This article covers the top 10 greatest victories in Eagles' history! These wins will have you chanting E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!
The Five Best Eagles Games of All Time
The Eagles were founded in 1933 as a replacement for the Frankfurt Yellow Jackets who went bankrupt in '31. The team has since taken on a rabid fanbase of diehard fans who bleed midnight green and silver. Since the team's inception, Philadelphia has won three NFL championships in 1948, '49 and '60. They also won their first Super Bowl in 2017. The Eagles currently have a franchise record of 586-608-26, with a playoff record of 23–23.
The Eagles have played 87 seasons in the NFL, making them the eighth oldest franchise in league history. With that amount of time played, they've seen their share of wins and losses. With rivals like Dallas, Washington and New York, Philadelphia has faced off against many historic teams and have played many amazing games.
Selection Criteria
The questions that I considered in choosing and ranking the wins include:
- Was the game a championship game? If not a championship game, how important was the game to making the playoffs or a championship?
- The team's offensive or defensive dominance
- What significance did the game have on the Eagles’ franchise (for example, did it mark a turning point for the team, break any records or boost their reputation significantly)?
- Did the team's offense or defense dominate their opponent in the game?
- Did the game require an epic comeback or a dominant defensive stand?
- Was the victory was over a strong in-division rival?
5. Eagles vs. Cowboys: Week 17, 2008
The Eagles' playoff hopes rode on the outcome of the Week 17 game in 2008, and the losses of the Bears and the Buccaneers. At the time, the Cowboys were 9–6 and the Eagles were 8-6-1. Whoever lost was going home, and the Eagles weren't about to let their rival be the reason for missing the postseason.
The Eagles came into the game on fire and they never let up. By halftime, the Eagles led the Cowboys 27–3, and that was only the beginning. To start the half, the Eagles scored 14 unanswered points without even running an offensive play. The Cowboys racked up 139 yards on their first two drives of the half, but both ended in defensive touchdowns for the Eagles thanks to safety Brian Dawkins. Dawkins forced two fumbles in those two drives, one was returned for 73 yards by Chris Clemons, and one was returned 93 yards by Joselio Hanson. The game was over at that point, and the only scores the rest of the game were a single field goal from each team before the final whistle.
Playoff Outcome
Both the Buccaneers and Bears lost their games 24–31, ensuring the Eagles' place in the playoffs. The Eagles had been 5-5-1 earlier in the season, having tied the Bengals 13–13 in one of the worst games ever played. They also were defeated by the rival Giants 36–31 and were destroyed by the Ravens 36–7. To that point, fans had given up on the Eagles' playoff hopes, but they flipped a switch to end the season winning four of five games.
Impact on the Future
That Eagles team went on to defeat the Vikings in the Wildcard matchup 26–14. The following week they defeated their division rivals, the Giants, who were also the number one seed. They destroyed them 23–11. The Eagles finally lost a close NFC championship game to the Cardinals 25–32. Their historic run ended one game shy of the Super Bowl, and it was all due to an absolute routing of the Cowboys in the Week 17 win-and-you're-in situation.
Game Stats: Eagles vs. Cowboys Week 17, 2008
4. Eagles vs. Washington: Week 10, 2010
This game started before the kickoff even happened. Tensions were running high as the new leader of the Eagles, quarterback Michael Vick, faced off against the previous franchise QB Donovan McNabb. McNabb was a star QB for the Eagles, leading them to a Super Bowl and five NFC championship games in his 11 years with the team. In April of 2010, they traded McNabb to rival Washington and ended up starting Michael Vick in 12 games that year. Just hours before kickoff, Washington signed McNabb to a five-year, $78 million extension with $40 million guaranteed. Week 10 was the first time the two would face off, pinning newcomer Vick against seemingly slighted McNabb.
The Eagles scored on an 88-yard throw from Vick to DeSean Jackson on the very first play from scrimmage. That set the tone for the rest of the game—an absolute shellacking by the Eagles. The Eagles led Washington 28–0 at the end of the first quarter and 35–0 after the first play of the second quarter. Vick was absolutely on fire! He completed his first 10 passes of the game and finished 20–28 for 333 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed for 88 yards and an additional two touchdowns. Philadelphia embarrassed Washington 59–28, with most of Washington's yards and touchdowns coming in garbage time. The win put the Eagles at 6–3, tied for first in the NFC East.
In-Game Records
The Eagles set various records during the game. They were the first team since 1950 to lead 28–0 in the first quarter of a game. They also set the team record for yards in a game with 592, and points in a half with 45. Michael Vick also became the first player in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards and four touchdowns, and rush for at least 50 yards and two touchdowns in a game.
Impact on the Future
The Eagles would go on to have Vick playing the best football of his career for years, while McNabb was out of the league two years later. The game showed the fans in Philadelphia that their general manager had made the right decision to move on from McNabb and that the franchise was in good hands. The Eagles' 2010 season went down famously as one of the most exciting regular seasons in franchise history.
Game Stats: Philadelphia vs. Washington Week 10, 2010
3. Eagles vs. Packers: 1960 NFL Championship
The Eagles faced the Packers in 1960 for the NFL title in Philadelphia. It was the second and last time a championship was played in the city. Both teams were led by future Hall of Famers. The Eagles were led by quarterback Norm Van Brocklin and the Packers were led by legendary coach Vince Lombardi. The Eagles had won two championships in 1948 and '49, and Lombardi had won a championship as the offensive coordinator with the Giants in '56.
Football was beginning to take over baseball as America's pastime. The championship game seated 67,325 fans, the most ever for a championship game up until that point. With the fame of the Eagles on one side, and a budding star coach on the other, the people were enamored with what was to come.
Facing Vince Lombardi's Packers
The two teams took different approaches to the game. Lombardi and the Packers were serious and focused. It's said that their locker room was as silent as a funeral. On the other side, Van Brocklin and the Eagles were laughing and telling jokes before the game in an attempt to stay loose and diffuse the pressure.
The game began with the Eagles fumbling away two possessions, but they beat the stress of the moment by only allowing three points off the two turnovers. The Packers went on to dominate the Eagles defense, marching down the field time after time, but again and again, the Eagles stood strong when it mattered and didn't allow points. The Packers were held to two field goals in the first half. In the second quarter, the Eagles finally found their stride offensively, progressing downfield to score the game's first touchdown—a 35-yard pass from Van Brocklin to Tommy McDonald. Coupled with another field goal, the Eagles led the Packers 10–6 at halftime.
The third quarter resulted in more great defense by both teams, with neither team scoring any points in the quarter. However, in the fourth quarter, Packers quarterback Bart Starr led an 80-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown pass from Starr to Max McGee to take a late 13–10 lead.
The Eagles wouldn't quit. Ted Dean returned the following kickoff 58 yards to the Packers' 39-yard line and ultimately ran in the winning touchdown from five yards out. The Eagles led the game 17–13. The two teams each punted on their next two drives, leaving the Packers with 1:05 left to drive 65 yards and win.
Chuck Bednarik's Game-Saving Tackle
Bart Starr and the Packers drove down the field to the Eagles 22-yard line with under 30 seconds to go and the clock ticking on third down. Starr found fullback Jim Taylor, who caught the ball on the 17-yard line. Eagles linebacker Chuck Bednarik made the tackle and continued to lie on Taylor to ensure their victory. As the clock ticked away Bednarik looked at Taylor and said, "You can get up now, Taylor. This damn game's over."
This game is one of the best wins in the Eagles' history because it marks the only postseason loss of Vince Lombardi's career. Lombardi would go on to win five championships, including two Super Bowls. He finished his career with a 9–1 postseason record. After the game, Lombardi said, "Old Van completed them when Eagles needed them." Norm Van Brocklin retired after the game and went on to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
Game Stats: Eagles vs. Packers 1960 Championship
2. Eagles vs. Giants: Week 15, 2010
This game is the single most exciting game in the Eagles' franchise history! Despite being a lifelong Browns fan, this is my favorite game I've ever witnessed in my life. On Dec. 19th, 2010, the Eagles and the Giants faced off late in the season, both with playoffs in their sights. Both the Eagles and the Giants sat at 9–5. The game seemed like a typical loss, with the Eagles trailing the Giants 31–10 with only eight minutes left to play. Then the Eagles made history in a way that only Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson could.
The Miracle in the New Meadowlands
The comeback started when Vick made a pass to Jeremy Maclin to bring the Eagles to their 35-yard line. On the next play, he ripped a pass across the middle to tight end Brett Celek who blew by a missed tackle and ran 65 yards for a touchdown. The drive took just over 30 seconds, and the spark was lit. The game clock had 7:28 remaining.
On the following kickoff, the Eagles sent only 10 men onto the field instead of the usual 11. To this day, it is unknown if this was on purpose or a mistake. Regardless, the Eagles lined up in a normal kickoff formation, only to kick an onside kick that was recovered by Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper at the Eagles 43-yard line. Vick dodged a defender two plays later, escaping the defense and rushing for 37 yards until he dove forward to avoid a hit, downing the ball at the Giants' six-yard line. The following play, the Eagles called a QB draw play, allowing for Vick to run behind blockers into the end zone untouched. The score was 24–32 with just under five and a half minutes left in the game.
The Eagles kicked the ball off to the Giants. Despite the change in momentum, the Giants weren't giving up. They drove the ball 37 yards to the Eagles' 38-yard line, forcing the Eagles to use all three of their timeouts in the process. On second down, with six yards to go, the Giants committed a false start penalty, moving them back five yards. After two more plays that only pushed the ball three yards, the Giants were forced to punt. Maclin called for a fair catch, making the Eagles start their drive from their own 12-yard line. If they were going to tie the game they would have to drive the ball 88 yards with only 2:50 left on the clock.
Vick's Dual-Threat Ability
On the very first play of the drive, Vick rolled out to the left of the pocket, turning the corner, and outran two Giants defenders for a 33-yard gain. He got out of bounds at the Eagles 45-yard line. It wasn't the last time Vick would gash the Giants with his legs. A few plays later Vick took off right between the middle of the defense, weaving and dodging defenders for another big gain of 23 yards! Two plays later the Eagles lined up on the Giants' 13-yard line. Vick dropped back to pass, hitting Maclin on a hitch route to the left where he sidestepped a defender to walk into the end zone for a touchdown! With just over a minute to play the game was tied 31–31!
The Giants returned the following kick to their own 35-yard line. After two incompletions on first and second down, the Eagles went after QB Eli Manning. On third down, defensive tackle Trevor Laws sacked Manning for a seven-yard loss. The Giants ran the clock down as far as they could. Since the Eagles had no timeouts, all they could do was watch and hope to win in overtime.
The Walk-Off Punt Return
With 14 seconds remaining in the game, the Giants returned to the field to punt the ball. DeSean Jackson was back to return the punt. When the ball was snapped, the ball flew high, causing the punter to have to jump to catch it. He quickly kicked the ball, but because of the readjustment, his kick had little hangtime. Jackson immediately went to field the ball but muffed the kick. He picked it up and stepped back a few yards before bursting between a group of both Eagles and Giants players. He exploded through the defenders, turning right and heading upfield. He outran everyone, with only one Giants defender in front of him. Out of nowhere, Eagles wider receiver Jason Avant came in to block the final defender in the way, laying him out cold and allowing for Jackson to fly by untouched. As he came upon the end zone he made one final turn left, running down the one-yard line to the middle of the field before crossing the plane and running the clock out for good. The Eagles won the game in the craziest fashion possible! A walk-off punt return sealed the victory and cemented the most exciting game in the Eagles' history!
As the Eagles celebrated on the field, the TV broadcast showed Giants' coach Tom Coughlin talking to his punter saying, "I told you to kick it out of bounds!"
Game Stats: Miracle in the New Meadowlands
1. Eagles vs. Patriots: Super Bowl LII
The Eagles finished the 2017 season with a record of 13–3. Despite this, they were seen as underdogs throughout the playoffs. The season began with the Eagles boasting an elite defense and their QB Carson Wentz was an MVP candidate. Unfortunately for the Eagles, on Dec. 10th Wentz tore his ACL, ending his season. Their high hopes had been dashed in an instant, with journeyman QB Nick Foles taking over. Foles had bounced from team to team throughout his career, showing flashes of brilliance but never being consistent enough to keep a long-term job. Now he had to enter the playoffs and try to save the Eagles' season.
Nick Foles' Impact During the Playoffs
To the surprise of everyone in the league, Foles picked up right where Wentz left off. Not only did he win every game he played to finish the season, but when the playoffs did come around he threw for 598 yards and three touchdowns in his two playoff victories. The team was on their way to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2004. Their opponent was the dynasty Patriots, the same team that defeated them 14 years prior. Tom Brady led the team, attempting to win his sixth Super Bowl ring.
Super Bowl 52
The game started and the Eagles showed no fear. The first touchdown of the game came when Foles threw a 34-yard touchdown to wider receiver Alshon Jeffrey, capping off a three-play 77-yard drive. The Eagles had put full faith into Foles, letting him sling the ball and throw at will. Before the game was over, he would throw for three total touchdowns.
The second quarter brought even more surprises. With the Eagles leading 15–12 they had a chance to extend their lead. The Eagles faced a fourth down with only one yard to go from the end zone and only 38 seconds left in the half. The common decision would be to take the field goal, extend the lead to six points and end the half, but the Eagles hadn't played it safe for weeks and weren't going to start now. Foles ran to the sideline and immediately asked coach Doug Pederson, "You want Philly Philly?" Pederson didn't hesitate to send his players back in to run one last play.
The Philly Special
The team lined up with Foles and running back Corey Clement in the backfield. Foles walked towards the line, seemingly to call an audible, and the ball was snapped directly to Clement. He pitched the ball to tight end Trey Burton, who threw the ball to Foles, who was wide open on the right side of the field. The Eagles took a 22–12 lead into the half; the play was immortalized, forever known as "The Philly Special."
The game went on to be a scoring battle, with back and forth scoring that allowed the Patriots to slowly chip away the deficit. With 9:22 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Patriots took their first lead with a four-yard touchdown from Brady to tight end Rob Gronkowski. The drive took 10 plays, nearly five minutes, and drove 75 yards. It was the type of drive that Brady had orchestrated his entire career. No one expected what happened next.
Foles and Ertz's Late-Game Heroics
Foles and the Eagles came out on a mission. After two plays on the drive, the Eagles faced third down with six yards to go. Foles hit tight end Zach Ertz, for a seven-yard first-down pass. Later, on the same drive, the Eagles faced fourth down and one yard to go. After a game of chances, the Eagles decided to take one more. Foles hit Ertz again for the first down, this time with a two-yard pass to move the sticks. Foles and Ertz finished the drive off with an 11-yard touchdown pass to put the Eagles up 38–33 after they failed to convert a two-point conversion. The entire drive was methodical, taking seven minutes and one second to drive 75 yards in 14 plays. This score ultimately won the game, even with the Eagles adding another field goal before the game ended.
The Eagles won their first Super Bowl despite facing great adversity. They lost their MVP candidate QB, had to face the greatest QB of all time, Tom Brady, and executed a fake play to score a touchdown on the biggest stage. Despite Brady throwing for 505 yards, a Super Bowl record, the Eagles were able to win. The underdogs of the playoffs became champions for the first time since 1960! Because of all these factors, the Eagles' first Super Bowl victory is the greatest game in Philadelphia's history!
Game Stats: Eagles vs. Patriots Super Bowl LII
Philadelphia's Greatest Wins
With over 1,200 games, the Eagles have a large pool to choose from for the greatest games ever played. The games above are special because of their importance to the franchise, the excitement of the game and the players overcoming adversity. They include the franchise's most improbable chance of making the playoffs happening, two championships, an all-time performance of a player and the greatest comeback in franchise history. The Eagles will surely have more incredibly exciting games to come!