The Reid era (1999-2012) History of the Philadelphia Eagles

1 reid era (1999-2012)

1.1 1999-2012
1.2 2003
1.3 2004 super bowl run

1.3.1 4th championship appearance
1.3.2 super bowl xxxix


1.4 2005
1.5 2006
1.6 2007
1.7 2008
1.8 2009
1.9 2010
1.10 2011: dream team
1.11 2012: end of reid era
1.12 chip kelly era (2013- 2015)
1.13 doug pederson era (2016-present)
1.14 carson wentz era

the reid era (1999-2012)
1999-2012

resurgence come under leadership of new head coach andy reid, began drafting syracuse qb donovan mcnabb #2 pick in 1999 draft (the eagles have had #1 pick, awarded rebooted cleveland browns). despite clearing roster space new talent releasing unpopular, aging veterans (such watters , irving fryar), reid still virtual unknown @ time of selection head coach, , appointment met considerable skepticism in philadelphia. mcnabb not considered choice draft eagles fans. when drafted, many eagles fans booed selection, believing eagles should draft ricky williams. choices proved wise, however: reid leading way , mcnabb emerging 1 of game s great players. however, 1999 rebuilding year , eagles won 5 games , game attendance still looking stale 2 home games not sold out - resulting in local tv blackouts- while other 6 sold out due several small business owners purchasing remainder of unsold tickets spare tv viewers. week 5 game, on sunday, october 10, 1999, in philadelphia, pennsylvania, saw dallas wr michael irvin suffer career-ending spinal injury eagles fans stood , cheered lay on field. tv commentators expressed disgust @ behavior. 2000 season saw team go 11-5, reaching playoffs wildcard rejuvenated fan base , optimism. after brushing aside tampa bay buccaneers 21-3, eagles moved second round of playoffs, lose 20-10 game against giants.

andy reid brought in coach eagles in 1999.

the 2000 regular season opener in dallas (september 3), became known in nfl lore pickle juice game . kickoff temperature in texas stadium 109 degrees fahrenheit , soared 120, making hottest game in league history, beating previous record set during 1997 cowboys-cardinals match in arizona. nickname came because eagles trainer had been preparing projected high temperatures having players drink juice jars of dill pickles in order retain body moisture , stave off cramps , heat exhaustion. experiment proved success cowboys lost game 44-14 , had multiple players benched inability handle brutal temperatures (the eagles had no players benched). game had significance because marked beginning of philadelphia s domination of nfc east , end of cowboys dominance.

brian dawkins in 2007.

after compiling 11-5 record in 2001, eagles reached playoffs again, time @ top of division. in near-rerun of previous year, disposed of buccaneers in 31-9 game. in second round, eagles defeated bears 33-19 @ soldier field. reaching nfc championship game, unable stop st. louis rams, defeated them 29-24

despite injuries, mcnabb led eagles 12-4 season in 2002. once again, reached nfc championship, lost @ home 27-10 eventual super bowl champion tampa bay buccaneers in last game @ veterans stadium.

2003

the 2003 team lost first 2 games, both @ new home. in opening game of 2003 season, eagles shut out 17-0 tampa bay buccaneers in first regular-season game ever played @ lincoln financial field. once again, team went 12-4 season. reaching conference championship game in same year defeat, became first team in modern history far in postseason after having been shut out @ home in first game. achieved distinction despite getting 5 touchdown catches year wide receivers, tied league low since regular-season schedule lengthened present 16 games in 1978 (this record broken in 2004 when new york giants wide receivers caught 2 touchdown passes). eagle receivers went through both september , october without td catch — last time nfl team had done in 1945.

2004 super bowl run

the eagles actively pursued premier wide receiver terrell owens, , acquired him in controversial three-way deal baltimore ravens , san francisco 49ers, on march 16, 2004. owens feud mcnabb, , released eagles after 2005 season.

terrell owens spent 2 controversial years philadelphia eagles.



donovan mcnabb in 2004.

the 2004 season began bang owens caught 3 touchdown passes mcnabb in season opener against new york giants. owens end 1,200 receiving yards , 14 touchdown receptions, although season ended prematurely ankle injury on december 19, 2005 against dallas cowboys. 12-7 victory in game gave them home field advantage throughout conference playoffs third year in row. [this distinction includes bye in first round (also known wild card round) of playoffs, top 2 teams in each conference receive.] eagles tied record clinching nfc east division crown (their fourth straight such title) after eleventh game of season, matching mark set 1985 chicago bears , 1997 san francisco 49ers. final 2 regular-season games rendered meaningless, eagles sat out of first-string players in these games , lost them both, yet still finished 13-3 record, best 16-game season ever. mcnabb had finest season date, passing 3,875 yards , 31 touchdowns, 8 interceptions. made him first quarterback in nfl history throw 30 or more td passes , fewer 10 interceptions in single regular season. began playoff run divisional round @ home against sixth-seeded minnesota vikings. eagles led start , never looked back, mcnabb led efficient passing attack (21 of 33 286 yards , 2 tds), brian westbrook dominated on ground 70 rushing yards, , freddie mitchell performed on receiving corps (5 receptions 65 yards , td), philadelphia won 27-14, setting fourth-straight nfc championship appearance.

the eagles futility in conference championship games had become notorious. in 2002, eagles had fallen in nfc championship game against rams in st. louis, 29-24. in 2003, eagles hosted tampa bay buccaneers @ veterans stadium , viewed overwhelming favorites—this view no doubt accentuated expected emotional boost many anticipated power team, given game last @ vet. after promising start, however, game slipped away, , ensuing 27-10 loss devastated fan base had become accustomed disappointment. in 2004, banged-up eagles squad managed overcome numerous injuries, particularly defense, reach nfc championship third year in row, suffer heartbreaking 14-3 loss against carolina panthers.

4th championship appearance

on january 23, 2005, eagles reached fourth consecutive conference championship game (the first time happened in salary cap era of nfl). @ long last, eagles justified hopes of long-suffering fan base, defeating michael vick s much-hyped atlanta falcons, 27-10, sending them first super bowl in 24 years. victory sent city of philadelphia wild celebrations.

super bowl xxxix

with 2 super bowl wins under belt, defending champion new england patriots heavily favored. mcnabb had great game 357 yards , 3 touchdowns, threw 3 interceptions. terell owens returned despite injury, , caught 122 yards on 9 catches. game defensive struggle through third quarter, in fourth, patriots took lead, eagles trailing ten points. game struggle left exhausted, , best efforts, mcnabb scored 1 touchdown, not team within field goal range on final drive. picked off in closing seconds of game. final score 24-21, , patriots had won third super bowl in 4 years.

2005

the defending nfc champions did not fare next year. 2005 season began in strange , erratic fashion 14-10 road loss atlanta falcons on monday night football, game in donovan mcnabb suffered chest bruise. in addition, eagles linebacker jeremiah trotter ejected prior kick-off getting involved in altercation falcons cornerback kevin mathis. in week 2 home opener in philadelphia, eagles defeated san francisco 49ers in rout 42-3; however, mcnabb diagnosed sports hernia following game. weeks 3 , 4 saw eagles struggle still manage defeat oakland raiders (23-20) , mount stunning comeback 18-point deficit defeat kansas city chiefs @ arrowhead stadium (37-31). in week 5, eagles manhandled dallas cowboys in texas stadium, losing 23 points (33-10). following bye week, eagles pulled off miraculous 20-17 win against san diego chargers when cornerback matt ware returned blocked field goal touchdown in fourth quarter. fans hoped play “wake up” eagles , save season similar brian westbrook s fourth quarter punt return against new york giants in 2003. however, in next week, eagles unable stop running , passing attack of denver broncos, losing 49-21.

week after week, andy reid had come under criticism eagles lack of dedication running game , overworking injured donovan mcnabb, on pace break records all-time passing attempts , completions. eagles had allowed behind in first quarters of games, end fighting behind in remaining quarters. analysts speculated eagles problems due not finding replacements former defensive linemen corey simon , derrick burgess, poor pass rush, poor special teams, , contract disputes brian westbrook , terrell owens, along owens virtually weekly controversies. had been hindered injuries mcnabb, correll buckhalter, todd pinkston, lito sheppard, dirk johnson, , david akers.

brian westbrook not solid eagles runningback, receiving threat out of backfield.



lito sheppard signing autographs in 2005.

on november 4, 2005, on espn, terrell owens criticized eagles front office not recognizing 100th touchdown catch. agreed michael irvin s statement eagles undefeated had brett favre been quarterback. despite owens s apology next day front office (but not mcnabb), suspended indefinitely. there reports got fist fight hugh douglas , challenged other players in locker room contributed suspension. @ andy reid s press conference after washington loss, announced t.o. no longer playing year eagles due conduct detrimental team.

things got worse eagles. lost sunday night match-up division rival, washington redskins 17-10. then, when went home , played rematch much-hated rival, cowboys, on monday night football, late game interception roy williams sealed doom. not did lose 21-20, suffering donovan mcnabb got shoved ground, worsening sports hernia , ending season.

on november 20, former detroit quarterback mike mcmahon named eagles starter. however, wild gun passing didn t phase giants, eagles went down again 27-17. then, on november 21 donovan mcnabb announced undergo surgery sports hernia. eagles finish season without @ least 8 of projected starters heading season, including pinkston, hank fraley, dirk johnson, , pro bowlers mcnabb, brian westbrook, lito sheppard, tra thomas, , exiled owens.

their next-to-last win of season came week later against injury-ravaged green bay packers 19-14. @ home game on december 5, on monday night football, eagles retired #92, had belonged late reggie white. unfortunately, got shut out nfc west , eventual nfc champion seattle seahawks 42-0. afterwards, lost giants @ home 26-2. last win of season came on road against st. louis rams 17-16. lost last 2 games of season arizona cardinals on road 27-21 , @ home wild card washington redskins 31-20. ended 2005 season @ 6-10, marked first time since 1999 eagles failed make playoffs.

after expectations of return super bowl, appeared eagles have retool in 2006 off-season make run vince lombardi trophy.

2006

in 2006, eagles started off hot, beating houston texans in houston 24-10. , kept streak going, jumping 24-7 lead against giants before losing 30-24 in overtime. won next 2 games easily, beating 49ers in san francisco , returning home limit brett favre s packers 3 field goals. birds 3-1 record set stage terrell owens return philadelphia.

owens return philadelphia being promoted fox game of year . game had more @ stake, because winner take lead in nfc east. owens received boos , jokes accidental overdose sell-out crowd. lito sheppard s game-winning interception touchdown sealed game eagles, 38-24.

mcnabb s season considered 1 of finest in eagles history , career. after win against owens cowboys, faced upstart new orleans saints, critics claiming winner nfc favorite. eagles ended losing 27-24 on last second field goal. next week @ tampa, eagles once again lose on last second field goal. time field goal improbable 62 yarder matt bryant - second longest in nfl history.

jeff garcia played eagles in 2006. threw 10 touchdowns , 2 interceptions.

one week before bye, eagles faced jacksonville jaguars , failed score touchdown in 13-6 loss. after bye, routed redskins, not kept reid/mcnabb perfect after bye week, put them on track after 3 consecutive losses. birds on roll going match vince young s titans, dominated throughout game, losing 31-13. bigger loss donovan mcnabb - injured second straight year.

with donovan mcnabb going down injury, eagles called on jeff garcia lead team. move highly unpopular one, because fans believed a.j. feeley best bet. after falling peyton manning s indianapolis colts, eagles record stood @ 5-6, , did not appear in playoff contention.

however, garcia led team improbable five-game winning streak, included three-game nfc east road trip , christmas showdown in dallas. eagles finished season 10-6, lost tie-breaker saints, meaning third seed.

the eagles won home wild card game against giants 23-20, on david akers field goal. game officially sent tiki barber retirement. divisional playoff game week 6 rematch against saints. eagles lost same score in regular season: 27-24. andy reid made controversial decision punt less 2 minutes remaining.

2007

2007 marked eagles 75th season. mcnabb delivered average performances, , missed 3 games due injury. team achieved 8-8 record , missed playoffs.

kevin kolb spent time eagles starting quarterback 2007-2010.


2008

the beginning of 2008 presented opportunity eagles. donovan mcnabb got start season, brian westbrook ran many touchdowns, , rookie receiver desean jackson became important figure in eagles passing game. however, eagles went against 1-8 bengals in week 10 , mcnabb played horribly, throwing consistent interceptions , leading eagles ten-point deficit @ half. despite being able score ten points, game went overtime. bengals missed field goal led eagles ball, mcnabb s hail mary deflected seconds left in overtime, , game ended in 13-13 tie, first since 2002. mcnabb sparked controversy admitting unaware nfl game end in tie.

against baltimore, things worse. @ halftime, due bad performance, mcnabb benched. however, eagles needed him, , show. backup, kevin kolb, managed eagles baltimore two-yard line; threw interception in end zone returned ed reed record 107-yard touchdown.

by time, obvious eagles needed quarterback next week s match-up against arizona cardinals, first time in several decades seemed poised win division. game scheduled thanksgiving night, , decision made start donovan mcnabb, if played did in last couple of weeks, benched season. mcnabb surprised , lead eagles perhaps 1 of greatest games in franchise history, 48-21 blowout in mcnabb threw 4 touchdowns. eagles went on three-game win streak following cardinals victory wins on giants , browns. eagles lost mediocre @ best redskins team, 10-3 , putting post season prospects in serious doubt.

however, eagles able run on dallas cowboys 44-6 on december 28, 2008 , advanced playoffs. eagles defeated minnesota vikings 26-14 in first round of playoffs on january 4, 2009. defeated division rival , defending super bowl champions new york giants 23-11 in nfc divisional round advance fifth nfc championship game in 9 years. third time in decade, all-pennsylvania super bowl seemed possible, pittsburgh steelers won afc championship against baltimore ravens. however, eagles lost 32-25 arizona cardinals.

2009

in august, team stirred controversy signing ex-falcons quarterback michael vick, had been released prison federal dogfighting charges. on regular season opener against carolina, mcnabb sustained broken rib , sat out next 2 games, kevin kolb taking place starter. afterwards, philadelphia endured bad loss new orleans, beat kansas city following week. mcnabb returned, , vick began playing (as had been barred first 2 games). got off slow start , used sparingly of season. after 13-9 loss in oakland, eagles defeated redskins 27-17 on monday night football. during game, running brian westbrook suffered severe concussion , knocked unconscious. returned play in week 10 game against san diego, felled second concussion. afterwards, philadelphia went on five-game winning streak , clinching playoff berth after defeating broncos in week 16, marked brian westbrook s return action after absence of 5 weeks. however, season ended whimper, shut out resurgent cowboys squad following week. put dallas @ top of nfc east , giving eagles wild card spot. 2 teams had play again following week, philadelphia went down defeat second time, score being 34-14.

2010

eagles defensive tackle antonio dixon tackles chris johnson of tennessee titans, october 24, 2010.

on january 11, 2010, general manager tom heckert hired cleveland browns in same role. replaced howie roseman, promoted vice president of player personnel. on february 23, 2010 eagles released starting running brian westbrook, eagles all-time leader in yards scrimmage 9,785 yards.

a bigger surprise came on easter sunday, when team traded quarterback donovan mcnabb division rival washington redskins second-round (37th overall) pick in 2010 nfl draft, , third- or fourth-round pick in 2011 nfl draft. kevin kolb named team s starting quarterback.

the kolb era did not begin on positive note eagles donned throwback kelly green jerseys , hosted green bay packers in opening game both teams performed poorly in first half, although partially because of weather conditions , damaged turf in lincoln financial field. kolb thrown ground packers linebacker clay matthews , forced sit out game after determined suffered concussion. 5 other packers , eagles players injured in game. michael vick replaced kolb, packers ended winning game, 27-20, packers first win in philadelphia since 1962 , first-ever win on lincoln financial field.

desean jackson valuable receiver , returner eagles.

with vick taking on starter, eagles traveled , defeated detroit lions 35-32 in week 2 vick s impressive performance in team s offense. although kolb presumed starter after recovered injury, andy reid named vick starting quarterback instead. team traveled jacksonville. vick scored 4 touchdowns (three passing , 1 rushing) , no interceptions in 28-3 rout of jaguars.

week 4 saw return of mcnabb philadelphia. given warm reception, , redskins got touchdown in first quarter. after that, both offenses sputtered , eagles had settle 2 field goals. things rapidly fell apart when vick injured late in first quarter chest , rib injuries suffered when 2 redskins defensive backs crushed him both sides while running near endzone. kolb once again brought out starter, delivered uninspired performance. did manage touchdown pass in fourth quarter, little late. two-point conversion attempt after touchdown failed, , washington won 16-12. afterward, vick diagnosed cracked cartilage , forced sit out @ least 1 game.

michael vick took on starting quarterback spot.

with kolb starting, eagles headed san francisco sunday night football match against 0-4 49ers. kolb passed 253 yards , 1 touchdown lead team 27-24 victory. philadelphia won first home game in week 6 overpowering falcons 31-17. kolb continued improve, passing 326 yards, 3 touchdown passes, , 1 interception. however, not able sustain momentum in week 8 game against tennessee, throwing 2 interceptions , 1 touchdown. eagles lost 37-19 enter bye week @ 4-3 ,and once again vick brought out starter prior hosting indianapolis in week 10. game proved intense, highly physical contest vick scored 2 touchdowns (one passing , 1 rushing) , philadelphia overcame stubborn resistance colts win 27-24. afterwards, eagles headed washington, where, second year in row, faced redskins on monday night football. philadelphia marched out 2 touchdowns in first quarter, putting them @ 14-0 within 5 minutes. second quarter, had scored two, leading 28 points. 4 more touchdowns followed in 59-28 blowout of washington. in all, there 8 (four passing, 3 rushing, , 1 interception return), 6 of michael vick, had 333 passing , 80 rushing yards 1 of finest performances of career.

for third season in row, eagles traveled chicago, team michael vick had career 0-4 record against. time no different bears defense slowed him down win 31-26. vick threw first interception of season. eagles rebounded thursday game against houston. despite winning 34-24, philadelphia s defense turned in relatively mediocre performance, may have had fact team had played 4 games in 17-day stretch.

on sunday night in week 14, eagles headed dallas game arch-rivals. however, cowboys considerably weaker team when defeated philadelphia 3 times in 2009. qb tony romo out of commission injury, had had head coach wade phillips fired halfway through season, , barely clinging life @ 4-9. michael vick delivered average performance, although 1 of game s highlights 90-yard td pass desean jackson. although andy reid had gained reputation pass-happy coach, eagles scoring based on run plays , long field goals. despite close game, prevailed 30-27 , eliminated dallas playoff contention.

in week 15, eagles beat new york in shocking upset overcoming 21-point deficit in second half. in closing seconds of game, desean jackson returned punt 65 yards touchdown win 38-31. became known miracle @ new meadowlands. after locking first division title in 4 years, eagles played surprisingly bad game against minnesota , lost. team lost meaningless season ender against dallas before preparing host green bay again in wild card round of playoffs. despite playing packers hard, philadelphia s first home playoff game since 2006 ended in defeat 21-16 vick threw hail mary interception in closing minute of 4th quarter. pro bowler david akers, had 1 of best seasons ever kicker, contributed loss having rare poor game going 1 3, missing 34 & 41 yards.

lesean mccoy in 2011.


2011: dream team

the off-season marred lockout began in march after nfl s collective bargaining agreement expired, making practices, trades, , free agency impossible. during draft, eagles did comparatively little. after lockout ended in july, team embarked on rash of high-profile fa signings, including raiders cb nnamdi asomugha, dolphins rb ronnie brown, giants wr steve smith, packers te donald lee, titans de jason babin, packers dt cullen jenkins, , cardinals cb dominique rodgers-cromartie. meanwhile, kevin kolb, displeased @ losing starting qb job michael vick in 2010, traded arizona cromartie. replacing him 2nd-stringer ex-titans qb vince young. vince young made lot of hype calling philadelphia dream team .

although eagles won 2011 opener in st. louis, dream team failed deliver michael vick fell victim injuries , turnovers. eagles lost 4 straight games. vince young taking over, philadelphia beat washington redskins @ last in week 6. in week 8, vick returned crush cowboys @ home 34-7. after further losses chicago , arizona, eagles beat new york giants , fell new england , seattle before winning final 4 matches , finishing 8-8.

2012: end of reid era

the eagles entered 2012 strong hopes after winning last 4 games of last season. when team started 3-1, including 24-23 victory on eventual super bowl champion baltimore ravens, fans thinking playoffs, super bowl. however, these hopes came crashing halt team lost next 8 , 11 of next 12 finish 4-12, worst record since 1998. eagles proceeded fire andy reid, longest-tenured , winningest coach in team history. reid later join kansas city chiefs head coach.

the chip kelly era (2013- 2015)

after firing of andy reid, chip kelly named head coach of philadelphia eagles on january 16, 2013 after successful four-year reign manning sidelines @ university of oregon. kelly known tempo approach football helped him make university of oregon premier college organization. many questioned if methods work in nfl, , met skepticism fans of philadelphia.

in first season in professional football, kelly produced 10-6 record , nfc east championship, becoming second head coach in league history win division title in first season in nfl. along way, eagles set plethora of team records, including points (442), total net yards (6,676), touchdowns (53), passing yards (4,406) , fewest turnovers (19). eagles set nfl record 99 plays of 20+ yards , became first team since 1991 buffalo bills lead league in rushing while ranking last in time of possession. individually, rb lesean mccoy set franchise record rushing yards , scrimmage yards in season in 2013, while qb nick foles had 3rd best qb rating in nfl history in 2013. in 2014, qb mark sanchez set team record 64.1 completion percentage.

the doug pederson era (2016-present)
carson wentz era

after chip kelly, doug pederson announced head coach on january 18 2016, first nfl head coaching job. in first season, went 7-9-0, last in nfc east. eagles drafted north dakota state quarterback carson wentz second overall in 2016 nfl draft.