Schedule Note: Intra-division opponents are in
bold text.
Game summaries Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers The
Buccaneers, who ruined the Eagles' bid for a
Super Bowl the previous season by defeating them in their final game at
Veterans Stadium, spoiled the opening of
Lincoln Financial Field by thoroughly dominating the Eagles in a 17–0 shutout. A big run by
James Thrash gave the Eagles a chance at an early field goal, but head coach
Andy Reid tried a fake field goal to rookie tight end
L. J. Smith, who let the ball go off of his fingertips. Early in the second quarter, Tampa Bay put up a field goal for a 3–0 lead, while the Eagles looked out of sync. A touchdown pass to
Joe Jurevicius, who had made a huge reception in the 2002 NFC Championship, made it 10–0. Jurevicius caught another short touchdown on the next drive, which ate half of the fourth quarter.
Brian Dawkins and
Bobby Taylor both had to leave the game with injuries.
Week 2: vs. New England Patriots The situation went from bad to worse as the Eagles suffered a second straight disastrous loss, again at their new home. The defense, already ravaged by injuries, fought hard and held the
New England Patriots to only a first-quarter field goal.
Duce Staley scored Philadelphia's first points of the season early in the second quarter, but two
Tom Brady touchdown passes in the second quarter made it 17–7 Patriots at halftime. Brady found
Deion Branch for a touchdown in the third quarter before Eagles' placekicker
David Akers booted a 57-yarder, his career high.
Tedy Bruschi intercepted
Donovan McNabb for a touchdown to break it open at 31–10. In total, the offense gave up six turnovers and seven sacks.
Week 4: at Buffalo Bills After two devastating losses to start the season, the Eagles used an early bye week to regroup and defeated the
Buffalo Bills a 23–13. The Eagles methodically built a 16–0 lead through the first three quarters.
Correll Buckhalter scored a short touchdown in the first quarter, and
David Akers added three field goals. In the final period,
Drew Bledsoe rallied Buffalo to two straight touchdowns, cutting the lead to 16–13. However,
Brian Westbrook broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and charged through the middle for a 62-yard touchdown run to seal the deal.
Donovan McNabb, nursing a sore thumb on his throwing hand, threw for 172 yards and rushed for 47, while the defense played a solid game, especially in the first half.
Week 5: vs Washington Redskins In sunny 59-degree weather, and coming off a crucial win at Buffalo, the Eagles battled their division-rival
Washington Redskins to a 27–25 victory.
David Akers opened the scoring with a 52-yard field goal, and a short touchdown pass from
Donovan McNabb to fullback
Jon Ritchie gave Philadelphia a 10–0 lead in the second quarter. Redskin quarterback
Patrick Ramsey rushed for a touchdown to cut into the Eagles' lead, and the teams traded field goals to make it 13–10 Eagles at halftime. In the third quarter, the Redskins tied the game on a field goal. The Eagles defense restored the lead when defensive lineman
Darwin Walker hit Ramsey as he was throwing, flinging the ball into the air and into the arms of teammate
N.D. Kalu who returned it 15 yards for the touchdown. After another Washington field goal in the fourth quarter,
Brian Westbrook scored on 19-yard run with three minutes left to play, which put Philadelphia up 27–16 and appeared to end the game, as in Buffalo the previous week. The Redskins instead mounted a furious rally, with kicker
John Hall booting a 53-yard field goal, the special teams recovering an onside kick, and Ramsey firing a 32-yard touchdown pass to
Darnerien McCants with seconds remaining. However, the Eagles broke up the two-point conversion to preserve Philadelphia's first victory in
Lincoln Financial Field. The defense turned in a relatively strong performance despite the absence of Pro Bowlers
Brian Dawkins,
Troy Vincent, and
Bobby Taylor.
Week 6: at Dallas Cowboys The 2–2 Eagles met the 3–1
Dallas Cowboys and fell to them 23–21, their first loss to Dallas since
1999.
Andy Reid tried an opening kickoff onsides kick, which had helped spark the Eagles'
2000 season opening route of Dallas, but the Cowboys' new coach,
Bill Parcells, was not fooled and the gamble blew up in Philadelphia's face.
Randal Williams fielded the bouncing kick and raced into the end zone untouched in three seconds – the fastest touchdown in NFL history.
Brian Westbrook's five-yard touchdown run in the second quarter tied the score, but
Billy Cundiff kicked a field goal just before halftime to make it 10–7 Dallas.
Troy Hambrick finished a third quarter Dallas drive with a one-yard touchdown to open a 17–7 Cowboy lead. A 52-yard catch-and-run by
Duce Staley on the Eagles' ensuing drive brought Philadelphia within three points, but the Cowboys answered back with another field goal. With less than five minutes left to play,
Correll Buckhalter broke free for a 20-yard touchdown run, giving Philadelphia a 21–20 lead. A long kick return helped set up Dallas' go-ahead field goal.
Donovan McNabb, who struggled mightily throughout the game with a thumb injury, could not advance the team into field goal range after
James Thrash returned the kickoff to midfield. Westbrook, Staley, and Buckhalter combined for over 100 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The loss dropped Philadelphia to 2–3 and a repeat of a division title appeared in doubt.
Week 7: at New York Giants Brian Westbrook delivered the play of the year for the Eagles, returning a punt with less than two minutes left to win the game 14–10 over the
New York Giants. In the first quarter, Westbrook's five-yard touchdown run (his fourth in four games) gave Philadelphia a 7–0 lead. New York got a field goal in the second quarter and a
Jeremy Shockey touchdown reception in the third to take a 10–7 lead. It could have been more, as they drove inside the Philadelphia 40-yard line seven times, but usually squandered their opportunities. Meanwhile, the Eagles' offense was virtually non-existent throughout the game.
Donovan McNabb had his worst game as a professional, only completing 9-of-23 passes for a meager 64 yards. Inside the two-minute warning, the Giants forced the Eagles to burn their timeouts, then punted to give it back to the dormant Philadelphia offense and end the game. However, Westbrook fielded the
Jeff Feagles punt on a bounce, broke through the first few defenders, and began to race down the left sideline and into the end zone, stealing the victory and saving the Eagles' season. The 84-yard punt return was a turning point for Philadelphia, saving them from falling to 2–4 and propelling them on a what would be a nine-game winning streak.
Week 8: vs New York Jets A week after the so-called "Miracle at the Meadowlands III", the Eagles defeated the Big Apple's other team, the
New York Jets, 24–17 in a sea-saw game where the lead changed hands five times. After a 30-yard field goal gave New York the first points,
Correll Buckhalter scored on a six-yard run to take the lead.
Santana Moss hauled in a 60-yard bomb from Jets quarterback
Vinny Testaverde to go up 10–7. In the second quarter, Buckhalter scored his second touchdown, from seven yards out, to retake the lead for Philadelphia. For the Jets, quarterback
Chad Pennington, returning from a preseason injury, took over midgame as planned. After a
Donovan McNabb interception in the third quarter, Pennington drove his team down the field and
LaMont Jordan finished the drive with a touchdown run and a 17–14 New York lead. McNabb rebounded and led the Eagles to a go-ahead touchdown – a four-yard pass to fullback
Jon Ritchie. A big tackle by
Darwin Walker on LaMont Jordan on 4th and 1 led to Philadelphia's final points – a field goal by
David Akers. McNabb passed for 141 yards and a touchdown, an improvement over his dismal performance against the Giants. Buckhalter had his second-career 100-yard game, along with two scores. The Eagles improved to 4–3 and were now only one game out of first place.
Week 9: at Atlanta Falcons In Week 9, the Eagles travelled to the
Georgia Dome and defeated the lowly
Atlanta Falcons 23–16. A turnover on the opening kickoff led to a short field goal for
David Akers. Following a
Lito Sheppard interception in the red zone,
Donovan McNabb connected with
Freddie Mitchell for a 39-yard touchdown pass – the first to a wide receiver all season for the Eagles. The second quarter belonged to Atlanta, as they scored thirteen unanswered points and went into halftime ahead 13–10. Philadelphia took care of business in the second half, tying the game on a field goal, while the defense stifled the Falcon offense, which switched quarterbacks in the third quarter. A pair of big catches by rookie tight end
L.J. Smith powered a drive that ended in a
Duce Staley touchdown run and a Philadelphia lead. The teams traded field goals later in the fourth quarter, but the defense kept Atlanta out of the end zone. McNabb had his first 300-yard passing game in two years,
Correll Buckhalter rushed for 92 yards, and L.J. Smith had a breakout performance with six catches for 97 yards. The Eagles went to 5–3 and suddenly had three wins in a row.
Week 10: at Green Bay Packers Playing in a rainy
Lambeau Field on
Monday Night Football,
Donovan McNabb led the Eagles to a last-minute victory over
Brett Favre and the
Green Bay Packers. Both offenses struggled on a wet field in the first half.
David Akers and
Ryan Longwell each missed field goals, and the only points of the half would be a 24-yard touchdown reception by Packer halfback
Ahman Green. The Eagles got on the board with a short Akers field goal after a long drive in the third quarter.
Donovan McNabb then scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give Philadelphia a 10–7 lead. However, Ahman Green broke a 45-yard run to the end zone that put Green Bay back on top 14–10. The Philadelphia defense came up with a big stop to give McNabb and the offense one last chance with 2:43 left in the game. McNabb marshalled the team downfield and with less than thirty seconds remaining, he hit
Todd Pinkston in the end zone with the game-winning touchdown pass. The Packers struggled to hold onto the ball (Favre especially), and turned it over three times compared to zero turnovers for the Eagles. Ahman Green rushed for 192 yards in defeat (Green Bay rushed for 241 as a team). The suddenly red-hot Eagles were now 6–3 on the season.
Week 11: vs New York Giants Playing at home, the Eagles dominated the
New York Giants in an easy 28–10 rout. The Giants scored first on a short field goal, but the Eagles answered back late in the first quarter when
Donovan McNabb drove the team down the field, setting up a one-yard touchdown by
Correll Buckhalter.
Brian Westbrook scored on a 29-yard pass play in the second quarter and a four-yard run in the third quarter as Philadelphia went ahead 21–3.
Tiki Barber, who rushed for over 100 yards, scored in the fourth quarter, but Westbrook took in his third touchdown on a short pass to end the scoring. McNabb had one of his best games, completing 24 of 30 passes for 314 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Westbrook, developing a reputation as a 'Giant killer,' had 108 all-purpose yards to go along with his three touchdowns. The win moved the Eagles to 7–3 and virtually knocked the reeling Giants out of contention, while A Dallas loss allowed the Eagles to move into a tie for first place in the
NFC East.
Week 12: vs New Orleans Saints In a game that featured 272 penalty yards (171 of them by the Eagles on fourteen fouls), the Eagles topped the 5–5
New Orleans Saints 33–20.
Todd Pinkston pulled down a 48-yard bomb to open the game, and the drive ended in a
chip shot David Akers field goal.
Brian Westbrook scored on a 15-yard run and it 10–0 Eagles.
Correll Buckhalter scored in the second quarter as Philadelphia pulled away. Saints quarterback
Aaron Brooks completed a touchdown pass later in the quarter, but Akers kicked another field goal to end the half 20–7 Philadelphia. After another Akers field goal,
Deuce McAllister broke a 76-yard touchdown run to narrow the score to 23–14. The Eagles, who moved the ball easily all game, responded with another field goal and a
Donovan McNabb to fullback
Jon Ritchie touchdown pass to open a 33–14 lead. McAllister scored again, but the conversion failed and Philadelphia had won its sixth straight. McNabb threw for 259 yards and did not allow an interception for the fourth consecutive week.
Duce Staley, McNabb, Westbrook, and Buckhalter combined for 201 rushing yards to counter the 177 rushing yards by McAllister.
Week 13: at Carolina Panthers The 8–3 Eagles and 8–3
Carolina Panthers squared off in a key battle for
NFC supremacy and the Eagles emerged with the win. A rare
Donovan McNabb interception allowed Carolina to score a quick field goal. But he rebounded, leading the Eagles on a 10-play drive capped by a touchdown plunge by
Duce Staley. In the second quarter,
David Akers connected for his first field goal. He was good from 48 yards out in the third quarter to put Philadelphia up 13–3. Carolina's offense then struck when
Jake Delhomme found
Steve Smith for a 24-yard touchdown pass to make it 13–10 going into the final quarter. A long drive by McNabb ended in a big Akers field goal. Then, the defense provided a big play when a blitz by linebacker
Nate Wayne caused a fumble, recovered by
Darwin Walker. This set up a McNabb 10-yard touchdown pass to
James Thrash, who was pushed into the end zone by Carolina defenders trying to tackle him. The two-point conversion by Philadelphia failed. Delhomme completed another touchdown, this one to
Muhsin Muhammad, but kicker
John Kasay missed the extra point, leaving the score 22–16. Trying to burn the clock, McNabb slowly marched the Eagles down the field and Akers came on to kick his fourth field goal, giving the Eagles a nine-point lead. While Akers was 4-for-4 on field goals and won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, Kasay was 1-for-4 with a missed extra point. Staley,
Correll Buckhalter, and
Brian Westbrook combined for 118 rushing yards, while McNabb was efficient, completing 18-of-26 passes. The big win moved Philadelphia to 9–3, with the top record in their conference.
Week 14: vs Dallas Cowboys In another key game, with the
NFC East essentially at stake, the Eagles crushed the
Bill Parcells-led
Dallas Cowboys 36–10. Dallas tried early to establish their running game, and late in the first quarter, they scored the game's first points on a field goal. Philadelphia evened the score in the second quarter, then took the lead when
Donovan McNabb guided the offense down the field and tossed a short pass to
Brian Westbrook, who broke several tackles on his 16-yard scamper to the end zone. Dallas responded with a long drive that ended in a
Quincy Carter touchdown pass, sending the game to halftime tied 10–10. The Eagles would own the second half.
Sheldon Brown picked off Carter, setting up a shovel pass touchdown to
Duce Staley. Later, a botched shotgun ended with Carter kicking the ball out of the endzone on an intentional safety as Philadelphia assumed a 19–10 lead. Another interception, this one by
Bobby Taylor, resulted in tight end
L.J. Smith's first career touchdown reception.
David Akers added a field goal in the fourth quarter, and a 64-yard burst through the middle by
Correll Buckhalter in the final minutes made it 36–10. The defense, especially the pass defense, absolutely shut Dallas down in the final two quarters. McNabb finished with 248 passing yards and three touchdowns and Buckhalter had 115 yards on 13 carries. The Eagles record went to 10–3, and the team had all but wrapped up their third straight division title.
Week 15: at Miami Dolphins On a
Monday Night Football matchup in
Miami, the Eagles had roughly 20,000 fans who made the trip in attendance as they beat the 8–4 Dolphins in a shootout. A 59-yard bomb to
Todd Pinkston opened the game, and two plays later,
Brian Westbrook danced through the defense and into the end zone on a 21-yard run for a quick touchdown. The
Miami Dolphins answered with a touchdown, and on the Eagles' ensuing possession,
Donovan McNabb took it in himself for a score. Quickly, the Dolphins came back with another touchdown, but Philadelphia retook the lead when
Freddie Mitchell completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Westbrook, who beat linebacker
Zach Thomas, on a trick play. The teams traded field goals before halftime, and in the third quarter a rushing touchdown by
Ricky Williams tied the game at 24–24. In the fourth quarter,
Correll Buckhalter, on a short sweep, dove over the pylon for the go-ahead touchdown. The Eagles would drain the clock on their next drive and eventually added a field goal to take a ten-point lead and put the game away. The Eagles scored four touchdowns on a defense that had only given up 17 all season. Their record improved to 11–3 and their winning streak was now at nine games.
Week 16: vs San Francisco 49ers A home overtime loss to the
San Francisco 49ers snapped the Eagles' nine-game winning streak. A bad snap led to an early field goal miss for San Francisco, but after an Eagles 3-and-out, the 49ers took back over and scored on a 15-yard screen pass to
Kevan Barlow. The defense then tightened and creating a turnover that led to a short
Duce Staley touchdown run.
Todd Pinkston fumbled away a touchdown out of the endzone after catching a long pass from
Donovan McNabb. The Eagles took a 14–7 lead on another short-yardage Staley touchdown. A 33-yard pass from Garcia to
Brandon Lloyd tied the score at halftime. Before the half was over, 49ers star
Terrell Owens had broken his collarbone, and Eagles starting linebacker
Carlos Emmons had broken his leg – a big blow for the playoffs.
Brian Westbrook returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter – bringing back recent memories of his big touchdown in the
Meadowlands. San Francisco answered with two fields goals and a touchdown by Barlow (followed by a successful two-point conversion) to take a 28–21 lead. McNabb rallied the Eagles, driving them down the field (with
Freddie Mitchell coming up with a big 4th down reception). McNabb beat the blitz and Pinkston made a backward diving catch to tie the game with a minute left. In overtime,
Tony Parrish picked off McNabb and returned it inside the Eagles 5-yard line.
Todd Peterson kicked the game winner and the Eagles' streak ended. McNabb had two interceptions and
David Akers missed two field goals. Pinkston had 121 receiving yards and a touchdown, but Barlow rushed for 154 for San Francisco. With the loss, the Eagles dropped their record to 11–4.
Week 17: at Washington Redskins Playing on a Saturday night to clinch the
NFC East title and a first-round bye, the Eagles walloped the
Washington Redskins 31–7.
Donovan McNabb called for a quick snap and threw the ball to
Chad Lewis for a touchdown when he noticed Washington had left him uncovered for Philadelphia's first score. A 96-yard drive, the longest of the season, ended with McNabb bootlegging it into the end zone as Philadelphia took control early.
Freddie Mitchell made it 21–0 Philadelphia with a touchdown reception later in the second quarter.
Rock Cartwright scored a one-yard touchdown a few minutes later, but that was all Washington would get.
Correll Buckhalter added a touchdown and
David Akers kicked a field goal as Philadelphia cruised 31–7. McNabb passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns,
Todd Pinkston had 74 receiving yards, and the defense recorded five sacks. However,
Brian Westbrook, one of the top weapons of the Philadelphia offense, tore his biceps muscle and was lost for the playoffs. The Eagles ended up clinching the NFC's number one seed for the second straight year once the Rams were upset by the Lions the following day.
Standings == Playoffs ==