The Eagles struggled mightily at first, not even so much as managing a single winning season until 1943, when they temporarily merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers to form a team known as "the Phil-Pitt Steagles" (this unusual arrangement being due to World War II). But then things quickly turned around: Led by running back Steve Van Buren, the Eagles reached the NFL title game in each of the last three years of the 1940s, winning two of the contests. Their next appearance in a league championship game would take place in 1960, with quarterback Norm Van Brocklin and linebacker Chuck Bednarik leading the offense and defense, respectively (Bednarik was also the last NFL player to play both offense and defense, lining up at center when the offense had the ball). The Eagles won this game, 17-13 over the Green Bay Packers, which was played at Franklin Field on December 26, 1960.
The following year the Eagles finished just a half-game behind the New York Giants for first place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 10-4 record, but would not seriously contend again until soon after Dick Vermeil became the head coach in 1976. Starting in 1978, the Eagles qualified for the postseason four consecutive times, including making their lone Super Bowl appearance ever following the 1980 season, but they lost, 27-10, to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV, played on January 25, 1981. In a bizarre coincidence, former Eagles head coach Joe Kuharich died on the same day as the above game. Kuharich was the team's head coach from 1964 through 1968; in the latter year he became the target of demands by fans that he be fired, who used the slogan "Joe Must Go" as their ralling cry (the 1968 Eagles lost their first eleven games and finished 2-12). He had signed a "lifetime contract" with Jerry Wolman, who had owned the club at the time he was hired; on May 1, 1969, Wolman sold the team to Leonard Tose, whose first official act as owner was to fire Kuharich, who continued to draw a salary under the contract until his death.
A period of decline set in after this, which ended in 1988 when they made the first of three straight playoff appearances under coach Buddy Ryan, but did not win a postseason game in any of those years. In 1991, the Eagles became the first NFL team since 1975 to rank first in the league in both rushing and passing yardage allowed, but neglected to reach the playoffs despite a 10-6 final record.
Their next period of prominence, which is still current, has come under the tutelage of head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb, who was the first player ever drafted by Reid, in 1999. With this duo leading the way, the Eagles won the NFC's Eastern Division in 2001, 2002 and 2003, also reaching the conference title game each year, but lost this game on all three occasions.
The 2003 team lost its first two games, both at home - but then proceeded to become the first team ever to make the playoffs after doing this in a non-strike year. In their opening game of the 2003 season the Eagles were shut out 17-0 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first regular-season game ever played at Lincoln Financial Field; by reaching the conference championship game in the same year as this defeat, they became the first team in modern history to get that far in the postseason after having been shut out at home in its first game. They achieved both of the above despite getting only five touchdown catches all year from their wide receivers, which tied the league low since the regular-season schedule was lengthened to its present 16 games in 1978. The Eagle receivers even went through both September and October without a TD catch - the last time an NFL team had done that was in 1945.
No doubt with the latter two facts in mind, the Eagles actively pursued - and ultimately got to trade for - premier wide receiver Terrell Owens, whom the team acquired in a controversial three-way deal involving themselves, the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, on March 16, 2004.
The 2004 season began with a bang as Owens caught three touchdown passes from McNabb in their season opener against the New York Giants. Owens would end up with 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdown receptions, although his season ended early with an ankle injury on December 19, 2004 against the Dallas Cowboys. The team would end up with a regular season record of 13-3, which gave the team their fourth straight NFC East division title, their fifth straight playoff appearance, a first-round playoff bye, and homefield advantage in the playoffs. McNabb had his finest season to date, passing for 3,875 yards and 31 touchdowns, throwing only 8 interceptions. This made him the first quarterback in NFL history to throw more than 30 TD passes and less than 10 INTs in a given season.
The Philadelphia Eagles are well known for their futility in National Football Conference Championship games since the 2001 season. In 2001, the Eagles fell to the St. Louis Rams 29-24 in St. Louis in the NFC Championship Game. The next season, the Eagles hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Veteran's Stadium and were heavy favorites. However, the Eagles lost 27-10. In 2004, the Eagles hosted the Carolina Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field, but the Panthers advanced to Super Bowl XXXVIII by the score of 14-3.
The Eagles defeated the Atlanta Falcons 27-10 on January 23, 2005 with home-field advantage; winning the NFC Championship game for the 2004 season. This was their fourth straight NFC Championship game appearence.
--Wikipedia
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