Eagles are top five on a list of ‘heartbreaking dynasties’

Most of us aren’t old enough to recall the 1960 Philadelphia Eagles and their march to NFL Championship glory. You’ve most certainly heard the story though.

We all have a family member that remembers the game like it was yesterday. You’ve heard that Eagles team was the only one that can lay claim to beating the great Vince Lombardi and his mighty Green Bay Packers in a playoff game. You’ve seen the highlight of ‘Concrete Charlie’, Chuck Bednarik, tackling Jim Taylor on the game’s final play and lying on him as time ran out to ensure the victory.

With that win, Bednarik became the only man to win championships in two different eras of Eagles football (he was also a member of the 1949 championship-winning team as well). Who knew, as everyone celebrated a late Christmas present at Philly’s Franklin Field, that we’d have to wait for just under six decades to earn the right to talk about the Birds being at the top of the football world again?

Let’s hope it doesn’t take them that long to win the next one, but the lesson here is we should all appreciate these championships when they come. It may be a while before you see another one.

The Eagles land in the top five on a list of the NFL’s ‘dynasties of heartbreak’.

In what’s been a nice series to follow and keep up with, The Football Outsiders have released the final installment of a seven-part story of the NFL’s ‘dynasties of heartbreak’. From the 44th entry down to the top team mentioned, they brilliantly piece together a list that many fans can appreciate but, in some cases, would like to forget.

Three eras of Birds football made the list: Four seasons that began in 1978 and concluded in 1981 (ranked 38th),  the1988-1996 Philadelphia Eagles (ranked 33rd), and the time span stretching from 2000 to 2014. That one was bad enough for a top-five finish at number three.

Here’s some of what Bryan Knowles, the writer of this one, had to say.

"Before 2019, Andy Reid was on my Mount Rushmore for best coaches to never win a title, right alongside Marty Schottenheimer, George Allen, and Bud Grant. He probably would have been my top choice, honestly, considering how good his Eagles teams were for a decade and a half. Yes, this run technically includes a few Chip Kelly years at the end, which is what ends up pushing the Eagles to third rather than fourth. But make no mistake that this is Reid’s legacy as he took Philadelphia out of the wreckage that was the end of the Ray Rhodes era."

As Knowles mentions, that era saw two coaches pace the sideline (Andy Reid and Chip Kelly). It included three losses in the Wild Card Round, two losses in the Divisional Round, four losses in the NFC Championship Game (three of which were consecutive), and one loss in Super Bowl XXXIX.

There were some of the most gut-wrenching games in franchise history packed into those 15 years. Who can forget the final game in Veteran’s Stadium, a loss in the NFC Championship Game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Keep in mind the fact that Philly had beaten them four straight times, including two games in back-to-back postseasons.

The loss in the following NFC Championship Game to the Carolina Panthers was arguably more depressing as Donovan McNabb endured a rib cartilage injury before the decision was made to go with Koy Detmer late.

He threw the interception to seal it. Just like that, an inferior Panthers team went on to represent the NFC in football’s biggest game.

Finishing ahead of the Eagles were the 1966-1980 Los Angeles Rams and the 1968-1982 Minnesota Vikings. Philly has seen some dark times, but life hasn’t been too bad as a Birds fan. Look at it this way as we end this one on a positive note.

You’ve seen your beloved team have some memorable seasons (even if they didn’t always turn out like you might have hoped. They’ve also hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

The Vikes, Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns are still waiting on their first.

Maybe that will help you sleep better tonight. Then again, it may not, but let’s restate if you missed when this was said earlier. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait for 57 years until we see the Philadelphia Eagles win another one. Fingers are crossed. One can only take so much heartbreak.