Here is part two of the series I’m doing on my favorite Eagles games for each decade. I’m only going with regular season games.
2000 – PHI 41, DAL 14
The Pickle Juice Game. Was there any doubt that this would be the choice? The Eagles were coming off a 5-11 season. There was optimism because they had a good offseason, but no one really knew what to expect. Donovan McNabb was the full-time starter and that would certainly make a difference. The team had signed Jon Runyan to a record contract and hoped he would stabilize the OL. The first round pick was DT Corey Simon so he was expected to make the defense better. But the team hadn’t been good since 1996 so there were still some doubts. Plus no one was quite sure what to make of Andy Reid. He showed promise in his first season as coach, but was far from a sure thing.
Total domination.
The Eagles opened the game with an onside kick, the first time I’d ever seen anyone do that. It worked perfectly and set the tone for the game. The Birds marched right down the field and went up 7-0. The defense came out on the next series and rookie Corey Simon got a sack on his first ever NFL snap. Troy Aikman went 0 for 5 before he was knocked out of the game. He was sacked 4 times and threw a pick-six to Jeremiah Trotter. Aikman was replaced by old friend Randall Cunningham, who threw an INT of his own.
Duce Staley was the star of the game, running for 201 yards and going 4-61 as a receiver. McNabb ran for a TD and threw a short scoring pass. He didn’t have to do much since the Eagles ran for 306 yards. Dallas was held to 167 total yards. Like I said, total domination. This game signaled a shift in fortunes. The Eagles would go 11-5 and become a perennial contender. Dallas went 5-11 from 2000-2002. It wasn’t until the arrival of Bill Parcells that they turned things around.
I can’t stress enough what a fun game this was to watch. We hadn’t seen the Eagles do anything like this since the wild card win over Detroit back in 1995. This game provided a huge win and a ton of optimism. The Eagles were going to be good again.
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2001 – PHI 24, NYG 21
We don’t tend to think of winning a division title as a big deal, but that’s because the Eagles have made it a regular habit. They didn’t win a single title in the 1990’s. They won the crown in 1988 and the next one came in 2001, clinched in the game we’re talking about now. The Giants won the NFC East in 2000 and were picked to win it again in 2001. The Eagles had other ideas.
The Giants led the game 10-7 going into the fourth quarter. The teams traded scores after than and the games tied at 21-21 late. David Akers kicked a FG with seven seconds left to give the Eagles a certain win. Right? Then the Giants ran a trick play on their final snap and speedster Ron Dixon took the ball 62 yards and got inside the 10 before Damon Moore tackled him, saving the game and making the Eagles division champs. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who nearly had a heart attack while watching that play.
McNabb was clutch in this game, making some key throws late in the game. He finished ewith 270 yards and 3 TDs. James Thrash came up huge, going 7-143-1. TE Chad Lewis was 7-74, with 2 TDs. Jeremiah Trotter had 15 tackles, including 6 TFLs and a sack. Hell of a game by the Axeman. The scary finish didn’t ruin a great day.
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2002 – PHI 37, WAS 7
The Pepper Spray Game. Do you guys remember that? The cops had to use pepper spray on someone in the stands and it drifted onto the field, which caused the game to be paused. Weird. This was the only game where Jim Johnson’s defense didn’t allow a point. Washington’s score came on a punt return. The defense had 4 sacks and 3 takeaways. I remember Darwin Walker really flashing in this game, a matchup between Andy Reid and…Steve Spurrier. It is easy to forget that Spurrier came to the NFL for a couple of years. He did not fare well. The Eagles held his offense to just 179 yards in this game. James Thrash went 6-107-1 for the Birds and gave his old team fits. Dorsey Levens and Duce Staley combined for 120 rushing yards. Donovan McNabb was terrific, throwing for 2 TDs and running for another. I remember really enjoying this game. The offense and defense were great. If only the STs had stopped the one PR. Could have had the shutout. JJ never delivered one in his great run with the Eagles.
I considered the 17-3 win over the Giants where the Eagles ran for 295 yards. That run game was a ton of fun to watch. The Giants defense looked helpless, which is always fun.
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2003 – PHI 36, DAL 10
Bill Parcells took the Dallas job in 2003 and gave the franchise hope for the first time since Jimmy Johnson. He led the Cowboys to a win over the Eagles early in the season and his team came into this game with the #1 defense in the league. The Eagles responded with a major beatdown of Dallas and their D. Tuna realized that Reid still ruled the NFC East. It was beautiful.
The Eagles piled up 403 yards, running and passing for more than 200 yards. McNabb threw 3 TDs and ran the offense efficiently. Correll Buckhalter ran for 115 yards and a score. The defense had 3 sacks and 2 takeaways. Cowboys QB Quincy Carter (remember him?) averaged less than 4 yards per pass attempt. This win gave the Eagles a two-game lead over Dallas and led to their third straight division title. Those were good times.
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2004 – PHI 31, NYG 17
We could call this the TO game. It was his Eagles debut and he didn’t disappoint, going 8-68 with 3 TDs. Donovan McNabb finally had a star WR and took advantage of it, going 26 of 36 for 330 yards and 4 TDs. He went on to have the best season of his career. Amazing the difference the supporting cast can make. Brian Westbrook ran for 119 yards and went 3-42 as a receiver, showing what a dynamic weapon he had become.
The Eagles defense gave up 413 yards, but had 5 sacks and a takeaway. Jerome McDougle had a sack and a huge hit of Eli Manning, who was making his pro debut. The Eagles played well overall and you could see some signs that this was going to be a special team. The only downer was losing rookie OG Shawn Andrews to injury. If he had stayed healthy, the Eagles could have been even better. He was a special talent. Still, this was a fun day. TO gave the Eagles some juice that they had been lacking for a long time.
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2005 – PHI 20, SD 17
The Eagles dominated SF in an early game, winning 42-3. They had a great comeback vs KC and beat the Chiefs 37-31. But the win over the Chargers was next level because of what the defense did. LaDainian Tomlinson came into the game with 652 yards and 10 TDs in his first 6 games. He was the best RB in football and was brutally hard to stop. He had a TD run in 18 straight games coming into this meeting, but the Eagles put a stop to that. His worst game to that point was when he went 8-29. JJ’s defense shut him down, limiting LT to 7 yards on 17 carries. He had -5 yards at halftime so he had to get hot to get up to 7. That is insane run defense. Jeremiah Trotter and Sheldon Brown each had 9 tackles to lead the way.
This was an Andy Reid special, with McNabb dropping back almost 60 times and Westbrook only getting 10 carries. McNabb set the NFL record for consecutive completions with 25. He threw for 287 yards and a TD. McNabb missed on a critical 4th down play and it looked like the Eagles were going to lose, 17-13. And then things got wild. Quintin Mikell blocked a Chargers FG attempt. Matt Ware grabbed the bouncing ball and raced 65 yards for the go-ahead TD. The Eagles were then up 20-17. Drew Brees marched them downfield before Sheldon Brown came up with a strip of a receiver to seal the game. Unbelievable game. I was shocked at how the final few minutes played out. Absolutely insane ending.
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2006 – PHI 23, DAL 7
The 9-5 Cowboys hosted the 8-6 Eagles, with Jeff Garcia starting in place of McNabb. And the game was on Christmas afternoon. I didn’t know what to expect from the Eagles. A loss would have given the division title to Dallas. The Eagles had won the first meeting (TO’s return to Philly) so this felt like a revenge game for the Cowboys and their new QB, Tony Romo. A lot was on the line.
Garcia out-played Romo in a big way and the Eagles controlled the game, giving us a great Christmas present. Garcia finished 15-23-238 with a TD. He also ran 7 times for 43 yards and gave Dallas fits. Westy ran for 122 yards. The Eagles defense limited the Cowboys to 201 yards and 7 points, season lows. Romo was 14-29 for 142 yards. TO was held to 2-23, but he did catch a TD. The defense had a huge goal line stop of Marion Barber. Dawk had 3 tackles and an INT, while helping to keep Owens under control. The Eagles went on to win the division and a playoff game. I have to say that I enjoyed watching Garcia as the team’s QB. He was fun, playing with a lot of energy and emotion.
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2007 – PHI 56, DET 21
The Lions played one of the worst defensive games I’ve ever seen. They made McNabb look like Joe Montana, Westbrook look like Jim Brown and Kevin Curtis look like Jerry Rice. The Eagles ha 42 points at the half, and made it look easy. McNabb threw for 332 yards in the first half. The team finished the game with 536 yards. This game was such a blowout that Tony Hunt got 4 carries.
Westbrook finished 14-110-2 on the ground and 5-111-1 as a receiver. The Lions had no answer for him. Curtis was 11-221-3, playing the game of his life. The Eagles gave up 432 yards, but had 10 sacks, including 3.5 from Trent Cole. The defense also had 3 takeaways. Sean Considine (remember him?) had an INT. As fun as this game was, it was a mirage. The Giants held the Eagles to just 3 points in the next game. The Eagles finished the season 8-8 and missed the playoffs.
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2008 – PHI 15, PIT 6
From great offense to great defense. JJ’s defense came up huge in this game. The Steelers were 2-0. They would end up winning the Super Bowl, but this day was all about the Eagles defense. They sacked Big Ben 8 times and his backup, Byron Leftwich once. The Steelers, who ran all over the Eagles back in 2004 were held to 19 carries for 33 yards. They finished with just 181 total yards. The Eagles also had a safety and 3 takeaways, including a Dawkins strip-sack to seal the game. JJ mixed in blitzes with his base rush and gave the Steelers fits. Juqua Parker led the way with 2.5 sacks and Darren Howard added 2 of his own. It was fun to see the swarming defense just overwhelm the Steelers all game long. MLB Stewart Bradley had 6 solo tackles and 3 TFLs. He was such a good player. I don’t think people appreciate him enough. His 2009 injury was just terrible.
The Eagles offense did just enough to win this game. McNabb was efficient, going 24 for 35. Westbook got hurt so Correll Buckhalter became the feature back. He finished with 87 total yards and a TD. This was a tough, physical game. The Eagles would finish a Top 5 defense in both points and yards. This performance was a sign of things to come.
It was hard to pass on the 44-6 win over Dallas, but I wanted to mix things up and not do too many Dallas games. That was an epic day, though.
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2009 – PHI 40, NYG 17
The first place Giants came to Philly and left in second place after getting their butt kicked by a dynamic offense. McNabb went 17-23-240 with 3 TDs. He threw to his key weapons, DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek and rookie Jeremy Maclin. They combined for 11 grabs and all three scores. Rookie LeSean McCoy was 11-82-1 on the ground, including an impressive 66-yard TD. Leonard Weaver was 8-75 with a 41-yard TD. What an explosive offense.
The defense gave up some yards, but Asante Samuel snd Quentin Demps each picked off Eli Manning and he was sacked twice. LB Akeem Jordan led the team with 9 tackles for new DC Sean McDermott. The defense spent much of the season searching for a MLB to replace Bradley. Will Witherspoon got the start in this game, but was more of an OLB. Thankfully on this day the offense was so good that the defense just had to be good enough. And they were.
It can be interesting to look back and see what people thought of players when they were coming out. Some reports are on the money. Others miss by a mile. No one is ever perfect when it comes to the draft. There are just too many variables to always be right. You look for people that are more right than wrong. Let’s look back at what experts had to say about some Eagles players. I’ve skipped guys that were high picks. Their previews are much easier to nail than these.
Jalen Hurts
Lance Zierlein – Like Tim Tebow, Hurts is a winning dual-threat quarterback known for his strength, toughness and character. Hurts is a more accurate passer and better runner than Tebow but is inconsistent as a decision-maker and tends to break the pocket when throws are there to be made. His deep-ball touch and intermediate accuracy improved this year so teams may see him as a developmental talent who will keep getting better in the right scheme. He’ll struggle to beat NFL defenses from the pocket, but his ability to grind out yards on the ground and make off-schedule plays should make him a solid backup with upward mobility.
Daniel Jeremiah – Hurts is slightly undersized for the position, but his production, poise and playmaking ability are very impressive. He has crisp footwork in his drop and he throws from a very firm platform. He has a quick release and generates excellent velocity on drive throws. Hurts flashed the ability to touch the ball up, but his ball placement still needs to improve. His vision and anticipation are other areas that need work. He’s an outstanding runner, both on designed runs and when pressured. He gains ground quickly and runs through contact consistently. I love his competitiveness and toughness. Overall, Hurts must continue to improve in the passing game, but I’m going to bet on his eventual success due to his playmaking skills and overall competitiveness.+
My Comments – It is interesting that Lance only saw Hurts as a backup. DJ was certainly the better analyst on this pick. Kiper had him going 49th to the Steelers. They instead took WR Chase Claypool and the Eagles got Hurts at 49. Claypool hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2023. Pittsburgh should have taken Hurts. Mel had Zack Baun going 23rd overall in that mock draft. Impressive.
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Cooper DeJean
LZ – Highly competitive defensive back with plus ball skills and noteworthy special teams value. DeJean is big and bundled for a cornerback, with muscular arms and tight hips. He has fantastic interception production, but his movements are more linear than fluid, and he doesn’t have the easy change of direction needed in man coverage on the next level. His best football is played with his eyes forward, using his instincts to challenge quarterbacks and his big downhill burst to smack whatever needs smacking. He would seem to be a no-brainer as a punt returner and gunner in Year 1. DeJean should be a big athletic tester, which will help get the hype train going, but finding the proper schematic fit will be important in unlocking his best football as a zone corner or interchangeable safety.
DJ – DeJean is a playmaking cornerback with size and speed. In off coverage, he plays with his butt to the sideline and displays excellent vision. He does have a brief pause in his plant/drive before exploding and attacking the football. His production — including three pick-sixes in the 2022 season — speaks for itself. He has enough speed to carry vertical routes, but he will panic on occasion and get grabby at the catch point. He’s an outstanding blitzer, displaying timing and burst to close in a hurry. He is very willing in run support, and he’s a dependable tackler. He is also an exceptional punt returner because of his combination of speed, elusiveness and bravery. Overall, I believe DeJean could stick at cornerback, but I wouldn’t rule out a move to safety, where his strengths as a player would be featured. He reminds me of a bigger Eric Weddle coming out of college.Â
Tony Pauline – “I’m not big on DeJean, but this pick makes a lot of sense. The Packers need a cornerback and could also use a safety. Many, including myself, believe DeJean will ultimately end up at safety besides being a terrific return specialist.”
My Comments – Kiper had DeJean ranked 14th overall. Impressive. No one talked him as a nickel. It was either corner or safety. They all had him highly rated so the fact the Eagles were able to get him in the second round is still shocking. There were some medical concerns, but a lot of teams regret buying into those instead of focusing on the tape and taking a chance on an athletic, versatile DB who can make plays. Sometimes teams overthink things. Thankfully the Eagles didn’t and went and got their guy.
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Zack BaunÂ
LZ – Ascending prospect whose explosive production on the field has begun to mirror his explosive athletic traits. Baun’s twitchy get-off and deep bend at the edge is nightmare fuel for Big Ten tackles and he’s still at the early stages of pass rush development. He is aggressive to flow downhill in run support, has sideline-to-sideline range and is fluid dropping into coverage. He’s strong but a little light as an edge-setter so teams will need to figure out how best to align him. Baun is a scheme-diverse linebacker with high-impact potential whose best days are ahead of him.
DJ – Baun is a slightly undersized outside linebacker with excellent athleticism and versatility. He spends a lot of time playing over tight ends and gets the best of them in the run and pass games. As a rusher, he has a good initial burst and can really bend at the top of his rush. He has a nifty inside counter move and he can get skinny before closing on the quarterback. He mixes in a stutter/bull rush, but usually stalls out after generating some push. He is very athletic as a dropper in coverage. He is very good as a back-side run defender because of his burst and effort. Teams will differ on where to play him at the next level. He reminds me of former USC LB Uchenna Nwosu, someone whose versatility the Chargers have tapped into. I’d do the same with Baun.
My Comments – Everyone liked Baun. They just weren’t sure what to do with him. DJ, who had him as the #34 overall prospect, thought Nwosu was a good comp. He’s been more of an edge rusher in his career, as was Baun in New Orleans. Kiper, as mentioned above, had him going in the first round. Tony Pauline had him as an OLB and #49 overall. It really is crazy that Vic Fangio put him at ILB and turned Baun into a star.
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Jalyx Hunt
LZ – Hunt is a small-school edge defender possessing notable athletic traits and the potential to get bigger and stronger. He currently lacks the lower-body anchor and general play strength to go up against NFL opponents, but the team drafting him is likely to view him as a developmental prospect in need of time to build his frame and his game. Hunt’s speed is obvious as a pass rusher and in run pursuit, but proving he can survive against a downhill running attack could be the difference between challenging for a rotational role or hoping to become a designated pass rusher.
My Comments – DJ had him at #64 overall. Howie was nervous while during the draft because Hunt was the DJ’s top rated available player for a good while in the draft and Roseman didn’t want to lose him. The Eagles took him with pick 94. Kiper had him 70th overall. Dane Brugler had him down at 139.
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Jordan Mailata
LZ – Former Australian Rugby player who is starting from scratch in his attempt to transition from rugby to football. Mailata has never played a down of American football so attempting to learn the tackle position and perform it at the highest level makes this an extremely daunting challenge. What Mailata does have is rare size and physical gifts with the movement skills that give him a chance at a very challenging position. His pro day numbers were outstanding (40: 5.12 seconds; VJ: 28 inches; BJ: 8-10; short shuttle: 4.67 seconds; 3-cone: 8.03 seconds; bench: 22 lifts). Mailata has a good chance of being drafted as a long-shot ticket that an NFL team hopes they will be able to cash in a few years down the line.
My Comments – The Eagles did cash in that lottery ticket. And Mailata has cashed in as well.
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Moro Ojomo
LZ – Naturally powerful defensive lineman caught somewhere between end and tackle. Ojomo is best-suited as a base end but doesn’t really have the get-off quickness to exploit interior blockers as an inside rusher on passing downs. He’s tight in his lower body, and his movements lack fluidity, but he can fight his way through blocks with upper-body power and a will to make it happen. Ojomo plays hard throughout the rep and will find production with his secondary effort, but he might cap out as a solid backup in either an odd or even front.
Dane Brugler – Brugler’s scouting report: “A four-year starter at Texas, Ojomo was an interchangeable defensive tackle in defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s 4-3 base scheme. A 21-year-old, fifth-year senior, he lined up at nose tackle as a freshman before moving outside on the edge as a sophomore and then settling as a B-gap tackle the past two seasons. With the largest wingspan among defensive tackles in this class, Ojomo can neutralize the point of attack when he uses proper pad level and strike leverage to unlock his power potential. He is a functional athlete with agility to scrape, but his lower-body stiffness hinders his ability to stay ahead of blocks. Ojomo has a tough time creating plays because of his inefficiencies disengaging, but he is a stout run defender with pass rush upside because of his length and play strength. His best NFL fit might be as a read-and-react base end in an odd front.”
My Comments – DJ had him rated #111 overall. Mel Kiper had him 96th. Brugler had him as a 4th round pick, the #14 DT. The Eagles were extremely lucky to get Ojomo at pick 249, near the bottom of the draft. He was undersized, but was a good player at Texas and looked good in the Shrine Game. Another player where teams overthought things and the Eagles got to reap the benefits of that.
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Tanner McKee
LZ – Long, tall pocket passer with better arm strength than arm talent as a passer. McKee throws with an unorthodox delivery that becomes even more irregular when he feels rushed. He can make all the NFL throws and delivers a tight spiral with good velocity on intermediate and deep throws to the field side. However, his heavy feet and a lack of agility limit his effectiveness outside of the pocket and make him a magnet for pass rushers when protection becomes spotty. McKee clearly improved his throwing process in 2022, but he might lack the decision-making and functional mobility to make it in today’s NFL.
Dane Brugler – “A two-year starter at Stanford, McKee played in former offensive coordinator Tavita Pritchard’s pro-style scheme and split his snaps from under center and shotgun. Although his starting production is underwhelming (Stanford finished 109th in scoring offense in 2022), his stats actually look better than expected after studying his tape and seeing the inconsistent pieces around him. A pro-style pocket passer, McKee has an NFL arm with the ball placement and field vision to move the football when everything stays on schedule. However, he is unproven as a three-level passing threat who can also handle pressure. Overall, McKee is an accurate rhythm passer and prepped in a multiple-read offense, but there weren’t many second-chance plays on tape and his lack of mobility will be tough to overcome versus next-level speed. His NFL projection is similar to that of Mike Glennon coming out of college.”
Misc – “One mock draft, in January, had McKee coming off the board with the No. 40 overall pick. USA Today has projected him as a fourth-round selection. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. rated McKee as the No. 10 overall QB in the 2023 draft class.”
My Comments – McKee doesn’t move very well, but I think decision-making has become one of his strengths. Everyone liked him as a passer, they just had questions about how he would fare in the NFL since he isn’t special physically in any way. McKee has definitely out-played his pre-draft expectations.
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I thought about covering some players who didn’t work out as hoped, but decided to stay positive for this post.