1991 Philadelphia Eagles season

Last updated

1991 Philadelphia Eagles season
Owner Norman Braman
General manager Harry Gamble
Head coach Rich Kotite
Home field Veterans Stadium
Results
Record10–6
Division place3rd NFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Uniform
Phila eagles uniforms 1985-95.png

The 1991 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's fifty-ninth season in the National Football League.

Contents

Despite having a 10–6 record and finishing with the top-ranked defense in the NFL, the Eagles failed to make the playoffs. During Week 1, quarterback Randall Cunningham was lost for the season with a knee injury.

Background

Statistics site Football Outsiders ranks the 1991 Eagles, coordinated by Bud Carson, as the greatest defensive team in its ranking's history. [1] According to Football Outsiders:

The 1991 Eagles completely lap the field in terms of defensive DVOA. Only the 2002 Bucs had a better pass defense, and only the 2000 Ravens had a better run defense, and the Eagles were much more balanced than either of those teams.

It's crazy to imagine how few points the Eagles might have given up if they were playing with a halfway-decent offense instead of losing Randall Cunningham to a torn ACL in the first game of the season. The Eagles were lucky to have the lovable and fiercely competitive Jim McMahon for 11 starts, plus Jeff Kemp for two and Brad Goebel for two. McMahon was pretty terrific ... but the other two quarterbacks were awful, especially Goebel who had no touchdowns with six interceptions. And the running game was dreadful, with 3.1 yards per carry as a team.

Still, the Eagles were fifth in the league in points allowed, and first in yards allowed by nearly 400 yards – and the team that was second in yards allowed is also on that top-ten defenses list, the 1991 New Orleans Saints. The Eagles allowed 3.9 yards per play, where no other team allowed fewer than 4.5. As bad as their running game was, their run defense was even better, allowing 3.0 yards per carry. Three-fourths of the starting defensive line was All-Pro (Reggie White, Jerome Brown, and Clyde Simmons). Linebacker Seth Joyner and cornerback Eric Allen made the Pro Bowl as well.


Overview

A "real" fresh start

On January 8, team owner Norman Braman opted not to renew the contract of Buddy Ryan, the Eagles' head coach since 1986. On the same day, Braman promoted then-offensive coordinator Rich Kotite, making him the eighteenth head coach in the club's history. The team opened with a 3–1 mark, its best start since 1981, despite having lost Cunningham for the year due to a knee injury that was sustained in Green Bay thanks during an opening day-hit by Bryce Paup. After taking over and leading the Eagles to a solid start, backup QB Jim McMahon was also injured in Game 5 during a shutout loss to the Redskins.

A winless October

With McMahon sidelined, the Birds offense stalled completely during a stretch of eleven straight quarters without scoring a touchdown that culminated in a four-game skid. By mid-season, Philadelphia had used five different quarterbacks, including rookie Brad Goebel, former Jets backup Pat Ryan and former Niners third-stringer Jeff Kemp in eight games and saw its record sink to 3–5. Bleeding Green Nation ranked it as one of the worst Eagles backup QB seasons in the team's history, illustrating how the defense would have supported better quarterback play to several victories. [2] [3]

A relatively healthy McMahon returns

Week ten saw McMahon return to the lineup for a Monday night, 30–7 victory over the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants at Veterans Stadium; however, the following week at Municipal Stadium proved to be a tighter-scoring game. The Eagles won 32–30 as Philadelphia spotted Cleveland a 23–0 lead early in the second quarter, before staging a comeback behind a battered McMahon (passing for 341 yards and three touchdowns). Before the game, McMahon's elbow was so swollen, his roommate Ron Heller had to tie his ponytail for him, and then told his lineman he wouldn't be able to play. But Birds trainer Otho Davis used a concoction he calls "Grandma's Goop" on the elbow, enabling McMahon to play.

These wins resurrected the season, and the Birds continued to surge into contention for a playoff berth with a six-game winning streak (the club's longest since the start of '81). This upped the team's record to 9–5.

The signature win of the run was a 13–6 Monday night victory against the Oilers in Houston on December 2, later dubbed the "House of Pain" game for the Eagles' defense-punishing Warren Moon and his teammates.

Heart of a champion

"In '91, I broke five ribs off my sternum in New York and bruised my heart. I could've punctured it, but it just bruised." -Jim McMahon, 2014

The season-ending rib injury to McMahon in week fifteen (a 19–14 win against the Giants) made way for a devastating loss at home to Dallas in week sixteen, ending Philadelphia's playoff hopes; however, the season was saved by a 10–6 record, allowing the Eagles to join the 49ers as the only NFL clubs to post ten or more wins in each of the last four seasons. Both teams missed the postseason in 1991, despite winning ten games.

A defense that rewrote the record books

Philadelphia's defense finished the season ranked first in the NFL in fewest passing yards, rushing yards, and total yards allowed. As such, the Eagles became only the fifth club in NFL history and the first since 1975 to accomplish this rare triple.

Five members of that defensive unit represented the Eagles in the Pro Bowl – DEs Reggie White and Clyde Simmons, DT Jerome Brown, and LB Seth Joyner were selected as starters while CB Eric Allen also made the NFC squad. The selection of White, Simmons, and Brown marked only the sixth time in NFL history that three defensive linemen from one team were elected to the Pro Bowl.

In addition, the Eagles' defense led the NFL in sacks and fumble recoveries and tied for the league lead in takeaways. The Eagles' forty-eight defensive takeaways in 1991 tied for the highest number of defensive takeaways in the NFL during the 1990s. [4]

Offseason

NFL draft

The 1991 NFL draft was held on April 21 and 22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Manhattan, New York. The Eagles with a 10–6 record in 1990 had the nineteenth or twentieth picks in each round. They also held the number eight pick of the first round, choosing Antone Davis, an offensive tackle from the University of Tennessee. The team's first round pick at number nineteen was traded away earlier and acquired by the Green Bay Packers. Over the course of the twelve-round draft, Philadelphia made twelve selections.

1991 Philadelphia Eagles draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
18 Antone Davis   Offensive tackle Tennessee Pick acquired from San Diego Chargers
248 Jesse Campbell   Defensive back North Carolina State
375 Rob Selby   Guard Auburn
4104 William Thomas  *  Linebacker Texas A&M
5131 Craig Erickson   Quarterback Miami (FL)
6156 Andy Harmon   Defensive tackle Kent State Pick acquired from Seattle Seahawks
7187 James Joseph   Running back Auburn
8216 Scott Kowalkowski  Linebacker Notre Dame
9242 Chuck Weatherspoon  Running back Houston
10271Eric Harmon Guard Clemson
11298 Mike Flores   Defensive end Louisville
12327Darrell Beavers Defensive back Morehead State
      Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[5]

Other notable events

Following the previous season, head coach Buddy Ryan was fired and replaced by their offensive coordinator Rich Kotite, a position Kotite would hold for the next four seasons.

Personnel

Staff

1991 Philadelphia Eagles staff

Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

  • Special teams – Dave Atkins
  • Special teams assistant – Peter Giunta

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Jim Williams


[6]

Roster

1991 Philadelphia Eagles roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

 Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

 Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve


47 active, 10 inactive, 3 practice squad
Rookies in italics


Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance
1July 28vs. Buffalo Bills L 13–170–1 Wembley Stadium 50,474
2August 3at New York Jets W 24–101–1 Giants Stadium 31,577
3August 10at Cincinnati Bengals W 29–242–1 Riverfront Stadium 56,390
4August 17 Pittsburgh Steelers W 21–203–1 Veterans Stadium 55,764
5August 23 Indianapolis Colts W 23–214–1Veterans Stadium52,687

[7]

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance
1September 1at Green Bay Packers W 20–31–0 Lambeau Field 58,991
2September 8 Phoenix Cardinals L 10–261–1 Veterans Stadium 63,818
3September 15at Dallas Cowboys W 24–02–1 Texas Stadium 62,656
4September 22 Pittsburgh Steelers W 23–143–1Veterans Stadium65,511
5September 30at Washington Redskins L 0–233–2 RFK Stadium 55,198
6October 6at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 13–143–3 Tampa Stadium 41,219
7October 13 New Orleans Saints L 6–133–4Veterans Stadium64,224
8 Bye
9October 27 San Francisco 49ers L 7–233–5Veterans Stadium65,796
10November 4 New York Giants W 30–74–5Veterans Stadium65,816
11November 10at Cleveland Browns W 32–305–5 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 72,086
12November 17 Cincinnati Bengals W 17–106–5Veterans Stadium63,189
13November 24at Phoenix Cardinals W 34–147–5 Sun Devil Stadium 37,307
14December 2at Houston Oilers W 13–68–5 Astrodome 62,141
15December 8at New York Giants W 19–149–5 Giants Stadium 76,099
16December 15 Dallas Cowboys L 13–259–6Veterans Stadium65,854
17December 22 Washington Redskins W 24–2210–6Veterans Stadium58,988
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Green Bay Packers

Quarter1234Total
Eagles0130720
Packers00303

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

  • Date: September 1
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), wind 11 mph (18 km/h)
  • Referee: Pat Haggerty
  • TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler and Dan Fouts
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com
Game information

Week 3

1234Total
• Eagles7100724
Cowboys00000
  • Date: September 15
  • Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
  • Game start: 12:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C); wind 13 mph (21 km/h)
  • Referee: Gerald Austin
  • TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen
Scoring summary
Q1PHI Fred Barnett 11 yard pass from Jim McMahon (Roger Ruzek kick)PHI 7–0
Q2PHIRoger Ruzek 42 yard field goalPHI 10–0
Q2PHI Robert Drummond 1 yard run (Roger Ruzek kick)PHI 17–0
Q4PHI Keith Byars 6 yard pass from Jim McMahon (Roger Ruzek kick)PHI 24–0

[8]

Week 14

Philadelphia Eagles (7–5) at Houston Oilers (9–3)
Quarter1234Total
Eagles0010313
Oilers03306

at Astrodome • Houston, Texas

Game information

The Eagles defense shut down the Oilers' run-and-shoot attack with four sacks, six forced fumbles (five lost) and 21 yards rushing on 11 attempts. Jerome Brown said after the game, "They brought the house, we brought the pain." [9]

Standings

NFC East
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(1) Washington Redskins 1420.8756–210–2485224L1
(5) Dallas Cowboys 1150.6885–38–4342310W5
Philadelphia Eagles 1060.6255–36–6285244W1
New York Giants 880.5003–55–7281297W1
Phoenix Cardinals 4120.2501–73–11196344L8

Awards and honors

NFL Comeback Player of the Year – Jim McMahon QB

UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year – Reggie White DE

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References

  1. ↑ Football Outsiders: 1991 DVOA Ratings and Commentary
  2. ↑ Stolnis, John (August 20, 2019). "These are the best (and worst) backup QB seasons in Eagles history". Bleeding Green Nation. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  3. ↑ Stolnis, John (May 13, 2020). "What if... Randall Cunningham never got hurt in 1991?". Bleeding Green Nation. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1990 to 1999, in the regular season, sorted by descending Takeaways, tied with the 1991 New Orleans Saints.
  5. ↑ "1991 Philadelphia Eagles draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  6. ↑ 1991 Philadelphia Eagles Media Guide. pp. 3–15.
  7. ↑ "1991 Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  8. ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2014-Apr-06.
  9. ↑ "Eagles Top 15 Monday night games." Philly.com. 2011 Nov 3.
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