Got the offseason blues? Hungry for nostalgia? Need something to fill that Eagles football void while you wait for the 2022 Birds to take the field?
Ok then, let’s take a walk down memory lane and look at the top 10 Philadelphia Eagles games since 2000. The past 20+ years are filled with some of the greatest moments in franchise history, so narrowing it down to ten games was quite a challenge.
Top 10 Best Eagles Games Since 2000
10. Monday Night Beatdown: Eagles 59, Washington 28
The 2010 Michael Vick masterclass on Monday night football was exceptional. He passed for 333 yards, threw four touchdowns and rushed in for two more. Washington’s quarterback that night was former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who threw three interceptions.
For Eagles fans, it was sweet after hearing about how the team “made a mistake” by trading him to a division rival.
9. T.O. Returns With The Enemy: Eagles 38, Cowboys 24
Terrell Owens’ return to Philadelphia in 2006 is not only one of the Eagles’ top 10 games since 2000, but also up there as one of the most memorable Eagles-Cowboys match-ups of the last two decades.
After a bitter exit from the Eagles in 2005, T.O. joined the division rival Cowboys looking for revenge.
Drew Bledsoe had trouble connecting with T.O., as he would only catch three passes for 25 yards. Two passes intended for TO were intercepted by Lito Sheppard, and one of them was returned for 102 yards to seal the win for the Eagles.
Donovan McNabb would shine on the opposing end with 354 yards and 2 touchdowns, and bragging rights.
8. Win And In: Eagles 44, Cowboys 6
On the final day of the regular season in 2008, the Eagles making the postseason seemed impossible. They did not control their own destiny and needed to beat the Cowboys, have the Texans beat the Bears, and a Raiders win over the Buccaneers.
When both scenarios broke way for the Eagles by the 4:25 PM kickoff, the Eagles would dominate the Cowboys from start to finish on both sides of the football. The Eagles would go on to make the playoffs as the 6th seed in the NFC, reach the NFC championship game, but lose to the Arizona Cardinals.
7. Snow Bowl: Eagles 34, Lions 20
Two words: LeSean McCoy. We’ll never forget that snowy game in 2013 at home against Detroit when we could barely see the field for the first half. The snow appeared to be an advantage for the Lions, who led by 8 to open the 4th quarter.
The Eagles would explode with 28 points in the 4th quarter, led by a 217-yard, 2-touchdown performance by LeSean McCoy.
6. Jake Elliot’s 61 Yarder: Eagles 27, Giants 24
The Eagles were in control early on, taking a 14-0 lead. The Giants responded with 21 unanswered points and lead by 7 with 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter. After a 15-yard Corey Clement touchdown run and traded field goals by both teams, Philadelphia was at their own 38 after a Giants punt.
Carson Wentz delivered a deep pass to Alshon Jeffery on the sideline for 19 yards. Jake Elliot hit a 61-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Eagles the win. This sparked a 9-game winning streak, which ultimately put the 2017 Eagles in a prime position to win the NFC.
5. 4th And 26: Eagles 20, Packers 17
Green Bay jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The Eagles fought to be just down 17-14 late in the fourth quarter. After a Packers punt, the Eagles took over at their 20 with 2 minutes remaining.
A 22-yard Duce Staley run was wiped out by a sack of McNabb, a false start penalty and two incompletions. The Eagles were faced with a 4th down and 26 to go with 1:12 remaining.
McNabb threw a perfect pass to Freddie Mitchell (AKA: FredEx) directly at the first down marker. After another Eagles first down, David Akers made a game-tying field goal. He’d add another in overtime after a Brett Favre interception, giving the Eagles the win.
The Eagles would go on to lose to the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship game, but 4th and 26 will live on forever.
4. 2004 NFC Championship Game: Eagles 27, Falcons 10
Sure, we know how Super Bowl 39 ended. Prior to that were three straight seasons of losing in title games to the Rams, Buccaneers, and Panthers, respectively.
The 2004 title game was the ultimate “monkey off the back” game. The relentless Eagles front 7 with Jevon Kearse, Hollis Thomas, and Jeremiah Trotter held Michael Vick to just 162 total yards, after talks during the week that he would run all over the defense.
We remember Hollis Thomas smothering Michael Vick at the goal-line, and the Brian Dawkins lethal hit on Alge Crumpler. Donovan McNabb shook past title game woes, spreading the ball around to 8 different pass catchers, with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
3. Miracle At The New Meadowlands (2006): Eagles 38, Giants 31
The Giants lead 31-10 with 8 minutes left. The Eagles responded with 28 unanswered points in 7 and a half minutes. The comeback started with a 65-yard touchdown pass to Brent Celek, then an onside kick by David Akers. The Eagles then responded with back-to-back touchdowns by Michael Vick and Jeremy Maclin to tie the game.
A crucial sack on Eli Manning by defensive tackle Trevor Laws allowed enough time for an Eagles punt return. Matt Dodge punted to Desean Jackson who would return it 65 yards for the game-winning touchdown, helped by a block from Jason Avant.
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Shout out to “Miracle at the Meadowlands” (2003 – featuring Brian Westbrook)
2. 2017 NFC Championship Game: Eagles 38, Vikings 7
Eagles fans had to listen to so-called NFL experts on how the Vikings were a team of destiny. We were told this Minnesota team was too good for an underdog Eagles team with a backup QB under center.
But Eagles fans, like the players, believed.
- Case Keenum and the Minnesota offense drove right down the field, striking first with a 25-yard Kyle Rudolph touchdown.
- The Vikings were at midfield after an Eagles punt when Patrick Robinson picked off Case Keenum and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown.
- Nick Foles threw three touchdown passes to Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith.
- The Eagles’ defense held the Minnesota offense to three punts, two interceptions, two turnovers on downs, and one fumble after their initial drive.
Watching Doug Pederson getting doused in Gatorade made it all real, that the Eagles were going back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 13 years.
1. Super Bowl 52: Eagles 41, Patriots 33
Was there any question of what was number one? When it comes to the Eagles’ top 10 games since 2000, one game in particular better stick out in every Philly fan’s mind.
Super Bowl 52 will forever live in our hearts as the greatest game in Philadelphia Eagles history, the perfect finale to the 2017 season. It broke a 58-year championship drought.
It was a true David VS Goliath story, beating the greatest QB of all time, Tom Brady, in his best all-time Super Bowl performance.
The game featured unbelievable plays like:
- The Philly Special
- Brandon Graham’s strip-sack
- Zach Ertz & Corey Clement’s acrobatic touchdowns.
It cemented Nick Foles and Doug Pederson as Philadelphia sports heroes and proved to an entire city that anything is possible.
Here’s to the next two decades of greatness, Philadelphia Eagles fans.
