San Francisco and then returning home to limit Brett Favre
's Packers
to three field goals. The Birds' 3-1 record set the stage for Terrell Owens
' return to Philadelphia.
Owens return to Philadelphia was being promoted by Fox
as the "game of the year". The game had more at stake, because the winner would take the lead in the NFC East
. Owens received boos and jokes about his accidental overdose from a sell-out crowd. Lito Sheppard
's game-winning interception for a touchdown sealed the game for the Eagles, 38-24.
McNabb's season was already considered one of the finest in Eagles history and his career. After the win against Owens' Cowboys
, they faced the upstart New Orleans Saints
, with critics claiming the winner would be the NFC favorite. The Eagles ended up losing 27-24 on a last second field goal. The next week at Tampa
, the Eagles would once again lose on a last second field goal. This time the field goal was an improbable 62 yarder by Matt Bryant
- the second longest in NFL History.
One week before their bye, the Eagles faced the Jacksonville Jaguars
and failed to score a touchdown in a 13-6 loss. After their bye, they routed the Redskins, which not only kept Reid/McNabb perfect after the bye week, it put them back on track after three consecutive losses. The Birds were on a roll going into their match with Vince Young
's Titans
, but were dominated throughout the game, losing 31-13. The bigger loss however was Donovan McNabb - injured for the second straight year.
With Donovan McNabb going down to injury, the Eagles called on Jeff Garcia
to lead the team. The move was a highly unpopular one, because fans believed A.J. Feeley was their best bet. After falling to Peyton Manning
's Indianapolis Colts
, the Eagles' record stood at 5-6, and they did not appear to be in playoff contention.
However, Garcia led the team to an improbable five-game winning streak, which included a three-game NFC East road trip and a Christmas showdown in Dallas. The Eagles finished the season 10-6, but lost the tie-breaker to the Saints, meaning they would be the third seed.
The Eagles won their home wild card game against the Giants
23-20, on a David Akers
' field goal. The game officially sent Tiki Barber
into retirement. Their divisional playoff game was a Week 6 rematch against the Saints. The Eagles lost by the same score as in the regular season: 27-24. Andy Reid made the controversial decision to punt with less than two minutes remaining.
marked the Eagles' 75th season. McNabb delivered average performances, and missed three games due to an injury. The team only achieved an 8-8 record and missed the playoffs.
presented a good opportunity for the Eagles. Donovan McNabb got a good start to the season, Brian Westbrook ran for many touchdowns, and rookie receiver DeSean Jackson
became an important figure in the Eagles' passing game. However the Eagles went against the 1-8 Bengals
in Week 10 and McNabb played horribly, throwing consistent interceptions and leading the Eagles to a ten-point deficit at the half. Despite being able to score those ten points, the game went into overtime. A Bengals missed field goal led to Eagles ball, but McNabb's 'Hail Mary' was deflected with seconds left in overtime, and the game ended in a 13-13 tie, the first since 2002. McNabb then sparked controversy by admitting that he was unaware an NFL game could end in a tie.
Against Baltimore
, things were even worse. At halftime, due to bad performance, McNabb was benched. However, the Eagles needed him, and it would show. His backup, Kevin Kolb
, managed to get the Eagles to the Baltimore two-yard line; he then threw an interception in the end zone that was returned by Ed Reed for a record 108 yard touchdown.
By this time, it was obvious that the Eagles were in big trouble in that they needed a good quarterback for the next week's match-up against the Arizona Cardinals
, who for the first time in several decades seemed poised to win their division. The game was scheduled for Thanksgiving night
, and the decision was eventually made to start Donovan McNabb, and if he played like he did in the last couple of weeks, he would probably be benched for the season. But McNabb surprised everyone and lead the Eagles to what was perhaps one of the greatest games in franchise history, a 48-21 blowout in which McNabb threw for four touchdowns. The Eagles went on a three game win streak following up the Cardinals victory with wins over the Giants
and Browns
. The Eagles then lost to a mediocre at best Redskins team
, 10-3 and putting their post season prospects in serious doubt.
However, the Eagles were able to run over the Dallas Cowboys
44-6 on December 28, 2008 and advanced to the playoffs. The Eagles then defeated the Minnesota Vikings
26-14 in the first round of the playoffs on January 4, 2009. They defeated their division rival and the defending Super Bowl champions the New York Giants
23-11 in the NFC Divisional Round to advance to their fifth NFC Championship game in nine years. For the second time in a decade, an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl seemed possible, as the Pittsburgh Steelers
won the AFC Championship against the Baltimore Ravens. However, the Eagles lost 32-25 to the Arizona Cardinals.
, who had recently been released from prison for federal dogfighting charges
. On the regular season opener against Carolina, McNabb sustained a broken rib and sat out the next two games, with Kevin Kolb
taking his place as starter. Afterwards, Philadelphia endured a bad loss to New Orleans
, but then beat Kansas City
the following week. McNabb returned, and Vick also began playing (as he had been barred from the first two games). He got off to a slow start and was used sparingly for much of the season. After a 13-9 loss in Oakland
, the Eagles defeated the Redskins
27-17 on Monday Night Football. During this game, running back Brian Westbrook
suffered a severe concussion and was knocked unconscious. He returned to play in the Week 10 game against San Diego
, but was felled by a second concussion. Afterwards, Philadelphia went on a five-game winning streak and clinching a playoff berth after defeating the Broncos
in Week 16, which marked Brian Westbrook's return to action after an absence of five weeks. However, the season ended with a whimper, as they were shut out by a resurgent Cowboys
squad the following week. This put Dallas at the top of the NFC East and giving the Eagles a wild card spot. The two teams then had to play again the following week, but Philadelphia went down to defeat a second time, the score being 34-14.
in the same role. He was replaced by Howie Roseman
, who was promoted from Vice President of Player Personnel. On February 23, 2010 the Eagles released starting running back Brian Westbrook
, Eagles' all-time leader in yards from scrimmage with 9,785 yards.
A bigger surprise came on Easter Sunday, when the team traded quarterback Donovan McNabb
to their division rival Washington Redskins
for a second-round (37th overall) pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
, and a third- or fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
. Kevin Kolb
was named team's starting quarterback.
The Kolb era did not begin on a positive note as the Eagles donned their throwback kelly green jerseys and hosted the Green Bay Packers
in their opening season as both teams performed poorly in the first half, although that was partially because of weather conditions and damaged turf in Lincoln Financial Field. Kolb was thrown to the ground by Packers linebacker Clay Matthews
and was forced to sit out the game after it was determined that he suffered a concussion. Five other Packers and Eagles players were also injured in the game. Michael Vick
replaced Kolb, but the Packers ended up winning the game, 27-20.
With Vick taking over as starter, the Eagles traveled and defeated the Detroit Lions
35-32 in week 2 with Vick's impressive performance in the team's offense. Although Kolb was presumed to be the starter after he recovered from injury, Andy Reid named Vick as the starting quarterback instead. The team then traveled to Jacksonville
. Vick scored four touchdowns (three passing and one rushing) and no interceptions in a 28-3 rout of the Jaguars.
Week 4 saw the return of McNabb to Philadelphia. He was generally given a warm reception, and the Redskins got a touchdown early in the first quarter. After that, both offenses sputtered and the Eagles had to settle for two field goals. But things rapidly fell apart when Vick was injured late in the first quarter with chest and rib injuries he suffered when two Redskins defensive backs crushed him from both sides while running near to the endzone. Kolb was once again brought out as starter, but delivered an uninspired performance. He did manage a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late. A two-point conversion attempt after the touchdown failed, and Washington won 16-12. Afterward, Vick was diagnosed with cracked cartilage and forced to sit out at least one game.
With Kolb starting, the Eagles headed to San Francisco
for a Sunday Night Football match against the 0-4 49ers. Kolb passed for 253 yards and one touchdown to lead his team to a 27-24 victory. Philadelphia won its first home game in week 6 by overpowering the Falcons
31-17. Kolb continued to improve, passing for 326 yards, three touchdown passes, and one interception. However, he was not able to sustain this momentum in the week 8 game against Tennessee
, throwing two interceptions and only one touchdown. The Eagles lost 37-19 to enter their bye week at 3-3 and once again Vick was brought out as starter prior to hosting Indianapolis
in week 10. This game proved an intense, highly physical contest as Vick scored two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing) and Philadelphia overcame stubborn resistance by the Colts to win 27-24. Afterwards, the Eagles headed to Washington, where, for the second year in a row, they faced the Redskins on Monday Night Football
. Philadelphia quickly marched out to two touchdowns in the first quarter, putting them up at 14-0 within five minutes. By the second quarter, they had scored another two, leading by 28 points. Four more touchdowns followed in a 59-28 blowout of Washington. All in all, there were eight (four passing, three rushing, and one interception return), six of which were from Michael Vick, who had 333 passing and 80 rushing yards for one of the finest performances of his career.
For the third season in a row, the Eagles traveled to Chicago, a team that Michael Vick had a career 0-4 record against. This time would be no different as the Bears' defense slowed him down to win 31-26. Vick also threw his first interception of the season. The Eagles rebounded with a Thursday game against Houston. Despite winning 34-24, Philadelphia's defense turned in a relatively mediocre performance, which may have had to do with the fact that the team had played four games in a 17-day stretch.
On Sunday Night in Week 15, the Eagles headed to Dallas for a game with their arch-rivals. However, the Cowboys were a considerably weaker team than when they defeated Philadelphia three times in 2009. Their QB Tony Romo was out of commission from an injury, they had had their head coach Wade Phillips fired halfway through the season, and they were barely clinging to life at 4-9. Michael Vick delivered an average performance, although one of the game's highlights was a 90-yard TD pass to Desean Jackson. Although Andy Reid had gained a reputation as a pass-happy coach, the Eagles' scoring was mainly based on run plays and long field goals. Despite a close game, they prevailed 30-27 and eliminated Dallas from playoff contention.
In Week 15, the Eagles beat New York in a shocking upset by overcoming a 21-point deficit in the second half. In the closing seconds of the game, Desean Jackson returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown to win 38-31. After locking up their first division title in four years, the Eagles played a surprisingly bad game against Minnesota and lost. The team lost a meaningless season ender against Dallas before preparing to host Green Bay again in the wild card round of the playoffs. Despite playing the Packers hard, Philadelphia's first home playoff game since 2006 ended in defeat as Michael Vick threw an interception in the 4th quarter.
The Eagles started the season out with a 31-13 win over the St.Louis Rams, but from there it went down hill for the Eagles. They went on a four game losing streak, against the Falcons, Giants, 49ers, and Bills, before finally beating the Redskins 20-13. Although Trent Cole was injured in Week 5 and was unable to play in the game against Washington, Kurt Coleman ignited Philadelphia's D with three picks off of Rex Grossman. Hoping to get the team going during the bye week, Reid sent a trade request giving up Ronnie Brown for the Detroit Lions Jerome Harrison. The trade was almost complete, but Harrison's physical found that he had to have surgery for a brain tumor and would be out for the rest of the season, canceling the trade. After the bye week, the Eagles were able to keep Reid's record after bye weeks perfect with a 34-7 win against the Dallas Cowboys.
Hoping to make a run for the playoffs the Eagles needed another win Monday night against the Bears at home. The Bears jumped out to a 10-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter but the Eagles made a field goal and scored on Brian Rolle returning a fumble for a TD. Still the Bears took a 17-10 lead at half after a DeSean Jackson fumble on the punt return and a questionable roughing the passer call on Babin lead to a Marion Barber TD. The Eagles bounced back again after Ronnie Brown punched in the TD to tie the game in the 3rd quarter. The Eagles got the ball back after Trent Cole forced Matt Forte to fumble a second time and Mike Patterson was there to recover. On the next drive McCoy ran a 33 yd TD giving the Eagles their first lead in the game. The Bears didn't give up getting a field goal and a touch down from Cutler to Bennett for a 27-24 lead. The Game ended with Michael Vick losing again to the Bears 30-24.
The Eagles then played Arizona at home. On the second play of the game for the Eagles Vick was hit as he threw and got up slowly while putting his hand on his ribs. He would still play the whole game. LeSean "Shady" McCoy had a TD and Samuel had a pick 6 to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead going into the second half. Both defenses stopped either offenses from scoring in the 3rd. Phillie was only points where from a Alex Henery filed goal. Arizona had two TD's to win the game, which was sealed by a Vick interception. They held a 4th quarter lead, again, and gave it up, again, in the final seconds for the loss. Asomugha, the prized free agent, had his third interception of the season in the game. Vick also was confirmed with 2 broken ribs from the hit on the second play of the Eagles offense.
With the Eagles season basically over, they faced the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. Vick and Maclin where out with injuries. Jackson played this game after being benched last week for being late to a meeting. Vince Young threw a INT to Giants rookie corner Prince Amukamara. On the Giants second drive, Manning threw a pick to Eagles linebacker Chaney. The Eagles still couldn't get any points from the turnover. The teams traded drives fighting for yards against the suddenly strong Phillie's D and the G-Men defense but got no points. Henery then kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Young threw a second pick to Phillips. The Philadelphia offense scored a touchdown after a big Jackson punt return, Smith with the reception from Young. The Giants scored a filed goal at the end of the first half making it 10-3. After the first couple drives the Phillie offense was driving until Vince threw another interception in the endzone to Ross. Philadelphia's defense forced a punt again. Finally after a Eagles punt the New York offense scored a touch down to tie the game, Cruz from Manning 24-yds. The Vince Young lead offense then went on a 18 play drive that had four 3rd down conversations and a touchdown, Cooper 8-yds from Young. The Giants then had a 47-yd gain, Manning to Cruz. The Eagles couldn't give up another 4th quarter lead, could they? Eli hiked the ball and scrambled out to the right. What he didn't know was Babin was being blocked that way and now could get the sack. He did and it caused a fumble, too. Philadelphia recovered and won the game 17-10. McCoy did have a 60 yard run at the end of the game also. Surprisingly the Eagles D allowed only 29 rushing yards in the game!
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
history of the 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...
begins in 1933. The Eagles' history may be divided into eight distinct eras. In their history, the Eagles have appeared in 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...
twice, but they have never won in. The Eagles have won three NFL Championships, the precursor to the Super Bowl, in four appearances.
The beginning era of the Eagles history, 1933 to 1939, was influenced by its owner, and then also coach, Bert Bell
Bert Bell
De Benneville "Bert" Bell was the National Football League commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he helped chart a path for the NFL to facilitate its rise in becoming the most popular sports attraction in the United States...
. After Bell ostensibly sold the team, to Alexis Thompson in 1940, the second era of the Eagles history was largely directed by their coach and future Hall of Famer
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
, Greasy Neale.
Formation and Early Years
In 19311931 NFL season
The 1931 NFL season was the 12th regular season of the National Football League. The league decreased to 10 teams due to financial hardships caused by the Great Depression. While the Cleveland Indians joined as an expansion team, the league lost the Minneapolis Red Jackets and the Newark Tornadoes...
, Philadelphia's NFL franchise, the Frankford Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
, who had won the NFL Championship in 1926
1926 NFL season
The 1926 NFL season was the 7th regular season of the National Football League. The league grew to 22 teams, a figure that would not be equaled in professional football until 1961, adding the Brooklyn Lions, the Hartford Blues, the Los Angeles Buccaneers, and the Louisville Colonels, with Racine...
, went bankrupt and ceased operations midway through the season. After more than a year searching for a suitable replacement, the NFL granted an expansion franchise to a syndicate headed by former University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
teammates Lud Wray
Lud Wray
James R. Ludlow "Lud" Wray was a professional American football player, coach, and co-founder, with college teammate Bert Bell, of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was the first coach of the Boston Braves in 1932 and of the Eagles, 1933-1935...
and Bert Bell
Bert Bell
De Benneville "Bert" Bell was the National Football League commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he helped chart a path for the NFL to facilitate its rise in becoming the most popular sports attraction in the United States...
. Bell and Wray had previously played football together on the "Union Club" squads, the Union Club of Phoenixville
Union Club of Phoenixville
The Union Club of Phoenixville was a professional football team based in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The team was the result of a 1919 merger between the Phoenixville Union Club and the upstart Phoenix Athletic Club. From 1907 until 1919, the Union Club was considered one of the best football teams...
in 1920 and the Union Quakers of Philadelphia
Union Quakers of Philadelphia
The Union Quakers of Philadelphia were a professional independent football team, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1921. The team evolved from a number of pro players who played with the Union Club of Phoenixville during their 1920 season. During their only season of operation, the club won...
in 1921.
In exchange for an entry fee of $2,500, the Bell-Wray group was awarded the assets of the failed Yellow Jackets organization. Drawing inspiration from the insignia of the centerpiece of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
, the National Recovery Act, Bell and Wray named the new franchise the Philadelphia Eagles. Neither the Eagles nor the NFL officially regard the two franchises as the same, citing the aforementioned period of dormancy. The Eagles simply inherited the NFL rights to the Philadelphia area. Also, almost no players from the 1931 Yellow Jackets
1931 Frankford Yellow Jackets season
The 1931 Frankford Yellow Jackets season was their eighth and final in the National Football League. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 4-13-1, winning only one league game...
ended up with the 1933 Eagles
1933 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1933 Philadelphia Eagles season was their inaugural in the league. The team went 3–5–1 failing to qualify for the playoffs.-Off Season:When Pennsylvania eased some of the Blue Laws and allowed Sunday sporting events, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh became available for NFL franchises as they could...
.
The new team played its first game on October 15, 1933, against the New York Giants
1933 New York Giants season
The 1933 New York Giants season was the ninth season for the club in the National Football League.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-See also:*List of New York Giants seasons...
at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. They lost the game 56-0. The Eagles struggled over the course of their first decade, never winning more than three games. For the most part, the Eagles' rosters were composed of former Penn
Penn Quakers football
The Penn Quakers football team is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National...
, Temple
Temple Owls football
The Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference...
and Villanova
Villanova Wildcats football
The Villanova Wildcats football program represents Villanova University in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision . The Wildcats play at Villanova Stadium with capacity of 12,500.-History:...
players who put in a few years before going on to other things.
In 1935
1935 NFL season
The 1935 NFL season was the 16th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game....
, Bell, by that point the team's General Manager
General Manager (American football)
In the National Football League, the general manager or GM of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the team during contract discussions with players....
, proposed an annual college draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
to equalize talent across the league. The draft was a revolutionary concept in professional sports. Having teams select players in inverse order of their finish in the standings, a practice still followed today, strove to increase fan interest by guaranteeing that even the worst teams would have the opportunity for annual infusions of the best college talent. Between 1927 (the year the NFL changed from a sprawling association to a narrower, major-market league) and 1934, a triopoly of three teams (the 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...
, 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...
and 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...
) had won all but one title since 1927
1927 NFL season
The 1927 NFL season was the 8th regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, the league decided to eliminate the financially weaker teams. As a result, the league dropped from 22 to 12 teams, and a majority of the remaining teams were centered around the East Coast instead...
(the lone exception being the Providence Steam Roller
Providence Steam Roller
The Providence Steam Roller was a professional American football team based in Providence, Rhode Island in the National Football League from 1925 to 1931. Providence was the first New England team to win an NFL championship...
of 1928).
Sole Owner and Coach Bell (1936-1939)
Having finished last in the standings, the Eagles were "honored" with the first pick, an opportunity they squandered by selecting1936 NFL Draft
The 1936 National Football League Draft was the first draft of the National Football League. It took place on February 8, 1936 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has taken place every year since. The draft was instituted in an effort to equalize strength amongst the...
the University of Chicago
Chicago Maroons football
The Chicago Maroons are the college football team representing the University of Chicago. The Maroons play in NCAA Division III as a member of the University Athletic Association. From 1892 to 1939, the Maroons were a major college football power...
's Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
-winning back, Jay Berwanger
Jay Berwanger
John Jacob "Jay" Berwanger was an American football halfback born in Dubuque, Iowa. He was the first winner of the Downtown Athletic Club Trophy in 1935 ; the trophy is awarded annually to the nation's most outstanding college football player...
. Fortunately for the Eagles, they had managed by then to trade his rights to the Chicago Bears. Berwanger, who had no interest in playing professional football, elected to go to medical school instead.
The Eagles' first major recruiting success would come in 1939, with the signing of Texas Christian
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
's All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
quarterback, Davey O'Brien
Davey O'Brien
Robert David O'Brien was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Texas Christian University and was drafted in the first round of the 1939 NFL Draft. In 1938, O'Brien won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, and the...
; O'Brien proceeded to shatter numerous existing single-season NFL passing records in his rookie season. That year
1939 NFL season
The 1939 NFL season was the 20th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL president Joseph Carr died, and Carl Storck was named to replace him....
, the Eagles
1939 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1939 Philadelphia Eagles season was their seventh in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 5–6, winning only one game. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season.-Off Season:...
participated in the first televised football game, against the Brooklyn Dodgers
1939 Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) season
The 1939 Brooklyn Dodgers season was their 10th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 4-4-3, losing six games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.-Schedule:-Standings:...
, at Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field
Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball park located in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, USA, on a city block which is now considered to be part of the Crown Heights neighborhood. It was the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League. It was also a venue for professional football...
in Brooklyn (as was to be expected of the 1930s Eagles, they lost the game, 23-14).
"On the wings of Eagles": the golden age (1940-49)
The 1940s would prove a tumultuous and ultimately triumphant decade for the young club. In 19401940 NFL season
The 1940 NFL season was the 21st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship Game, 73–0. This game still stands as the most one-sided victory in NFL history...
, the team moved from Philadelphia Municipal Stadium to Shibe Park. Lud Wray's half-interest in the team was purchased by Art Rooney
Art Rooney
Arthur Joseph "Art" Rooney, Sr. , often referred to as "The Chief", was the founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American football franchise in the National Football League.-Family history:...
, who had just sold the 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...
to Alexis Thompson. Soon thereafter, Bell/Rooney and Thompson swapped franchises, but not teams. Bell/Rooney's entire Eagles' corporate organization, including most of the players, moved to Pittsburgh (The Steelers' corporate name remained "Philadelphia Football Club, Inc." until 1945) and Thompson's Steelers moved to Philadelphia, leaving only the team nicknames in their original cities. Since NFL franchises are territorial rights distinct from individual corporate entities, the NFL does not consider this a franchise move and considers the current Philadelphia Eagles as a single unbroken entity from 1933. http://www.daytontriangles.org/toindianapolis.htm
After assuming ownership, Thompson promptly hired Greasy Neale as the team's head coach. In its first years under Neale, the team continued to struggle. In 1943
1943 NFL season
The 1943 NFL season was the 24th regular season of the National Football League. As more players left to serve in World War II, three teams were affected by the depleted rosters. The Cleveland Rams were granted permission to suspend operations for this season. The Philadelphia Eagles and the...
, when manpower shortages stemming from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
made it impossible to fill the roster, the team temporarily merged with the Steelers to form a team popularly known as the "Steagles
Steagles
The Steagles is the popular nickname for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season...
." The merger, never intended as a permanent arrangement, was dissolved at the end of the 1943 season. This season saw the team's first winning season in its 11-year history, with a finish of 5-4-1. In 1944
1944 NFL season
The 1944 NFL season was the 25th regular season of the United States National Football League. The Boston Yanks joined the league as an expansion team. Also, the Brooklyn Dodgers changed their name to Brooklyn Tigers. Meanwhile, both the Cleveland Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles resumed their...
, however, the Eagles
1944 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1944 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 12th in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 5–4–1, winning seven games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 12th consecutive season.-NFL Draft:...
finally experienced good fortune, as they made their finest draft
1944 NFL Draft
The 1944 National Football League Draft was held on April 19, 1944.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:-Round eleven:...
pick to date: running back Steve Van Buren
Steve Van Buren
Stephen W. Van Buren is a former professional American football halfback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League from 1944–1951, and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-Early life:...
. At last, the team's fortunes were about to change.
Led by Van Buren and Neale, the Eagles became a serious competitor for the first time. They had their first winning season as a separate team in 1944. After two more second-place finishes (1945
1945 NFL season
The 1945 NFL season was the 26th regular season of the National Football League. The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Cardinals resumed their traditional operations....
and 1946
1946 NFL season
The 1946 NFL season was the 27th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Elmer Layden resigned as NFL Commissioner and Bert Bell, co-founder of the Philadelphia Eagles, replaced him...
), the Eagles
1947 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1947 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 15th in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 6–5, winning eight games. The team qualified for the playoffs for the first time in fifteen seasons.-Off Season:...
reached the NFL title game
NFL Championship Game, 1947
The 1947 National Football League Championship game was the 15th annual championship game and was held December 28, 1947 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The attendance was 30,759. The game featured the Western Division champion Chicago Cardinals and the Eastern Division champion Philadelphia Eagles...
for the first time in 1947
1947 NFL season
The 1947 NFL season was the 28th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season by one game from eleven games per team to twelve, a number that remained constant until the 1961 season....
. Van Buren, end Pete Pihos
Pete Pihos
Peter Louis Pihos was a professional American football player in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a high school junior when his mother moved the family to Chicago. His father was a murder victim, and when a suspect was acquitted, Pete decided to become a lawyer...
and Bosh Pritchard
Bosh Pritchard
Abisha Collins "Bosh" Pritchard was an American football halfback in the National Football League who played for ten seasons for the Cleveland Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants...
fought valiantly, but the young team fell to the Chicago Cardinals
1947 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1947 Chicago Cardinals season resulted in the Cardinals winning their second NFL Championship.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-Roster:-NFL Championship Game:...
, 28-21, at Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
. Undeterred, the young squad rebounded and returned to face the Cardinals
1948 Chicago Cardinals season
The 1948 Chicago Cardinals season was the 29th season in franchise history. The franchise appeared in the NFL Championship for the second consecutive year.-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-NFL Championship Game:...
once more in the 1948 championship
NFL Championship Game, 1948
The 1948 National Football League Championship game was the 16th NFL title game played. The game was a rematch of the previous year's championship game between the Chicago Cardinals, champions of the Western Division and the Philadelphia Eagles, champions of the Eastern Division. It was the first...
. With home-field advantage (and a blinding snowstorm) on their side, the Eagles
1948 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1948 Philadelphia Eagles season, their 16th in the league, resulted in winning the NFL Championship.-Off Season:The Eagles travel to New York state to hold Training Camp at Saranac High School Field in Saranac Lake, New York in upper New York state near Lake Placid and in Adirondack Park-NFL...
won their first NFL Championship, 7-0. Due to the severity of the weather, few fans were on hand to witness the joyous occasion. That would not be the case the following season
1949 NFL season
The 1949 NFL season was the 30th regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins asked the league to fold his team due to financial woes, and give him a new one in New York City...
, however, when the Eagles
1949 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1949 Philadelphia Eagles season, their 17th in the league, resulted in winning the NFL Championship.-Off Season:The Eagles hold training camp for the 1st time at UM North Central Agriculture school in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.-NFL Draft:...
returned to the NFL championship game
NFL Championship Game, 1949
The 1949 National Football League championship game was the 17th annual title game for the NFL. It was played on December 18, 1949 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles. The game is remembered for the driving rain that caused the field to become a mud pit...
for the third consecutive year and won in dominating fashion in front of a large crowd in Los Angeles, beating the Los Angeles Rams
1949 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1949 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 12th year with the National Football League and the fourth season in Los Angeles.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:...
, 14-0.
In Thompson's final draft, Chuck Bednarik
Chuck Bednarik
Charles Philip Bednarik is a former professional American football player, known as one of the most devastating tacklers in the history of football and the last two-way player in the National Football League...
was selected as the first overall pick in the 1949 NFL Draft
1949 NFL Draft
The 1949 National Football League Draft was held on December 21, 1948.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. An All-American lineman/linebacker from the University of Pennsylvania, Bednarik would go on to become one of the greatest and most beloved players in Eagles history. 1949
1949 NFL season
The 1949 NFL season was the 30th regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins asked the league to fold his team due to financial woes, and give him a new one in New York City...
also saw the sale of the team by Thompson to a syndicate of 100 buyers, known as the "Happy Hundred
Happy Hundred
The "Happy Hundred", also known as the "100 Brothers", was a group of investors who owned the Philadelphia Eagles franchise of the National Football League from 1949–1963. The group was headed by James P. Clark, the majority owner...
", each of whom paid a fee of $3,000 for their share of the team. While the leader of the "Happy Hundred" was noted Philadelphia businessman James P. Clark, one unsung investor was Leonard Tose
Leonard Tose
Leonard Hyman Tose was an owner of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1969–1985. He made a fortune in the trucking industry and was known for his lavish lifestyle...
, a name that would eventually become very familiar to Eagles fans.
Good, not great (1950-59)
With the turn of the decade came another turn in team fortunes. After a whipping by the AAFCAll-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
champion Cleveland Browns
1950 Cleveland Browns season
The 1950 Cleveland Browns season was the team's first season with the National Football League after playing the previous four years in the All-America Football Conference, which folded after the 1949 season. The Browns' first NFL game was against the two-time defending champion Philadelphia Eagles...
, who had just (with the other AAFC franchises) joined the NFL, the Eagles
1950 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1950 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 18th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 11–1, winning only six games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.-Off Season:...
stumbled in the standings. 1950
1950 NFL season
The 1950 NFL season was the 31st regular season of the National Football League. The merger with the All-America Football Conference expanded the league to 13 teams. Meanwhile, television brought a new era to the game. The Los Angeles Rams became the first NFL team to have all of its games – both...
proved Greasy Neale's last as head coach, and in 1951
1951 NFL season
The 1951 NFL season was the 32nd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Baltimore Colts owner Abraham Watner faced financial difficulties, and thus gave his team and its player contracts back to the league for $50,000. However, many Baltimore fans started to protest...
, Neale was replaced by Alvin "Bo" McMillan. McMillan, in turn, would get seriously ill the night before the season opener, and was replaced by Wayne Millner, who would last for all of one year before being replaced by Jim Trimble. While the remnants of the great 1940s teams managed to stay competitive for the first few years of the decade, and while younger players like Bobby Walston and Sonny Jurgensen
Sonny Jurgensen
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983....
occasionally provided infusions of talent, the team lacked the stuff of true greatness for most of the 1950s. The Eagles considered trying to purchase Temple Stadium
Temple Stadium
Temple Stadium was a stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It opened in 1928 and hosted the Temple University Owls football team until they moved to Veterans Stadium in 1978....
in 1952
1952 NFL season
The 1952 NFL season was the 33rd regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, New York Yanks owner Ted Collins sold his team back to the NFL...
when the team was unhappy with their lease at Shibe Park. Temple University claimed the property to have been appraised for $1 million and said they were uninterested in selling. In 1958
1958 NFL season
The 1958 NFL season was the 39th regular season of the National Football League.The Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants, 23–17, in the first sudden-death overtime in an NFL Championship Game...
, however, the franchise took key steps to improve, hiring Buck Shaw
Buck Shaw
Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach for Santa Clara University, the University of California, Berkeley, the San Francisco 49ers, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Philadelphia Eagles...
as Head Coach and acquiring Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams
History of the St. Louis Rams
The following is a detailed history of the St. Louis Rams a professional American football team and member of the National Football League .-AFL Cleveland Rams :...
. That year also saw the team move from Connie Mack Stadium (formerly Shibe Park) to Franklin Field
Franklin Field
Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
, and attendance doubled. The 1959
1959 NFL season
The 1959 NFL season was the 40th regular season of the National Football League. Tragedy struck as NFL Commissioner Bert Bell died of a heart attack on October 11 at Philadelphia's Franklin Field while watching the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers play...
squad
1959 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1959 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 27th in the league. They improved on their previous output of 2–9–1, winning seven games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season.-Off Season:...
showed real flashes of talent, and finished in second place in the Eastern Division.
1960
19601960 NFL season
The 1960 NFL season was the 41st regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Pete Rozelle was elected NFL commissioner as a compromise choice on the twenty-third ballot. Meanwhile, the league expanded to 13 teams with the addition of the Dallas Cowboys. Also, the Cardinals...
remains the most celebrated year in Eagle history. Shaw, Van Brocklin and Bednarik (each in his last season before retirement) led a team more notable for its grit than its talent (one observer later quipped that the team had "nothing but a championship") to its first division title since 1949. The team was aided by their two Pro Bowl receivers, WR Tommy MacDonald (who would later pen a short autobiography titled "They Pay Me to Catch Footballs") and TE Pete Retzlaff. On December 26, 1960, one of the coldest days in recorded Philadelphia history, the Eagles faced Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
's Green Bay Packers
1960 Green Bay Packers season
*First Quarter**GB-Hornung 20 yard FG*Second Quarter**GB-Hornung 23 yard FG**Phi-McDonald 35 yard pass from Van Brocklin **Phi-Walston 15 yard FG*Third Quarter**No scoring*Fourth Quarter...
in the NFL title game
NFL Championship Game, 1960
The 1960 National Football League championship game was the 28th NFL title game. The game was played on Monday, December 26, 1960 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and dealt the mighty Lombardi the sole championship game loss of his storied career. Bednarik was the last NFL player to play an entire game without leaving the field in that game, lining up at center on offense and at linebacker on defense. Fittingly, the game ended as Bednarik tackled a struggling Jim Taylor and refused to allow him to stand until the last seconds had ticked away.
Flush with excitement from the 17-13 victory, with the talented Jurgensen poised to take the reins of the offense, the future looked promising. That promise, however, proved illusory.
1961-69
1961 NFL season
The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per...
, the Eagles
1961 Philadelphia Eagles season
-Off Season:As since 1951 the Eagles hold training camp at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania.-NFL Draft:The 1961 NFL Draft and the 1961 AFL Draft were 2 separate drafts and players could end up being drafted by both leagues.-Player Selections:...
finished just a half-game behind the New York Giants
1961 New York Giants season
The 1961 New York Giants season was the 37th season for the club in the National Football League. After relinquishing the NFL East title the previous season, the Giants reclaimed the title with a 10–3–1 record, only to lose to the Vince Lombardi-coached Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship...
for first place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 10-4 record. Despite the on-the-field success, however, the franchise was in turmoil. Van Brocklin had come to Philadelphia and agreed to play through 1960 with the tacit understanding that, upon his retirement as a player, he would assume the mantle of Head Coach. Ownership, however, opted to hire Nick Skorich
Nick Skorich
Nicholas Leonard Skorich was an American football offensive lineman and coach.Skorich played guard at Bellaire High School and the University of Cincinnati before joining the Navy in 1943. After the end of World War II, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had drafted him in 1943...
upon Buck Shaw’s retirement, and Van Brocklin quit the organization in a fit of pique. In 1962
1962 NFL season
The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee....
, the bottom dropped out as the team was decimated by injury and managed only three wins. The off-field chaos would continue through 1963
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
, as the remaining 65 shareholders out of the original Happy Hundred sold the team to Jerry Wolman
Jerry Wolman
Jerry Wolman is a former Washington, D.C. developer and the former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles football team of the National Football League. Wolman bought the Eagles franchise in 1963 from the "Happy Hundred," a group of investors that owned the team from 1949–1963, for a sale price of...
, a 36-year-old Washington developer who outbid local bidders for the team, paying an unprecedented $5,505,000 for control of the club. In 1964, Wolman hired former Cardinals and 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,...
coach Joe Kuharich
Joe Kuharich
Joseph Lawrence Kuharich was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of San Francisco from 1948 to 1951 and at the University of Notre Dame from 1959 to 1962, compiling a career college football record of 43–37...
to a 15 year contract.
Kuharich would prove utterly unworthy of the honor, wasting top-tier talent such as Timmy Brown
Timothy Brown (actor)
Thomas Allen Brown is a former professional American football player and actor.-Early life:Brown was born in Knightstown, Indiana...
, Ollie Matson
Ollie Matson
Ollie Genoa Matson II was an American Olympic medal winning sprinter and professional American football running back who played in the National Football League, in 1952 and from 1954 to 1966...
, Ben Hawkins and Jurgensen and effectively running the franchise into the ground. At Kuharich’s insistence, Jurgensen was traded to the Redskins for Norm Snead in 1964
1964 NFL season
The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to...
: Jurgensen would go on to a Hall of Fame career while Snead, although serviceable, lacked the talent to lift the team out of mediocrity. By 1968
1968 NFL season
The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The...
, fans were in full revolt. Chants of “Joe must go” echoed through the increasingly empty bleachers of Franklin Field. Adding insult to injury, the Eagles
1968 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1968 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 36th in the league. They failed to improve on their previous output of 6–7–1, winning only two games. and being on target for an anti-perfect season at 0-11 until they won their twelfth game...
managed to eke out meaningless wins in two of the last three games of the season, costing the franchise the first pick in the draft, and with it the opportunity to add O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
to the roster. (With the second pick, the Eagles chose Leroy Keyes
Leroy Keyes
Marvin Leroy Keyes is a former American football running back and safety who played five seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was drafted by the Eagles in the first round of the 1969 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue...
, who played only four years in an Eagles uniform.) The last game of 1968, played on December 15, helped cement the rowdy reputation of Philadelphia fans when some of them booed and threw snowballs at an actor playing Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
. By 1969
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
, Wolman, a former millionaire, was bankrupt and the franchise under the administration of a federal bankruptcy court. At the end of the bankruptcy proceedings, the Eagles were sold to Leonard Tose
Leonard Tose
Leonard Hyman Tose was an owner of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1969–1985. He made a fortune in the trucking industry and was known for his lavish lifestyle...
, the self-made trucking millionaire and original member of the Happy Hundred. Tose's first official act was to fire Kuharich.
With an earned reputation as a fast-living high-flier, Tose infused the organization with some much-needed panache. Initially, however, he ran the team with more enthusiasm than ability, as was exemplified by his choice to replace Kuharich, the hapless Jerry Williams. Tose also selected former Eagles great Pete Retzlaff
Pete Retzlaff
Palmer Edward "Pete" Retzlaff, nicknamed "Pistol Pete" and "The Baron", is a former professional American football player and general manager....
as General Manager.
From hopeless to hopeful (1970-79)
In 1971, the Eagles moved from Franklin Field to brand-new Veterans StadiumVeterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. In its first season, the “Vet” was widely acclaimed as a triumph of ultra-modern sports engineering, a consensus that would be short-lived. Equally short-lived was Williams’s tenure as head coach: after a 3-10-1 record in 1970
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
and three consecutive blowout losses to open the 1971 season
1971 NFL season
The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
, Williams was fired and replaced by assistant coach Ed Khayat. Khayat proved little better, and was released after another dismal season in 1972
1972 NFL season
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
where the Eagles finished 2-11-1. The two wins (both on the road) proved to be unexpected surprises, however. Philadelphia beat Kansas City (which had been in the AFC Championship a year before) 21-20 and Houston 18-17 on six field goals by kicker Tom Dempsey. The latter game became known as the "Johnny Rodgers Bowl", because the loser would finish with the worst record in the league and obtain the #1 draft pick of 1973, which was then assumed to be Nebraska wingback Johnny Rodgers. The Oilers ultimately got the #1 pick, which instead turned out to be University of Tampa defensive end John Matuszak
John Matuszak
John Daniel "Tooz" Matuszak was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League who later became an actor. He was the first draft pick of 1973 and played most of his career with the Oakland Raiders until he retired after winning his second Super Bowl in 1981...
(who ironically would end up facing Philadelphia in the Super Bowl several years later). Khayat was replaced by offensive guru Mike McCormick, who, aided by the skills of Roman Gabriel
Roman Gabriel
Roman Ildonzo Gabriel, Jr. is a former American football player. The son of a Filipino immigrant, he was the first Asian-American to start as an NFL quarterback and is considered by many to have been one of the best players at that position during the late 1960s and early 70s.Gabriel attended and...
and towering young receiver Harold Carmichael
Harold Carmichael
Lee Harold Carmichael is a retired American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played 13 seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles , and one season for the Dallas Cowboys . He played college football at Southern University...
, managed to infuse a bit of vitality into a previously moribund offense. New general manager Jim Murray also began to add talent on the defensive side of the line, most notably through the addition of future Pro Bowl linebacker Bill Bergey
Bill Bergey
William Earl Bergey is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played collegiately for Arkansas State University and for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL Philadelphia Eagles....
. Overall, however, the team was still mired in mediocrity. McCormick was fired after a 4-10 1975 season
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
, and replaced by a college coach unknown to most Philadelphians. That coach would become one of the most beloved names in Philadelphia sports history: Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
.
Vermeil faced numerous obstacles as he attempted to rejuvenate a franchise that had not seriously contended in well over a decade. Despite the team’s young talent and Gabriel’s occasional flashes of brilliance, the Eagles
1976 Philadelphia Eagles season
-Off Season:After coaching #12 UCLA in a win over #1 Ohio State in the 1976 Rose Bowl by the score of 23–10 Dick Vermeil was offered the Head coaching job of the Philadelphia Eagles...
finished 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
with the same result—a 4-10 record—as in 1975. 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, however, saw the first seeds of hope begin to sprout. Rifle-armed quarterback 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...
was obtained by trade with the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for popular tight end Charlie Young. The defense, led by Bergey and defensive coordinator Marion Campbell
Marion Campbell
Francis Marion Campbell is a former American football defensive lineman and head coach. Campbell played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1949 until 1951, where he was appropriately nicknamed "Swamp Fox"...
, began earning a reputation as one of the hardest hitting in the league. By the next year
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, the Eagles had fully taken Vermeil’s enthusiastic attitude, and made the playoffs for the first time since 1960. Young running back Wilbert Montgomery
Wilbert Montgomery
Wilbert Montgomery is a former American football player in the National Football League for nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions...
became the first Eagle since Steve Van Buren to exceed 1,000 yards in a single season. (1978
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
also bore witness to one of the greatest, and unquestionably most surreal moment in Eagles history: "The Miracle at the Meadowlands
The Miracle at the Meadowlands
The Miracle at the Meadowlands is the term used by sportscasters and Philadelphia Eagles fans for a fumble recovery by cornerback Herman Edwards that he returned for a touchdown at the end of a November 19, 1978 NFL game against the New York Giants in Giants Stadium...
," when Herman Edwards
Herman Edwards
Herman "Herm" Edwards, Jr. is an American football analyst who most recently coached in the National Football League for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was fired from this position on January 23, 2009. Since then, he has been hired as a football analyst for ESPN...
returned a late-game fumble by Giants
1978 New York Giants season
The 1978 New York Giants season was the 54th season for the club in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Regular season:The Miracle at the Meadowlands is the term used by sportscasters and Philadelphia Eagles fans for a fumble recovery by cornerback Herman Edwards that he returned for a...
' quarterback Joe Pisarcik
Joe Pisarcik
Joseph Anthony Pisarcik is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for eight seasons, from 1977 through 1984 after playing college football at New Mexico State University. His first professional team was the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football...
for a touchdown with 20 seconds left, resulting in a 19-17 Eagles victory - the Eagles
1978 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1978 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason for the first time in eighteen years, which ended the longest postseason drought in the franchise’s history and one of the longest in the history of the National Football League....
would later edge into the playoffs that year with a 9-7 season.) By 1979
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
, in which the Eagles
1979 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1979 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason for the second consecutive year, a feat the team had not achieved for three decades...
tied for first place with an 11-5 record and Wilbert Montgomery shattered club rushing records with a total of 1,512 yards, the Eagles were poised to join the NFL elite.
1980
In 19801980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
, the team, led by coach Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
, quarterback 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...
, running back Wilbert Montgomery, wide receiver Harold Carmichael, and linebacker Bill Bergey
Bill Bergey
William Earl Bergey is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played collegiately for Arkansas State University and for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL Philadelphia Eagles....
, dominated the NFC, facing its chief nemesis, the Dallas Cowboys
1980 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1980 Dallas Cowboys season was their 21st in the league. The team improved their previous output of 11–5, winning twelve games. They qualified for the playoffs, but lost in the Conference Championship....
, in the NFC Championship. The game was played in cold conditions in front of the Birds' faithful fans at Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. Led by an incredible rushing performance from Montgomery, whose long cutback TD run in the first half is surely one of the most memorable plays in Eagles history, and a gutsy performance from fullback Leroy Harris, who scored the Eagles' only other TD that day, the Birds earned a berth in Super Bowl XV with a 20-7 victory.
The Eagles traveled to New Orleans for Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
and were heavy favorites to knock off the Oakland Raiders
1980 Oakland Raiders season
-Staff:HC: Tom FloresAst: Ray Willsey , Lew Erber , Sam Boghosian , Earl Leggett , Charlie Sumner , Chet Franklin , Steve Ortmayer , Bob Mischak , Joe Madro , Willie Brown -Regular season:...
, who were merely a wild card team. Things did not go the Eagles' way, beginning with the disastrous decision by Tose to bring comedian Don Rickles
Don Rickles
Donald Jay "Don" Rickles is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic....
into the pregame locker room to lighten the mood. Jaworski's first pass was intercepted by Rod Martin, setting up an Oakland touchdown. Later in the first quarter, a potential game-tying 40-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Parker was nullified by an illegal motion penalty. The final score was 27-10. Veteran journeyman quarterback Jim Plunkett was named the game's MVP. In a bizarre coincidence, Joe Kuharich died on the same day.
1981-85
The Eagles1981 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1981 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason.-Offseason:After going 12–4 and winning the NFC title and losing in Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders in the 1980 season the Eagles would be picking next to last in the 12 rounds of the draft-1981 NFL Draft:The 1981...
got off to a great start in the 1981 season
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, winning their first six games. They eventually ended up 10-6 and earned a wild card berth. However, they were unable to repeat as NFC champs when they were knocked out in the wild card round by the New York Giants
1981 New York Giants season
The 1981 New York Giants season was the 57th season for the club in the National Football League. The Giants qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 18 years with a 9–7 record, which placed them third in the National Football Conference East Division...
, 27-21. After the Eagles finished 3-6 in the strike-shortened 1982 season, Vermeil quit the team, citing "burnout." He was replaced by defensive coordinator Marion Campbell
Marion Campbell
Francis Marion Campbell is a former American football defensive lineman and head coach. Campbell played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1949 until 1951, where he was appropriately nicknamed "Swamp Fox"...
, aka "the Swamp Fox." Campbell had helped to popularize the "bend-don't-break" defensive strategy in the 1970s. Under Campbell, however, the team struggled, although his stewardship was notable in that it saw the arrival of all-time football greats Reggie White
Reggie White
Reginald Howard "Reggie" White was a professional American football player. He played 15 seasons as a defensive end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most decorated players in NFL history...
and Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
. The 1983-85 seasons would see the Eagles go 5-11, 6-9-1, and 7-9, respectively.
1986-88
Campbell's reign of error ended in 19861986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
, when Buddy Ryan
Buddy Ryan
James David "Buddy" Ryan is a former American NFL football coach.-Early years:Ryan was born and reared in a small, agricultural-based community "just outside of Frederick, Oklahoma." Ryan played college football for Oklahoma A&M University where he earned four letters as a guard between 1952 and...
was named head coach. Immediately infusing the team with his tough, hard-as-nails attitude, the Eagles quickly became known for their tough defense and tougher personalities. Ryan began rejuvenating the team by releasing several aging players, including Ron Jaworski. Randall Cunningham took his place, and despite a 5-10-1 season, he began showing considerable promise. 1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
saw another strike, reducing the season by one game. The substitutes who were filling in for the strikers turned in a poor performance, being crushed 41-22 by the Dallas Cowboys
1987 Dallas Cowboys season
The Dallas Cowboys ended the 1987 season with a record of 7 wins and 8 losses, finishing second in the NFC East.The NFL players, unable to reach a contract agreement with the owners, went on strike for the second time in six seasons after the second week of games...
. After the strike ended, the regular Eagles
1987 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1987 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 55th in the league. The team improved upon their previous output of 5–10–1, winning seven games. Despite the improvement, the team failed to qualify for the playoffs.-NFL Draft:...
team won a 37-20 revenge game against Dallas. The season record was 7-8, three games having been played by substitutes. The Eagles
1988 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1988 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason for the first time since 1981.-Player Selections:The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick...
would reach the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1988-89
The NFL playoffs following the 1988 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXIII.Due to Christmas, the two wild card playoff games were held in a span of three days....
in 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
, but lost to the Chicago Bears
1988 Chicago Bears season
The 1988 Chicago Bears season was their 69th regular season and 19th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 12-4 record, winning the NFC Central for the fifth straight season, but lost in the NFC Championship Game. Coach Mike Ditka suffered a heart attack during the...
20-12 in what became known as the "Fog Bowl
Fog Bowl (American football)
In American football, the Fog Bowl was the name given to the December 31, 1988 National Football League playoff game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears. A heavy, dense fog rolled over Chicago's Soldier Field during the 2nd quarter, cutting visibility to about 10-20 yards for the...
", due to the weather conditions during the game.
1989-90
The following two years would see playoff appearances as well, but the team could not make it past the first round. This failure was greatly frustrating to many Eagles fans, as the team was commonly acknowledged as among the most talented in the NFL. On offense, the Eagles were led by quarterback Cunningham, one of the most exciting players of his generation; tight end Keith Jackson; and running back Keith ByarsKeith Byars
Keith Alan Byars is an American sports broadcaster and former American football player in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets.-Early life:...
. The defense is commonly acknowledged as among the greatest in league history, and as the best never to win a championship.
The two 1989 matches with Dallas were known as the Bounty Bowls. Both were won easily by the Eagles (the Cowboys finished 1-15 that year), and were marked by Ryan insulting new Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson or Jim Johnson or Jimmie Johnson may refer to:In sports:* Jim Johnson , NFL assistant coach most notably with the Philadelphia Eagles...
, putting a "bounty" on their kicker, and for Eagles fans throwing snowballs on the season ender.
On November 12, 1990, during a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game at the Vet, the Eagles
1990 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1990 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in an appearance in the postseason after starting out at 2–4 and finishing at 10–6.-Off Season:The Eagles held training camp at West Chester State University in West Chester, PA about 20 miles from Veterans Stadium where they play their home...
crushed the Washington Redskins
1990 Washington Redskins season
The 1990 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-6 record from 1989.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:...
by a score of 28-14, with the defense scoring three of the team's four touchdowns. More lopsided than its score would indicate, the game quickly acquired the sobriquet "the Body Bag Game
The Body Bag Game
The Body Bag Game was a Monday Night Football game that was played on November 12, 1990 between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Redskins at Veterans Stadium...
", attesting to the physical damage inflicted by the tougher Eagles squad. The Eagles knocked out the starting Washington quarterback, and then seriously injured his replacement as well. Running back Brian Mitchell, who would later be signed by the Eagles, was forced to play quarterback for the Redskins. Unfortunately, the Redskins returned to Veterans stadium in the first round of the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1990-91
The NFL playoffs following the 1990 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXV.The league expanded its playoff system from a 10-team to a 12-team tournament...
and defeated the Eagles 20-6, ending their season. Buddy Ryan was fired at the end of the season. Despite his tough talk, the Eagles failed to win a playoff game in the five years he had been head coach.
Kotite and Rhodes: reigns of error (1991-98)
In 19911991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
, the Eagles
1991 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1991 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in missing the postseason, despite having a 10–6 record and finishing with the top-ranked defense in the NFL. During Week 1, quarterback Randall Cunningham was lost for the season with a knee injury....
became the first NFL team since 1975 to rank first in the league in both rushing and passing yardage allowed, but competing in a strong division were unable to reach the playoffs despite a 10-6 record. Along with White, notable defensive stars included Jerome Brown, Clyde Simmons
Clyde Simmons
Clyde Simmons, Jr. is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League who played for the Philadelphia Eagles , Arizona Cardinals , Jacksonville Jaguars , Cincinnati Bengals , and the Chicago Bears . He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1991 and 1992...
, Seth Joyner
Seth Joyner
Seth Joyner is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. Joyner graduated from Spring Valley High School.-Professional career:Joyner was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the...
, Eric Allen
Eric Allen
Eric Andre Allen is a former professional American football cornerback who played in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, and Oakland Raiders from 1988 to 2001....
, Wes Hopkins
Wes Hopkins
Wesley Carl Hopkins is a former professional American football safety who played for the Philadelphia Eagles his entire 11-year National Football League career from 1983 through 1993...
, and Andre Waters
Andre Waters
Andre Waters was an NFL defensive back who played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals from 1984 to 1995. Waters was regarded as one of the NFL's hardest-hitting defenders, serving as an integral part of one of the league's top defenses...
.
With Ryan's firing by Norman Braman, Ryan's former Offensive Coordinator, Rich Kotite
Rich Kotite
Richard Edward "Rich" Kotite is a former National Football League player and coach.-Playing career:Kotite was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was a tight end who played collegiately at Wagner College on Staten Island. Kotite was drafted in the 18th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Minnesota...
, took the helm of the franchise. In 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
, Kotite led the Eagles
1992 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1992 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 60th in the league. The team improved upon their previous output of 10–6, winning eleven games and qualifying for the playoffs.-Offseason:...
back into the postseason
NFL playoffs, 1992-93
The NFL playoffs following the 1992 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXVII.-Bracket:-NFC: Washington Redskins 24, Minnesota Vikings 7:Running back Brian Mitchell led the Redskins to the 24-7 victory with 109 rushing yards and 100 total yards on receptions and punt returns...
with an 11-5 record. In the Wild Card Round, the Eagles soundly defeated the New Orleans Saints
1992 New Orleans Saints season
The 1992 New Orleans Saints season saw the Saints qualify for the postseason.-Offseason:The team entered 1992 with great expectations after its NFC West division title season of 1991. It was the franchise's first division championship since entering the NFL in 1967...
by a final score of 36-20. The Eagles were eliminated by Dallas
1992 Dallas Cowboys season
-Week 3: vs Phoenix Cardinals:-Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles:-Week 6: vs Seattle Seahawks:-Week 7: vs Kansas City Chiefs:-NFC Divisional Round: Dallas Cowboys 34, Philadelphia Eagles 10:...
in the next round (34-10). At the end of the season, DE Reggie White would leave the team through free agency. In the 1992 NFL Off-season, DT Jerome Brown died in a high speed automobile crash on June 25. In 1993
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
and 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
, Kotite's Eagles would fall apart after initially promising starts, and missed the playoffs in each season, going 8-8 and 7-9. By this point, Braman had become unpopular among most local fans and a polarizing presence in the front office. Under rising scrutiny and deflating optimism, he sold the team to current owner Jeffrey Lurie
Jeffrey Lurie
Jeffrey Lurie is a former Hollywood producer-turned National Football League team owner. Lurie bought the Philadelphia Eagles on May 6, 1994 from then-owner Norman Braman for $195 million...
, who proceeded to fire Kotite. The 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...
almost immediately hired him as their new head coach, where he was by all accounts a miserable failure.
Lurie's choice to replace Kotite was San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
Defensive Coordinator Ray Rhodes
Ray Rhodes
Raymond Earl Rhodes is currently a defensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns. He is also the former American football head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. He is the former assistant defensive backs coach of the Houston Texans...
, who successfully lobbied 49ers star Ricky Watters
Ricky Watters
Richard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the...
to join the team as a free agent. In 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
, Rhodes's first season, the Eagles
1995 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1995 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 63rd in the league. The team improved upon their previous output of 7–9, winning ten games and qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.-Off Season:...
got off to a slow start by losing 3 out their first 4 games: they subsequently rebounded, finishing with a 10-6 record and a playoff spot. In the Wild Card Round, the Eagles played at home and overwhelmed the Detroit Lions
1995 Detroit Lions season
The 1995 season marked the Lions third consecutive playoff appearance. For the third consecutive year, the Lions lost in the playoffs. Herman Moore had a career season as he broke Cris Carter’s record for most receptions in a season. Moore and teammate Brett Perriman became the first WR duo to...
58-37, with 31 of Philadelphia's points coming in the second quarter alone. Despite this dominating performance, yet again, the Eagles were eliminated in the next round by the Dallas Cowboys
1995 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1995 Dallas Cowboys season would mark their 36th in the NFL and final of the three Super Bowl titles they would win in the 1990s. Dallas would be the first team to ever win three Super Bowls in a span of four seasons...
(30-11). Ironically, this would be Randall Cunningham's last game as an Eagle. Cunningham would score the only touchdown of the game and the last Eagles post season touchdown until the Eagles defeated Tampa Bay
2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 11-5 season. In week 15 they won one of the greatest games in the history of Monday Night Football against the St. Louis Rams...
in the 2000-01 playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2000-01
The NFL playoffs following the 2000 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXV.This would be the last time that playoff games would be played at the accustomed times of 12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST...
.
1995 was perhaps most notable in that it signaled the end of Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
's tenure as starting quarterback. Rhodes benched Cunningham in favor of Rodney Peete, leading to friction between the two. Before the benching, news reports circulated that owner Jeffrey Lurie and Head Coach Ray Rhodes tried to trade Cunningham to the Arizona Cardinals. However, no such trade was executed and Cunningham retired shortly after the season.
In 1996
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
, the Eagles
1996 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1996 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 64th in the league. The team matched their previous output of 10–6, again winning ten games and qualifying for the playoffs.-Off Season:...
donned new uniforms and got off to a good start, winning three of their first four games. However, a week-5 Monday night game at Veterans Stadium against the hated Cowboys
1996 Dallas Cowboys season
-Regular season:Against the Chicago Bears in week one, running back Emmitt Smith would leave the game late with an injury that left him temporary paralyzed. Though not career-threatening, Smith's injury would hamper his effectiveness for the duration of the season...
would witness a season-ending knee injury to Peete and the loss of the team's momentum, and the transition to an offense led by Ty Detmer
Ty Detmer
Ty Hubert Detmer is a former National Football League and NCAA quarterback. He starred at Brigham Young University, where he set many records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1990...
and Watters. While Detmer played well and Watters running for 1,411 yards, the season followed an all-too-familiar pattern: 10-6 record, and early elimination (a 14-0 shutout by the 49ers
1996 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1996 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 51st since its inception. In commemoration, the 49ers wore a special 50th anniversary patch. They also wore a new uniform reminiscent of the 1994 throwback uniforms with white pants and shadowed numbers, but with a darker shade of red and an...
) in the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1996-97
The NFL playoffs following the 1996 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXI. This post-season was remarkable in that the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers each made it all the way to their respective conference championships, only two years after their inception into the league as expansion...
. The continued early playoff exits led to fans and local media blaming the high priced free agent signings (Irving Fryar
Irving Fryar
Irving Dale Fryar is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League.Fryar grew up in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey and played high school football at Rancocas Valley Regional High School...
, Watters, Troy Vincent
Troy Vincent
Troy Darnell Vincent is a former Defensive Back for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dolphins with the 7th overall pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Wisconsin.Mr...
, and Guy McIntyre
Guy McIntyre
Guy Maurice McIntyre is a former professional American football offensive lineman in the National Football League...
) for not stepping up in big games, most notably the postseason. Rhodes gradually deteriorated under the stress of the job, and players were beginning to grow tired of his brash demeanor and totalitarian approach to coaching. After an up-and-down 6-9-1 campaign in 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, the team hit rock bottom in 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
. They lost a franchise record 13 games and were ranked dead last in numerous offensive statistics. Home game attendance was declining, a quarterback controversy was deteriorating an already rudderless locker room, and the players had all but tuned out the embattled coaching staff. Left with little choice after a 3-13 campaign, fan revolt and sagging team morale, Lurie fired Rhodes.
The Reid era (1999-present)
Resurgence would come under the leadership of new head coach Andy ReidAndy 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...
, who began by drafting Syracuse QB Donovan McNabb with the #2 pick in the 1999 draft (the Eagles would have had the #1 pick, but it was awarded to the rebooted Cleveland Browns). Despite clearing up roster space for new talent by releasing unpopular, aging veterans (such as Watters and Irving Fryar
Irving Fryar
Irving Dale Fryar is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League.Fryar grew up in Mount Holly Township, New Jersey and played high school football at Rancocas Valley Regional High School...
), Reid was still a virtual unknown at the time of his selection as head coach, and his appointment was met with considerable skepticism in Philadelphia. McNabb was also not considered a good choice to draft by Eagles fans. When he was drafted, many Eagles fans booed the selection, believing that the Eagles should draft Ricky Williams. The choices proved wise, however: with Reid leading the way and McNabb emerging as one of the game's great players. However, 1999 was a rebuilding year and so the Eagles only won five games and game attendance was still looking stale as two home games were not sold out- resulting in local TV blackouts
Blackout (broadcasting)
Blackout usually relates to the broadcasting of sports events, television programming, that is prohibited in a certain media market.The purpose is theoretically to generate more revenue by obliging certain actions from fans, either by making them buy tickets or watch other games on TV...
- while the other 6 were only sold out due to several small business owners purchasing the remainder of the unsold tickets to spare TV viewers. The Week 5 game saw Dallas WR Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
suffer a career-ending spinal injury where Eagles fans stood up and cheered as he lay on the field. Even the TV commentators expressed their disgust at this behavior. The 2000 season
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
saw the team go 11-5, reaching the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2000-01
The NFL playoffs following the 2000 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXV.This would be the last time that playoff games would be played at the accustomed times of 12:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. EST...
as a wildcard which rejuvenated the fan base and optimism. After brushing aside the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 11-5 season. In week 15 they won one of the greatest games in the history of Monday Night Football against the St. Louis Rams...
21-3, the Eagles
2000 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2000 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in a postseason appearance. The season started in Dallas famously known for the onside kick that the Eagles kicked and recovered to start the game. This game is known as the Pickle Juice Game.-NFL Draft:...
moved to the second round of the playoffs, only to lose a 20-10 game against the Giants
2000 New York Giants season
The 2000 New York Giants season was the 76th season for the club in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Preseason:-Regular season:The giants began the 2000 season hoping to get over the hump of coming short the past two seasons....
.
The 2000 regular season opener in Dallas (September 3), became known in NFL lore as the "Pickle Juice Game". Kickoff temperature in Texas Stadium was 109 degrees Fahrenheit and soared to nearly 120, making it the hottest game in league history, beating a previous record set during the 1997 Cowboys-Cardinals match in Arizona. The nickname came about because a certain Eagles trainer had been preparing for the projected high temperatures by having the players drink the juice from jars of dill pickles in order to retain body moisture and stave off cramps and heat exhaustion. The experiment proved a success as the Cowboys lost the game 44-14 and had multiple players benched for inability to handle the brutal temperatures (the Eagles had no players benched). The game also had significance because it marked the beginning of Philadelphia's domination of the NFC East and the end of the Cowboys' dominance.
After compiling an 11-5 record in 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, the Eagles
2001 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2001 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in a postseason appearance.-NFL Draft:-Depth chart:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-References:* * *...
reached the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2001-02
The NFL playoffs following the 2001 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXXVI.For the first time, the NFL scheduled prime time playoff games for the first two rounds in an attempt to attract more television viewers. Saturday wild card and divisional playoff games were moved from 12:30 p.m. and 4:00...
again, this time at the top of their division. In a near-rerun of the previous year, they disposed of the Buccaneers
2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 10-6 season. It was Tony Dungy's final season as the Buccaneers head coach. He was fired after losing in the playoffs to Philadelphia for the second straight season.-Staff:...
in a 31-9 game. In the second round, the Eagles defeated the Bears
2001 Chicago Bears season
The 2001 Chicago Bears season was their 82nd regular season and 23rd postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a surprising 13-3 record under head coach Dick Jauron en route to an NFC Central title and the number two seed in the NFC...
33-19 at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. Reaching the NFC Championship game, they were unable to stop the St. Louis Rams
2001 St. Louis Rams season
The 2001 St. Louis Rams season was the 64th season for the team in the National Football League and seventh season in St. Louis. The Rams set a franchise record for wins in a season , while also going a perfect 8-0 on the road. Quarterback Kurt Warner would go on to win his second league M.V.P....
, who defeated them 29-24
Despite injuries, McNabb led the Eagles
2002 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2002 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 70th in the league. The team improved upon their previous output of 11–5, going 12–4 and making the playoffs for the third consecutive year...
to a 12-4 season in 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
. Once again, they reached the NFC Championship, but lost at home 27-10 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers
2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was their most successful season in franchise history. The season began with the team trying to improve on a 9-7 season and did so with a franchise best 12-4 record. It was Jon Gruden's first season as the Buccaneers head coach...
.
2003
The 2003 team lost its first two games, both at their new home. In the opening game of the 2003 season2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, the Eagles were shut out 17-0 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to defend its Super Bowl XXXVII title of 2002. Despite high expectations, several last-minute losses led to locker room tension and front-office struggles. The Buccaneers finished 7-9, and missed the playoffs for the first time since...
in the first regular-season game ever played at 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...
. Once again, the team went 12-4 for the season. By reaching the conference championship game in the same year as this defeat, they became the first team in modern history to get that far in the postseason after having been shut out at home in its first game. They achieved that distinction despite getting only five touchdown catches all year from their wide receivers, which tied the league low since the regular-season schedule was lengthened to its present 16 games in 1978 (this record would be broken in 2004 when the New York Giants
2004 New York Giants season
The 2004 NFL season was the 80th season for the New York Giants. After starting the season 5–2, the Giants finished 6–10, 2nd in the NFC East.-Offseason:...
' wide receivers caught only two touchdown passes). The Eagle receivers even went through both September and October without a TD catch — the last time an NFL team had done that was in 1945.
No doubt with the latter two facts in mind, the Eagles actively pursued premier wide receiver 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...
, and acquired him in a controversial three-way deal with the 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...
and the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, on March 16, 2004.
2004 Super Bowl run
The 2004 season2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
began with a bang as Owens caught three touchdown passes from McNabb in their season opener against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Owens would end up with exactly 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdown receptions, although his season ended prematurely with an ankle injury on December 19, 2005 against the Dallas Cowboys
2005 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2005 Dallas Cowboys season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record in 2004. Despite a 7–3 start, the Cowboys ended the season with a 9–7 record and narrowly missed the playoffs.-Offseason:...
. Their 12-7 victory in this game gave them home field advantage throughout the conference playoffs for the third year in a row. [This distinction also includes a "bye" in the first round (also known as the Wild Card Round) of the playoffs, which the top two teams in each conference receive.] The Eagles tied a record by clinching the NFC East division crown (their fourth straight such title) after only their eleventh game of the season, matching the mark set by the 1985 Chicago Bears
1985 Chicago Bears season
The 1985 Chicago Bears season was their 66th regular season and 16th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 15-1 record, earning them the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Bears defeated their three post season opponents by a combined score of 91-10 en...
and the 1997 San Francisco 49ers
1997 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1997 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 48th year with the National Football League. The franchise appeared in the NFC Championship Game for the fifth time in the 1990’s and, to date, is their last appearance in the NFC title game.-Regular season:...
. Their final two regular-season games thus rendered meaningless, the Eagles sat out most of their first-string players in these games and lost them both, yet still finished with a 13-3 record, their best 16-game season ever. McNabb had his finest season to date, passing for 3,875 yards and 31 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions. This made him the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 30 or more TD passes and fewer than 10 interceptions in a single regular season. They then began their playoff run with the Divisional round at home against the sixth-seeded 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...
. The Eagles led from the start and never looked back, as McNabb led a very efficient passing attack (21 of 33 for 286 yards and 2 TDs), Brian Westbrook dominated on the ground with 70 rushing yards, and Freddie Mitchell performed very well on the receiving corps (5 receptions for 65 yards and a TD), as Philadelphia won 27-14, setting up their fourth-straight NFC Championship appearance.
The Eagles' futility in Conference Championship games had become notorious. In 2002, the Eagles had fallen in the NFC Championship Game against the Rams
2002 St. Louis Rams season
The 2002 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 65th year with the National Football League and the eighth season in St. Louis.-Schedule:This season marked the decline of Kurt Warner and The Greatest Show On Turf-Standings:...
in St. Louis, 29-24. In 2003, the Eagles hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to defend its Super Bowl XXXVII title of 2002. Despite high expectations, several last-minute losses led to locker room tension and front-office struggles. The Buccaneers finished 7-9, and missed the playoffs for the first time since...
at Veterans Stadium and were widely viewed as the overwhelming favorites—this view no doubt accentuated by the expected emotional boost that many anticipated would power the team, given that the game was to be the last at "the Vet." After a promising start, however, the game slipped away, and the ensuing 27-10 loss devastated a fan base that had already become too accustomed to disappointment. In 2004, a banged-up Eagles squad managed to overcome numerous injuries, particularly to its defense, to reach the NFC Championship for the third year in a row, only to suffer a heartbreaking 14-3 loss against the Carolina Panthers.
4th time's the charm
On January 23, 2005, the Eagles reached an unprecedented (in the salary cap era of the NFL) fourth consecutive conference championship game. At long last, the Eagles justified the hopes of their long-suffering fan base, defeating Michael VickMichael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
's much-hyped Atlanta Falcons
2004 Atlanta Falcons season
-Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1:The Falcons began their season by traveling to San Francisco, where Falcons head coach Jim L. Mora had coached the last five years as the 49ers defensive coordinator, to play the San Francisco 49ers...
, 27-10, sending them to their first Super Bowl in 24 years. The victory sent the city of Philadelphia into wild celebrations.
Super Bowl XXXIX
With two Super Bowl wins under their belt, the defending champion New England Patriots2004 New England Patriots season
The 2004 New England Patriots season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.Following a Super Bowl...
were heavily favored. The game was a defensive struggle through the third quarter, but in the fourth, the Patriots took the lead, with the Eagles trailing ten points. The early game struggle left everyone exhausted, and for his best efforts, McNabb could not get the team within field goal range. He was picked off in the closing seconds of the game. The final score was 24-21, and the Patriots had won their third Super Bowl in four years.
2005
The defending NFC Champions did not fare well the next year. The 2005 season2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
began in a strange and erratic fashion with a 14-10 road loss to the Atlanta Falcons
2005 Atlanta Falcons season
-Roster:-Preseason:-Regular season:-Awards and honors:* Michael Vick, Pro Bowl selection-References:...
on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, a game in which Donovan McNabb suffered a chest bruise
Bruise
A bruise, also called a contusion, is a type of relatively minor hematoma of tissue in which capillaries and sometimes venules are damaged by trauma, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Bruises can involve capillaries at the level of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle,...
. In addition, Eagles 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...
was ejected prior to kick-off for getting involved in an altercation with Falcons cornerback Kevin Mathis
Kevin Mathis
Kevin Bryant Mathis is an American football cornerback in the National Football League who is currently a free agent. He has played for the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and the Atlanta Falcons...
. In the Week 2 home opener in Philadelphia, the Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers
2005 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2005 season was the 60th for the Niners overall, and 56th in the NFL. They were trying to improve on their 2-14 record from 2004. Head Coach Dennis Erickson had been fired just after the end of the 2004 season, and Mike Nolan, son of former head coach Dick Nolan, was at the reins.-Week 1: vs. St...
in a rout 42-3; however, McNabb was diagnosed with a sports hernia following the game. Weeks 3 and 4 saw the Eagles struggle somewhat but still manage to defeat the Oakland Raiders
2005 Oakland Raiders season
The 2005 Oakland Raiders season was their 46th in the league. They were unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 5–11, instead only going 4–12. The team finished the season on a six game losing streak.-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:...
(23-20) and mount a stunning comeback from an 18-point deficit to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs
2005 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2005 Kansas City Chiefs season resulted in a 10–6 record, but no playoff berth. The Chiefs became the sixth 10–6 team to fail to qualify for the playoffs since the NFL introduced the wild card....
at Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
(37-31). In week 5, the Eagles were manhandled by the Dallas Cowboys
2005 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2005 Dallas Cowboys season began with the team trying to improve on their 6–10 record in 2004. Despite a 7–3 start, the Cowboys ended the season with a 9–7 record and narrowly missed the playoffs.-Offseason:...
in Dallas
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...
, losing by 23 points (33-10). Following a bye week, the Eagles pulled off a miraculous 20-17 win against the San Diego Chargers
2005 San Diego Chargers season
The 2005 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record in 2004. They finished the campaign 3rd in their division and as a result missed out on the playoffs. Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was named rookie of the Year at the end of the season.-NFL...
when cornerback Matt Ware
Matt Ware
Matthew Jesse Ware is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted in the third round with the 89th pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles...
returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Fans hoped the play would “wake up” the Eagles and save the season similar 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...
's fourth quarter punt return against the New York Giants
2003 New York Giants season
The 2003 New York Giants season was the team's 79th season in the National Football League. The team was unable to duplicate their 2002 season's playoff appearance, instead only winning four games and finishing the season on an eight game losing streak which cost head coach Jim Fassel his...
in 2003. However, in the next week, the Eagles were unable to stop the running and passing attack of the Denver Broncos
2005 Denver Broncos season
In 2005 the Denver Broncos ended the 2005 regular season with a 13–3 record, the franchise's second-best number of wins of all time and their third best win percentage ever. They won their first playoff game since winning Super Bowl XXXIII in the 1998 season...
, losing 49-21.
Week after week, Andy Reid had come under criticism for the Eagles' lack of dedication to a running game and overworking an injured Donovan McNabb, who was on pace to break the records for all-time passing attempts and completions. The Eagles had also allowed themselves to get behind in the first quarters of games, only to end up fighting from behind in the remaining quarters. Some analysts speculated the Eagles' problems were due to not finding replacements for former defensive linemen Corey Simon
Corey Simon
Corey Jermaine Simon is a retired American football defensive tackle of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles sixth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
and Derrick Burgess
Derrick Burgess
Derrick Lee Burgess is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi....
, poor pass rush, poor special teams, and the contract disputes with Brian Westbrook and Terrell Owens, along with Owens' virtually weekly controversies. They had also been hindered by injuries to McNabb, Corell Buckhalter, Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston
Todd Pinkston is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles where he caught 184 passes for 2,816 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Eagles went to the playoffs every year that he started, including an appearance in...
, 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...
, Dirk Johnson, 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....
.
On November 4, 2005, on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, Terrell Owens criticized the Eagles front office for not recognizing his 100th touchdown catch. He also agreed with Michael Irvin
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin is a former American football player for the Dallas Cowboys, and actor. He is also a former broadcaster for ESPN's NFL Countdown and currently an analyst for NFL Network. Irvin was self-nicknamed "The Playmaker" due to his penchant for making big plays in big games during his...
's statement that the Eagles would be undefeated had Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
been the quarterback. Despite Owens's apology the next day to the front office (but not to McNabb), he was suspended indefinitely. There were also reports that he got into a fist fight with Hugh Douglas and challenged other players in the locker room which contributed to his suspension. At Andy Reid's press conference after the Washington
2005 Washington Redskins season
The 2005 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 6-10 record from 2004. The Redskins placed 2nd in the NFC East. Washington earned their first playoff berth since 1999.-Offseason:...
loss, he announced T.O. would no longer be playing this year for the Eagles due to conduct detrimental to the team.
Things only got worse for the Eagles. They lost a Sunday night match-up to their division rival, 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,...
17-10. Then, when they went home and played a rematch with their much-hated rival, the Cowboys, on Monday Night Football, a late game interception by Roy Williams sealed their doom. Not only did they lose 21-20, but the already suffering 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...
got shoved to the ground, worsening his sports hernia and ending his season.
On November 20, former Detroit
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...
quarterback Mike McMahon was named the Eagles starter. However, his wild gun passing didn't do much to phase the Giants, as the Eagles went down again 27-17. Then, on November 21 Donovan McNabb announced that he would undergo surgery for his sports hernia. The Eagles would finish the season without at least eight of their projected starters heading into the season, including Pinkston, Hank Fraley
Hank Fraley
Henry "Hank" F. Fraley is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football at Robert Morris.Fraley has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, and St...
, Dirk Johnson, and Pro Bowlers McNabb, 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...
, Sheppard, Tra Thomas, and the exiled Owens.
Their next-to-last win of the season came a week later against the injury-ravaged Green Bay Packers
2005 Green Bay Packers season
The 2005 Green Bay Packers season marked their worst record since their 1991 season. The Packers suffered injuries to wide receivers Javon Walker and Robert Ferguson and running backs Ahman Green, Najeh Davenport, Tony Fisher, and Samkon Gado...
19-14. At a home game on December 5, on Monday Night Football, the Eagles retired #92, which had belonged to the late Reggie White
Reggie White
Reginald Howard "Reggie" White was a professional American football player. He played 15 seasons as a defensive end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most decorated players in NFL history...
. Unfortunately, they got shut out by the NFC West and eventful NFC champion Seattle Seahawks
2005 Seattle Seahawks season
The 2005 Seattle Seahawks season saw them advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in the team's history. They were the NFC representative in Super Bowl XL, a game they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Seahawks compiled a 13-3 record in the regular season, easily winning the NFC West and...
42-0. Afterwards, they lost to the Giants at home (26-23). Their last win of the season came on the road against the St. Louis Rams
2005 St. Louis Rams season
The 2005 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 68th year with the National Football League and the 11th season in St. Louis.-Schedule:-Standings:...
(17-16). Then they lost their last two games of the season to the Arizona Cardinals
2005 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2005 Arizona Cardinals season was the team's 86th in the NFL. The team was unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 6-10, and failed to make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season....
on the road 27-21 and then they lost their last home game of the season to the wild card Washington Redskins 31-20. They ended their 2005 season at 6-10, which marked the first time since 1999 that the Eagles failed to make the playoffs.
After expectations of a return to the Super Bowl, it appeared the Eagles would have to retool in the 2006 off-season to make another run for the Vince Lombardi Trophy
Vince Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl.-History:...
.
2006
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...
, the Eagles started off hot, beating the Houston Texans
2006 Houston Texans season
The 2006 Houston Texans season began with the team trying to improve on their 2–14 record in 2005.-Offseason:On January 2, 2006, the day after the last game of the 2005 season, head coach Dom Capers and most of the coaching staff was fired by owner Bob McNair. General Manager Charley Casserly was...
in Houston 24-10. And they kept the streak going, jumping to a 24-7 lead against the Giants before losing 30-24 in overtime. They won their next two games easily, beating the 49ers
2006 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2006 San Francisco 49ers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4-12 record in 2005. Despite having improved from their previous two disastrous seasons and were in the top 10 best offense in the league in 2006 ,they missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year, continuing...
in San Francisco and then returning home to limit Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
's Packers
2006 Green Bay Packers season
- Game summary :The Packers opened the regular season on September 10 with a 26-0 loss to the Chicago Bears, the Packers' first scoreless game since October 17, 1991....
to three field goals. The Birds' 3-1 record set the stage for 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...
' return to Philadelphia.
Owens return to Philadelphia was being promoted by Fox
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
as the "game of the year". The game had more at stake, because the winner would take the lead 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....
. Owens received boos and jokes about his accidental overdose from a sell-out crowd. 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...
's game-winning interception for a touchdown sealed the game for the Eagles, 38-24.
McNabb's season was already considered one of the finest in Eagles history and his career. After the win against Owens' Cowboys
2006 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2006 Dallas Cowboys season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 2005. The base offense was changed to a 2-TE formation. Several high profile free agents were signed including controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens and kicker Mike Vanderjagt...
, they faced the upstart New Orleans Saints
2006 New Orleans Saints season
The 2006 New Orleans Saints season began with the team trying to improve on their 3-13 record in 2005. All of the team's 2006 regular season home games were played in the Louisiana Superdome, which had been damaged all of the previous season by Hurricane Katrina...
, with critics claiming the winner would be the NFC favorite. The Eagles ended up losing 27-24 on a last second field goal. The next week at Tampa
2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on their 11-5 record in 2005.-Summary:After winning the division in 2005, the Buccaneers suffered through an abysmal 2006 season...
, the Eagles would once again lose on a last second field goal. This time the field goal was an improbable 62 yarder by Matt Bryant
Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
- the second longest in NFL History.
One week before their bye, the Eagles faced the Jacksonville Jaguars
2006 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2006 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 11th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve on their 12–4 record from 2005, and missed the playoffs.-2006 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Preseason:Source:...
and failed to score a touchdown in a 13-6 loss. After their bye, they routed the Redskins, which not only kept Reid/McNabb perfect after the bye week, it put them back on track after three consecutive losses. The Birds were on a roll going into their match with Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
's Titans
2006 Tennessee Titans season
The 2006 Tennessee Titans season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 2005.-Offseason:In 2006, exciting news for the future came when in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Titans, with the third overall pick, chose Vince Young, star quarterback out of the University of Texas, and with...
, but were dominated throughout the game, losing 31-13. The bigger loss however was Donovan McNabb - injured for the second straight year.
With Donovan McNabb going down to injury, the Eagles called on 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....
to lead the team. The move was a highly unpopular one, because fans believed A.J. Feeley was their best bet. After falling to Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
's Indianapolis Colts
2006 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2006 Indianapolis Colts season was the 54th season for the team in the National Football League and 23rd in Indianapolis. The 2006 Colts season began with the team trying to maintain or improve on their regular season record of 14–2 from the 2005 season, and advance farther into the playoffs....
, the Eagles' record stood at 5-6, and they did not appear to be in playoff contention.
However, Garcia led the team to an improbable five-game winning streak, which included a three-game NFC East road trip and a Christmas showdown in Dallas. The Eagles finished the season 10-6, but lost the tie-breaker to the Saints, meaning they would be the third seed.
The Eagles won their home wild card game against the Giants
2006 New York Giants season
The 2006 New York Giants season began with the team trying to improve on their 11–5 record in 2005, which saw them win the NFC East. They did not win the NFC East or improve on that record, falling to 8-8 on the season after starting 6-2...
23-20, on 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. The game officially sent Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber
Atiim Kiambu Hakeem-Ah "Tiki" Barber is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia....
into retirement. Their divisional playoff game was a Week 6 rematch against the Saints. The Eagles lost by the same score as in the regular season: 27-24. Andy Reid made the controversial decision to punt with less than two minutes remaining.
2007
20072007 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....
marked the Eagles' 75th season. McNabb delivered average performances, and missed three games due to an injury. The team only achieved an 8-8 record and missed the playoffs.
2008
The beginning of 20082008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
presented a good opportunity for the Eagles. Donovan McNabb got a good start to the season, Brian Westbrook ran for many touchdowns, and rookie receiver DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson
Going to the 2008 NFL Draft Jackson was considered one of the top ten wide receivers available in a draft class littered with talented wide outs. The only knock on Jackson was his small frame, being measured at 5'9¾ " and just over 170 pounds. During the pre-draft period, Hall of Fame wide receiver...
became an important figure in the Eagles' passing game. However the Eagles went against the 1-8 Bengals
2008 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 2008 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 39th season for the team in the National Football League and their 41st overall season. The team finished the season with 4 wins, 11 losses, and 1 tie, and did not qualify for the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year.-Coaching changes:This season marked...
in Week 10 and McNabb played horribly, throwing consistent interceptions and leading the Eagles to a ten-point deficit at the half. Despite being able to score those ten points, the game went into overtime. A Bengals missed field goal led to Eagles ball, but McNabb's 'Hail Mary' was deflected with seconds left in overtime, and the game ended in a 13-13 tie, the first since 2002. McNabb then sparked controversy by admitting that he was unaware an NFL game could end in a tie.
Against Baltimore
2008 Baltimore Ravens season
The 2008 Baltimore Ravens season was the 13th season for the team in the NFL. Despite having one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, the Ravens completed a major turnaround from the 2007 season, finishing the season with an 11–5 record and a playoff berth...
, things were even worse. At halftime, due to bad performance, McNabb was benched. However, the Eagles needed him, and it would show. His backup, 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....
, managed to get the Eagles to the Baltimore two-yard line; he then threw an interception in the end zone that was returned by Ed Reed for a record 108 yard touchdown.
By this time, it was obvious that the Eagles were in big trouble in that they needed a good quarterback for the next week's match-up against the Arizona Cardinals
2008 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2008 Arizona Cardinals season was the 89th season for the team in the National Football League and their 21st season in Arizona. The season marked the Cardinals' first-ever Super Bowl appearance, coming as a result of their victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.The...
, who for the first time in several decades seemed poised to win their division. The game was scheduled for Thanksgiving night
Thanksgiving Classic
The National Football League's Thanksgiving Classic is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It has been a regular occurrence since the league's inception in 1920. Since 2006, three games are played every Thanksgiving...
, and the decision was eventually made to start Donovan McNabb, and if he played like he did in the last couple of weeks, he would probably be benched for the season. But McNabb surprised everyone and lead the Eagles to what was perhaps one of the greatest games in franchise history, a 48-21 blowout in which McNabb threw for four touchdowns. The Eagles went on a three game win streak following up the Cardinals victory with wins over the Giants
2008 New York Giants season
The 2008 New York Giants season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League as the team looked to defend its Super Bowl XLII title. They improved upon their 10–6 record from 2007, becoming NFC East champions and finished with the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 12-4 record...
and Browns
2008 Cleveland Browns season
The 2008 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 62nd season as a franchise and was the team's 58th season as a member of the National Football League. The Browns finished with a 4–12 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs. The season marked Romeo Crennel's fourth year as head coach of the...
. The Eagles then lost to a mediocre at best Redskins team
2008 Washington Redskins season
The 2008 Washington Redskins season was the 76th season for the team in the National Football League. They failed to improve upon their 9-7 record from 2007...
, 10-3 and putting their post season prospects in serious doubt.
However, the Eagles were able to run over the Dallas Cowboys
2008 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2008 Dallas Cowboys season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League. The season was most noted for week 17, when the Cowboys were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles 44–6, their worst loss since the 1985 Chicago Bears came to Texas Stadium and beat the Cowboys 44–0...
44-6 on December 28, 2008 and advanced to the playoffs. The Eagles then defeated the Minnesota Vikings
2008 Minnesota Vikings season
The 2008 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 48th season in the NFL, and the 17th season in which they won their division. They won the NFC North with a 10–6 record, but had to play in the wild card round of the playoffs...
26-14 in the first round of the playoffs on January 4, 2009. They defeated their division rival and the defending Super Bowl champions the New York Giants
2008 New York Giants season
The 2008 New York Giants season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League as the team looked to defend its Super Bowl XLII title. They improved upon their 10–6 record from 2007, becoming NFC East champions and finished with the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 12-4 record...
23-11 in the NFC Divisional Round to advance to their fifth NFC Championship game in nine years. For the second time in a decade, an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl seemed possible, as the Pittsburgh Steelers
2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles....
won the AFC Championship against the Baltimore Ravens. However, the Eagles lost 32-25 to the Arizona Cardinals.
2009
In August, the team stirred up controversy by signing ex-Falcons quarterback Michael VickMichael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
, who had recently been released from prison for federal dogfighting charges
Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation
The Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation began in April 2007 with a search of property in Surry County, Virginia, owned by Michael Vick, who was at the time quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons football team, and the subsequent discovery of evidence of a dog fighting ring...
. On the regular season opener against Carolina, McNabb sustained a broken rib and sat out the next two games, with 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....
taking his place as starter. Afterwards, Philadelphia endured a bad loss to New Orleans
2009 New Orleans Saints season
The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the...
, but then beat Kansas City
2009 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2009 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 50th season, and first with head coach Todd Haley at the helm. It was also the first season with Scott Pioli as the team's general manager. The Chiefs attempted to improve on their 2–14 record from 2008 with the third overall selection in the...
the following week. McNabb returned, and Vick also began playing (as he had been barred from the first two games). He got off to a slow start and was used sparingly for much of the season. After a 13-9 loss in Oakland
2009 Oakland Raiders season
The 2009 Oakland Raiders season is the 50th season for the original American Football League team, and its 40th in the NFL. On September 6, 2009, The Raiders traded a 2011 draft pick to the New England Patriots for 5x Pro Bowl Defensive Lineman Richard Seymour. With their loss to Dallas on November...
, the Eagles defeated the Redskins
2009 Washington Redskins season
The 2009 Washington Redskins season is the 77th season for the team in the National Football League. They failed to improve upon their 8–8 record from 2008, which resulted in Jim Zorn being fired after two seasons.-Movement:...
27-17 on Monday Night Football. During this game, 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...
suffered a severe concussion and was knocked unconscious. He returned to play in the Week 10 game against San Diego
2009 San Diego Chargers season
The 2009 San Diego Chargers season was the 50th season for the original American Football League team, and its 40th in the NFL. The Chargers improved upon their regular season record of 8–8 in 2008 and won their division for the fourth straight year and fifth time in six seasons...
, but was felled by a second concussion. Afterwards, Philadelphia went on a five-game winning streak and clinching a playoff berth after defeating the Broncos
2009 Denver Broncos season
The 2009 Denver Broncos season was their 40th season in the NFL and 50th season overall. The Broncos matched their 8–8 regular season record from 2008 but did not make the playoffs. The Broncos welcomed many new defensive players signed during free agency, including veteran Eagles safety Brian...
in Week 16, which marked Brian Westbrook's return to action after an absence of five weeks. However, the season ended with a whimper, as they were shut out by a resurgent Cowboys
2009 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2009 Dallas Cowboys season is the 50th season for the team in the National Football League. It is the team's first season playing at Cowboys Stadium. Their victory over the Oakland Raiders on November 26 extended their Thanksgiving winning streak to four in a row and also ended a three game...
squad the following week. This put Dallas at the top of the NFC East and giving the Eagles a wild card spot. The two teams then had to play again the following week, but Philadelphia went down to defeat a second time, the score being 34-14.
2010
On January 11, 2010, General Manager Tom Heckert was hired by the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the same role. He was replaced by Howie Roseman
Howie Roseman
Howard "Howie" Roseman is the general manager for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. , Roseman is the youngest general manager in the NFL.-Early years:...
, who was promoted from Vice President of Player Personnel. On February 23, 2010 the Eagles released starting 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...
, Eagles' all-time leader in yards from scrimmage with 9,785 yards.
A bigger surprise came on Easter Sunday, when the team traded 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...
to their division rival 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,...
for a second-round (37th overall) pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
, and a third- or fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
. 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....
was named team's starting quarterback.
The Kolb era did not begin on a positive note as the Eagles donned their throwback kelly green jerseys and hosted the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in their opening season as both teams performed poorly in the first half, although that was partially because of weather conditions and damaged turf in Lincoln Financial Field. Kolb was thrown to the ground by Packers linebacker Clay Matthews
Clay Matthews III
William Clay Matthews III is an American football linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Packers 26th overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-Early years:Matthews was born in the Los...
and was forced to sit out the game after it was determined that he suffered a concussion. Five other Packers and Eagles players were also injured in the game. Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
replaced Kolb, but the Packers ended up winning the game, 27-20.
With Vick taking over as starter, the Eagles traveled and defeated the Detroit Lions
2010 Detroit Lions season
The 2010 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 81st season in the NFL. It was Jim Schwartz's second season as head coach. The Lions spent most of the season at the bottom of their division, but with more division wins than the Vikings , the Lions ended up at 3rd place on the final day of the...
35-32 in week 2 with Vick's impressive performance in the team's offense. Although Kolb was presumed to be the starter after he recovered from injury, Andy Reid named Vick as the starting quarterback instead. The team then traveled to Jacksonville
2010 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2010 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 16th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars, who are in their second year of "rebuilding" under general manager Gene Smith, improved upon their 7–9 record from 2009, but narrowly missed the playoffs with an 8–8 record...
. Vick scored four touchdowns (three passing and one rushing) and no interceptions in a 28-3 rout of the Jaguars.
Week 4 saw the return of McNabb to Philadelphia. He was generally given a warm reception, and the Redskins got a touchdown early in the first quarter. After that, both offenses sputtered and the Eagles had to settle for two field goals. But things rapidly fell apart when Vick was injured late in the first quarter with chest and rib injuries he suffered when two Redskins defensive backs crushed him from both sides while running near to the endzone. Kolb was once again brought out as starter, but delivered an uninspired performance. He did manage a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late. A two-point conversion attempt after the touchdown failed, and Washington won 16-12. Afterward, Vick was diagnosed with cracked cartilage and forced to sit out at least one game.
With Kolb starting, the Eagles headed to San Francisco
2010 San Francisco 49ers season
The 2010 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 65th season, and the second full year with Mike Singletary as the head coach. The 49ers were looking to build upon their 8–8 season in 2009 that ended their streak of seven consecutive losing seasons and to get into the postseason for the...
for a Sunday Night Football match against the 0-4 49ers. Kolb passed for 253 yards and one touchdown to lead his team to a 27-24 victory. Philadelphia won its first home game in week 6 by overpowering the Falcons
2010 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2010 Atlanta Falcons season was the 45th season for the team in the National Football League. In 2009, the team posted consecutive winning seasons for the first time in franchise history, with a 9–7 record, but did not make the playoffs...
31-17. Kolb continued to improve, passing for 326 yards, three touchdown passes, and one interception. However, he was not able to sustain this momentum in the week 8 game against Tennessee
2010 Tennessee Titans season
The 2010 Tennessee Titans season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League, their 51st overall and their 14th season in Tennessee...
, throwing two interceptions and only one touchdown. The Eagles lost 37-19 to enter their bye week at 3-3 and once again Vick was brought out as starter prior to hosting Indianapolis
2010 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2010 Indianapolis Colts season was the 58th season for the team in the National Football League, the 27th in Indianapolis, and the second under head coach Jim Caldwell...
in week 10. This game proved an intense, highly physical contest as Vick scored two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing) and Philadelphia overcame stubborn resistance by the Colts to win 27-24. Afterwards, the Eagles headed to Washington, where, for the second year in a row, they faced the Redskins on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. Philadelphia quickly marched out to two touchdowns in the first quarter, putting them up at 14-0 within five minutes. By the second quarter, they had scored another two, leading by 28 points. Four more touchdowns followed in a 59-28 blowout of Washington. All in all, there were eight (four passing, three rushing, and one interception return), six of which were from Michael Vick, who had 333 passing and 80 rushing yards for one of the finest performances of his career.
For the third season in a row, the Eagles traveled to Chicago, a team that Michael Vick had a career 0-4 record against. This time would be no different as the Bears' defense slowed him down to win 31-26. Vick also threw his first interception of the season. The Eagles rebounded with a Thursday game against Houston. Despite winning 34-24, Philadelphia's defense turned in a relatively mediocre performance, which may have had to do with the fact that the team had played four games in a 17-day stretch.
On Sunday Night in Week 15, the Eagles headed to Dallas for a game with their arch-rivals. However, the Cowboys were a considerably weaker team than when they defeated Philadelphia three times in 2009. Their QB Tony Romo was out of commission from an injury, they had had their head coach Wade Phillips fired halfway through the season, and they were barely clinging to life at 4-9. Michael Vick delivered an average performance, although one of the game's highlights was a 90-yard TD pass to Desean Jackson. Although Andy Reid had gained a reputation as a pass-happy coach, the Eagles' scoring was mainly based on run plays and long field goals. Despite a close game, they prevailed 30-27 and eliminated Dallas from playoff contention.
In Week 15, the Eagles beat New York in a shocking upset by overcoming a 21-point deficit in the second half. In the closing seconds of the game, Desean Jackson returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown to win 38-31. After locking up their first division title in four years, the Eagles played a surprisingly bad game against Minnesota and lost. The team lost a meaningless season ender against Dallas before preparing to host Green Bay again in the wild card round of the playoffs. Despite playing the Packers hard, Philadelphia's first home playoff game since 2006 ended in defeat as Michael Vick threw an interception in the 4th quarter.
2011
The off-season was marred by a lockout that began in March after the NFL's collective bargaining agreement expired, making practices, trades, and free agency impossible. During the draft, the Eagles did comparatively little. After the lockout ended in July, the team embarked on a rash of high profile FA signings, including Raiders CB Nndami Asomugha, Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown, Giants WR Steve Smith, Packers TE Donald Lee, Titans DE Jason Babin, Packers DT Cullen Jankins, and Cardinals CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie. Meanwhile, Kevin Kolb, displeased at losing the starting QB job to Michael Vick in 2010, was traded to Arizona for Cromartie. Replacing him as 2nd-stringer was ex-Titans QB Vince Young. Vince Young made a lot of hype by calling Philadelphia the "Dream Team". Still the Eagles went 2-2 in the Pre-Season.The Eagles started the season out with a 31-13 win over the St.Louis Rams, but from there it went down hill for the Eagles. They went on a four game losing streak, against the Falcons, Giants, 49ers, and Bills, before finally beating the Redskins 20-13. Although Trent Cole was injured in Week 5 and was unable to play in the game against Washington, Kurt Coleman ignited Philadelphia's D with three picks off of Rex Grossman. Hoping to get the team going during the bye week, Reid sent a trade request giving up Ronnie Brown for the Detroit Lions Jerome Harrison. The trade was almost complete, but Harrison's physical found that he had to have surgery for a brain tumor and would be out for the rest of the season, canceling the trade. After the bye week, the Eagles were able to keep Reid's record after bye weeks perfect with a 34-7 win against the Dallas Cowboys.
Hoping to make a run for the playoffs the Eagles needed another win Monday night against the Bears at home. The Bears jumped out to a 10-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter but the Eagles made a field goal and scored on Brian Rolle returning a fumble for a TD. Still the Bears took a 17-10 lead at half after a DeSean Jackson fumble on the punt return and a questionable roughing the passer call on Babin lead to a Marion Barber TD. The Eagles bounced back again after Ronnie Brown punched in the TD to tie the game in the 3rd quarter. The Eagles got the ball back after Trent Cole forced Matt Forte to fumble a second time and Mike Patterson was there to recover. On the next drive McCoy ran a 33 yd TD giving the Eagles their first lead in the game. The Bears didn't give up getting a field goal and a touch down from Cutler to Bennett for a 27-24 lead. The Game ended with Michael Vick losing again to the Bears 30-24.
The Eagles then played Arizona at home. On the second play of the game for the Eagles Vick was hit as he threw and got up slowly while putting his hand on his ribs. He would still play the whole game. LeSean "Shady" McCoy had a TD and Samuel had a pick 6 to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead going into the second half. Both defenses stopped either offenses from scoring in the 3rd. Phillie was only points where from a Alex Henery filed goal. Arizona had two TD's to win the game, which was sealed by a Vick interception. They held a 4th quarter lead, again, and gave it up, again, in the final seconds for the loss. Asomugha, the prized free agent, had his third interception of the season in the game. Vick also was confirmed with 2 broken ribs from the hit on the second play of the Eagles offense.
With the Eagles season basically over, they faced the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. Vick and Maclin where out with injuries. Jackson played this game after being benched last week for being late to a meeting. Vince Young threw a INT to Giants rookie corner Prince Amukamara. On the Giants second drive, Manning threw a pick to Eagles linebacker Chaney. The Eagles still couldn't get any points from the turnover. The teams traded drives fighting for yards against the suddenly strong Phillie's D and the G-Men defense but got no points. Henery then kicked a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Young threw a second pick to Phillips. The Philadelphia offense scored a touchdown after a big Jackson punt return, Smith with the reception from Young. The Giants scored a filed goal at the end of the first half making it 10-3. After the first couple drives the Phillie offense was driving until Vince threw another interception in the endzone to Ross. Philadelphia's defense forced a punt again. Finally after a Eagles punt the New York offense scored a touch down to tie the game, Cruz from Manning 24-yds. The Vince Young lead offense then went on a 18 play drive that had four 3rd down conversations and a touchdown, Cooper 8-yds from Young. The Giants then had a 47-yd gain, Manning to Cruz. The Eagles couldn't give up another 4th quarter lead, could they? Eli hiked the ball and scrambled out to the right. What he didn't know was Babin was being blocked that way and now could get the sack. He did and it caused a fumble, too. Philadelphia recovered and won the game 17-10. McCoy did have a 60 yard run at the end of the game also. Surprisingly the Eagles D allowed only 29 rushing yards in the game!
Further reading
- Eagles record-setting game in 1934 was against doomed Cincinnati Reds
- Claassen, Harold (Spike) (1963). The History of Professional Football. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
- Davis, Jeff (2005). Papa Bear, The Life and Legacy of George Halas. New York: McGraw-Hill ISBN 0-07-146054-3
- Lyons, Robert S. (2010). On Any Given Sunday, A Life of Bert Bell. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1-59213-731-2
- MacCambridge, Michael (2005). America's Game. New York: Anchor Books ISBN 978-0-307-48143-6
- Peterson, Robert W. (1997). Pigskin: The Early Years of Pro Football. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-507607-9
- Westcott, Rich (2001). A Century of Philadelphia Sports. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 1-56639-861-4
- Willis, Chris (2010). The Man Who Built the National Football League: Joe F. Carr. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8108-7669-9