1992 Philadelphia Eagles season
NFL team season
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The 1992 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 60th in the National Football League (NFL). The team fought through adversity from the start and improved upon their previous total of 10–6,[1] winning eleven games and returning to the playoffs after a year out. The Eagles would win a playoff game for the first time since 1980, but lost in the Divisional round to their Division Rival and eventual Super Bowl winning Dallas Cowboys.
| 1992 Philadelphia Eagles season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Norman Braman |
| Head coach | Rich Kotite |
| Offensive coordinator | Rich Kotite |
| Defensive coordinator | Bud Carson |
| Home stadium | Veterans Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC East |
| Playoffs | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Saints) 36–20 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Cowboys) 10–34 |
| Uniform | |
| |
This was the first season the team was sponsored by the Russell Athletic brand. The sponsorship lasted until the 1996 season.
After winning four in a row and five of their last six regular-season games, the Eagles kept the momentum going and posted their first playoff victory since the 1980 NFC Championship Game, topping the Saints in New Orleans in the Wild Card playoffs. It was also their first playoff win on the road, since the 1949 NFL Championship Game. Season highlights included: the first 4–0 start since going 6–0 to begin the 1981 campaign, a home shutout of the Denver Broncos on September 20, a memorable seven-play goal line stand in a 7–3 win over the Cardinals on October 25, a come-from-behind 47–34 win over the New York Giants at the Meadowlands (which included a Vai Sikahema punt return for a touchdown and his iconic boxing with the padding at the base of the goal posts), and cornerback Eric Allen batting away a Mark Rypien pass at the goal line to seal a playoff-spot-clinching 17–13 decision against the Washington Redskins on December 20.
The entire season was the focus of Mark Bowden's best-selling book "Bringing the Heat", which also dealt in detail with prominent recent-term figures who were not with the 1992 Eagles. This included tight end Keith Jackson who became the first prominent NFL player to use his newly granted rights of full and unrestricted free agency and signed a deal with the Miami Dolphins several weeks into the season, and former coach Buddy Ryan who struggled through a TV commentator's role two years after he was fired as the Eagles coach. However, Ryan remained a huge (and not always positive) influence on the 1992 Eagles (particularly through the defensive players who remained loyal to him, and who were indifferent at best about Rich Kotite's leadership). Bowden's book also described the personal issues that Eagles players faced, the friction between how injuries should be (or were) treated by the team's medical staff, and the story of hugely successful but haunted then-team owner Norman Braman.
The last remaining active member of the 1992 Philadelphia Eagles was punter Jeff Feagles, who retired after the 2009 season.
Offseason
The Eagles were represented at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. Herschel Walker also represented the United States in the two-man bobsled event. Walker and Brian Shimer's sled finished seventh and missed a medal by 0.32 seconds, and was the higher finishing American team.[2] Walker signed with the Eagles as a free agent on June 22.[3]
Jerome Brown's death
Tragedy struck the team when, on June 25, 1992, defensive tackle Jerome Brown lost control of his Chevrolet Corvette at high speed before crashing into an electric pole, killing Brown and his nephew Gus. Later that evening in Philadelphia, in front of a large gathering at Veterans Stadium and a national television audience who were participating in a Billy Graham Crusade, Reggie White broke the news of his teammate's passing to the shock of the audience.
The Eagles retired number 99 in honor of Brown, kept his locker untouched, and wore a patch with his initials and number on their jerseys. They also adopted rallying cries "Bring It Home For Jerome" and “1-2-3-JB”, referring to their desire to win the Super Bowl for their fallen teammate.
NFL draft
The Eagles had a 10–6 record in 1991 and tied with three other teams. Because of this, they selected the 16th to 20th pick on a rotating basis in the 12 rounds. They traded away their first round pick earlier, which was made by the Dallas Cowboys. With their pick in the second round, they chose Siran Stacy, a running back out of the University of Alabama. The Eagles selected 12 players over the 12 rounds.
| 1992 Philadelphia Eagles draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 48 | Siran Stacy | Running back | Alabama | |
| 3 | 75 | Tommy Jeter | Defensive tackle | Texas | |
| 4 | 92 | Tony Brooks | Running back | Notre Dame | |
| 4 | 102 | Casey Weldon | Quarterback | Florida State | |
| 5 | 129 | Corey Barlow | Defensive back | Auburn | |
| 6 | 160 | Jeff Sydner | Wide receiver | Hawaii | |
| 7 | 187 | William Boatwright | Guard | Virginia Tech | |
| 8 | 214 | Chuck Bullough | Linebacker | Michigan State | |
| 9 | 241 | Ephesians Bartley | Linebacker | Florida | |
| 10 | 272 | Mark McMillian | Defensive back | Alabama | |
| 11 | 299 | Pumpy Tudors | Punter | Chattanooga | |
| 12 | 326 | Brandon Houston | Offensive tackle | Oklahoma | |
| Made roster | |||||
Personnel
Staff / Coaches
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6 | New Orleans Saints | W 15–13 | 1–0 | Veterans Stadium | 63,513 |
| 2 | September 13 | at Phoenix Cardinals | W 31–14 | 2–0 | Sun Devil Stadium | 42,533 |
| 3 | September 20 | Denver Broncos | W 30–0 | 3–0 | Veterans Stadium | 65,833 |
| 4 | Bye | |||||
| 5 | October 5 | Dallas Cowboys | W 31–7 | 4–0 | Veterans Stadium | 66,572 |
| 6 | October 11 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 17–24 | 4–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 76,626 |
| 7 | October 18 | at Washington Redskins | L 12–16 | 4–2 | RFK Stadium | 56,380 |
| 8 | October 25 | Phoenix Cardinals | W 7–3 | 5–2 | Veterans Stadium | 64,676 |
| 9 | November 1 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 10–20 | 5–3 | Texas Stadium | 65,012 |
| 10 | November 8 | Los Angeles Raiders | W 31–10 | 6–3 | Veterans Stadium | 65,388 |
| 11 | November 15 | at Green Bay Packers | L 24–27 | 6–4 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 52,689 |
| 12 | November 22 | at New York Giants | W 47–34 | 7–4 | Giants Stadium | 68,153 |
| 13 | November 29 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 14–20 | 7–5 | Candlestick Park | 64,374 |
| 14 | December 6 | Minnesota Vikings | W 28–17 | 8–5 | Veterans Stadium | 65,280 |
| 15 | December 13 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 20–17 (OT) | 9–5 | Kingdome | 47,492 |
| 16 | December 20 | Washington Redskins | W 17–13 | 10–5 | Veterans Stadium | 65,841 |
| 17 | December 27 | New York Giants | W 20–10 | 11–5 | Veterans Stadium | 64,266 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saints | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| • Eagles | 6 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
- Date: September 6
- Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 68 °F or 20 °C (Light Rain)
- Referee: Dale Hamer
- TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz & Dan Fouts
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
Week 2: at Phoenix Cardinals
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Eagles | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Cardinals | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
- Date: September 13
- Location: Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
- Game start: 6:00 p.m. PST
- Referee: Bernie Kukar
- TV announcers (TNT): Gary Bender & Pat Haden
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| • Eagles | 3 | 14 | 10 | 3 | 30 |
- Date: September 20
- Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 77 °F or 25 °C (Sunny)
- Referee: Larry Nemmers
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert & Bill Parcells
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
Week 5: vs. Dallas Cowboys
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • Eagles | 10 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
- Date: October 5
- Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
- Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 47 °F or 8.3 °C (Clear)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
Week 6: at Kansas City Chiefs
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 17 |
| • Chiefs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
- Date: October 11
- Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Game start: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: 50 °F or 10 °C, wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
- Referee: Dick Hantak
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist & Dan Fouts
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
This game ended the longest ever gap between two NFL teams meeting. It was the first time since October 22, 1972 that the Eagles played against the Chiefs.[6] and only their second-ever matchup.[7] This occurred because in previous seasons when the AFC West and NFC East met each other, either the Eagles or the Chiefs (but never both) finished in the fifth position and did not play the ordinary set of interconference games.[6]
Week 7: at Washington Redskins
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 12 |
| • Redskins | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 16 |
- Date: October 18
- Location: RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall & John Madden
Week 8: vs. Phoenix Cardinals
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| • Eagles | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
- Date: October 25
- Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 50 °F or 10 °C (Cloudy)
- Referee: Gary Lane
- TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan & Matt Millen
In a game with only 10 total points, the Eagles stopped the Cardinals on at least 7 tries from the Philadelphia 1-yard line and got a 4th-down stop to hold Phoenix scoreless. The drive became famously titled "The 1 Yard War."
Week 9: at Dallas Cowboys
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| • Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
- Date: November 1
- Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Game start: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall & John Madden
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
After Randall Cunningham played poorly in the 1st half, Rich Kotite benched him and put Jim McMahon in as the QB for the 2nd half. While Philadelphia lost, McMahon played much better than Cunningham had, and after the game Kotite said McMahon would also start the following week vs. the Raiders.
Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Raiders
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| • Eagles | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
- Date: November 8
- Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 43 °F or 6.1 °C (Sunny)
- Referee: Tom White
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg & Bob Trumpy
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
Week 11: at Green Bay Packers
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 3 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
| • Packers | 0 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 27 |
- Date: November 15
- Location: Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Game start: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Referee: Gerald Austin
- TV announcers (CBS): James Brown & George Starke
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
Week 12: at New York Giants
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Eagles | 0 | 20 | 20 | 7 | 47 |
| Giants | 10 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
- Date: November 22
- Location: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 60 °F or 15.6 °C, wind 13 mph
- Referee: Dick Hantak
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton & Randy Cross
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
| 1 | Giants | Matt Bahr 35 yard field goal | Giants 3–0 | |
| 1 | Giants | Dave Meggett 14 yard pass from Jeff Hostetler (Matt Bahr kick) | Giants 10–0 | |
| 2 | Eagles | Herschel Walker 21 yard pass from Randall Cunningham (kick failed) | Giants 10–6 | |
| 2 | Giants | Dave Meggett 92 yard kickoff return (Matt Bahr kick) | Giants 17–6 | |
| 2 | Giants | Matt Bahr 44 yard field goal | Giants 20–6 | |
| 2 | Eagles | Seth Joyner 43 yard interception return (Roger Ruzek kick) | Giants 20–13 | |
| 2 | Eagles | Herschel Walker 11 yard run (Roger Ruzek kick) | Tie 20–20 | |
| 3 | Eagles | Keith Byars 38 yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Roger Ruzek kick) | Eagles 27–20 | |
| 3 | Eagles | Ken Rose 3 yard blocked punt return (Roger Ruzek kick) | Eagles 34–20 | |
| 3 | Eagles | Vai Sikahema 87 yard punt return (kick failed) | Eagles 40–20 | |
| 3 | Giants | Ed McCaffrey 18 yard pass from Kent Graham (Matt Bahr kick) | Eagles 40–27 | |
| 4 | Eagles | Heath Sherman 30 yard run (Roger Ruzek kick) | Eagles 47–27 | |
| 4 | Giants | Rodney Hampton 2 yard run (Matt Bahr kick) | Eagles 47–34 | |
Week 13: at San Francisco 49ers
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| • 49ers | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
- Date: November 29
- Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. PST
- Referee: Howard Roe
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall & John Madden
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| • Eagles | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
- Date: December 6
- Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 38 °F or 3.3 °C (Cloudy)
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist & Dan Fouts
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Eagles | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 20 |
| Seahawks | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
- Date: December 13
- Location: The Kingdome, Seattle, Washington
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: indoors (dome)
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
- TV announcers (CBS): James Brown & John Robinson
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
Week 16: vs. Washington Redskins
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| • Eagles | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
- Date: December 20
- Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 47 °F or 8.3 °C (Cloudy)
- Referee: Dale Hamer
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall & John Madden
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
The game ended when Mark Rypien aimed an on-target pass to WR Gary Clark for Washington, but Eagle CB Eric Allen got a hand on part of the ball and knocked it away from Clark as time ran out.
Week 17: vs. New York Giants
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| • Eagles | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
- Date: December 27
- Location: Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 34 °F or 1.1 °C (Sunny)
- Referee: Red Cashion
- TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan & Matt Millen
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Dallas Cowboys | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 409 | 243 | W2 |
| (5) Philadelphia Eagles | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 354 | 245 | W4 |
| (6) Washington Redskins | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 300 | 255 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–6 | 4–8 | 306 | 367 | L1 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 4–10 | 243 | 332 | L2 |
Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | January 3, 1993 | at New Orleans Saints | W 36–20 | 68,893 |
| Division | January 10, 1993 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 34–10 | 63,721 |
NFC Wild Card: at New Orleans Saints
Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Eagles | 7 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 36 |
| Saints | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
- Date: January 3
- Location: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Game start: 3:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: indoors (dome)
- Referee: Dale Hamer
- TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
NFC Divisional: at Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eagles | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| • Cowboys | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
- Date: January 10
- Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Game start: 11:30 a.m. CST
- Referee: Tom White
- TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts
- Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com