2004 Philadelphia Eagles season

With two home wins under their belt, the Eagles played their first away game of the year at Ford Field against the lowly Detroit Lions. The Eagles broke through in the middle of the first quarter when Donovan McNabb arced a 48-yard bomb to third receiver Freddie Mitchell setting up a first and goal. McNabb finished the drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak. After recovering a Detroit fumble, McNabb hit Terrell Owens in stride for a 29-yard score. The next touchdown was scored by long-snapper/tight end Mike Bartrum on a 1-yard pass, his first touchdown since 2001, making it 21-0 Eagles. Emerging Detroit receiver Roy Williams had two touchdown receptions over the rest of the game, but three second half field goals by David Akers kept the score a lopsided 30-13. McNabb had 356 passing yards, with Owens owning 107 of those yards.

Week 4: at Chicago Bears

After five relatively easy wins, the Eagles were drawn into a dogfight against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns were led by quarterback Jeff Garcia, who was called a homosexual by his former teammate - Terrell Owens. The Eagles roared to an early lead when Donovan McNabb completed a 65-yard bomb to Todd Pinkston before a 10-yard strike to veteran tight end Chad Lewis. Cleveland answered the Eagles with a touchdown, but McNabb struck quickly again on his next possession by tossing a 39-yard touchdown to Owens, who fired the football at a Cleveland fan's sign accusing him of having body odor. After a Browns field goal, McNabb found Owens again, this time for 40 yards, and this time with Owens pulling down a sign which implied he was a homosexual. The Eagles were up 21-10, but the Browns did not quit, scoring before the half ended on a Lee Suggs touchdown and after the half on a Garcia touchdown pass to Steve Heiden. Suddenly, the Browns were leading 24-21, the first time the Eagles had trailed in the second half all season. Early in the fourth, McNabb found L.J. Smith in the end zone to retake the lead and after Cleveland fumbled the kickoff, David Akers booted a 38-yarder to make it 31-24. However, the resilient Garcia rushed it into the end zone himself with less than a minute left in regulation, sending the game into overtime. In the overtime, both teams punted before the Eagles, helped by a 28-yard McNabb scramble, got into field goal range. With five minutes left in the overtime, Akers barely cleared the uprights on a 50-yard game-winning kick. McNabb had 376 passing yards and four touchdowns, while Owens and Pinkston each collected over 100 receiving yards. The Eagles went to 6-0 and continued to pull away from the rest of the conference.

Week 8: vs. Baltimore Ravens

In a Monday Night Football game that is probably more remembered for a controversial pre-game promotion featuring Terrell Owens and Desperate Housewives actress Nicollette Sheridan, the Eagles avenged their loss to the Steelers by throttling the Dallas Cowboys in Texas Stadium 49-21. On the first play of their third possession, Donovan McNabb completed a pass over the middle to Owens. The two nearest Cowboy defenders ran into each other, freeing Owens to run for a 59-yard touchdown. A muffed punt put the Eagles in position to score their second touchdown on a 4-yard run by Dorsey Levens in the second quarter. A touchdown reception by Dallas tight end Jason Witten cut the Philadelphia lead to 14-7 as the game turned into a shootout. McNabb completed another touchdown to Owens, and then a 59-yarder to Todd Pinkston for Pinkston's first score of the season. Cowboys quarterback Vinny Testaverde found Witten again a few minutes later, making it 28-14 Philadelphia. On the next Eagles' possession, McNabb, in a famous play, scrambled for a record 14.1 seconds before launching a 60-yard bomb to Freddie Mitchell. The drive ended in a 1-yard Brian Westbrook run, padding the Eagles' lead to 35-14. Dallas running back Eddie George scored on the Cowboys' first possession of the third quarter, keeping Dallas in the game. But they would not score again, while McNabb and Owens hooked up for another touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Lito Sheppard intercepted Testaverde in the end zone and went the distance, returning the pick 101 yards for a touchdown as he outran Cowboy receiver Keyshawn Johnson. Owens had his biggest game as an Eagle, catching six passes for 134 yards and three touchdowns. McNabb's equally fantastic season continued with 345 passing yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The Eagles went to 8-1, with a division title already in sight.

Week 11: vs. Washington Redskins

The Eagles turned in perhaps their best performance of the entire season when the 7-4 Green Bay Packers, who had won six straight, travelled to Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles offense completely gashed the Packers' defense, and Brett Favre could do nothing with the stubborn Eagles' defense. Donovan McNabb continued his hot streak from the previous week's win against the Giants. Having completed his last 10 pass attempts of that game, and his first 14 attempts against the Packers, McNabb became the sole owner of the record for most consecutive passes complete - with 24 over two games. In the first quarter, Terrell Owens broke a tackle and raced away for a 41-yard touchdown. In the second quarter, Donovan McNabb fed Brian Westbrook a short pass that Westbrook took in a for a score. On the next series, Westbrook lined up in the slot and beat the coverage as he reeled in a 41-yard touchdown reception. McNabb gave L.J. Smith a turn on the next possession, completing a 6-yard touchdown to him. Dexter Wynn made a big punt return later in the quarter, leading to McNabb finding Westbrook over the middle. It was Westbrook's third touchdown of the quarter, and McNabb's fifth of the half - and the Eagles were leading the Packers 35-0 with time left in second quarter. Green Bay got a field goal before halftime. However, long completions by McNabb to Owens and Westbrook led to three third quarter field goals by David Akers. A 45-yard run by Dorsey Levens set up Akers' fourth field goal at the start of the final quarter, which made it 47-3. Packers' backup quarterback Craig Nall led Green Bay to two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, long after the Eagles had called off the dogs. The win was an example of just how good the Eagles were. The Packers won their division that season, but were totally dismantled by Philadelphia. The Eagles offense clicked on all cylinders, with McNabb recording five touchdowns passes and a team-record 464 passing yards. Owens and Westbrook both had over 150 receiving yards. Meanwhile, the Eagles defense registered five sacks and held the Packers' offense to three points while the starters remained in. The win put the Eagles at 11-1 and proved conclusively that they were light years ahead of the rest of the conference.

Week 14: at Washington Redskins

With nothing left to play for until the playoffs and in the wake of the disastrous injury to Terrell Owens, Eagles' head coach Andy Reid decided to only play his starters for one series in a Monday Night Football game against the St. Louis Rams. The Rams ran ten rushing plays, split between Steven Jackson and Marshall Faulk, in the opening drive as they scored a touchdown. The Eagles offense, also playing without Brian Westbrook who was a healthy scratch, efficiently marched down the field, with Freddie Mitchell, who was now a starter, receiving a 7-yard touchdown pass from McNabb. At that point, most of the Eagles' starters left the game. The second-string Philadelphia defense limited a St. Louis team that needed the game to help secure a playoff spot. The Rams offense only scored 20 points, but backup quarterbacks Koy Detmer and Jeff Blake could do little to score on St. Louis.

Week 17: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Eagles hoped that the fourth time would be a charm for them against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game after losing the past three title games. The game would be played in post-blizzard, 17-degree weather, with swirling frigid winds nearing 30 MPH. Atlanta had gone 11-5 over the year, and were the second best team in the conference, behind Philadelphia. Atlanta's quarterback and star player Michael Vick would basically be the Falcons' main hope of upsetting the Eagles. He tried to run twice on the opening drive, but the Eagles' defense, using a mush rush, stopped him both times. Later in the quarter, Brian Westbrook broke a 36-yard run to the right side, followed by a completion to L.J. Smith for 21 yards. Dorsey Levens, with some help from his teammates, pushed his way in for a 4-yard touchdown, giving Philadelphia a 7-0 lead. Atlanta took the ball back and began a long drive, which featured many Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett rushes, that took them to first and goal from the Eagles' two-yard line. Duckett was stuffed on first down, Vick threw incomplete on second, then looked to have room to run on third, but big Hollis Thomas emerged and leveled Vick at the 3-yard line. The Falcons settled for a field goal, making it 7-3.

The Eagles moved towards the end zone again, the big blow coming when Greg Lewis came back and hauled in a 45-yard pass from Donovan McNabb, setting up first and goal from the Falcons' four yard line. Two plays later, McNabb passed in the corner of the end zone to veteran tight end Chad Lewis, with Lewis catching the pass while making a spectacular effort to stay in bounds. On Atlanta's next possession, in the middle of the second quarter, Vick went deep over the middle for tight end Alge Crumpler, who made the catch but was absolutely crushed by safety Brian Dawkins on the play. Dunn went in for the 10-yard score on the next play and it was 14-10 Eagles. Philadelphia took the kickoff in the third quarter and marched down the field, setting up a 31-yard field goal by David Akers in the wind. Defensive end Derrick Burgess had his first of two sacks on Vick to kill Atlanta's next drive. Later in the quarter, a low pass by Vick was intercepted by Dawkins, leading to another Akers field goal and increasing the Eagles' advantage to 20-10.

As the game moved into the fourth quarter and Atlanta's passing offense could do little against the Philadelphia secondary, a Super Bowl berth looked more and more likely. A six-and-a-half minute drive that ended in another short Chad Lewis touchdown reception kicked off the celebration in Philadelphia. Victorious by a score of 27-10, the Eagles were NFC Champions for the first time since 1980. McNabb threw for a modest 180 yards in the windy weather, but had two touchdowns and no interceptions. Westbrook came up with 96 yards on the ground, while Chad Lewis made two critical touchdown receptions. It was later learned that Lewis broke his ankle on the second touchdown catch, and he would be left off the Super Bowl roster. Meanwhile, the defense held Vick to 136 passing yards and 26 rushing yards, and kept Atlanta off the scoreboard in the second half.

Super Bowl XXXIX: vs. New England Patriots

In their first Super Bowl appearance since Super Bowl XV, the Eagles met the New England Patriots at ALLTEL Stadium in Jacksonville. The Patriots, led by the unflappable Tom Brady had won two of the past three Super Bowls and a win against the Eagles would likely lead to "dynasty status". They had cruised to a 14-2 regular season record, and taken down the Indianapolis Colts and 15-1 Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC playoffs. Meanwhile the Eagles, considered heavy underdogs, had star wide receiver Terrell Owens miraculously returning, against doctor's orders, from injury.

A third-down sack and subsequent fumble by Donovan McNabb on the Eagles' first possession nearly led to a turnover in Eagles' territory, but Andy Reid challenged the play and the Eagles were able to punt. Both offenses struggled in general until McNabb hit Owens on a 30-yard catch and run to inside the New England 10-yard line. Unfortunately, Patriot safety Rodney Harrison picked off McNabb's pass to the end zone. After a New England punt, the Eagles had good field position, but L.J. Smith was hit and fumbled after a completion, giving the ball back to the Patriots. New England's offense continued to struggle and the Eagles took back over, with McNabb finding maligned wide receiver Todd Pinkston for a 17-yard completion then a spectacular leaping 40-yard catch. On third and goal, McNabb hit Smith in the end zone and the Eagles had drawn first blood 7-0. Brady led the Patriots to the Eagles 4-yard line, but he was sacked and fumbled, with Darwin Walker recovering for the Eagles. Things were looking good for Philadelphia, but they went three and out, giving New England the ball back at the Eagles' 37-yard line. Brady did not waste this opportunity, and led the Patriots to a touchdown with 1:21 left in the half, with David Givens catching a 4-yard scoring strike and celebrating by mocking Owens' wing flap celebration.

Brady connected with eventual game MVP Deion Branch four times on the opening drive of the third quarter. Mike Vrabel caught the short touchdown pass and New England had its first lead 14-7. In the middle of the third, the Eagles drove to the New England 10-yard line, before McNabb fired a bullet to Brian Westbrook between two Patriot defenders for a game-tying score. The Patriots answered back with a scoring drive capped by a two-yard touchdown rush by Corey Dillon early in the fourth quarter, giving New England the lead back 21-14. On their next possession, the Patriots got good field position and ended the drive with a short Adam Vinatieri field goal, pushing the lead to 24-14.

Tedy Bruschi intercepted McNabb on the next series and it looked like the Eagles might be finished. However, they forced a three-and-out and got the ball back with 5:40 to play. They drove down the field, but there was an alarming lack of urgency and the clock kept ticking. A sudden 30-yard touchdown pass from McNabb to Greg Lewis gave the Eagles new life, but less than two minutes remained. The Eagles failed to get the onside kick, then burned their timeouts on New England's possession. Philadelphia got the ball back at their at their 4-yard line with :46 seconds left down 24-21, but Rodney Harrison got his second interception of McNabb three plays later and the season was over. McNabb threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns, but his three interceptions were devastating. Owens had an amazing nine catches and 122 yards on his partially-healed ankle, while Pinkston hauled in 82 receiving yards. The Eagles had done better than most expected and were in the game until the end, but they had made too many first half mistakes, when the Patriots were playing poorly, and left too many points on the field. Nevertheless, the 2004 Eagles had done better than any Eagles team had done since the 1960 NFL Championship.

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