A Very Special Video Rewind

Last week, the NFL Network dug into the archives to give us a very special game of the week -- the 2003 NFC Championship game between the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles. 

This continues to be something of a defining game for this franchise.  It was a game in which Andy Reid's quarterbacks threw 36 passes while the running backs had only 24 carries despite the fact that the ground game was extremely successful, Donovan McNabb was injured in the second quarter, and Jame Thrash and Todd Pinkston proved without a doubt that they had no business being in anyone's starting lineup.

It was also a game in which McNabb went a long way towards solidifying his status as a big game choker for many Eagles fans, despite the fact that:

1. His skill position teammates -- outside the running backs -- were terrible.
2. He was injured during the game.
3. None of his three interceptions was his fault.

It was also the game I most fear right now, because it might just be the model for what this year's team is facing.  This isn't the 2001 team, young and cocky, on the ascent and maybe just a year away.  Nor is this the 2002 team, proven, battle-tested and the favorites to advance to the Super Bowl. 

And no, this isn't 2004 again.

Like the 2008 team, the 2003 Eagles featured on offense Brian Westbrook, Donovan McNabb ... and that's pretty much it. 

Yeah, I don't want to talk any more about that either.

So sit back and take a walk down memory lane with me, as we relive one of the worst losses in the history of the franchise.  Here's the story...

- - - - - -

We open with a montage of many players who are no longer on the Eagles.  Todd Pinkston and Chad Lewis.  James Thrash, Hank Fraley, Duce Staley and Darwin Walker.  Ike Reese, Corey Simon and skinny Donovan McNabb.

This is one thing I think many, many Eagles fans forget.  Because we've been here all this time, we sort of feel like the players have, too.  Go back and watch a game from four years ago, though.  Most of those guys aren't still around.

And in the cases of Todd Pinkston and James Thrash, we all say: "Thank God."

...

The first appearance of Jake Delhomme.  Remember when people convinced themselves he was a legitimate NFL quarterback?  All we heard for months after this stupid game is what a gamer he was and how he was the next Brett Favre and blahblahblah until his continuing suckitude finally got everyone to shut the hell up.

And yes, Eli Manning, I'm looking at you.

...

Here's what was most painful about this game.  Do you remeber how many chances the Eagles missed out on?  I sure didn't.

On the very first play of the game, Panthers kick returner (Kevin?) Dyson runs into his own man and the football pops up into the air ... and then right back into his hands.

Think about how different things would have been if that ball hadn't magically come right back down to him.

... 

L.J. Smith playing special teams.  Been awhile

...

First Carolina offensive play, power run right at Darwin Walker.  Old No-Gap gets blown four yards off the line of scrimmage.  Like seeing an old friend who hasn't changed at all.

...

On that same play, Jeremiah Trotter gets destroyed by a friggin' tight end. 

Oh wait, that's actually Nate Wayne.

Please to explain why Nate @#$%! Wayne was wearing #54.

...

Mark Simoneau, Ike Reese.  The aforementioned Nate Wayne.

...

Narrator:  "The Eagles offensive strategy was simple.  Keep the football in the hands of their playmaker, Donovan McNabb."

Actually, no, they meant to spread it around, it's just that none of the receivers could get open.

...

Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, Brandon Whiting.

...

Still a scoreless ballgame.  McNabb drops back from the 46-yard-line and lofts a perfect pass to Duce Staley breaking down the sideline ... who has the ball clang off his hands at the 10 yard line. 

Stupid choking McNabb.

...

First drive of the second quarter.  DeShaun Foster fumbles the ball short of a first down on a third-and-one play. 

But wait, tight end Jermaine Wiggins is following the play and scoops it up for a first down. 

Oh my God this is all coming back to me.

...

First Carolina touchdown.  Delhomme gets blitzed, backpedals, and heaves a wounded duck off his back foot to a double-covered Muhsin Muhammad.  Unfortunately, the big receiver is the only one in the end zone who sees what's happening and he comes back for the badly underthrown ball.

So that didn't start with Manning and Burress.

...

The narrator keeps giving us helpful little stats, like this one:  "The Eagles had one completion to a starting wide receiver.  Nine yards to James Thrash on this play."

Then Pinkston dropped a ball in his gut after McNabb raced out of the pocket to avoid the rush. 

Skipping ahead a bit with the narration:  "The Eagles receivers let down Donovan McNabb, dropping six of his passes, many that could have produced first downs."

Yes, yes they did. 

...

A couple plays with Duuuuuuuuuuuce running over guys.  Staley had 79 yards on 13 carries.  Buckhalter had 48 yards on 11 carries.  For the love of God, why didn't we run the ball more???

I will never understand this one.

...

AND THERE'S THE DIRTY F-ING PLAY BY GREG FAVORS.  No call by the refs.  Horseshit non-call.  McNabb was on the ground and he just drove through his legs in a move clearly intended to injure a defenseless player.  Try that on Favre or a Manning and you'd face summary execution.

Between that non-call and the mugging all day by the cornerbacks, this was one of the worst officiated games I've seen in my life that didn't involve some sort of missed sideline call or down-by-contact.

...

Koy Detmer takes the field.  It wasn't funny then either.

And of course, McNabb comes back after one play.  Tough son of a gun.  Remember that.

Akers nails a 41-yard field goal.  We have a ballgame.

...

Michael Lewis. 

...

Here's the first INT.  One-on-one coverage on James Thrash at the top of the field.  McNabb makes the right read and throws him the ball to the inside, since that's where he has position.  However, Ricky Manning steps in and picks the ball off.

On the replay, you can clearly see how Thrash doesn't fight to keep inside position after McNabb makes the throw.  He pretty much hung his QB out to dry on that one.

Terrible play by Thrash.

... 

Freddie Mitchell.

...

Skipping ahead a bit to the second McNabb INT, past a few more plays where Reid refuses to run the ball (although I swear Childress is calling plays on one of the sideline shots we see). 

This one was very well broken down by the NFL Films crew:

"Todd Pinkston, #87, was supposed to run a quick slant.  Fearing the defender had taken away this route, Pinkston decided to break off his pattern and run to the outside instead.  McNabb threw it right to Manning."

So no, not McNabb either.  Try to remember that next time you're citing the man's postseason statistics. 

He would have been better off if the Eagles actually had let Lito Sheppard play wide receiver that year (more on him later).

...

Brentson Buckner:  "Hey, HEY, #5 is hurt.  If we shut down this running game, it's over with."

...

Narrator:  "A defensive stop could not jumpstart the Eagles' offense.  And their receivers could not get open."

Cut to Carolina Announcer:  "You're right though, these Eagles' receivers, they're not getting open."

...

Third INT -- McNabb drilled Thrash in the gut, he got popped by Mike Minters and the ball went right to Ricky Manning.

For those keeping score at home, that's three interceptions, none of which was McNabb's fault.

...

Here's an interesting play from down in the red zone that set up the Panthers' second touchdown.  

Narrator:  "Then the Panthers caught the Eagles in a mismatch.  Backup cornerback Lito Sheppard lined up against Steve Smith.  In single coverage.  Jake Delhomme caiught it.  The coaches spotted it.  And the Panthers exploited it."

Pass interference against Lito Sheppard.  Ball on the one yard line.  Panthers ran it in from there.

...

With 14:18 left in the game, the Eagles needed a miracle, and they looked to have gotten one when Steve Smith fumbled the ball on the Carolina 45-yard-line while fighting for extra yards. 

Replay then showed his knee was down. 

Just one more play that could have made a difference.

...

After that play, Jake Delhomme never threw another pass all game.

...

Jerome McDougle.

...

Koy Detmer enters the game a second time for McNabb after Donovan took another shot on a play where the Eagles didn't run the ball.  Koy promptly passes the ball to Bobbie Williams. 

The offensive guard, Bobbie Williams.

A little hard to blame him, though, since none of the receivers had a prayer of getting open.

...

Something else I'd forgotten.  The Eagles actually drove to the 11-yard-line with about six minutes left.  Then Koy Detmer threw the last, fatal pick. 

...

Some final quotes:

Narrator:  "Carolina had taken away Philly's woefully inadequate wideouts...  The Eagles receivers looked overmatched -- incapable of making a play." 

Merrill:  "And the Eagles are running out of season."

Narrator: "The Eagles had no miracle workers.  They had Todd Pinkston and James Thrash."

Narrator:  "A cold despair settled over the stadium.  The entire city, in fact."