October 7, 2026
October 7, 2026
2002 Philadelphia Eagles: Once A Great Flight
2000 and 2001 were both positive steps forward for the Philadelphia Eagles, as they were quickly becoming one of the best teams in the NFL. With a few years of playoff experience now under their belts, the Eagles aimed to go even further and make their first Super Bowl appearance since 1980. With a stellar coaching staff led by head coach Andy Reid and a roster full of talented players, the 2002 Philadelphia Eagles seemed to have all the puzzle pieces in place.
The 2002 Philadelphia Eagles went 12-4 in the regular season, winning the NFC East Division by two games over the New York Giants. The Eagles went 7-1 on their home field of Veterans Stadium while going 5-3 on the road. The Eagles went 5-1 in divisional play and 11-1 in conference play.
Quarterback Donovan McNabb only had one issue in the regular season, and that was sustaining an injury. Otherwise, McNabb was once again solid, as he went 7-3 as a starter, completing 211 of 361 pass attempts for 2,289 yards and 17 touchdowns while throwing 6 interceptions. McNabb continued to scramble well when plays broke down, as he had 63 rushing attempts for 460 yards and 6 touchdowns. Filling in for McNabb was backup quarterback Adam Joshua Feeley, who went by his initials, A.J. Going 4-1 as the starter, Feeley completed 86 of 154 pass attempts for 1,011 yards and 6 touchdowns while throwing 5 interceptions.
Running back Duce Staley had 269 rushing attempts for 1,029 yards and 5 touchdowns while adding 51 receptions for 541 yards and 3 touchdowns. Running back Dorsey Levens had 75 rushing attempts for 411 yards and 1 touchdown while adding 19 receptions for 124 yards and 1 touchdown.
Wide receiver Todd Pinkston had 60 receptions for 798 yards and 7 touchdowns. Wide receiver James Thrash had 52 receptions for 635 yards and 6 touchdowns, but he was also valuable on trick plays, as he had 18 rushing attempts for 126 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Antonio Freeman had 46 receptions for 600 yards and 4 touchdowns. Tight end Chad Lewis had 42 receptions for 398 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tight end Jeff Thomason had 10 receptions for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The only threat on special teams for Philadelphia was a player who had remained consistent as a returner. Running back Brian Mitchell had 43 kick returns for 1,162 yards and 46 punt returns for 567 yards and 1 touchdown.
Philadelphia’s defense continued to improve and became one of the most feared defenses in the NFL. Defensive end Hugh Douglas had 44 tackles and 12.5 sacks. Defensive end Ndukwe Dike Kalu had 8 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. Defensive lineman Darwin Walker had 7.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. Defensive end Brandon Whiting had 6 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries. Defensive tackle Paul Grasmanis had 4 sacks. Linebacker Carlos Emmons had 50 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery for 44 yards and 1 touchdown.
Free safety Brian Dawkins had 62 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries. Left defensive tackle Corey Simon had 2 sacks and 1 fumble recovery. Strong safety Blaine Bishop had 2 sacks. Linebacker Ike Reese had 45 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Linebacker Shawn Barber had 70 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions for 81 yards and 1 touchdown, 2 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries. Strong safety Michael Lewis had 43 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, 4 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries.
Linebacker Barry Gardner had 1 sack and 1 fumble recovery. Defensive back Sheldon Brown had 1 sack, 2 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery. Defensive back Rashard Cook had 1 sack. Middle linebacker Levon Kirkland had 53 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. Left cornerback Troy Vincent had 54 tackles and 2 interceptions. Cornerback Bobby Taylor had 46 tackles, 5 interceptions for 43 yards and 1 touchdown, and 2 fumble recoveries.
A total of seven Eagles players earned Pro Bowl selections to represent the NFC: Donovan McNabb, Chad Lewis, kicker David Akers, Hugh Douglas, Brian Dawkins, Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent. Dawkins and Vincent were also named to the NFL All-Pro First Team.
Closing out the regular season on a strong note was a priority for the Eagles, and they accomplished that by going on a 6-game winning streak. The streak began with a 38-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 11 on November 17 and ended with a 27-3 win over their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, in Week 16 on December 21.
Making the playoffs wasn’t the hard part for the Eagles, as they had already proven themselves capable of being a strong postseason contender. The challenge was seeing how far they could go. In the Division Round on January 11 at Veterans Stadium, the Eagles made quick work of the Atlanta Falcons, beating them 20-6. Donovan McNabb completed 20 of 30 passes for 247 yards and 1 touchdown.
The scoring started with 7:58 remaining in the 1st quarter when Bobby Taylor returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown. David Akers kicked a pair of field goals, one from 34 yards out with 3:47 remaining and another from 39 yards out with 10:05 remaining in the 2nd quarter. Atlanta kicker Jay Feely tried to give his team a chance by kicking a pair of field goals of his own, from 34 and 52 yards out, with 4:10 remaining and then as time expired for halftime. James Thrash shut the door on the Falcons with a 35-yard touchdown reception with 6:26 remaining in the 4th quarter.
In the 2000 and 2001 playoffs, the story remained the same whenever the Philadelphia Eagles faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: the Eagles prevailed. Many football experts were convinced that Philadelphia would easily handle Tampa Bay again in the 2002 NFC Championship Game on January 11. However, the Buccaneers were riding a wave of momentum under new head coach Jon Gruden, and that momentum carried Tampa Bay to a stunning 27-20 upset victory over the Eagles.
The Buccaneers went on to win Super Bowl XXXVII, leaving the Eagles and their fans to wonder what could have been. What was once a great flight for the 2002 Philadelphia Eagles turned into a nightmare heading into the offseason, as this NFC Championship Game became known as “Black Sunday.” The game also marked the final one in the history of Veterans Stadium.
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