Top 5 Eagles Moments Against Dallas

Honorable Mention: THEY STOP HIM AGAIN!

On December 6, 1995, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the eventual Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys on 4th & 1 from their own 29… twice. To make matters worse for the Cowboys they ran the same play. Running back Emmit Smith ran up the middle and was stopped the only problem was the refs had ruled that the clock hit the two-minute warning. Barry Switzer in his infinite wisdom decided to run the same play and give it to Smith up the middle again. What followed would be not just a memorable play in Eagles history but a memorable call from play-by-play radio announcer Merril Reese. “It’s fourth down and they give it to Smith and they STOP HIM AGAIN! THEY STOP HIM AGAIN! And this time they can’t take it away!” The Eagles kicker Gary Anderson would kick a 42-yard field goal and win the game. Ray Rhoades in his first season took the Eagles to the playoffs. Now some people reading this may think “How could this possibly be just an honorable mention?” Well, I believe that the aftermath and the hype heading into this game were not as amplified as others. Just look at #5.

5. Lito Sheppard’s game-winning interception and Terrell Owens returns to Philadelphia

Up 31-24 from the Eagles 6-yard line quarterback Drew Bledsoe (yes he did at one point play for the Cowboys) dropped back and rifled one right into the waiting arms to cornerback Lito Sheppard. Sheppard ran it back 102 yards to the end zone and the anxious Eagles crowd turned into a frenzy as Sheppard took the ball and launched it into the air. That in the end was the biggest story of the game, but what gets lost in the euphoria of that last play is that game marked the return of wide receiver Terrell Owens back to Philadelphia. Owens would only have 3 catches for 45 yards and no touchdowns. McNabb threw 2 touchdowns one 47-yarder to wide receiver Reggie Brown on a “flea-flicker” and a 87-yarder to wide receiver Hank Baskett. The Eagles would go on to make the playoffs this season due to the heroics of backup quarterback Jeff Garcia who entered in relief due to a torn ACL suffered by McNabb.

4. The Bounty Bowl

One of the best “games with names” not because of a crazy play at the end of the game like the “Miracle at the Meadowlands”, “The Holly Roller” or my favorite “The Sea of Hands”. On November 23, 1989, the Buddy Ryan-led Eagles took Jimmy Johnson and the Dallas Cowboys. Now this game was not played during the dynasty of the Dallas Cowboys as they entered this game at 1-9. The Eagles defeated the Cowboys 27-0 and during the game, the Eagles took out kicker Luis Zendejas. Jimmy Johnson suspected that Zendejas and quarterback Troy Aikman had bounties put out on them. The suspicions were $200 on Zendejas and $500 on Aikman. The best part of the game was when Jimmy Johnson addressed the media and said “I have no respect for the way they played the game. I would have something to say to Buddy, but he wouldn’t stand on the field long enough. He put his big, fat rear into the dressing room.” Buddy Ryan shot back with a memorable quote of his own “I resent that. I’ve been on a diet, lost a couple of pounds. I thought I was looking good.”

3. The Pickle Juice Game

On September 3, 2000, the Philadelphia Eagles began the season on the road against the Dallas Cowboys. Without knowing it and also why this game is so high on my list is because this game started the best era in Eagles football. Making the playoffs 5 seasons in a row and winning the NFC East in 4 out of 5. The temperature in the pre-game was listed as 109 degrees. To counter the heat, the Eagles staff decided to have the players drink pickle juice to keep them hydrated. This led to a 41-14 blowout win for the Eagles with a memorable first kickoff as kicker David Akers would go with an onside kick recovered by the Eagles. Running back Duce Staley had a great first game of the season rushing for 201 yards and a rushing touchdown. Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter also had an interception returned for a touchdown and the Eagles defense held the Dallas offense to just 167 yards.

2. Eagles clinch a playoff spot in Brian Dawkins’ final home game

Again, another game that would be remembered so fondly a few months later when fans realized that this would be Brian Dawkins' final home game. This 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season would also be set in the movie “Silver Linings Playbook”. On December 28, 2008, the Eagles routed the Dallas Cowboys 44-6. Of course, I can not forget that this game would not have had playoff implications if it were not for other results throughout the day. The Houston Texans defeated 31-24 and the Oakland Raiders beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also by a score of 31-24. It was also a strange season for both teams and one of the biggest collapses in NFL history as the Cowboys came into December with an 8-4 record and seemed primed for the playoffs, but then “December Tony Romo” went on a terrible month. The boiling point of the Dallas season was the final game in Texas Stadium, which ended in a 33-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Eagles on the other hand had a roller coaster season that saw them come into this game at 8-6-1 after a tough loss to Washington on a final play where Donovan McNabb threw the ball at the 1-yard line with under 8 seconds left McNabb could not get the ball to the line in time. So there was a ton of excitement heading into this game and it seemed like it would be a classic after all in week 2 these two teams met and it ended in a 41-37 win for the Cowboys. This was a blowout. Brian Dawkins forced two fumbles that would be returned by defensive lineman Chris Clemons and cornerback Joselio Hanson.

1. A game that sent the Eagles Super Bowl-bound

On January 11, 1981, the Philadelphia Eagles did something that a generation of Eagles fans had never experienced before to have an opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. In his 5th season as Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil brought a fan base starving for a championship. The Eagles would finish the season with their most wins in franchise history up until that point with 12. The Cowboys were just three seasons removed from beating the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl in 1977 so now they had an opportunity to head back to the Super Bowl. The Eagles did not let that happen. On the back of a 194-yard rushing performance by running back Wilbert Montgomery which started with a 42-yard touchdown to put the Eagles ahead. The Eagles would go on to win 20-7 and play in their first-ever Super Bowl, losing to the Oakland Raiders. The win would be the most memorable in franchise history and the only time the Eagles beat the Cowboys in the playoffs.