The Philadelphia Eagles have had a lot of ups and downs throughout their history but for the most part, the ups have outnumbered the downs. From the Miracle at the New Meadowlands to winning a Super Bowl, the Eagles have had a lot of great moments in their history, but which are the best?
Let's rank the five greatest moments in Eagles history.
5. 4th and 26
In the 2003 playoffs, the Eagles looked like they were going to be bounced out early. After an opening-round win in the playoffs, the top-ranked Eagles faced off against the Green Bay Packers. The Eagles were down by three points and facing a 4th and 26 with 1:12 remaining and zero timeouts. If the Eagles failed to convert, their season would be over.
On the play, quarterback Donovan McNabb found Freddie Mitchell on a slant route. There was a lot of criticism for the defense the Packers played, but the Eagles still converted, resulting in a first down. They later forced overtime where David Akers kicked the game-winning field goal.
4. Steve Van Buren clinches the Eagles first NFL Title
Steve Van Buren played for the Eagles from 1944 to 1951 and was one of the best running backs in Philadelphia history. In two regular seasons, he rushed for over 1,000 yards, but his most important impact came during the playoffs.
The 1948 NFL Championship game was played between the Eagles and Chicago Cardinals at a snowy Shibe Park. The entire game was played in a blizzard so points were hard to come by. With under five minutes to play, Van Buren found the end zone to clinch the victory. Van Buren finished that game rushing 26 times for 98 yards and a touchdown.
3. Chuck Bednarik stops the Green Bay Packers
The Eagles and Packers faced off in the 1960 NFL Championship. The Eagles were ahead 17-13 in the fourth quarter, but quarterback Bart Starr was leading the Packers down the field with the hopes of winning the title. Starr hit Jim Taylor in stride with a pass. It was a last-ditch effort and Taylor beat Eagles defenders. The last line of defense was Bednarik, who slammed Taylor to the ground.
The clock ran out on the Packers and the Eagles won their third NFL Championship in history. The Championship was important, especially considering how long of drought the team had until they won another championship.
2. DeSean Jackson
The greatest single play in Eagles history came on December 19, 2010 against the New York Giants. With eight minutes left to go in the game the Eagles were trailing the Giants by 21 points. The Giants scored 21 unanswered points before the final punt, which is one of the most shocking plays in NFL history.
With just a few seconds left before overtime most believed Giants punter Matt Dodge would kick the ball out of bounds, but instead he kicked it to DeSean Jackson, one of the most dangerous punt returners in all of football. Jackson took the punt and returned it all the way to the end zone to lock up the improbable victory over their rival. The play is now referred to as The Miracle at the New Meadowlands.
1. Eagles win first Super Bowl
The Eagles won NFL Championships but their fans grew very weary of their decades without a Super Bowl championship. There were many teams who looked like they had the talent but couldn't make enough plays in the big games to come away with a victory. In Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots, that all changed.
At halftime, the Eagles were up, 22-12, and even though the Patriots made a run in the third quarter, the Eagles scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. The Eagles allowed 613 yards in the game, the most ever allowed in a Super Bowl, but the offense made up for the struggles on that side of the ball. That game also included another iconic Philadelphia play, the Philly Special, in which then-Eagles quarterback Nick Foles caught a touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton.
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