1980 Philadelphia Eagles season
NFL team season
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The 1980 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 48th season in the National Football League (NFL). The Eagles won twelve of their sixteen games, winning their division for the first time in twenty years. The Eagles started the season winning eleven of their first twelve games, only to finish the season losing three of their final four. Still, the 12–4 record (the best finish in the Vermeil era) was good enough to win the NFC East division title for the first time in franchise history since the NFC East had been formed.
OwnerLeonard Tose
| 1980 Philadelphia Eagles season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Leonard Tose |
| General manager | Jim Murray |
| Head coach | Dick Vermeil |
| Defensive coordinator | Marion Campbell |
| Home stadium | Veterans Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1st NFC East |
| Playoffs | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Vikings) 31–16 Won NFC Championship (vs. Cowboys) 20–7 Lost Super Bowl XV (vs. Raiders) 10–27 |
The 1980 season marked the Eagles' third consecutive playoff appearance under coach Dick Vermeil, and culminated in the team's first Super Bowl appearance, where they were defeated by the Oakland Raiders 27–10. The 1980 NFC Championship long stood as the proudest moment of the Super Bowl era in Eagles history until they won Super Bowl LII 37 years later. After the season, Luther Blue retired.
Offseason
NFL draft
After going 11–5 in the 1979 season and making the playoffs as a wildcard team, the Eagles found themselves looking to improve in 1980 through the NFL Draft.
The 1980 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1979. As was started with the 1977 NFL Draft, this consisted of 12 rounds over two days. ESPN covered all 12 rounds live for the first time.
The Philadelphia Eagles had the 23rd to 25th pick in each of the 12 rounds. The Eagles drafted 10 players.
| 1980 Philadelphia Eagles Draft | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | |
| 1 | 23 | Roynell Young | DB | Alcorn State University | |
| 2 | 53 | Perry Harrington | RB | Jackson State University | |
| 5 | 135 | Nate Rivers | RB | South Carolina State | |
| 6 | 161 | Greg Murtha | T | University of Minnesota | |
| 7 | 188 | Terrell Ward | DB | San Diego State | |
| 8 | 218 | Mike Curcio | LB | Temple University | |
| 9 | 245 | Bob Harris | T | Bowling Green | |
| 11 | 298 | Lee Jukes | WR | North Carolina State | |
| 302 | Thomas Brown | DE | Baylor University | ||
| 12 | 329 | Howard Fields | DB | Baylor | |
Personnel
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
|
Roster
Regular season
The 1980 season schedule was set based on how the Eagles finished the previous season: 2nd in NFC East. The way the schedule was laid out, 4 of the 5 teams in the same division could end up having 10 to 14 common opponents during the 1980 season. Also, when the last regular-season game was over, each team knew who its opponents would be the next year.
- A home and away series vs the teams in its own division: Cowboys, Giants, Cardinals and Redskins = 8 games
- Each of the top 4 teams in the NFC East from the previous season played the top 4 teams in the AFC West from the previous season: Chargers, Broncos, Seahawks and Raiders = 4 games
- Each of the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the NFC East from the previous season (Eagles and Redskins) played the 2nd and 3rd place teams in the NFC Central and NFC West from the previous season: Bears, Vikings, Saints and Falcons = 4 games
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7, 1980 | Denver Broncos | W 27–6 | 1–0 | Veterans Stadium | 70,307 |
| 2 | September 14, 1980 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 42–7 | 2–0 | Metropolitan Stadium | 46,460 |
| 3 | September 22, 1980 | New York Giants | W 35–3 | 3–0 | Veterans Stadium | 70,767 |
| 4 | September 28, 1980 | at St. Louis Cardinals | L 24–14 | 3–1 | Busch Memorial Stadium | 49,079 |
| 5 | October 5, 1980 | Washington Redskins | W 24–14 | 4–1 | Veterans Stadium | 69,044 |
| 6 | October 12, 1980 | at New York Giants | W 31–16 | 5–1 | Giants Stadium | 71,051 |
| 7 | October 19, 1980 | Dallas Cowboys | W 17–10 | 6–1 | Veterans Stadium | 70,696 |
| 8 | October 26, 1980 | Chicago Bears | W 17–14 | 7–1 | Veterans Stadium | 68,752 |
| 9 | November 2, 1980 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 27–20 | 8–1 | Kingdome | 61,047 |
| 10 | November 9, 1980 | at New Orleans Saints | W 34–21 | 9–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 44,340 |
| 11 | November 16, 1980 | at Washington Redskins | W 24–0 | 10–1 | RFK Stadium | 51,897 |
| 12 | November 23, 1980 | Oakland Raiders | W 10–7 | 11–1 | Veterans Stadium | 68,535 |
| 13 | November 30, 1980 | at San Diego Chargers | L 22–21 | 11–2 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 51,567 |
| 14 | December 7, 1980 | Atlanta Falcons | L 20–17 | 11–3 | Veterans Stadium | 70,205 |
| 15 | December 14, 1980 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 17–3 | 12–3 | Veterans Stadium | 68,969 |
| 16 | December 21, 1980 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 35–27 | 12–4 | Texas Stadium | 62,548 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| • Eagles | 7 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
- Date: September 7
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 70,307
- Game weather: Partly cloudy; 82 °F (28 °C)
- Referee: Chuck Heberling
| Q1 | PHI | Carmichael 56 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 7–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Franklin 17 yard field goal | PHI 10–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Franklin 35 yard field goal | PHI 13–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Fitzkee 16 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 20–0 | |
| Q3 | DEN | Steinfort 44 yard field goal | PHI 20–3 | |
| Q3 | DEN | Steinfort 43 yard field goal | PHI 20–6 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Spagnola 11 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 27–6 | |
Week 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Eagles | 14 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
| Vikings | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
- Date: September 14
- Location: Metropolitan Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 46,460
- Game weather: Rain, 57 °F (14 °C); wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and George Allen
| Q1 | PHI | Harris 2 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 7–0 | |
| Q1 | PHI | Montgomery 72 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 14–0 | |
| Q2 | MIN | Rashad 16 yard pass from Kramer (Danmeier kick) | PHI 14–7 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Harris 4 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 21–7 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Montgomery 1 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 28–7 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Fitzkee 45 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 35–7 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Carmichael 13 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 42–7 | |
Week 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| • Eagles | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
- Date: September 22
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 70,767
- Game weather: Partly cloudy; 78 °F (26 °C)
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (ABC): Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and Fran Tarkenton
| Q1 | NYG | Danelo 50 yard field goal | NYG 3–0 | |
| Q1 | PHI | Montgomery 3 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 7–3 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Carmichael 22 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 14–3 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Harris 2 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 21–3 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Smith 12 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 28–3 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Montgomery 1 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 35–3 | |
Week 4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • Cardinals | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
- Date: September 28
- Location: Busch Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 49,079
- Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C); wind 7 mph (11 km/h)
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and John Madden
| Q1 | STL | 70 yard interception return (Little kick) | STL 7–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Jaworski 1 yard run (Franklin kick) | Tie 7–7 | |
| Q2 | STL | Little 31 yard field goal | STL 10–7 | |
| Q3 | STL | Anderson 14 yard run (Little kick) | STL 17–7 | |
| Q4 | STL | Anderson 37 yard run (Little kick) | STL 24–7 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Krepfle 9 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | STL 24–14 | |
Week 5
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| • Eagles | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
- Date: October 5
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 69,044
- Game weather: Cloudy; 61 °F (16 °C)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and John Madden
| Q1 | WSH | Thompson 54 yard pass from Theismann (Moseley kick) | WSH 7–0 | |
| Q1 | PHI | Harris 51 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | Tie 7–7 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Montgomery 3 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 14–7 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Carmichael 6 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 21–7 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Franklin 39 yard field goal | PHI 24–7 | |
| Q4 | WSH | Claitt 10 yard run (Moseley kick) | PHI 24–14 | |
Week 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Eagles | 0 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 31 |
| Giants | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
- Date: October 12
- Location: Giants Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 71,051
- Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C); wind 16 mph (26 km/h)
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and George Allen
| Q1 | NYG | Simms 1 yard run (Danelo kick) | NYG 7–0 | |
| Q2 | NYG | Perkins 15 yard pass from Simms (kick failed) | NYG 13–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Franklin 41 yard field goal | NYG 13–3 | |
| Q2 | NYG | Danelo 42 yard field goal | NYG 16–3 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Giammona 1 yard run (Franklin kick) | NYG 16–10 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Harrington 19 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 17–16 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Giammona 3 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 24–16 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Krepfle 6 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 31–16 | |
Week 7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • Eagles | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
- Date: October 19
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 70,696
- Game weather: Sunny; 69 °F (21 °C)
- Referee: Cal Lepore
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
| Q1 | DAL | Hegman recovered fumble in end zone (Septien kick) | DAL 7–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Franklin 35 yard field goal | DAL 7–3 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Carmichael 5 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 10–7 | |
| Q2 | DAL | Septien 33 yard field goal | Tie 10–10 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Smith 15 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 17–10 | |
Week 8
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| • Eagles | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
- Date: October 26
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 68,752
- Game weather: Cloudy; 46 °F (8 °C)
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
| Q1 | PHI | Campfield 2 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 7–0 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Giammona 2 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 14–0 | |
| Q3 | CHI | Harper 1 yard run (Thomas kick) | PHI 14–7 | |
| Q3 | CHI | Evans 3 yard run (Thomas kick) | Tie 14–14 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Franklin 18 yard field goal | PHI 17–14 | |
Week 9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Eagles | 0 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 27 |
| Seahawks | 6 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
- Date: November 2
- Location: Kingdome
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 61,047
- Game weather: Indoors (dome)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and John Madden
| Q1 | SEA | Herrera 21 yard field goal | SEA 3–0 | |
| Q1 | SEA | Herrera 31 yard field goal | SEA 6–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Campfield 1 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 7–6 | |
| Q3 | SEA | Largent 27 yard pass from Zorn (Herrera kick) | SEA 13–7 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Smith 15 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 14–13 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Franklin 39 yard field goal | PHI 17–13 | |
| Q4 | SEA | Doornik 9 yard run (Herrera kick) | SEA 20–17 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Campfield 5 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 24–20 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Franklin 25 yard field goal | PHI 27–20 | |
Week 10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Eagles | 0 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 34 |
| Saints | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
- Date: November 9
- Location: Louisiana Superdome
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 44,340
- Game weather: Indoors (dome)
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (CBS): Curt Gowdy and Hank Stram
| Q1 | NO | Williams 24 yard pass from Manning (Ricardo kick) | NO 7–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Carmichael 10 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | Tie 7–7 | |
| Q2 | NO | Chandler 17 yard pass from Manning (Ricardo kick) | NO 14–7 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Franklin 32 yard field goal | NO 14–10 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Carmichael 6 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 17–14 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Carmichael 25 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 24–14 | |
| Q3 | NO | Williams 8 yard pass from Manning (Ricardo kick) | PHI 24–21 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Franklin 30 yard field goal | PHI 27–21 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Hogan 2 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 30–21 | |
Week 11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Eagles | 14 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| Redskins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Date: November 16
- Location: RFK Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 51,897
- Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C); wind 16 mph (26 km/h)
- Referee: Jerry Seeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and John Madden
| Q1 | PHI | Krepfle 8 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 7–0 | |
| Q1 | PHI | Spagnola 14 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 14–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Franklin 38 yard field goal | PHI 17–0 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Robinson 59 yard fumble return (Franklin kick) | PHI 24–0 | |
Week 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • Eagles | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
- Date: November 23
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 68,535
- Game weather: Cloudy; 44 °F (7 °C)
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy
| Q3 | PHI | Franklin 51 yard field goal | PHI 3–0 | |
| Q4 | OAK | Branch 86 yard pass from Plunkett (Bahr kick) | OAK 7–3 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Montgomery 3 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 10–7 | |
Week 13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| • Chargers | 9 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 22 |
- Date: November 30
- Location: Jack Murphy Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 51,567
- Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C); wind 6 mph (9.7 km/h)
- Referee: Chuck Heberling
- TV announcers (CBS): Curt Gowdy and Hank Stram
| Q1 | SD | Winslow 14 yard pass from Fouts (kick failed) | SD 6–0 | |
| Q1 | SD | Benirschke 34 yard field goal | SD 9–0 | |
| Q2 | SD | Winslow 17 yard pass from Fouts (Benirschke kick) | SD 16–0 | |
| Q2 | SD | Benirschke 45 yard field goal | SD 19–0 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Montgomery 1 yard run (Franklin kick) | SD 19–7 | |
| Q4 | SD | Benirschke 42 yard field goal | SD 22–7 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Krepfle 16 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | SD 22–14 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Montgomery 11 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | SD 22–21 | |
Week 14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Falcons | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Eagles | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
- Date: December 7
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 70,205
- Game weather: Light rain; 55 °F (13 °C)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
| Q1 | ATL | Mazzetti 26 yard field goal | ATL 3–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Carmichael 22 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | PHI 7–3 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Spagnola 15 yard pass from Giammona (Franklin kick) | PHI 14–3 | |
| Q2 | ATL | Francis 11 yard pass from Bartkowski (Mazzetti kick) | PHI 14–10 | |
| Q3 | ATL | Cain 12 yard pass from Bartkowski (Mazzetti kick) | ATL 17–14 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Franklin 40 yard field goal | Tie 17–17 | |
| Q4 | ATL | Mazzetti 37 yard field goal | ATL 20–17 | |
Week 15
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| • Eagles | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 |
- Date: December 14
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 68,969
- Game weather: Sunny; 44 °F (7 °C)
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and George Allen
| Q3 | PHI | Montgomery 9 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 7–0 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Franklin 19 yard field goal | PHI 10–0 | |
| Q4 | STL | O'Donoghue 25 yard field goal | PHI 10–3 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Giammona 1 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 17–3 | |
Week 16
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 | 27 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
- Date: December 21
- Location: Texas Stadium
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 62,548
- Game weather: 28 °F (−2 °C); wind 9 mph (14 km/h)
- Referee: Dick Jorgensen
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and Tom Brookshier
| Q1 | DAL | White 1 yard run (Septien kick) | DAL 7–0 | |
| Q2 | DAL | Hill 36 yard pass from White (Septien kick) | DAL 14–0 | |
| Q2 | DAL | P. Pearson 9 yard pass from White (Septien kick) | DAL 21–0 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Giammona 1 yard run (Franklin kick) | DAL 21–7 | |
| Q3 | DAL | D. Pearson 11 yard pass from White (Septien kick) | DAL 28–7 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Franklin 29 yard field goal | DAL 28–10 | |
| Q4 | DAL | DuPree 15 yard pass from White (Septien kick) | DAL 35–10 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Parker 30 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | DAL 35–17 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Franklin 19 yard field goal | DAL 35–20 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Montgomery 6 yard run (Franklin kick) | DAL 35–27 | |
- Harold Carmichael's streak of games with a pass caught is stopped. Despite losing this game, the Eagles clinched the NFC East Division on a quirky tie-breaker scenario because they lost by less than 25 points. The only caveat to losing by less than 25 points compared to winning this game outright was that the Eagles conceded the number one seed in the NFC to the Atlanta Falcons (who had also lost during this same week). The close defeat however proved to be less significant compared to winning this game outright as their eventual run to the Super Bowl would not have changed due to restrictions regarding teams from the same division meeting in the Divisional Round, and Dallas defeating both the Rams in the Wild Card Round (Dallas could only face Atlanta regardless of seeding), and the Falcons in the Divisional Round (the NFC Championship Game would have still been held in Philadelphia).
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Philadelphia Eagles(2) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 384 | 222 | L1 |
| Dallas Cowboys(4) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 454 | 311 | W1 |
| Washington Redskins | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4–4 | 5–7 | 261 | 293 | W3 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 2–6 | 4–10 | 299 | 350 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 3–9 | 249 | 425 | L2 |
Playoffs
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | January 3, 1981 | Minnesota Vikings | W 31–16 | 1–0 | Veterans Stadium | 68,434 |
| Conference Championship | January 11, 1981 | Dallas Cowboys | W 20–7 | 2–0 | Veterans Stadium | 70,696 |
| Super Bowl | January 25, 1981 | Oakland Raiders | L 27–10 | 2–1 | Louisiana Superdome | 75,500 |
Divisional
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 16 |
| • Eagles | 0 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 31 |
- Date: January 3
- Location: Veterans Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 68,434
- Game weather: Cloudy; 26 °F (−3 °C)
- Referee: Jim Tunney
| Q1 | MIN | White 30 yard pass from Kramer (Danmeier kick) | MIN 7–0 | |
| Q2 | MIN | Brown 1 yard run (Danmeier kick) | MIN 14–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Carmichael 9 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | MIN 14–7 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Montgomery 8 yard run (Franklin kick) | Tie 14–14 | |
| Q3 | MIN | Safety, Jaworski tackled in end zone | MIN 16–14 | |
| Q3 | PHI | Montgomery 5 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 21–16 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Franklin 33 yard field goal | PHI 24–16 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Harrington 2 yard run (Franklin kick) | PHI 31–16 | |
Conference Championship
NFC Championship: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Eagles | 7 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
at Veterans Stadium • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Date: January 11, 1981
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny; 12 °F (−11 °C); wind 3 mph (4.8 km/h)
- Game attendance: 70,696
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, and Irv Cross
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Super Bowl
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Raiders | 14 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 27 |
| Eagles | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
- Date: January 25
- Location: Louisiana Superdome
- Game start: 6:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 75,500
- Game weather: Indoors (dome)
- Referee: Ben Dreith
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Merlin Olsen
| Q1 | OAK | Branch 2 yard pass from Plunkett (Bahr kick) | OAK 7–0 | |
| Q1 | OAK | King 80 yard pass from Plunkett (Bahr kick) | OAK 14–0 | |
| Q2 | PHI | Franklin 30 yard field goal | OAK 14–3 | |
| Q3 | OAK | Branch 29 yard pass from Plunkett (Bahr kick) | OAK 21–3 | |
| Q3 | OAK | Bahr 46 yard field goal | OAK 24–3 | |
| Q4 | PHI | Krepfle 8 yard pass from Jaworski (Franklin kick) | OAK 24–10 | |
| Q4 | OAK | Bahr 35 yard field goal | OAK 27–10 | |
Awards and honors
- Ron Jaworski, Bert Bell Award[3]