The Philadelphia Eagles were founded in 1933. In the 90 seasons since, there has been a vast collection of historic moments that some fans will never be able to forget. Obviously, winning Super Bowl LII was an accomplishment that should be celebrated by Philly fans for years to come, and it’s hard to top the franchise’s first-ever Lombardi Trophy victory, but there are so many sequences that stand the test of time.
Going in reverse order of importance, here are the five most iconic moments in Philadelphia Eagles playoff history.
5. Donovan McNabb converts 4th-and-26, earns comeback win in OT in 2003
Say what you want about their time together, but the Andy Reid-Donovan McNabb era was magnificent. This duo went to the playoffs in eight of their ten seasons together, including four consecutive NFC Championship appearances. Except, they almost never made it to the doorstep of the Super Bowl in 2003.
Taking on Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Divisional Round, the Eagles found themselves down by 14 points after the first quarter. Making matters worse, they didn’t have Brian Westbrook, the team’s leader in yards from scrimmage in 2003.
But it didn’t matter. McNabb took matters into his own hands, rushing for 107 yards, which set a new NFL playoff record for yards by a QB. The Eagles would eventually get the win in overtime thanks to a 31-yard field goal by David Akers, but they nearly never got that far.
Late in the fourth quarter, with the Eagles trailing by three with just over one minute to go, they were faced with a 4th-and-26 backed up near their goal line. That’s when Freddie Mitchell, of all people, stepped up with a 28-yard reception in the clutch to keep Philly’s Championship hopes alive. An incomplete pass would have given the Packers the win, but instead, it was Mitchell, who caught just 35 passes all season, who became the hero.
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4. Chuck Bednarik fuels 1960 NFL Championship win
Chuck Bednarik, otherwise known as ‘Concrete Charlie’ thanks to his reputation as one of the hardest hitters of his era, is not only a Philadelphia legend, but he’s also in both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Yet, despite all the accomplishments Bednarik achieved in his 14-year NFL career, in which he played both sides of the ball, there may have been no better moment than during the Championship game in 1960.
You see, it was the beginning of the Lombardi era, where the Green Bay Packers were a dominant force no one wanted to run into on the gridiron, yet Bednarik didn’t show any fear. Not only did the Eagles manage to give Vince Lombardi his first and only playoff loss, the Eagles won their first-ever league championship, a title they wouldn’t win again until 2017.
It was all thanks to Bednarik’s tackle on Packers Hall of Fame fullback Jim Taylor, who racked up a game-high 105 rushing yards on the day. Yet, as the Packers drove down the field and got into scoring position, it was Bednarik who stopped Taylor in his tracks at the nine-yard line, in turn delivering the Eagles their first NFL Championship.
3. ‘We want Dallas’ – Rivalry with Cowboys intensifies
We know the Eagles vs Cowboys battles to be an intense rivalry today, but perhaps this is thanks in large part to the 1981 NFC Championship game. Dallas had been dominating Philadelphia, defeating the Eagles in 21-of-23 games. But head coach Dick Vermeil had long been pouring the fuel into his locker room, motivating his team to do whatever it takes to defeat the Cowboys.
That chance came in 1981 when both teams advanced to the NFC Championship with identical 12-4 regular season records. It wasn’t coach Vermeil’s first rodeo, and he began playing mind games with the Cowboys. Since the Eagles had the benefit of having home-field advantage, it was their call on which color jerseys they would wear, and it was well known that the Cowboys if given the choice, would want to wear white. So, the Eagles wore white instead.
The Eagles sprinted to victory, thanks to outrushing the Cowboys 263-90, with Wilbert Montgomery doing much of the damage, with 194 yards and a touchdown by himself. It was a shock to see Montgomery thriving, including his 42-yard touchdown dash on the second play from scrimmage, as much had been made of his knee injury coming into the game. Yet, this was just another head game the Eagles won at.
It was obvious just how significant this win was. Once the final seconds on the clock began to wind down, fans couldn’t contain their excitement and rushed to the field at Veterans Stadium in celebration.
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2. Philadelphia Eagles finally reach Super Bowl in 2004
As mentioned, the Eagles went to four straight NFC Championship games. It wasn’t until the fourth one that they would actually reach the Super Bowl in 2004. The Eagles did so thanks to having the eighth-highest-scoring offense and the league’s second-best defense.
Yet, it didn’t really matter how much regular season success the team had, as fans had seen this scenario play out the three previous seasons. Complicating matters was the fact that Terrell Owens wouldn’t be able to suit up against Atlanta after breaking his leg and tearing a ligament in his ankle. For Philly, this was a big blow, considering Owens hauled in 77 receptions for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns during the regular season, forming a dynamic duo with McNabb.
On the opposite sideline was Michael Vick, who finished as the MVP runner-up during the regular season. Any time Vick took the field, defenses knew they would have their hands full trying to limit the electric athleticism and quick-strike ability of the dual-threat QB. Yet, the Eagles put the clamps on Vick, holding him to a completion rate of just 45% while limiting him to just 162 scoreless yards on the day.
Considering Brian Westbrook had 135 combined yards himself, it’s safe to say the Eagles dominated the Falcons. While it’s just one win, it showed the Philadelphia fanbase that sometimes perseverance does pay off after so many years of falling just short of the Super Bowl. While the Eagles did not win the big game, they certainly put up a fight, losing by just three to Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s Patriots.
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1. Philly Special (Philly Philly) leads to Super Bowl win
Did you really think any other moment would rank above the Philly Special, otherwise known as the Philly Philly? Head coach Doug Pederson, in the biggest moment of his coaching career, showed that he isn’t afraid to take the unconventional route and take risks.
This time it came in the Super Bowl with the game on the line, yet he didn’t hesitate to dial up one of the most iconic Super Bowl moments in NFL history. Already playing with a backup QB after Carson Wentz went down with an injury, second-string signal caller Nick Foles would go on to become an all-time Eagles legend.
But it was Pederson who had the play call, deciding to try a reverse, known as the Philly Special. This play called for backup tailback Corey Clement to take the snap, who handed it off to backup tight end Trey Burton, who would throw his first-ever NFL pass to a wide-open Foles in the endzone for a one-yard score.
It was a wild sequence of events that led to the Eagles going up by ten points just before halftime. While the second half presented plenty of smaller battles, the play of the game had already been made. Yet, had the Eagles not held on to win their first and only Super Bowl trophy, this moment certainly wouldn’t be the most iconic in Philadelphia playoff history.