The naughts solidified the Eagles as Philadelphia’s team. Although they haven’t given the city that parade down Broad St. (yet), the team’s popularity is undeniable. The only people who will truly understand why we live and die with this team are those that have spent time in and around the city.
Over the course of the decade, the Eagles have gone to the playoffs 8 times, won the division 5 times, made the conference championship game 5 times, and the Super Bowl once. More importantly, they have been a model of consistency that has seen the same head coach preside over them for over ten years. They’re also a team that graduates assistants to other head coaching positions across the league, having a staff that is sought after because of their professionalism and remarkable football minds.
Franchise QB Donovan McNabb
All-Decade Team
QB: Donovan McNabb (2000–2009)
WR: DeSean Jackson (2008-2009), Terrell Owens (2004-2005)
RB: Brian Westbrook (2002-2009), Duce Staley (2000-2003)
TE: Chad Lewis (2000-2005)
OL: Jon Runyan (2000-2008), Shawn Andrews (2004-2009), Jamaal Jackson (2005-2009), Tra Thomas (2000-2008), Jermane Mayberry (2000-2004)
DL: Hugh Douglas (2000-2002, 2004), Trent Cole (2005-2009), Corey Simon (2000-2004), Mike Patterson (2005-2009)
LB: Stewart Bradley (2007-2009), Jeremiah Trotter (2000-2001, 2004-2006, 2009), Carlos Emmons (2000-2003)
CB: Sheldon Brown (2002-2009), Troy Vincent (2000-2003)
S: Brian Dawkins (2000-2008), Michael Lewis (2002-2006)
K: David Akers (2000-2009)
P: Sean Landeta (2000-2002, 2005)
KR: Brian Mitchell (2000-2002)
PR: Brian Westbrook (2002-2009)
Head Coach: Andy Reid
Defensive Coordinator: Jim Johnson
Honorable Mentions: Correll Buckhalter, Brent Celek, Lito Sheppard, Quintin Demps, Asante Samuel, Todd Herremans, Ike Reese, Quintin Mikell
Top 5 Players of the Decade
1. Donovan McNabb – He’s the franchise player that a lot of people didn’t really want, and no offense to the great Randall Cunningham, he’s the greatest quarterback that Philadelphia has ever seen and one of the greatest of the past decade in the NFL. Until he gets that Super Bowl ring, he’ll still have his doubters, but us fans with common sense know what he means to this team and city.
Dawkins during pre-game intros
2. Brian Dawkins – The emotional leader of the team for most of this decade, his presence was felt both on and off the field. His pre-game antics were legendary and his level of play was always inspired, which is why seeing him leave hurt so much. A total of 25 forced fumbles and 24 interceptions over that span is nothing to sneeze at either.
3. Brian Westbrook – This is a guy that has done it all – run the ball all over the field, catch passes at a remarkable frequency, and run back punt returns. Injuries may have slowed him down, but he’s a tough player in a tough position. From 2004 to 2008, he totaled more than 1,200 yards combined in both rushing and receiving. He had a career year in 2007 when he racked up over 2,000 yards.
4. Terrell Owens – T.O. was a narcissistic asshole (and still is), but when he was pulling down passes and fueling the Eagles run to the Super Bowl in 2004, fans didn’t care. He may have only spent parts of two seasons in Philly, but he was the only true star the Eagles had at that position this decade, at least until DeSean.
5. Jon Runyan – Runyan was born to play in Philly. He anchored the offensive line for years and played through what was surely some excruciating pain, but he loved playing football. There are few constants in life, but one of them was seeing Big Jon on the field every Sunday. He may have made just one Pro Bowl, in 2002, but his impact on the right side of the line was immense.
Plays of the Decade
1. 4th and 26 (January 11, 2004) – This is one of those plays everyone remembers where they were when this happened. After a bye week, the Eagles were facing the Packers in the divisional playoff games, and late in the 4th quarter they were down 17-14. After some penalties and a sack, the Eagles had a huge hill to climb with a 4th and 26 and no timeouts left. What happened next was something that every fan had playing in their heads, but no one expected it to happen. When McNabb threw the ball and Freddie Mitchell pulled it down, getting the first down, I couldn’t believe what I just saw. The Eagles fans crowding the NYC bar that was showing the game stared in disbelief at what had just happened, then started cheering. After several high fives and the tying field goal, we knew it would be ok. The Eagles pulled out the win in overtime, 20-17.
2. Brian Westbrook’s punt return vs. the Giants (October 19, 2003) – While returning a punt for a touchdown is special enough by itself, this return became a turning point for the team. After a dismal 2-3 start, this play sealed the win for the Eagles in the Meadowlands, who went on to win the next 9 games. They won the NFC East, got a first round bye, and made it to the NFC Championship game where the Carolina Panthers halted their fine season.
3. McNabb’s 14-second scramble vs. Cowboys (November 15, 2004) – One oft-forgotten skill of McNabb is his ability to avoid defenders in the pocket, and it was nowhere more evident than on his play against Dallas in 2004. Unable to find an open receiver and doing everything he could to avoid a sack, #5 ran back and forth for over 14 seconds until he threw the ball downfield to an open Freddie Mitchell. FredEx, who was again in the right place at the right time, caught the ball for a 60-yard reception, sealing the win against the Cowboys.
Lito Sheppard out-running the competition
4. Lito Sheppard interception + touchdown return (October 8, 2006) – Any TD against the Cowboys is a good one, but cornerback Lito Sheppard took rubbing it in to a new level with this pick. With the Eagles only up by 7 points, Dallas was inside the 10 and Drew Bledsoe fired a shot into the endzone that seemed to be on target until Lito Sheppard stepped in the way. He not only grabbed the interception, but he ran it back 102 yards for a touchdown, which sealed the game for Philly.
See video here
5. Benching McNabb vs. Ravens (November 23, 2008) – Even a franchise player can get benched, and that’s just what happened when the Eagles played the Ravens last year. By halftime, he was 8 for 18 for 59 yards and had two interceptions and a fumble. That’s a quarterback rating of just 13.2, which is absolutely terrible. The week before wasn’t much better as he threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in an overtime tie (loss) with Cincinnati.
While you can blame the running game and defense as well, the truth was that McNabb was dismal, so when halftime rolled around in Baltimore Andy Reid benched him. It was a decision that was both expected and unexpected, especially given the relationship between these two. Apparently this was what McNabb needed to light that fire under his ass. Both his, and the team’s, season turned around dramatically as they closed out the season winning all of their games but one and making the playoffs. They lost in the NFC Championship game to the Arizona Cardinals.
This low point in McNabb’s career showed him, and the Delaware Valley, that he wasn’t untouchable. Since that fateful day, McNabb has been playing to the high level we’ve all come to expect from him.
The Next Decade
With the new decade beginning, the Eagles find themselves in the playoffs again, along with the possibility of yet another NFC East title. Sunday’s match-up against the Cowboys will be a fitting way to end the season. If anything can be said about the next 10 years, it’s that the Eagles are set up for the long term. Reid will be around to at least 2013, and the coaches have an uncanny ability of knowing exactly how to build a team, frequently bringing on young talent at the right time and nurturing players with promise. Players of the past couple years, like DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, and Winston Justice are prime examples of this philosophy.
One thing’s for sure – although they can be frustrating at times, the Eagles remain a fun team to watch. Will the future bring us that long-awaited Super Bowl trophy? That’s impossible to say, but if any team is set up to do so, it’s these guys.
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