2004: Eagles Convert 4th-and-26, Force Overtime, and Beat Packers

The NFC Divisional playoff game on January 11, 2004 was the first to be played at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field as the host Eagles, NFC East champions in 2003 with a 12-4 record, took on the 10-6 Green Bay Packers, who had finished atop the NFC North.

The Eagles, under fifth-year Head Coach Andy Reid (a former Green Bay assistant), had won the division title and made it to the conference title game in each of the previous two seasons, but had struggled early in ’03. They were badly beaten in their first two contests and had a 2-3 record before reeling off nine straight wins. QB Donovan McNabb (pictured below right) suffered from a bruised thumb to start the year and was ineffective through the first six games, but came on strong in the second half along with the rest of the club. The three-headed running attack of Duce Staley, Brian Westbrook (who would be out for the playoffs due to an arm injury suffered in the season finale), and Correll Buckhalter was effective, combining for 1618 yards rushing and 83 pass receptions, although the wide receivers were average, at best. Defensively, star FS Brian Dawkins had missed nine games with a foot injury, but was healthy for the playoffs, while DT Corey Simon and CB Troy Vincent turned in Pro Bowl seasons.

Green Bay was coached for the fourth year by Mike Sherman and, as had been the case since 1992, featured 34-year-old QB Brett Favre, who passed for 3361 yards and a league-leading 32 touchdowns, but also 21 interceptions. WR Donald Driver and Pro Bowl TE Bubba Franks led the receiving corps, while RB Ahman Green ran for an NFC-leading 1883 yards.


It was a cold night in the teens with 67,707 fans in attendance at the new stadium. Neither club was able to generate much offense initially, with the Eagles failing to get a first down on any of their first three possessions. The Packers got a break when McNabb fumbled and LB Nick Barnett recovered. On the next play, Favre threw to WR Robert Ferguson for a 40-yard touchdown.

Eagles WR James Thrash returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards and McNabb took off on a 41-yard run down to the Green Bay 15 on Philadelphia’s first play. However, the drive stalled and David Akers missed on a 33-yard field goal attempt. The Packers responded with an eight-play, 86-yard drive that included a 26-yard run by Green. Favre again hit Ferguson with a scoring pass, this time of 17 yards, and Green Bay had a 14-0 lead after one quarter of play.

The teams traded punts as the game moved into the second quarter. McNabb hit on five passes in a six-play drive that covered 77 yards and included a 45-yard completion to WR Todd Pinkston that in turn set up a seven-yard TD pass to Staley.

Green Bay came back with a drive deep into Eagles territory, but after getting a first-and-goal at the four yard line, the defense held and, when Green was stopped for no gain on a fourth down play at the one, Philadelphia regained possession. The first half ended with the Packers leading by 14-7.

Both offenses bogged down again in the third quarter, but as the period was winding down the Eagles, starting at their 11 yard line, began to drive. McNabb was successful on passes of 23 yards to TE L.J. Smith, 10 yards to Pinkston, and 15 to Staley. The fifth-year quarterback had started the drive with a 13-yard carry and he ran again, for 24 yards down to the Green Bay 36, as the period came to an end. On the first play of the fourth quarter, McNabb, barely scrambling out of trouble, threw to Pinkston for a 12-yard touchdown and, with the successful PAT by Akers, the game was tied at 14-14.

The teams traded punts before Favre completed a pass to WR Javon Walker for a 44-yard gain to the Philadelphia seven. The Packers had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell, but had regained the lead at 17-14. The Eagles punted again following their next possession, and Green Bay put together a drive that burned over six minutes off the clock. But with fourth-and-one at the Philadelphia 41, Coach Sherman elected to punt rather than risk another failure to convert a fourth down.

Following Josh Bidwell’s kick, the Eagles got the ball on their own 20 with 2:21 remaining in regulation. Staley took off on a 22-yard run, but then McNabb threw an incomplete pass, was sacked for a 16-yard loss, and tossed another incompletion. With the ball on the Philadelphia 26 and facing a fourth-and-26 situation, it appeared that the Eagles’ season was practically over. However, McNabb completed a pass to WR Freddie Mitchell, in the midst of two defenders, for a 28-yard gain and an improbable first down (pictured at top).

The Eagles continued their drive to the Green Bay 19, and with five seconds remaining Akers booted a 37-yard field goal to tie the contest at 17-17 and send it into overtime.

Philadelphia received the kickoff in the sudden death period and went three-and-out. But Favre threw a long, high pass that was intercepted by Dawkins and returned 35 yards to the Green Bay 34. Six plays later, Akers kicked a 31-yard field goal and the Eagles came away with a 20-17 win.

For the most part, the team statistics reflected the closeness of the outcome. The Packers had the most yards (381 to 363) while Philadelphia had the edge in first downs (19 to 16). Both teams turned the ball over once. But the Packers sacked McNabb eight times, while the Eagles got to Favre only once.

Despite the punishing pass rush, Donovan McNabb completed 21 of 39 passes for 248 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and also ran for 107 yards on 11 carries, a NFL playoff-record rushing performance for a quarterback. Todd Pinkston caught 7 passes for 95 yards and a TD. Duce Staley led the running backs with 45 yards on five attempts and also caught three passes for 26 yards and a score.


Brett Favre was successful on 15 of 28 passes for 180 yards and two TDs against the one big interception. Ahman Green (pictured at left) ran for 156 yards on 25 carries, although the yard he failed to get on the fourth down play at the goal line in the second quarter had a profound effect on the outcome. Robert Ferguson led Green Bay’s receivers with 4 catches for 65 yards and two touchdowns.

“I tried to beat my man across from me and just go deep, and I went deep,” Mitchell said of the fourth-and-26 pass play. “I didn't see the guy on top of me but Donovan read that and threw a back shoulder to me and I saw it in the air and I made a play.”

“That shouldn't have happened,” Green Bay DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila said. “But it did.”

The dramatic win didn’t translate into success the following week for the Eagles, however, as they lost their third consecutive NFC Championship game, this time to the Carolina Panthers.

For Freddie Mitchell, the big catch against the Packers was the highlight of an otherwise-disappointing career in Philadelphia. The Eagles’ first round draft pick in 2001 out of UCLA, he ended up with a total of 90 receptions for 1263 yards and five touchdowns, and was released following the 2004 season, effectively ending his NFL career. But for one play, he reached the heights that had been expected of him.

1988: Bears Defeat Eagles in “Fog Bowl”

Pro football games have been played in all sorts of weather conditions, and when it comes to the NFL postseason that has typically meant frigid temperatures and/or snow. The NFC Divisional playoff game on December 31, 1988 was distinctive, however, for the ghostly fog that enveloped the field during the second half and that resulted in the contest being referred to as “the Fog Bowl”.

The host team, the Chicago Bears, had placed first in the NFC Central with a 12-4 record. Under Head Coach Mike Ditka, it was the fifth consecutive season that the club had won in double figures and included a championship in ’85. Defense had been the key to Chicago’s success, and while free agency and injuries had caused some damage, mainstays such as tackles Steve McMichael and Dan Hampton, LB Mike Singletary, and SS Dave Duerson were still around and the unit had allowed an NFL-low 215 points. Injury-prone QB Jim McMahon had gone down at midseason, but backup Mike Tomczak was competent in relief and third-year RB Neal Anderson generated 1106 yards on the ground.


The visiting Philadelphia Eagles, under third-year Head Coach Buddy Ryan (no stranger to the Bears, as he was the defensive coordinator during the Super Bowl season), had not been in the playoffs since 1981. They had won the NFC East with a 10-6 tally and featured a tough, blitz-heavy defense, led by DE Reggie White. The offense was directed by highly-mobile QB Randall Cunningham, who threw for a team-record 3808 yards and ran for 624. Rookie TE Keith Jackson (pictured at right) had an All-Pro season, catching 81 passes, and RB Keith Byars, a better receiver out of the backfield than runner from scrimmage, grabbed 72.

There was no clue at the game’s commencement of what lay ahead. The weather at Chicago’s Soldier Field was clear and temperatures were in the mid-30s at kickoff. The teams traded punts with the Bears scoring first, on their second possession. On a third-and-seven play, Tomczak connected with WR Dennis McKinnon for a 64-yard touchdown.

The Eagles came right back as Cunningham completed passes of 15 yards to WR Mike Quick and 17 to WR Cris Carter to the Chicago 33 yard line. But the drive stalled at the 25 and a 43-yard field goal attempt by Luis Zendejas missed to the left.

Philadelphia got a break, however, when Tomczak went to the air and was intercepted by LB Seth Joyner, giving the Eagles the ball at the Bears’ 30. Following a run by FB Anthony Toney, an 18-yard pass play from Cunningham to Jackson got the ball down to the 11. But after advancing to the nine, two successive apparent touchdown passes were wiped out by holding penalties on Toney. The Eagles ended up with a 43-yard Zendejas field goal.

Now it was Chicago’s turn to mount a drive, and thanks to two Tomczak completions to McKinnon of 14 and 22 yards, the Bears got to the Philadelphia 34. However, Kevin Butler’s 51-yard field goal attempt fell short. The score was 7-3 at the end of the opening period.

The Eagles got another break in the second quarter when Chicago TE Cap Boso fumbled after catching a pass from Tomczak and FS Wes Hopkins recovered for Philadelphia at the Bears’ 14. But on a third-and-seven play, Jackson dropped a pass in the end zone and the Eagles again had to settle for a 29-yard Zendejas field goal.

Chicago’s next possession resulted in a four-yard touchdown run by Anderson that extended their lead to 14-6. It was 17-6 shortly thereafter as Butler kicked a 46-yard field goal. The Eagles got the ball back with just under two minutes remaining in the half, and a 65-yard pass play from Cunningham to Jackson got the ball down to the Chicago five. Once again, a penalty backed the Eagles up and they were unable to get a touchdown in the red zone. Zendejas kicked a 30-yard field goal and the score was 17-9 at halftime.

The first hints of the fog blowing in off of Lake Michigan arrived late in the second quarter, and during the third quarter the field was completely enveloped. For most of the 65,534 fans and the press box-level television cameras, the field was no longer visible, completely cut off by the fog. Referee Jim Tunney chose to continue the game, which was televised from this point by sideline cameras. While accounts vary as to visibility on the field, Tunney said afterward that “I felt the conditions, while not great, were still playable. I could see all 22 players from my position. I occasionally lost sight of the safety, but only for a second or two.”

On the field, the Eagles took the second half kickoff and again drove deep into Chicago territory, but with the ball at the 11 yard line, Cunningham was intercepted by CB Vestee Jackson, who returned it 51 yards. This time it was the Bears coming up empty in scoring position as they drove to the Philadelphia 13 and Butler’s 33-yard field goal attempt was no good when it hit the right upright.

Later in the third quarter, Eagles SS Terry Hoage intercepted a Tomczak pass to give Philadelphia excellent field position at the Chicago 17. But after three incompletions, Zendejas kicked his fourth field goal of the game, from 35 yards. The Bears, with Jim McMahon replacing the injured Tomczak, drove to a 27-yard Butler field goal early in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles had two more possessions, but were unable to score again. The last series, that made it to the Chicago 16, resulted in an interception by CB Maurice Douglass that was returned 47 yards, and from there the Bears were able to run out the clock and win by a score of 20-12.

Philadelphia outgained the Bears (430 yards to 341) and had the edge in first downs, 22 to 14. Chicago turned the ball over more times (4 to 3), but untimely penalties and the inability to score touchdowns proved fatal – likely moreso than the weather conditions. The Eagles were inside the Chicago 26 yard line 10 times and came away with just four field goals.

Mike Tomczak completed 10 of 20 passes for 172 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Dennis McKinnon caught four passes for 108 yards and a TD. RB Thomas Sanders rushed for 94 yards on 8 carries, while Neal Anderson ran the ball 14 times for 54 yards and a score.


Randall Cunningham (pictured above) threw 54 passes and completed 27 of them for 407 yards, but was picked off three times. Keith Byars caught 9 of those throws for 103 yards while Keith Jackson gained 142 yards on 7 receptions and Mike Quick added another 82 yards on 5 catches. The Eagles had just 52 yards on the ground, with Byars gaining 34 of them on 7 attempts.

How much did the fog affect the outcome? Said Randall Cunningham afterward, “The fog really affected what we wanted to do. If you took your ten-yard dropback, you could only see about fifteen yards.”

Eagles owner Norman Braman, who left his seat in a luxury box for the sideline when it became impossible to see the action, said, “I was right there, and believe me, those officials wouldn’t have known if there were 22 players on the field or 16.”

But as Mike Ditka pointed out, “Half of the game was played in sunshine, and [the Eagles] couldn’t get the ball in the end zone. If they can’t score in the sunlight, that’s not our fault.”

Buddy Ryan added, “There was no reason for the game to be suspended. If this was a baseball game, maybe, but this is football, and you play the game no matter what the weather. The fog was on both sides of the line.”

Mike Quick said simply, “We beat ourselves.”

The Bears were handily defeated by the 49ers in the NFC Championship game. Philadelphia made it back to the playoffs in each of the next two seasons under Ryan, but failed to win any games. Many Eagles fans believed long afterward that the club’s best chance of making a Super Bowl run during this particular era disappeared in the fog at Soldier Field.

“I worked three Super Bowls, but I get more questions about the ‘Fog Bowl’ than any of the Super Bowls,” said Jim Tunney, the referee who kept the game going. “I still think we did the right thing.”

1960: Van Brocklin & Bednarik Spur Eagles Past Packers for NFL Title

The NFL Championship game on December 26, 1960 featured two clubs that had not vied for titles since the 1940s and had not been expected to contend in ’60. The Philadelphia Eagles, leaders of the Eastern Conference with a 10-2 record, had been perennial also-rans since winning back-to-back championships in 1948 and ’49. Representing the Western Conference, the Green Bay Packers had been through many years in the doldrums after last going the distance in 1944.

The Eagles had steadily improved since the arrival of Buck Shaw as head coach in 1958 who, at age 61, was hoping to retire with a championship. 34-year-old QB Norm Van Brocklin (pictured above), who also came to Philadelphia in ’58 in a deal with the Rams, was seeking to do likewise. The quarterback known as The Dutchman was the key to the offense and had an MVP year in 1960. While the running game was ordinary, the passing attack was not as Van Brocklin had a good corps of receivers in diminutive flanker Tommy McDonald and ends Pete Retzlaff and Bobby Walston. Chuck Bednarik, a former All-Pro linebacker who had moved exclusively to center in recent years, had been forced to play both ways due to injuries in the linebacking corps and provided leadership, as well as outstanding performance, to the defense. Two rookies, HB/FB Ted Dean and LB Maxie Baughan, also contributed to the team’s success.

Green Bay was benefiting from the guidance of second-year Head Coach Vince Lombardi. After posting a 7-5 record in 1959, the first winning tally for the club in 12 years, the Packers had started off at 4-1 in ’60, lost three of four, and then won their final three games to vault past the Lions, 49ers, and Colts with an 8-4 tally. HB/PK Paul Hornung scored a record 176 points and, in combination with FB Jim Taylor, was part of a running attack that ranked second in the league. QB Bart Starr was still a work in progress, the receiving corps good, and the offensive line outstanding. The defense was tough, particularly the line and linebackers.

With the addition of temporary seating, there were 67,352 fans filling Philadelphia’s Franklin Field for the title contest and the weather was sunny and in the mid-40s. Things did not start out well for the Eagles when Van Brocklin tossed a swing pass that HB Bill Barnes couldn’t hold on to and was intercepted by Green Bay DE Bill Quinlan at the Philadelphia 14 yard line. Three running plays gained eight yards, and Lombardi chose to go for the first down on fourth-and-two at the six. The Eagles defense stopped Taylor short and Philadelphia took over on downs.

However, the reprieve was a short one when Dean, at the end of a ten-yard run, fumbled the ball back to the Packers at his own 22. Handing off to Hornung and Taylor, Green Bay got down to the eight yard line, but an offsides penalty backed the Packers up and two passes by Starr into the end zone were incomplete. Hornung kicked a 20-yard field goal to give Green Bay a 3-0 lead.

The Eagles were only able to get one first down during the opening period, but the defense was showing an ability to stop Green Bay’s inside running game in key situations. Heading into the second quarter, the Packers drove into Eagles territory and reached the 14 yard line. Once more the possession stalled at that point and Hornung kicked a 23-yard field goal to make the score 6-0.

Philadelphia’s passing game came alive midway through the second quarter as Van Brocklin completed a 22-yard pass to McDonald down the middle and then threw to McDonald again, this time on an outside route that resulted in a 35-yard touchdown. With Walston’s successful extra point, the Eagles led by a point (McDonald pictured below).


After getting the ball back, Van Brocklin completed a 41-yard pass to Retzlaff to the Green Bay 33. A swing pass to Dean gained 22 more, but the next three passes were incompletions and Philadelphia settled for a 15-yard Walston field goal. With time running out in the first half, the Packers responded with a 73-yard drive to the Eagles’ seven yard line, but Hornung missed a 14-yard field goal attempt on the final play before halftime. Philadelphia held a 10-6 lead at the intermission.

In the third quarter, the Packers once again moved the ball well and faced a third-and-two situation at the Eagles’ 26. In a key play, Hornung was not only stopped short but knocked out of the game when he suffered a shoulder injury after being hit hard by Bednarik. With Green Bay bypassing another field goal attempt (Hornung was at least temporarily unavailable for kicking as well as playing halfback), the Eagles stopped Taylor and regained possession.

It seemed as though the Eagles might add to their lead as Van Brocklin completed passes of 33 yards to McDonald and 25 to Walston. But at the Green Bay four he threw a pass that was intercepted by CB John Symank.

The Packers didn’t move on their next possession, but end Max McGee, who was also the team’s punter, ran out of punt formation for a 35-yard gain to the Philadelphia 46. Starr followed up with a 17-yard pass to TE Gary Knafelc, and after runs by Taylor and HB Tom Moore (Hornung’s replacement) for first downs, McGee caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Starr. Hornung’s kick put the Packers back in the lead by a 13-10 score.

However, Dean returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards to the Green Bay 39. The Eagles kept the ball on the ground as they drove to a first down, but Van Brocklin was sacked by LB Ray Nitschke for a seven-yard loss. However, The Dutchman recovered with a 13-yard pass to Barnes and then Barnes carried for a five-yard gain and first down at the nine.

With the Packers expecting a pass, Van Brocklin handed off twice to Dean, the second resulting in a five-yard run for a touchdown (pictured below). The successful extra point gave the Eagles a four-point lead with 5:21 to play.


Green Bay battled back, but McGee fumbled after catching a 12-yard pass from Starr at the Philadelphia 48 and Bednarik recovered for the Eagles. Getting the ball back at their own 35 with less than three minutes remaining on the clock, Starr completed four passes on a drive that also included a nine-yard run by Taylor. But at the Philadelphia 22 and with time for only one play, Starr, seeing his deep receivers covered in the end zone, dumped a pass off to Taylor who charged down to the 10, was slowed by DB Bobby Jackson, and then finally wrestled down by Bednarik as time ran out. The Eagles had held on to win, 17-13.

The Packers significantly outgained the Eagles with 401 yards to 296 and had 22 first downs to Philadelphia’s 13. They also turned the ball over just once, to three suffered by Philadelphia. But the Eagles took better advantage of their opportunities.

Norm Van Brocklin completed 9 of 20 passes for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and six of those completions covered 22 yards or more. Tommy McDonald caught three passes for 90 yards and a TD while Bobby Walston also caught three, for 38 yards. Ted Dean led the running game with 54 yards on 13 carries, including the game-winning touchdown, caught a pass for 22 yards, and had the key 58-yard kickoff return.


35-year-old Chuck Bednarik (pictured at right) had an outstanding performance in his two-way role. Of the game’s 142 plays, he was on the field for 139 of them and made several key defensive plays, including the game-clinching stop of Taylor on the last play.

For the Packers, Bart Starr was successful on 21 of 34 passes for 178 yards with a TD and no interceptions, but his longest completion of the day was for 20 yards. Jim Taylor gained 105 yards on 24 carries and accumulated another 46 yards on 6 catches. Paul Hornung ran the ball 11 times for 61 yards and caught four passes for 14 before having to leave the game (other than for placekicking). Gary Knafelc also caught 6 passes and gained 76 yards.

The Packers came back from the title game loss to win the next two NFL championships, and posted an extraordinary five in nine seasons under Lombardi. Things did not go as well for the Eagles. Buck Shaw retired following the title game, as did Van Brocklin. Assistant coach Nick Skorich was elevated to the head coaching job and, while the Eagles with Sonny Jurgensen at quarterback came close to winning the Eastern Conference in ’61, from 1962 on the club fell into a long dry spell. They did not return to the postseason (other than the meaningless Playoff Bowl) until 1978.

Norm Van Brocklin, having gone out on top to conclude his Hall of Fame playing career, had fully expected to succeed Shaw as head coach of the Eagles. When he didn’t, the embittered Dutchman became the first coach of the expansion Minnesota Vikings in 1961.

1965: Eagles Intercept 9 Passes in Rout of Steelers

The December 12, 1965 game at Pitt Stadium was hardly a battle of powerhouse teams. The Steelers were 2-10 and had lost five straight games, although one of their wins had been at Philadelphia, which was only slightly better at 4-8. But on a day of significant achievements that included Bears HB Gale Sayers running for six touchdowns and Green Bay HB Paul Hornung scoring five TDs in a key win over the Colts, the Eagles defense managed to do its part to grab a place in the record book.

The Eagles, under second-year Head Coach Joe Kuharich, were more noted for their offense, which included fleet all-purpose HB Timmy Brown, TE Pete Retzlaff, and a line anchored by ex-Packer C Jim Ringo and second-year OT Bob Brown. QB Norm Snead, in his second year following a controversial trade that brought him to Philadelphia from Washington for QB Sonny Jurgensen, continued to show promise but could me maddeningly inconsistent. The defensive line, on the other hand, was mediocre and the Eagles tended to blitz heavily, making them prone to aerial assaults.

Pittsburgh was coached by Mike Nixon, who had been forced to take over when Buddy Parker quit the team two weeks prior to the opening game (similar to his abrupt departure from the Detroit Lions eight years before). Things didn’t get better when the 12th-year veteran FB John Henry Johnson was lost for the season in the first game. Promising third-year QB Bill Nelsen was inserted into the starting lineup, but was inexperienced and had a bad knee that hindered his mobility.

There were 22,002 fans at Pitt Stadium, the smallest turnout of the year for the final home game. It didn’t take long for the Eagles to take advantage of a Steeler turnover when SS Nate Ramsey (pictured above) grabbed a fumble by HB Dick Hoak. Philadelphia drove 54 yards to a two-yard touchdown by FB Earl Gros.

Ramsey struck again, intercepting a Nelsen pass, and once more the Eagles capitalized. This time they drove 58 yards with Snead passing to Retzlaff for a 13-yard touchdown. While the extra point attempt by Sam Baker was missed, Philadelphia was up by 13-0 (two of the seven PAT attempts failed).

Ramsey went down with an injury, but his replacement, rookie Jim Nettles, made the next big defensive play as he also intercepted a pass by Nelsen and returned it 28 yards to the Pittsburgh eight yard line. Two plays later, HB Ollie Matson, in for the injured Timmy Brown, ran eight yards for another Eagles TD.


Coach Nixon replaced the shell-shocked Nelsen with Tommy Wade, but the move didn’t slow down the pickoff parade. Of Wade’s first four passes, two were intercepted, the first by Pro Bowl LB Maxie Baughan (pictured at left), who ran 33 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles had a 27-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, thanks to the fumble recovery and three interceptions.

The second quarter proceeded much as the first as Nettles intercepted his second pass of the day and returned it 56 yards for yet another Eagles touchdown. However, the Steelers finally got on the board when Wade connected with flanker Gary Ballman for a 20-yard TD. They even scored on an interception return of their own as CB Marv Woodson picked off a Snead pass in the closing seconds of the first half and ran 61 yards for a touchdown. But they were still down by 34-13 at the intermission (the second PAT attempt was no good).

In the third quarter, DE George Tarasovic, a 35-year-old ex-Steeler, scored on a 40-yard interception return. It was the fourth pickoff of the game to be brought back for a TD (three by the Eagles, one by Pittsburgh), thus setting a NFL record for combined touchdowns on interception returns (tied by the Seahawks against the Chiefs in 1984).

There was one more record to add before the sloppy contest was concluded. In the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, CB Irv Cross intercepted a pass at his two yard line. It was the ninth by the Eagles, tying the record set by the Green Bay Packers against Detroit in 1943.

The Eagles drove 98 yards, highlighted by a 60-yard gain on a pass from Snead to FB Tom Woodeshick, to score their final TD on an eight-yard run by FB Israel “Izzy” Lang with two minutes left in the game. The final tally was 47-13.

The Steelers gave up 12 turnovers in all, with three lost fumbles in addition to the nine interceptions (Philadelphia turned the ball over twice, both on pickoffs). Intercepting passes for the Eagles were Jim Nettles, with three; FS Joe Scarpati, who had two; and Nate Ramsey, Maxie Baughan, George Tarasovic, and Irv Cross with one apiece. Nettles (pictured below right) also led by returning his for a total of 84 yards.


Offensively, Pittsburgh outgained the Eagles (324 yards to 302) and had more first downs (19 to 17), but of course the Steelers dug themselves into a deep hole with the turnovers and were throwing often as they sought to catch up.

Philadelphia gained 191 yards on the ground, with the 13th-year veteran Ollie Matson leading the way, gaining 80 yards on 11 carries with a TD. Norm Snead completed just 7 of 21 passes for 118 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Pete Retzlaff caught 5 passes for 52 yards and the touchdown, and in the process broke existing single-season franchise records for pass receptions and receiving yards (he ended up with 66 catches for 1190 yards).

The two Pittsburgh quarterbacks combined for 305 passing yards, although the club ran for only 58 yards on 25 attempts. Bill Nelsen was successful on two of five passes for 27 yards and the first two interceptions. Tommy Wade completed 22 of 38 throws for 278 yards with one TD but 7 interceptions (a team record). Lost in the deluge was Gary Ballman’s 9 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown. HB Jim “Cannonball” Butler was the team’s top runner with 26 yards on 10 carries.

The Eagles lost their finale to finish at 5-9 and tied for fifth in the Eastern Conference with the Cardinals. Pittsburgh also lost the following week to conclude its worst year since 1944 with a 2-12 record to finish at the bottom of the conference.

A Philadelphia sportswriter described Bill Nelsen and Tommy Wade after the game as “seated despondently next to each other like two old ladies whose purses had just been snatched.” Things would get better for Nelsen, especially after he was traded to Cleveland in 1968, and he had a solid ten-year NFL career. Wade, however, was finished after the ’65 season. For his two-season career, he threw 13 interceptions and fumbled six times while tossing two touchdown passes.

Nate Ramsey ended up leading the Eagles with six interceptions in 1965. The three for backup Jim Nettles were his only pickoffs of the year. An undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, Nettles ended up playing eight years in the NFL – like Nelsen, his best years came after he was traded away which, in his case, was to the Rams in 1969.

1990: Division Rivals Knock Giants & 49ers From Ranks of Unbeaten

Ten games into the 1990 NFL season, both the defending-champion San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants were sporting perfect 10-0 records. With the teams scheduled to meet in San Francisco the next week, speculation was rampant that it could be a showdown of unbeaten teams for supremacy in the NFC. But first they each had to face fierce division rivals on November 25.

In the case of the Giants, coached by Bill Parcells, it meant traveling to Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium to take on Buddy Ryan’s Eagles. The Giants had been successful with a conservative offense that rarely turned the ball over, in combination with a solid defense. The Eagles played in the style of the brash Ryan, aggressive on defense while dependent upon the flashy skills of QB Randall Cunningham (pictured above) on offense. They had gotten off to a slow start in ’90, going 1-3 to begin the season (including an opening-game loss to New York at Giants Stadium), but had won their last four games prior to hosting the Giants and were 6-4 overall.

The first half was closely fought. New York scored initially on a 15-yard pass from QB Phil Simms to WR Mark Ingram and the Eagles responded as Cunningham connected with WR Fred Barnett for a 49-yard TD. In the second quarter, Cunningham capped a drive of over nine minutes by leaping into the end zone for a touchdown from a yard out. TE Mark Bavaro caught a four-yard scoring pass from Simms, but the extra point was missed and the Eagles led by the slender margin of 14-13 at halftime.

Roger Ruzek kicked a 39-yard field goal to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 17-13 in the third quarter, but in a span of 22 seconds in the fourth quarter the Eagles essentially put the game away. First, Cunningham passed to WR Calvin Williams for a six-yard touchdown. Then, LB Seth Joyner deflected a Simms pass that was intercepted by MLB Byron Evans, who ran untouched for a 23-yard TD. That provided the final score of 31-13 as the Eagles toppled the Giants.

The Eagles controlled the ball for over 38 minutes and rolled up the most yards against the Giants thus far with 405. The Giants, who typically ran the ball 60 percent of the time, were forced to throw 40 passes. Phil Simms, who had only been intercepted twice in the previous ten games, was picked off twice by the Eagles and completed only 17 of his passes.

Randall Cunningham passed for 229 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions, and ran for 66 yards on 9 carries with a TD. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. RB Keith Byars caught 8 passes for 128 yards.

It was the first regular season loss for the Giants in 14 games dating back to December 1989, and the Eagles had beaten them then. It also delayed the Giants from clinching the NFC East title.

Meanwhile, at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park, the 49ers ran into trouble against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams, under Head Coach John Robinson, were having a poor season and came into the game at 3-7 and hardly seemed a match for the two-time defending league champions that had won a record-tying 18 straight games. Under Head Coach George Seifert, the 49ers were known for their passing offense, led by QB Joe Montana and WR Jerry Rice.

However, in the wind and rain at Candlestick Park, the Rams forced four turnovers in the first half and took a 21-7 lead. RB Cleveland Gary accounted for the first two TDs of the game, first on a 22-yard option pass from FB Buford McGee and then on a 10-yard run in the second quarter. The 49ers scored on a five-yard pass from Montana to WR John Taylor, but McGee ran for a six-yard touchdown to provide the 14-point margin at the half.

It appeared that the 49ers might pull off a successful comeback in the third quarter. Montana threw a screen pass to RB Harry Sydney that was good for a 23-yard touchdown. Mike Cofer booted a 42-yard field goal before the period was over that pulled the Niners to within 21-17.

But on San Francisco’s next possession, Montana was intercepted by Rams SS Vince Newsome and LA went 90 yards in 17 plays to score a game-clinching touchdown as Gary ran in from a yard out. The final score was 28-17.

The Rams outgained the 49ers, 350 yards to 291, and turned the ball over twice, as compared to a total of six times by the Niners. Joe Montana threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times. Jerry Rice caught 7 passes for 72 yards, but gave up one of the fumbles.


Meanwhile, WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson caught 8 passes for 149 yards and Cleveland Gary (pictured at left) ran for 68 yards on 24 carries and caught three passes for 27 yards while scoring three touchdowns. QB Jim Everett was successful on 16 of 27 passes for 224 yards with one picked off.

The 49ers won the showdown against the Giants the next week, stripped of the glamour of being a battle of unbeatens, by a low score of 7-3. San Francisco lost once more in the regular season to finish atop the NFC West at 14-2. New York ended up winning the NFC East at 13-3. The two teams met in the NFC Championship game, where the Giants prevailed and went on to win the Super Bowl over Buffalo.

The Eagles lost their next two games after upsetting the Giants, and ended up in second place in the NFC East at 10-6. They qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team, but lost to the Redskins in the first round, costing Ryan his job. For the Rams, the upset of the 49ers was the high point of an otherwise dismal year. They defeated the Browns the next week, but lost their last four games to finish at 5-11 for third place in the NFC West.

1934: Eagles Roll Up 64-0 Win Over Cincinnati Reds

Two teams that had entered the NFL in 1933, the Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Reds, met on November 6, 1934 on a muddy field at Philadelphia’s Temple Stadium. Neither club had been very successful thus far. The Eagles, coached by Lud Wray, had gone 3-5-1 in their inaugural season and carried a 1-5 record into the game against the Reds. Moreover, they had been shut out in each of their last three contests.

The situation was even worse with Cincinnati, which debuted at 3-6-1 in 1933 and was 0-7 thus far in ’34. Led by player/coach Algy Clark, they had scored a grand total of 10 points in the seven games. The team was on financially shaky ground and on the brink of being disbanded.

There were approximately 2000 fans present for one of only two Eagles home games played at Temple Stadium (they typically played at the Baker Bowl). It didn’t take long for the tone of the contest to be set. On the fifth play, back Ed Storm ran 36 yards for a touchdown. By the end of the first quarter, the Eagles had a 26-0 lead on their way to a 64-0 shellacking of the Reds.

Star HB Swede Hanson (pictured above), an outstanding open-field runner who was provided with plenty of opportunities to show off his talent, scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one on an interception return) and gained 190 yards rushing on 18 carries. End Joe Carter also scored three TDs, all on pass receptions. Hanson, Carter, and tailback Ed Matesic each had scoring plays of over 40 yards. The Eagles were effective both running the ball and passing - of their ten touchdowns, four came on runs, five on passes, and one on an interception.

While the records are sketchy (Hanson’s rushing total may include pass receptions or kick returns, as there are discrepancies in some accounts), Philadelphia did set a league record for most points by the winner of a shutout in which both teams were NFL members (the Rochester Jeffersons defeated a non-league-affiliated Fort Porter team 66-0 in 1920). No Eagles team since has run up as many points in a game, shutout or otherwise.

The disastrous defeat marked the end for the Cincinnati franchise, which promptly folded. It was replaced by a team called the St. Louis Gunners that completed the season – and won its first game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-0. Six players from the Reds played for the Gunners, a club made up of local talent and castoffs from other NFL teams. St. Louis went 1-2; the combined Reds/Gunners record was 1-10 for a last-place finish in the Western Division. The Gunners did not return for the 1935 season.

Oddly enough, Cincinnati’s player/coach Clark joined the Eagles (as a player only) for the remainder of the season. Philadelphia returned to earth the following week, losing to Brooklyn by a 10-7 score, although they won their last two games and were 4-7 for the year, tying with the Dodgers for third in the Eastern Division. They scored a total of 63 points in their other ten contests, but all four of their wins were shutouts.

The big game against Cincinnati helped Swede Hanson put together his best of eight seasons in the NFL (five with the Eagles). He ranked second in rushing (805 yards) on a league-leading 146 carries (tied with Detroit’s Ace Gutowsky) and his 5.5 yards per attempt ranked fourth. His eight touchdowns (7 rushing, one on the INT return) put Hanson in a tie for second with Dutch Clark of the Lions (one behind leader Beattie Feathers of the Bears). The 190-yard (or so) rushing performance was one of three that he had in 1934 – the first three in franchise history – and Hanson was a 2nd-team All-NFL selection by the league and the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Joe Carter also had a notable season, co-leading the NFL in pass receiving with 16 catches (along with Red Badgro of the Giants). His 238 receiving yards ranked second, as did his four receiving touchdowns.

1960: Late Walston Field Goal Gives Eagles Key Win Over Browns

The Philadelphia Eagles were off to a good start in 1960, but faced their toughest test in traveling to Cleveland to face the Browns at Municipal Stadium on October 23. The Browns had beaten the Eagles decisively in the season-opening game at Franklin Field and were undefeated at 3-0. Philadelphia had recovered to win three straight games and arrived in Cleveland with a 3-1 tally (the Browns had already had a bye week).

The Eagles had a veteran head coach in 61-year-old Buck Shaw and were led on offense by the tough 34-year-old QB Norm Van Brocklin, in his 12th season overall and third in Philadelphia after being obtained from the Rams. The running game was average, at best, and it was the passing game that made the difference thanks to The Dutchman having outstanding receivers in flanker Tommy McDonald and ends Pete Retzlaff and Bobby Walston (pictured above; he was also the team’s placekicker).

The Eagles came into the game as 13-point underdogs and had not won in Cleveland since 1952. Head Coach Paul Brown’s club had the best one-two running back punch in pro football with FB Jim Brown and HB Bobby Mitchell, and also featured the precision passing of QB Milt Plum.

Eagles LB John Nocera was out with an injury, and his replacement Bob Pellegrini went down early in the contest. As a result, 35-year-old Chuck Bednarik, once one of the top linebackers in the game but now the starting center, had to return to linebacking duty in addition to his role on the offensive line.

Less than four minutes into the first quarter, after stopping the Browns on their opening series, Philadelphia scored on its first play from scrimmage as Van Brocklin threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Walston that gave the Eagles the early 7-0 advantage.

Cleveland drove down the field but came up short of a touchdown thanks to a goal line stand by the Eagles defense. They settled for a 12-yard field goal by Sam Baker. Baker, who had been obtained from Washington to replace the retired Lou Groza (who would return the following year), booted another field goal, of 23 yards, early in the second quarter to narrow Philadelphia’s lead to 7-6.

Plum put the Browns ahead later in the period with an 86-yard scoring pass to flanker Leon Clarke, who was substituting for the injured Ray Renfro. Baker’s extra point attempt failed, but he added a 44-yard field goal to extend Cleveland’s lead to 15-7 at halftime.

The Browns led by 22-7 early in the third quarter after Jim Brown took off on a 71-yard touchdown run. The Eagles came back, though, as FB Clarence Peaks ran up the middle on a draw play for 57 yards to put the Eagles in scoring position. Van Brocklin followed up with a six-yard pass to Walston and HB Billy Barnes plunged into the end zone for a touchdown from a yard out.

Shortly thereafter, Philadelphia struck again as Van Brocklin connected with McDonald for a 57-yard TD that cut Cleveland’s margin to 22-21 after three quarters.

Van Brocklin put the Eagles in the lead at 28-22 early in the fourth quarter with a swing pass to Barnes that covered eight yards for a touchdown. But the Browns responded with an 88-yard drive the ended on a three-yard TD pass from Plum to Mitchell. Cleveland was back in front at 29-28 with just over six minutes remaining to play.

The Eagles again drove into Browns territory, but safety Don Fleming intercepted a Van Brocklin pass. The Eagles defense held the Browns and forced them to punt, giving the Eagles one more shot.

With time running down, the Eagles took over at their 10 yard line. Van Brocklin passed to Retzlaff for 27 yards and then McDonald for 12 to just short of midfield. However, it appeared that Cleveland would win when safety Bobby Franklin came up with an interception, but LB Vince Costello was flagged for pass interference and the Eagles, instead of losing the ball, now had a first down at the Browns 30.

With 15 seconds remaining, Walston kicked a 38-yard field goal and the Eagles came away with a big 31-29 win.

Both teams put up plenty of yards, with the Browns outgaining Philadelphia by 451 yards to 428; they also had more first downs (21 to 18).


Norm Van Brocklin (pictured at left) completed 17 of 26 passes for 292 yards with three touchdowns and the one interception. Thanks to the long run in the third quarter, Clarence Peaks had a season-high 102 yards on 13 carries. Billy Barnes, who ran for 25 yards on 9 attempts and a TD, caught 7 passes for 48 yards and another score. Bobby Walston, in addition to kicking the winning field goal, also led all receivers with 94 yards on four catches. Pete Retzlaff and Tommy McDonald contributed significantly, with the former gaining 80 yards on three receptions and the latter 66 yards and a TD on two catches.

Jim Brown, as usual, put up big numbers for the Browns with 167 rushing yards on 22 carries, including the long touchdown run, and added another 57 yards on four pass receptions. Bobby Mitchell, who had devastated the Eagles in the opening game with 156 yards on 14 carries, was held to 35 yards on 14 rushes this time, although he still caught 7 passes for 70 yards and a TD. Milt Plum had 16 completions in 22 pass attempts for 289 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Costello, who was flagged for the interference call, was angry afterward. “I didn’t think there was any interference.” Coach Paul Brown avoided controversy, saying “You couldn’t tell anything from the bench. Vince was pretty hot about it.”

But Van Brocklin insisted the call was correct, saying “(Halfback) Ted Dean had been knocked down and I had to throw to the other side. The call was made right away. Two of the Browns linebackers seemed to sandwich Dean and he went down.”

Regarding the performance by the Eagles’ quarterback, Coach Brown summed up after the game, “As for Van Brocklin, he is one of the finest football players of all time.”

The Eagles were able to rest up with a bye the following week and then kept on winning to end up atop the Eastern Conference with a 10-2 record. They defeated the Green Bay Packers for the NFL Championship. Cleveland went 2-2-1 over the next five games and finished second with an 8-3-1 tally.

Norm Van Brocklin received unanimous MVP recognition (AP, UPI, NEA, and the Bert Bell Award) in his greatest – and last – season. He ranked second in the league in pass attempts (284), completions (153), yards (2471), and touchdowns (24).

Bobby Walston finished second in the league in scoring with 105 points. He had the best field goal percentage (70 %) as a result of connecting on 14 of 20 attempts. Walston also caught 30 passes for 563 yards (18.8 avg.) and four TDs.


Chuck Bednarik (pictured at right) played 59 minutes against Cleveland and led the club with 15 tackles, 11 of them unassisted. With the injuries plaguing the linebacking corps, Concrete Charley showed the critics who said he was too old to play linebacker that they were wrong, and did so while playing both ways (the last NFL player to do so regularly) all the way to the title game (he averaged over 50 minutes per game).

Jim Brown led the NFL in rushing for the fourth consecutive season with 1257 yards on 215 attempts (5.8 avg.) and nine touchdowns. Milt Plum was the league’s top passer - by the current system, his 110.4 rating was the best until Joe Montana’s 112.4 in 1989.

2003: Punchless Eagles Beat Giants on Stunning Punt Return by Westbrook

The Philadelphia Eagles had been to the NFC Championship game in 2001 and ‘02, but Head Coach Andy Reid’s team was off to a slow start in 2003. They were embarrassed 17-0 by the reigning champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in the opening game that was also their regular season debut at the new Lincoln Financial Field, and then lost badly to the Patriots the following week. QB Donovan McNabb had been struggling through the first five games due to a bruised right thumb and lingered at the bottom of the passing rankings. The team’s record stood at 2-3 as they traveled to Giants Stadium to take on the division rival New York Giants on October 19.

The Giants were also underachieving at 2-3 under Head Coach Jim Fassel. The club had scored a total of 16 points in the prior two games as QB Kerry Collins tossed seven interceptions and no touchdown passes.

Philadelphia got the early advantage in its second possession of the game, driving 89 yards in 11 plays and highlighted by McNabb throwing to TE L.J. Smith for a 25-yard gain. RB Brian Westbrook ran around end for the last six yards and a touchdown that gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

Neither team was able to move the ball effectively for the remainder of the half. A promising second quarter drive by the Giants ended with TE Jeremy Shockey fumbling the ball away at the Philadelphia 19 yard line after a nine-yard gain on a pass from Collins. However, three plays later McNabb was intercepted by CB Will Allen and the Giants had the ball at the Eagles’ 29 with 1:23 remaining in the half. Brett Conway kicked a 39-yard field goal to make the score 7-3 at the intermission.

New York went ahead 10-7 in the third quarter after a 12-play drive that went 62 yards and produced a one-yard TD pass from Collins to Shockey. It looked like that would be enough as the game moved through the fourth quarter and the Eagles offense remained stymied, ending five consecutive possessions with punts – all but one of them had been three-and-out.

Midway through the fourth quarter it appeared that the Giants would score again, but on a third-and-five play at the Philadelphia 10 yard line Collins fumbled after being hit by LB Mark Simoneau and DT Corey Simon recovered for the Eagles to end the threat.

With Philadelphia out of time outs and 1:34 remaining on the clock, the Giants entrusted their defense to finish the job and Jeff Feagles punted. Westbrook fielded the short, wobbly kick on the bounce and quickly blew through the wall of defenders. Running past the Giants’ bench, he flew past Feagles and then just stayed inbounds as he eluded one last tackler, TE Marcellus Rivers, before completing the 84-yard touchdown return (pictured at top).

78,883 fans sat in stunned silence as the play was reviewed by the officials, who ascertained that Westbrook had indeed not stepped out of bounds.

New York still had one last chance and, following the ensuing kickoff, Collins tossed a pass to WR Amani Toomer for a 20-yard gain to the Philadelphia 44 yard line with 1:12 now left to play. But four more passes netted just one more completion for six yards, and the last one on fourth-and-four was broken up by CB Bobby Taylor. The Eagles came away with a shocking 14-10 win.

The stunning nature of the victory was all the more evidenced by the statistics. The Eagles had gained just 134 total yards, to 339 for the Giants. A net of just 47 of those yards had come through the air (McNabb was sacked three times for a loss of 17 yards) while they had gained 87 yards on the ground. Philadelphia accumulated 9 first downs, while the Giants had 25.

Donovan McNabb completed only 9 of 23 passes for 64 yards with an interception. L.J. Smith’s one catch had made him the team’s receiving yardage leader with 25. Brian Westbrook led the team in rushing with 67 yards on 15 carries, caught three passes for another 11, and returned three kickoffs for 61 yards and the punt for 84 – the combined total came to 223 yards and included both of the team’s touchdowns.

In defeat, Kerry Collins was successful on 22 of 36 passes for 174 yards with one TD and none intercepted. RB Tiki Barber gained 79 yards on 19 carries and RB Dorsey Levens, playing in his first game for the Giants, contributed another 64 yards on 16 attempts. Barber and Jeremy Shockey each caught five passes (for 34 and 23 yards, respectively) while Amani Toomer was the receiving yardage leader with 54 yards on four catches.

For the Eagles, the dramatic result proved to be the turning point of the season as they proceeded to win nine straight and finished once again at the top of the NFC East with a 12-4 record. They made it to a third straight conference title game, but lost to Carolina. New York won its next two contests, but then lost the remaining eight to close out at 4-12 and at the bottom of the division. In the housecleaning that followed, both Coach Fassel and Collins were sent packing.

Donovan McNabb’s return to full health was a significant factor in Philadelphia’s second-half surge. He ended up passing for 3216 yards with 16 TDs and 11 interceptions and was named to his fourth of an eventual five straight Pro Bowls (six overall with the Eagles).


In his second season out of Villanova, Brian Westbrook (pictured at left) emerged as a major all-purpose talent. He returned a second punt for a touchdown during the season and ranked first in the NFC with a 15.3 average on 20 returns. Overall, he gained 1738 all-purpose yards with 613 rushing on 117 carries, 332 on 37 pass receptions, 487 on 23 kickoff returns, and 306 returning punts. While he would be used far less on punt returns in future seasons (and not at all on kickoff returns), his yards from rushing and pass receiving rose greatly.

1954: Adrian Burk Throws 7 TD Passes as Eagles Beat Redskins

The Philadelphia Eagles were off to a 3-0 start in 1954 as they traveled to Washington to take on the Redskins on October 17 at Griffith Stadium. Since taking over as head coach in 1953, Jim Trimble had split the duties at quarterback between Adrian Burk and Bobby Thomason. That was the case again in ’54 and each threw at least one touchdown in each of the three wins. Washington, under first-year Head Coach Joe Kuharich (who would later coach the Eagles as well), was 0-3 and had been beaten badly in each instance.

Washington’s defensive backfield was inexperienced and the Eagles capitalized. On their second possession midway through the first quarter, Burk tossed his first (and longest) touchdown pass of the game, connecting with end Bobby Walston for 26 yards.

QB Al Dorow led the Redskins on a 35-yard drive that ended with a 14-yard touchdown pass to end Ed Barker. But Burk hit star end Pete Pihos twice for touchdowns in the second quarter, covering 18 and 19 yards, and the Eagles held a 21-7 lead at the half.

Burk’s fourth touchdown pass of the game came in the third quarter, finding Walston in the end zone from five yards out. The Redskins made it interesting when rookie FB Dale Atkeson returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, which at the time set a team record. But Burk tossed two more TD passes to pull the Eagles away - to Walston for a third time for four yards and to HB Toy Ledbetter from nine yards out.

The Redskins made another big play, although it was too-little, too-late, as QB Jack Scarbath threw a pass to end Hugh Taylor that covered 60 yards. Scarbath then connected with Taylor again for a five-yard touchdown.

Up 42-21, Burk was relieved by Thomason. But when Philadelphia’s publicity director realized that Burk was just one short of Sid Luckman’s NFL single-game record of seven touchdown passes, Trimble reinserted him into the contest. In the final seconds, he threw the record-tying seventh touchdown pass to Pihos. Characteristically, it was short, covering three yards, and the Eagles won, 49-21.

Adrian Burk completed 19 of 27 passes for 232 yards with the 7 touchdowns against just one interception. Pete Pihos was the top receiver with 9 catches for 132 yards and three of the TDs. Bobby Walston scored three as well, in addition to the one by Ledbetter.

Burk, the team’s regular punter, also had an outstanding game punting the ball. On three occasions he managed to angle kicks out of bounds inside the Washington 10 yard line (at the two, three, and nine yard lines, to be exact).

Overall, the Eagles outgained Washington with 432 yards to 115 and compiled 30 first downs to 9 for the Redskins. In addition to 289 passing yards, Philadelphia rolled up 172 yards on the ground, while the defense held the Redskins to just 28 yards on 20 carries. The Redskins further hurt their cause by turning the ball over seven times, against two committed by the Eagles.

Philadelphia failed to maintain its winning momentum, losing the next two games and four of five on the way to a 7-4-1 record and second place finish in the Eastern Conference. Washington ended up in fifth with a 3-9 tally.

Burk had another big performance later in the season when the Redskins came to Philadelphia, throwing for more yards (345) as well as five more TD passes. Not surprisingly, it was the best year of his seven-season career as he led the NFL in touchdown passes (23) and percentage of TD passes (10.0) and was selected to the Pro Bowl. He also had career highs in passing yards (1740) and completion percentage (53.2). Of course, the two games against Washington certainly fueled his success, as he threw for a combined 577 yards and 12 touchdowns.


With 60 catches, Pete Pihos (pictured at left) tied for the league lead with San Francisco’s Billy Wilson. His 872 yards and 10 touchdowns ranked third. In the last three seasons of his Hall of Fame career (1953-54-55), Pihos led the NFL in pass receiving in each and in receiving yards twice.

Bobby Walston was leading the league with 45 points heading into the game and helped his cause by adding another 25 to give him 70 after just four contests. The team’s placekicker as well as a starting end, he went on to lead the NFL in scoring with 114 points. In addition to 11 touchdowns scored (all on pass receptions), he booted 36 extra points and four field goals.

The record of seven TD passes in a game has been tied three more times (George Blanda of the Oilers in the AFL in 1961, Y.A. Tittle of the Giants in ’62, and Joe Kapp of the Vikings in 1969) – Burk’s yardage total remains the lowest of any of the seven-TD performances (the others, including Luckman, were all over 400, and Tittle passed for 505).

Coincidentally, Burk, who went on to become an NFL official (as well as a successful lawyer in his hometown of Houston) following his retirement as a player, was a member of the officiating crew when Kapp had his seven-TD game. He also was the back judge who signaled touchdown when RB Franco Harris of the Steelers scored the “Immaculate Reception” TD in the 1972 postseason against Oakland.

1958: Newly-Acquired Bobby Layne Leads Steelers to Win in First Game

On October 12, 1958 at Pitt Stadium, star quarterback Bobby Layne took the field with his new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, after eight highly accomplished seasons in Detroit (he originally came into the NFL as a backup with the Bears and also spent a year with the short-lived New York Bulldogs). No one could say that the hard-driving, hard-drinking Texan threw picturesque passes, but Layne more than made up for it with his fiery leadership and ability in the clutch. Under the guidance of Head Coach Buddy Parker and with formidable offensive weapons at his disposal, he became the master of the two-minute drill and a feared deep passer. The Lions made it to three consecutive NFL Championship games from 1952-54, all against Paul Brown’s Cleveland Browns, and won the first two.

After a down year in 1955 (Layne suffered a shoulder injury in the off-season), the Lions just missed winning the Western Conference in ’56 when Layne was knocked out of the decisive encounter with the Chicago Bears by a late blind-side tackle by DE Ed Meadows. A veteran quarterback, Tobin Rote, was obtained from Green Bay for 1957 to add depth at the position, and then Coach Parker abruptly quit the team during the preseason. Under Parker’s successor, George Wilson, Layne and Rote split time, and when Layne suffered a broken leg late in the season, it was Rote leading the club the rest of the way to the NFL Championship.

With a quarterback controversy brewing and friction developing with Wilson, the 31-year-old Layne was dealt to the Steelers for third-year QB Earl Morrall and two draft picks following the second week of the 1958 season. In Pittsburgh, he was reunited with Buddy Parker. He was also with a club that had not posted a winning record in the past eight years (they went 6-6 under Parker in ’57).

The Steelers had lost their first two games with Morrall at quarterback and were badly embarrassed by the Browns in their last game prior to Layne’s joining the club. It was a different situation with Layne in the lineup for Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles, after three straight losing seasons, were in transition under a new coach, Buck Shaw, and a new veteran quarterback, Norm Van Brocklin, who had been obtained from the Rams.

Early in the first quarter, Philadelphia FB Clarence Peaks fumbled and DT Joe Lewis recovered for the Steelers. On the first play, HB Tom Tracy (a former teammate of Layne’s in Detroit) scored a touchdown with a 31-yard carry on a reverse. The Eagles responded with a 36-yard field goal by Bobby Walston that made the score 7-3.

The Steelers got another TD before the end of the period after DT Frank Varrichione recovered a fumbled punt by Eagles DB Rocky Ryan which gave them the ball on the Philadelphia 30 yard line - a penalty moved it up to the 15. Layne hit end Dick Lucas with a nine-yard pass to set up a one-yard scoring run by FB Tank Younger.

In the second quarter, Pittsburgh recovered yet another fumble in Eagles territory, again at the 30 yard line. Tracy ran in from the one after a drive that featured an 11-yard run by Layne and the Steelers took a 21-3 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, safety Gary Glick intercepted a Van Brocklin pass and returned it 23 yards to the Philadelphia 37. Layne and the Steelers kept the ball on the ground and Tom Miner kicked a 26-yard field goal to conclude the scoring. Pittsburgh won Layne’s debut by the decisive score of 24-3.

The opportunistic Steelers defense made the most of three Eagles fumbles and the interception. The Eagles gained just 59 yards on the ground, as opposed to 214 for the Steelers. Pittsburgh led in first downs, 19 to 16.

Bobby Layne completed 10 of 20 passes for 81 yards - two long passes were narrowly missed by Pittsburgh receivers. Norm Van Brocklin, playing from behind the entire game, completed 16 of 37 passes for 148 yards.

Said Layne afterward, “I never got the seat of my pants dirty when I went back to pass and that’s just one of the reasons I know the Pittsburgh Steelers are a good team.”

The Steelers lost their next two games, but then ran off five straight wins and ended up with a 7-4-1 record to place third in the Eastern Conference. The Eagles ended up tied at the bottom with the Cardinals at 2-9-1.

Bobby Layne led the NFL in yards per attempt (8.7) and yards per completion (17.6). His 2510 passing yards and low 3.7 interception percentage both ranked second. He tossed 14 touchdown passes and had 12 throws picked off. Rookie split end Jimmy Orr especially benefited from his presence, leading the league with a gaudy 27.6 yards-per-catch on 33 receptions for 910 yards with seven touchdowns.

Layne played another four seasons with the Steelers but, while still effective, he didn’t attain the level of success that he had in Detroit. A multi-talented player earlier in his career – he had been a good running quarterback (he led NFL quarterbacks in rushing three times) and placekicker – wear and tear were beginning to erode his skills. One of the last players to not wear a facemask, he also chose to take the field with minimal padding throughout his career (no hip or thigh pads and the thinnest possible shoulder pads). He retired as the NFL’s career leader in pass completions (1814), yards (26,768), and touchdowns (196).

1993: Eric Allen’s 94-Yard INT Return Caps Eagles Win Over Jets

The Philadelphia Eagles had gotten off to a good start in 1993, winning their first three games under Head Coach Rich Kotite. 30-year-old QB Randall Cunningham, in his second year back from a devastating knee injury that had cost him virtually the entire ’91 season, was in good form and coming off a 360-yard passing performance in a 34-31 victory over Washington. Wide receivers Fred Barnett and Calvin Williams were productive and while the defense had lost stalwart Reggie White to free agency, there was still plenty of talent remaining.

In Week 4, the Eagles traveled to the New Jersey Meadowlands to face the New York Jets on October 3 at Giants Stadium. The Jets, coached by Bruce Coslet, had a new quarterback in veteran Boomer Esiason (pictured below right), who was prospering in fresh surroundings while tossing passes to WR Rob Moore and TE Johnny Mitchell as the club got off to a 2-1 start.

The Jets scored on each of their first two possessions, with an opening 11-play, 78-yard drive that resulted in a seven-yard touchdown pass from Esiason to TE James Thornton. New York CB James Hasty then recovered a fumble by Barnett that he returned 30 yards to set up a 14-yard Esiason TD pass to Mitchell.


The score remained at 14-0 as the Eagles did nothing on their next two possessions. After veteran safety Ronnie Lott picked off a Cunningham pass early in the second quarter, it took just four plays to put New York up by a 21-0 margin as Esiason tossed another touchdown pass to Mitchell, this one covering 12-yards.

The Eagles offense came alive on the next series, moving 78 yards in eight plays that included runs of 9 and 10 yards by RB Herschel Walker and passes of 12 yards to RB James Joseph and 21 yards to Barnett. Walker finished the drive with an eight-yard touchdown run.

However, the series had been costly for the Eagles as Barnett suffered a torn knee ligament when tackled by Jets CB Eric Thomas and safety Brian Washington at the conclusion of his 21-yard reception - while he was able to walk off the field, he was in fact finished for the season. An even more devastating loss occurred on the next possession when Cunningham suffered a broken leg, also season-ending.

Backup QB Bubby Brister, who had played seven years with Pittsburgh before being released prior to training camp and signed by the Eagles, concluded the drive by tossing a 10-yard TD pass to TE Mark Bavaro with just seconds remaining in the half. The Jets lead was down to a touchdown at 21-14 as the teams left the field at halftime.

After Philadelphia went three-and-out to start the second half, Esiason immediately passed to Mitchell who gathered the ball in at midfield and eluded tacklers on the way to a 65-yard touchdown. However, the Eagles got a break later in the third quarter when Jets RB Johnny Johnson fumbled and LB William Thomas recovered at the New York 17 yard line. Three plays later Brister threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Williams and the Jets’ lead was cut to 28-21.

After New York punted, the Eagles put together a long, 87-yard drive in 13 plays that culminated early in the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown run by RB Vaughn Hebron. With the successful PAT, the score was now tied at 28-28.

The Jets struck back quickly. On their first play following the kickoff, Esiason fired a pass to WR Chris Burkett for a 60-yard gain to the Philadelphia 20. However, safety Rich Miano intercepted a pass two plays later to seemingly end the scoring threat. But Brister, fading back to the goal line, threw the ball away under heavy pressure and was called for intentional gounding in the end zone, which resulted in a safety. The Jets had regained the lead at 30-28.

RB Adrian Murrell returned the ensuing free kick to the 50 yard line, and it appeared that the Jets would drive to another score with the help of a roughing the passer penalty that moved the ball deep into Eagles territory at the 21. But two plays later Esiason’s pass intended for Burkett was intercepted by CB Eric Allen (pictured at top) at the six yard line. With a spectacular return, Allen went 94 yards for the touchdown that proved to be the game-winner. The Eagles came away with a 35-30 victory.

The win had been a costly one for Philadelphia – in addition to Cunningham and Barnett, special teams standout WR Jeff Sydner also went down with a season-ending injury.


The Jets outgained the Eagles with 412 yards to 303. Boomer Esiason passed for 297 yards while completing 19 of 33 passes and had four TDs along with two interceptions. Johnny Mitchell (pictured at left) had an outstanding day with 7 catches for 146 yards and three touchdowns, and Chris Burkett contributed four receptions for 103 yards. Johnny Johnson led the running attack with 36 yards on 9 carries, closely followed by RB Blair Thomas with 7 rushes for 33 yards and FB Brad Baxter, who gained 29 yards on 9 attempts.

Bubby Brister had a solid outing in relief, completing 11 of 17 passes for 108 yards with two TDs and no interceptions; Randall Cunningham was 10 for 13 with 89 yards and had one picked off before his injury. WR Victor Bailey had the most pass receptions for the Eagles, with 5 for 36 yards, while the veteran tight end Bavaro gained 60 yards on four catches with a TD. RB Heath Sherman was the team’s top rusher, gaining 37 yards on 12 carries.

From promising beginnings, both clubs suffered through disappointing seasons the rest of the way. The Eagles, without Cunningham and Barnett, lost their next six games and ended up with an 8-8 record to place third in the NFC East. New York, after winning five midseason games in a row, lost four of the last five contests to also end up at 8-8 and third in the AFC East. Coach Coslet was dismissed afterward.

Boomer Esiason passed for 3421 yards, but his production dropped off significantly in the last six games of the season following a neck injury. Johnny Mitchell’s production also fell off after he suffered a sprained knee and he ended up with just 39 catches for 630 yards (16.2 avg.) and six TDs.

Eric Allen’s long touchdown return was no fluke – he intercepted six passes in ‘93 and tied the league record by returning four of them for touchdowns. Not surprisingly, he also led the NFL with 201 yards in interception return yardage. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third consecutive year and fourth time overall, on his way to eventually being chosen six times in the course of his career.

Bubby Brister passed for a respectable 84.9 rating while tossing 14 touchdowns against just five interceptions in place of Cunningham. His 1.6 interception percentage was second lowest in the NFC.

1936: Eagles Upset Giants for Only Win of Season

The long rivalry between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants was in its early stages when the two teams met before a crowd of 20,000 at Philadelphia’s Municipal Stadium in the season-opening game on September 13, 1936. The Eagles were starting their fourth year and had done no better than the 3-5-1 tally of the inaugural ’33 season; they were coming off a 2-9 record in 1935, the worst in the NFL. The Giants, meanwhile, had won all three Eastern Division titles since the advent of divisional play, also in 1933, and were coming off of a 9-3 record in ’35 (they lost to the Detroit Lions in the league championship game).

Eagles owner Bert Bell had also made himself the head coach for the ’36 season (he was pretty much the team’s entire front office as well), replacing the club’s original coach, Lud Wray. The first NFL draft of college talent had been held the preceding offseason, and the Eagles, with the first pick, chose HB Jay Berwanger, Heisman Trophy-winner from the University of Chicago; however, Berwanger’s immediate future plans included going into business, not pro football, and he rejected Philadelphia’s offer (he also rejected the Chicago Bears, who dealt for his rights). But the Eagles did add 230-pound rookie FB/LB Dave Smukler from Temple (pictured above), who quickly became a centerpiece of the offense. Third-year tackle Art Buss had been acquired from the Bears in return for the rights to Berwanger.


The Giants, coached by Steve Owen, had a major rookie acquisition of their own in FB Tuffy Leemans (pictured at left) to go along with tailback Ed Danowski, center Mel Hein, G John Dell Isola, FB Kink Richards, wingback Dale Burnett, and end Tod Goodwin. However, they had lost all-purpose back/kicker Ken Strong, tailback Harry Newman, and end Red Badgro to the newly formed American Football League (second incarnation).

The Eagles were playing their first game at Municipal Stadium, having split their games between the Baker Bowl and Temple Stadium in the first three seasons. New York had won five of the six previous meetings between the teams and was heavily favored.

The most exciting play of the game came in the first quarter when Smukler passed to end Ed “Eggs” Manske who made an outstanding run after the catch and then lateraled 20 yards across the field to end Joe Carter, who covered the final 16 yards of the overall 55-yard play. Smukler converted the extra point and the inspired Eagles defense made the 7-0 lead hold up through the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Giants put together a 63-yard drive that culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Danowski to Burnett and, after Tilly Manton’s kick, the score was tied. But Philadelphia came back with a drive of its own that was capped by Hank Reese’s 13-yard field goal with four minutes left in the game. The Eagles held on to win, 10-7.

It was a stunning upset as well as a signal of problems ahead for the Giants. New York went 5-6-1 to place third in the Eastern Division and under .500 for the first time since 1932. Tuffy Leemans provided a bright spot by leading the NFL in rushing with 830 yards. The Giants also got revenge in the rematch with the Eagles at the Polo Grounds, in a contest that was publicized as a showdown between the star rookies Smukler and Leemans, by a 21-17 score.


For the Eagles, the opening win was also the high point of an otherwise dreadful season. They lost their remaining games to once again finish with the NFL’s worst record, 1-11. The two games against the Giants were the only occasions in which they scored in double figures as they were shut out six times and accumulated a measly total of 51 points (they also surrendered a league-high 206 points). No player scored more than one touchdown during the season and Hank Reese (pictured at right) ended up leading the club with a grand total of 9 points (three extra points, two field goals).

“Dynamite Dave” Smukler ranked third on the team with 321 yards rushing on 99 carries. As was typical in the single-wing offense of the time, he was also the club’s leading passer – he tossed the Eagles’ only three touchdown passes. While they only completed 39 passes all year (21 by Smukler), Ed Manske caught 17 of them for 325 yards to rank fifth and fourth in the NFL in each category, respectively, and was traded to the Bears after the season for their veteran All-NFL end, Bill Hewitt.

2000: Duce Staley – and Pickle Juice – Help Eagles Defeat Cowboys

It was a hot day at Texas Stadium for the season-opening game between the host Dallas Cowboys and visiting Philadelphia Eagles on September 3, 2000. The temperature at game time was 109 degrees, with readings on the artificial surface of 150.

Second-year Head Coach Andy Reid pulled the Eagles off the field early from pre-game warmups. Trainer Rick Burkholder also had the players drink pickle juice, a practice the club had begun during training camp as a means to combat both dehydration and cramping.

Reid took an aggressive approach once play began. Dallas having won the toss, the Eagles took them by surprise by executing an onsides kick that they successfully recovered (WR Dameane Douglas made the play for Philadelphia). The offense proceeded to drive 58 yards in eight plays, ending with QB Donovan McNabb tossing a one-yard TD pass to TE Jeff Thomason.

Philadelphia’s defense sacked star QB Troy Aikman three times during the first Dallas possession; rookie DT Corey Simon recorded one in his first regular season play. Before the first quarter ended, the Eagles took a 14-0 lead when a pass interference penalty put the ball on the Dallas one yard line and RB Duce Staley plowed into the end zone. Two minutes later, and now into the second quarter, LB Jeremiah Trotter intercepted an Aikman pass and returned it 27 yards for another Eagles TD and a 21-0 tally.

Aikman was sacked a fourth time and took a total of six hits by the Eagles defense before leaving the game during the second quarter with a concussion, to be replaced by former Philadelphia QB Randall Cunningham. The Eagles scored once more, on a 33-yard field goal by David Akers, before the Cowboys got on the board with field goals of 34 and 38 yards by Tim Seder, both following interceptions. The score at halftime stood at 24-6.

Philadelphia’s offense took control once again in the third quarter, with a time-consuming 14-play drive that covered 61 yards and culminated in another Akers field goal, this one from 37 yards. After the Cowboys went three-and-out, the Eagles put together another long possession of 72 yards in nine plays, with McNabb running the last three yards for a touchdown.

The Eagles scored once more in the fourth quarter as Staley ran 60 yards to set up a six-yard TD run by RB Brian Mitchell. Dallas scored a touchdown on a four-yard pass from Cunningham to WR Joey Galloway, which was followed by a successful two-point conversion, but the outcome had long since been decided. The final score was 41-14, making it the worst opening-day defeat for the Cowboys since 1963.

Staley (pictured at top) was the star for the Eagles, gaining 201 yards rushing on 26 carries (just missing the franchise single-game rushing record by four yards) with one TD and also leading the club with four pass receptions for another 61 yards and a total of 262 yards from scrimmage. Overall, the team accumulated 306 yards on the ground, its highest single-game total since 1951.

Donovan McNabb passed for 130 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions while completing 16 of 28 throws; he also ran for 29 yards on five carries with a TD.

It was a hard day for Dallas across the board. Troy Aikman failed to complete any passes and threw the one interception that was returned for a score before leaving the contest. Randall Cunningham was successful on 13 of 26 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and one picked off. The Cowboys, playing catch-up from the beginning, only ran the ball 13 times for 67 yards – RB Emmitt Smith had just 29 yards on 7 carries while WR Raghib “Rocket” Ismael led the team with 33 yards on two rushes. Joey Galloway was the top receiver with four catches for 62 yards and the late touchdown, but suffered a knee injury late in the game that knocked him out of action for the remainder of the season.

The opening win over the Cowboys didn’t generate immediate momentum for the Eagles, who lost their next two games, but, coming off of three straight losing seasons, they improved to 11-5, placed second in the NFC East, and secured a wild card spot in the postseason. Philadelphia defeated Tampa Bay in the first round but lost to the Giants in the Divisional playoff.

Dallas, going in the opposite direction, went 5-11 to place fourth in the division. After making it to the playoffs in eight of the previous nine years and winning three championships, the Cowboys would not make it back to the postseason (or have a winning record) again until 2003.

Duce Staley, who was coming off back-to-back thousand-yard rushing seasons in 1998 and ’99, was lost for the year due to a foot injury in Week 5 and gained just 344 yards on the ground in 2000. The running game suffered without him (he still ended up with the highest yardage total of any running back on the team), but the second-year quarterback McNabb emerged to account for 76 percent of the team’s offense, rushing for 629 yards and passing for 3365.