Exactly one year ago today, the Philadelphia Eagles handed complete control of their franchise to Chip Kelly. Less than one full year later, they took his power away, releasing him of his responsibilities with the franchise.
It’s been an unbelievable turn of events in the last year, one that you had to see to experience. From Chip Kelly’s failed pursuit of Marcus Mariota to his trade for Sam Bradford to the preseason heard ’round the world to his 6-9 regular season record, it’s been one of the most roller coaster rides in the history of the Eagles.
In the end, it just wasn’t enough for the Eagles to continue to keep Kelly. After all, he failed in three ways that simply cannot be overlooked. He failed as a head coach. He failed as a general manager. And, perhaps most important of all, he failed as a leader.
As a result, the Eagles find themselves in a very uncomfortable situation, needing to replace a head coach just one year after handing him more power than almost every other head coach in the league.
While the Kelly era certainly didn’t end well, let’s not pretend it was a complete failure. The Eagles recorded 26 victories in 47 games during Kelly’s reign, including consecutive 10-win seasons and an NFC East division title in 2013.
Below I ranked every single regular season game of the Kelly era, factoring in the expectations heading into the game, the team’s outlook after the game, the quality of the opponent, and, of course, the overall result of the game. They are ranked from worst to best.
47. 2015 Week 2: Dallas 20, Eagles 10
Let’s just never talk about this game again. Yes, it was that bad. It was the defining game of the 2015 season for Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles. Personally, it was a game that almost scarred me to the point of no return. The Eagles finished the game with seven rushing yards, including the following DeMarco Murray stat line: 13 carries for 2 yards. It was extremely apparent watching the game that Dallas basically knew every play the Eagles were running. They controlled the clock for more than 40 minutes and thoroughly manhandled the Eagles, despite an insane 18 penalties. The game also marked the beginning of the end for the 2015 Cowboys, as linebacker Jordan Hicks broke Tony Romo’s collarbone on a sack. For neutral football fans, the game was as bad as it gets. For Eagles fans, it was an eye-opening display that fully demonstrated all of Chip Kelly’s flaws magnified to the fullest extent against its most-hated division rival.
46. 2015 Week 12: Detroit 45, Eagles 14
The most miserable five-day stretch of the season for the Eagles featured not one, but two losses by at least four touchdowns. Playing in Detroit on Thanksgiving, Mark Sanchez and the Philadelphia Eagles were annihilated by a Lions team that had started the season with a 1-7 record. The lasting image will be Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson connecting for three touchdown passes as Billy Davis continued to keep rookie cornerback Eric Rowe in single-coverage against one of the game’s best receiving threats of the last decade.
45. 2014 Week 15: Dallas 38, Eagles 27
Other than the 2013 regular season finale, this was the most important game of the Chip Kelly era. Both the Eagles and Cowboys stood at 9-4 heading into a Sunday Night Football game that would likely determine the NFC East division race. So much of the game is memorable, from the Cowboys’ pooch kick and recovery to open their game, to their 21-0 lead, to the Eagles’ 24 unanswered points to Dez Bryant’s three touchdown receptions over Bradley Fletcher. In the end, Mark Sanchez’s two fourth quarter interceptions were the deciding factor in a game the Eagles lost 38-27 to essentially put their playoff hopes on life support.
44. 2013 Week 7: Dallas 17, Eagles 3
In 2013, Nick Foles threw for 27 touchdowns against just 2 interceptions. He posted a 119.2 passer rating and tied the single-game record with seven touchdown passes. He also turned in perhaps the worst individually quarterbacked game by any Eagles quarterback in the last decade, completing 11 of 29 passes for 80 yards and leaving after a hard hit in the fourth quarter. While it’s possible that Foles played through a concussion, as some have speculated, the second-year quarterback’s poor performance raised serious doubts about his future as the replacement for Michael Vick.
43. 2014 Week 8: Arizona 24, Eagles 20
It’s hard to script a more disappointing ending to a game than the Eagles against Arizona in Week 8 of the 2014 season. The fact that four games are ranked lower shows just how brutal the low moments have been in the Chip Kelly era. This game is remembered for three plays in the final two minutes: 1) Chip Kelly choosing to kick a game-tying field goal instead of going for 4th and 1 from the four-yard line, 2) rookie John Brown’s 75-yard touchdown catch over Nate Allen and 3) Nick Foles’ backpedal from the 15-yard line to the 32-yard line before hitting Jordan Matthews out of bounds on what could have been a final play walkoff touchdown.
42. 2015 Week 11: Tampa Bay 45, Eagles 17
Until this point in the season, the Eagles had at least remained competitive in all of their games, even with their less-than-ideal 4-5 record. Then Jameis Winston, Doug Martin and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to town. The final score, 45-17, doesn’t even begin to symbolize just how poorly the Eagles played. Jameis Winston tossed five touchdown passes. Doug Martin rushed for 235 yards, including an 84-yard run and a 58-yard run. With Mark Sanchez (three interceptions) at quarterback, the Eagles never had a chance, but they could have been starting Tom Brady and they likely would have lost by double-digits.
41. 2014 Week 14: Seattle 24, Eagles 14
If there were any thoughts of Mark Sanchez and the Eagles establishing themselves as one of the league’s elite teams, they were squashed by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14. The Eagles controlled the ball for just 18:39. They couldn’t move the ball through the air or on the ground, accumulating just 139 yards of offense. Their only chance of winning ended when safety Malcolm Jenkins dropped what would have been an easy interception touchdown in the fourth quarter. The final score, 24-14, actually doesn’t represent just how much Seattle dominated the Eagles.
40. 2015 Week 10: Miami 20, Eagles 19
There’s not a play that sums up the 2015 Eagles’ season more than Mark Sanchez’s interception in the end zone in the closing minutes against the Miami Dolphins. Replacing an injured Sam Bradford, Sanchez led the Eagles down the field, but forced a throw that Miles Austin never made an effort on, resulting in a back-breaking interception that essentially started the three-game stretch that would end the Chip Kelly era. It was a game the Eagles led 16-3 midway through the first quarter. A week after their epic overtime win against Dallas, it appeared Kelly’s squad had finally turned the page. Not even close.
39. 2014 Week 11: Green Bay 53, Eagles 20
Flying high after a beatdown of the Carolina Panthers in Mark Sanchez’s first start, the Eagles got a very blunt reality check when they traveled to Lambeau Field to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. Everything that could go wrong did, as the Eagles lost 53-20 behind predictable dominance from Rodgers, Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson. Green Bay added a pair of defensive touchdowns, plus a punt return score, marking the most lopsided loss of the Kelly era.
38. 2015 Week 15: Arizona 40, Eagles 17
Any momentum the Eagles gained by beating New England and Buffalo was ruined when they hosted the 11-2 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday Night Football. Quite simply, the Eagles were no match for one of the NFC’s powerhouses. They actually led 7-0 and remained in the game until the third quarter, when the bottom fell out. In the end, it was rookie David Johnson’s 187 yards and three touchdowns that guaranteed the first non-winning season of the Kelly era. Despite 361 passing yards and two touchdowns from Sam Bradford, the Eagles scored just 17 points in yet another blowout loss.
37. 2014 Week 4: San Francisco 26, Eagles 21
One of the stranger games in the Chip Kelly era involved the Eagles losing by five, and coming within a single yard of a victory, despite scoring no offensive touchdowns. The Eagles’ touchdowns came on a Brad Smith blocked punt recovery in the end zone, a phenomenal Malcolm Jenkins interception return and a Darren Sproles punt return. But the Eagles’ offense was so putrid that they didn’t cross midfield until the final drive of the game, when Nick Foles led the Eagles 90 yards in 15 plays. But the Eagles needed to go 91, and Foles’ fourth and goal pass to Jeremy Maclin from the one-yard line fell incomplete. The anemic Eagles’ offense overshadowed Maclin’s insane one-handed lunging reception on 3rd and 14 with three minutes remaining. Thought at the time to be just a fluke performance by the Eagles’ offense, the game instead became a pattern for an Eagles team that struggled to move the ball in 2014 like they had the previous season.
36. 2015 Week 16: Washington 38, Eagles 24
Despite a wildly disappointing 6-8 record, the Eagles actually had an opportunity to win the NFC East if they managed to win their final two games. All they had to do was beat an average Redskins team and a middling Giants team. And we all know what happened, as it’s still fresh in our minds. The Eagles allowed four touchdown passes to Kirk Cousins, two to Jordan Reed. The defining play of the game came on a DeMarco Murray fumble, predictably on an outside sweep that likely would have netted a loss of two yards, that was returned for a touchdown by DeAngelo Hall.
35. 2014 Week 16: Washington 27, Eagles 24
The Eagles’ faint playoff hopes came to end against Robert Griffin III and the Redskins on Saturday Night Football. After leading the Eagles back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit, Mark Sanchez did what Mark Sanchez does best, throwing an interception with just two minutes left, setting up a game-winning Redskins field goal. DeSean Jackson’s 126 receiving yards overshadowed Zach Ertz’s 15 catches, completing a historic December collapse by the Eagles.
34. 2013 Week 8: NY Giants 15, Eagles 7
There were serious doubts about whether Chip Kelly’s offense could succeed in the NFL when his team failed to score an offensive touchdown for the second straight week in the middle of the 2013 season. Only a Najee Goode fumble return for a touchdown in the closing minutes saved an embarrassing shutout at the hands of the rival Giants. A week after throwing three fourth-quarter interceptions in relief of Nick Foles, Matt Barkley tossed an interception and fumbled three times in relief of Mike Vick.
33. 2015 Week 4: Washington 23, Eagles 20
The first moments of panic for the 2015 Eagles came in Week 2 when the Dallas Cowboys held the Eagles to just seven yards rushing in one of the top team defensive performances of the 2015 season. The Eagles’ Week 4 loss to Washington took those feelings of panic and turned them into a sinking reality that the 2015 squad just wasn’t good enough. This was the game when Kirk Cousins turned into John Elway, leading the Redskins 90 yards in 15 plays, the winning touchdown strike coming to Pierre Garcon with just 24 seconds remaining. Most close losses in the Chip Kelly era involved the Eagles’ offense failing in the final minutes. This was the only game where the opposing team scored a last-minute touchdown to win.
32. 2013 Week 15: Minnesota 48, Eagles 30
Ah, the epic trap game. Andy Reid fell victim frequently, especially during his later years with the Eagles. Remember the Bengals (tie) in 2008? Or the Raiders in 2009? For Chip Kelly’s 8-5 Eagles, the 4-9-1 Vikings were a team that they took way too lightly. Or maybe they were just thoroughly outplayed. Either way, the Eagles lost 48-30 behind 382 yards and two touchdowns from Matt Cassel and three rushing touchdowns from Adrian Peterson’s no-name replacement Matt Asiata. The Nick Foles to DeSean Jackson duo hooked up for 10 receptions, 195 yards and a touchdown in a game that fortunately had no future impact on the Eagles’ playoff chances.
31. 2013 Week 4: Denver 52, Eagles 20
In 2013, Peyton Manning turned in perhaps the greatest season by a quarterback in the history of the NFL, throwing for 5477 yards and 55 touchdowns and earning MVP honors for the fifth time in his storied career. So what he did to the Eagles in Week 4 – 28 of 34 for 327 yards and 4 touchdowns – was predictable, and behind a pair of special teams touchdowns, the Broncos cruised to a 32-point victory.
30. 2013 Week 3: Kansas City 26, Eagles 16
When the Eagles lost in the Chip Kelly era, they lost ugly. It’s amazing that a double-digit loss to former Eagles head coach Andy Reid is the fourth-best loss of the last three seasons. That’s because at the time, the Eagles weren’t expected to make much of an impact in the 2013 season. The game is remembered for Kelly’s embarrassing swinging gate two-point conversion attempt. In the end, a Chiefs team that would begin the season with a 9-0 record won by 10 points despite LeSean McCoy rushing for 158 yards and Michael Vick adding 99 more.
29. 2015 Week 7: Carolina 27, Eagles 16
For as poorly as the Eagles played in 2015, their 11-point loss to the Carolina Panthers is actually one of their better performances. The middle of three consecutive prime-time games saw the Eagles put up a decent fight against a team that would win their first 14 games of the 2015 season. The big storyline following the game was Chip Kelly’s decision to hand DeMarco Murray the ball 18 times (for 65 yards), while backup Ryan Mathews handled just six carries (for 97 yards and a touchdown).
28. 2015 Week 1: Atlanta 26, Eagles 24
The first game of the Chip Kelly and Sam Bradford era turned into a tale of two halves, as the Eagles trailed 20-3 at halftime, led 24-23 midway through the fourth quarter and ultimately suffered a heartbreaking 26-24 defeat. Many will remember Byron Maxwell’s poor coverage of Julio Jones, who roasted the $63 million corner for nine catches, 141 yards and two touchdowns. But the signature play of the game came when kicker Cody Parkey, who would be placed on injured reserve with a groin injury just two weeks later, missed a 44-yard field goal with 2:32 remaining. At the time, the loss was shrugged off as a rusty quarterback in a new system, and while Bradford played really well in the second half, the game stands as a microcosm for his and the Eagles’ season: just not good enough.
27. 2013 Week 2: San Diego 33, Eagles 30
The Chip Kelly era started with a bang, as the Eagles scored 33 points in an easy Monday Night Football win against the Redskins in Week 1. Although they produced 511 yards of offense and 30 more points in Week 2, they fell to the San Diego Chargers on a last-second field goal. Statistically, it’s hard to believe the Eagles couldn’t win a game where Michael Vick threw just 36 times for 428 yards and two touchdowns, including 193 yards and a touchdown to DeSean Jackson. But when you allow 419 yards and three touchdowns to Philip Rivers, you’re going to have a hard time winning most football games. There’s no shame in losing by three points to an eventual playoff team with a top-10 quarterback. This ranks as the best of the 21 losses in the Chip Kelly era.
26. 2014 Week 17: Eagles 34, NY Giants 26
So that leads us to the worst of the 26 wins in the Chip Kelly era: a 34-26 victory over the New York Giants in the 2014 season finale, a game that meant absolutely nothing after the Eagles had been eliminated from the playoff hunt the previous week. In fact, the game may have actually cost the Eagles a chance to trade with the Tennessee Titans for Marcus Mariota, as the win dropped the Eagles’ draft position from 17 to 20. Don’t forget this quote from Titans’ general manager Ruston Webster, who claimed the team had scouted 16 to 17 players with a first-round grade in the 2015 draft.
25. 2013 Week 10: Eagles 27, Green Bay 13
It’s always exciting to win at Lambeau Field, but when Seneca Wallace and Scott Tolzien are the opposing quarterbacks, it’s not that impressive. A week after he tossed seven touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders, Nick Foles threw for three more scores, two to Riley Cooper and a lucky tip drill bomb to DeSean Jackson. LeSean McCoy added 155 rushing yards, while Brandon Boykin returned an interception for 76 yards.
24. 2014 Week 5: Eagles 34, St. Louis 28
Despite leading 34-7 late in the third quarter, the Eagles needed a last-minute defensive stop to hold on against the lowly St. Louis Rams. It was undrafted rookie Austin Davis who torched the Eagles for 375 yards and three touchdowns, not a good look for a secondary that would allow quarterbacks ranging from Davis to Zach Mettenberger to Kirk Cousins to generate top passing stats.
23. 2014 Week 1: Eagles 34, Jacksonville 17
At the time, it was the worst individual stretch of the Chip Kelly era. The Eagles trailed 17-0 at halftime to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a 2-14 team in 2013. Undrafted free agent Allen Hurns had scored two touchdowns on his first two career receptions, while Nick Foles had committed a pair of turnovers. And then the real Eagles stepped up, scoring 34 unanswered points in the second half to win by as many points as they had previously trailed. The key play came on 4th and 1 at midfield when Darren Sproles, in his first game with his new team, scampered 49 yards for a touchdown. Rookie Cody Parkey connected on a 51-yard field goal, Jeremy Maclin added a 68-yard touchdown and Fletcher Cox clinched a victory with a fumble return for a touchdown in the closing minutes.
22. 2013 Week 11: Eagles 24, Washington 16
It was a tale of two halves for the Eagles in their rematch against RGIII and the Redskins. After a 24-0 lead in the third quarter, the Eagles allowed a pair of touchdowns, plus both two-point conversions, before a last-minute Brandon Boykin interception in the end zone clinched the victory. LeSean McCoy rushed twice for a touchdown as the Eagles moved ahead of .500 for the first time in the Chip Kelly era.
21. 2013 Week 6: Eagles 31, Tampa Bay 20
Michael Vick – surprise – left with an injury against the New York Giants in Week 5, setting up Nick Foles’ first start in the Chip Kelly era. He responded by earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, throwing for 296 yards and three touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown. The game marked the beginning of the Riley Cooper breakout season, as Cooper hauled in four passes for 120 yards and a score. For a quarterback making his second career start, rookie Mike Glennon played well, throwing a pair of touchdowns to Vincent Jackson, but a superior Eagles team came away with a victory to improve to 3-3 on the season.
20. 2014 Week 12: Eagles 43, Tennessee 24
The Titans were no match for an Eagles team coming off an embarrassing loss at the hands of the Green Bay Packers. Mark Sanchez, making his third start with the team, threw for 307 yards and a touchdown, and LeSean McCoy rushed for 130 yards plus a score. The highlight was a 107-yard kick return touchdown on the game’s first play by rookie Josh Huff, the longest play in franchise history.
19. 2015 Week 5: Eagles 39, New Orleans 17
A 1-3 start put the Eagles’ backs against the wall when they hosted Drew Brees and the underachieving Saints in Week 5, but the Eagles came away with a 22-point win in the highest-scoring offensive output of Sam Bradford’s NFL career. Despite two end-zone interceptions, the former number one overall pick threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns, while the three-headed duo of Murray, Mathews and Sproles rushed for 183 yards.
18. 2014 Week 9: Eagles 31, Houston 21
You really can’t find a more costly win for the Eagles in the Chip Kelly era. Nick Foles suffered a broken collarbone and DeMeco Ryans tore his Achilles while slipping after making an interception. Each missed the remainder of the season, while guard Todd Herremans was also placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn triceps. Major injuries to three key players really put a damper on a double-digit win that moved the Eagles to 6-2 at the season’s midway point.
17. 2013 Week 5: Eagles 36, NY Giants 21
Michael Vick made it to the 1:33 mark of the second quarter in Week 5 before he suffered his first injury of the Chip Kelly era. His replacement, Nick Foles, rallied the Eagles to a 36-21 win, throwing for 197 yards and two touchdowns. DeSean Jackson turned in a DeSean Jackson game, catching seven passes for 132 yards and a touchdown, and the Eagles ended three consecutive Giants drives in the fourth quarter with an interception. Mychal Kendricks, Brandon Boykin and Cary Williams did the damage, giving the Eagles their first victory in over a month.
16. 2015 Week 3: Eagles 24, NY Jets 17
Faced with the disastrous possibility of beginning the season 0-3, the Eagles jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and held on for their first victory of the season. With DeMarco Murray (hamstring) sidelined after two brutal games to open the season, Ryan Mathews rushed for 108 yards on 24 carries. Darren Sproles added a rushing touchdown and an 89-yard punt return touchdown, while the Eagles forced four turnovers, one of them coming on a crazy Brandon Marshall lateral as the Jets were attempting to come back in the game.
15. 2015 Week 6: Eagles 27, NY Giants 7
The Eagles scored the final 27 points of the game, easily defeating the Giants on Sunday Night Football to improve to 3-3 for the season. Although Sam Bradford’s three interceptions really dampered the excitement of a 20-point win against a division rival, it was encouraging to see DeMarco Murray run for a season-high 112 yards.
14. 2014 Week 2: Eagles 30, Indianapolis 27
With 5:56 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Eagles-Colts Week 2 Monday Night Football contest, the Colts had a 99.2 percent chance of winning, per Pro-Football-Reference. So even though the Eagles trailed just 27-20, chalk this up as one of the most impressive comeback victories of the Chip Kelly era. After safety Malcolm Jenkins intercepted Andrew Luck in the red zone, the Eagles drove 76 yards in just five plays, highlighted by a 51-yard screen pass to Darren Sproles, to tie the game. The Eagles forced a quick three-and-out, and after Foles hit Zach Ertz for 24 yards and Sproles for 17, rookie kicker Cody Parkey connected on a 36-yard walkoff field goal to improve the Eagles to 2-0.
13. 2013 Week 13: Eagles 24, Arizona 21
Maybe Bruce Arians shouldn’t have referred to Chip Kelly’s offense as a “college offense.” The Eagles jumped out to a 24-7 lead behind a trio of Nick Foles touchdown passes and held on late for a 24-21 victory. The key play came when Patrick Peterson intercepted Foles with 3:51 remaining, a play that was overturned by a Tyrann Mathieu holding penalty. At the end of the season, the game proved to be the difference between the Eagles (10-6) winning the division and the Cardinals (10-6) missing the postseason.
12. 2015 Week 13: Eagles 23, Buffalo 20
Nobody realized it at the time, obviously, but the Eagles’ win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 13 would be the final victory of the Chip Kelly era. It took a last-minute interception by safety Ed Reynolds, who had been cut by the Eagles in preseason and brought back just two weeks earlier, to clinch the 23-20 victory. Rookie Nelson Agholor provided the play of the game, hauling in a 47-yard deep pass from Sam Bradford for his first NFL touchdown.
11. 2013 Week 16: Eagles 54, Chicago 11
The Eagles could have rested their starters against the Chicago Bears in Week 16 and prepared for a winner-take-all season finale against the Dallas Cowboys with the division title on the line. They could have, but they didn’t. Instead, the Eagles demolished the Bears by a 54-11 score – the single largest blowout of the Kelly era. They rushed for an insane 289 yards: 133 and 2 touchdowns by LeSean McCoy and 115 and a score by Bryce Brown. Nick Foles completed a ridiculous 21 of 25 passes for two touchdowns, and a little-used cornerback named Brandon Boykin returned an errant Jay Cutler throw for a 54-yard touchdown.
10. 2014 Week 3: Eagles 37, Washington 34
The fight. That’s all anybody remembers from this game. For some, it was the highlight of the season. After an interception in the third quarter (a play that was later reversed), defensive lineman Chris Baker absolutely leveled Nick Foles, an obvious cheap shot. Like a dog protecting its owner, Jason Peters bull-rushed Baker, essentially starting a fight with the entire Redskins team. Peters was ejected, but in the process, the future Hall of Fame tackle showed the importance of Foles as the leader on the Eagles. A happy ending ensued when a clearly-injured Foles finished the game with 325 yards and 3 touchdowns, including 2 to Jordan Matthews in his breakout game. Chris Polk added a 102-yard kick return for a touchdown, as the Eagles improved to 3-0 for the first time since their 2004 Super Bowl season.
9. 2015 Week 9: Eagles 33, Dallas 27
The most thrilling individual play of the season for the Eagles came when Sam Bradford connected with Jordan Matthews for a 41-yard touchdown in overtime to beat the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. The win improved the Eagles to 4-4, setting up what was supposed to be the easy three-game stretch that would vault the Eagles into first place in the NFC East. Had the Eagles taken advantage of their easy schedule, this game would have the potential to rank in the top three. But in the end, it’ll be remembered as an exciting win against an underachieving team playing its backup quarterback, and nothing more.
8. 2014 Week 10: Eagles 45, Carolina 21
It’s amazing to look back one and a half years ago and see how much things have changed between the Eagles and the Panthers. When they played each other on Monday Night Football, the Eagles absolutely obliterated the Panthers, leading 45-7 at one point in the fourth quarter. Mark Sanchez threw for two touchdowns without a turnover – yes really – while Darren Sproles returned a punt for a score and some guy named Bradley Fletcher recorded an interception touchdown. Oh, the good ‘ol days. Since this game, the Eagles have posted a 9-13 record, while Carolina has lost just two regular season games.
7. 2014 Week 6: Eagles 27, NY Giants 0
Jim Johnson served as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator for 160 regular season games, helping the team win five NFC East division titles with a well-deserved reputation as one of the most feared defenses in the league. But with all of Johnson’s success in Philly, he never coached the Eagles to a shutout. It was Billy Davis who recorded the team’s first shutout since 1996, as the Eagles blanked the Giants 27-0 on Sunday Night Football. LeSean McCoy rushed for 149 yards, while the Eagles collected a season-high eight sacks, including three by Connor Barwin and two by Vinny Curry.
6. 2013 Week 14: Eagles 34, Detroit 20
By pure entertainment value, it doesn’t get better than the Eagles’ comeback win over the Detroit Lions late in the 2013 season. Behind the greatest individual rushing performance in franchise history by LeSean McCoy, the Eagles rallied for 28 points in the fourth quarter alone, winning 34-20 and establishing themselves as a likely NFC playoff team. McCoy’s 217 yards and two touchdowns overshadowed an Eagles’ special teams unit that allowed both a kick and a punt to be returned for a touchdown. And if for some reason your memory is failing you, yes, this is the game played in blizzard conditions so extreme that both quarterbacks basically couldn’t rely on the passing game to move the ball down the field.
5. 2014 Week 13: Eagles 33, Dallas 10
The Eagles have historically played very well on Thanksgiving. That pattern continued in 2014, as the Eagles, led by backup quarterback Mark Sanchez and reigning rushing champion LeSean McCoy, thrashed the Cowboys in their own stadium by a 33-10 score. This stands as the overall high point of the Chip Kelly era. The Eagles were 9-3 on the season and were entering the discussion as a legitimate contender in the NFC, even with Sanchez at the helm. Having won seven of their eight games to end the 2013 season, the Eagles looked poised to dominate the rest of the division for the next several seasons. If only time could stand still.
4. 2013 Week 1: Eagles 33, Washington 27
One of the most impressive coaching debuts in NFL history came on Monday Night Football, as Chip Kelly and the Eagles ran wild over the defending NFC East division champion Washington Redskins. In the first half alone, the Eagles ran 53 plays. Mike Vick finished the game with 203 yards and two touchdown passes, LeSean McCoy added 184 rushing yards and a score, and DeSean Jackson caught seven passes for 104 yards and a score. A visibly-tired Redskins defense served as the guinea pig for Chip Kelly’s offense, which would rank fourth in the league in points scored in 2013.
3. 2013 Week 9: Eagles 49, Oakland 20
This was the moment when the rest of the NFL took notice that Chip Kelly’s offense had a chance to be special. Really special. In just over 40 minutes of game action, Nick Foles threw a record-tying seven touchdown passes, completing 22 of 28 passes for 406 yards. Riley Cooper caught five passes for 139 yards and three scores, while DeSean Jackson added five receptions for 150 yards and a score. Zach Ertz, Brent Celek and LeSean McCoy also caught touchdown passes, as the Eagles steamrolled through a historically weak Raiders defense.
2. 2015 Week 13: Eagles 35, New England 28
How in the world did the 4-7 Eagles travel to New England and take down the 10-1 New England Patriots? Don’t forget that the Eagles were fresh off a pair of historic beatdowns to subpar teams, while the Patriots were supposed to be “angry” after their first loss of the season. The Eagles scored 35 unanswered points after an early 14-0 deficit, highlighted by a trio of non-offensive touchdowns: Najee Goode’s 24-yard blocked punt return, Malcolm Jenkins’ 99-yard interception return and Darren Sproles’ 83-yard punt return. Although the Patriots staged a dramatic comeback, cutting the score to 35-28, the Eagles came up with a big defensive stop in the final minute to secure their first, and likely only, win against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. It wasn’t the most clutch win of the Chip Kelly era, but it was easily the most impressive.
1. 2013 Week 17: Eagles 24, Dallas 22
Chip Kelly’s only regular season game with a do-or-die winner-take-all situation came in the 2013 season finale against the Dallas Cowboys. It took a late Brandon Boykin interception against veteran Kyle Orton, subbing for an injured Tony Romo, to clinch the only NFC East title in the Chip Kelly era. The game itself was far from spectacular. Nick Foles was his usual efficient self, throwing for 263 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover, while LeSean McCoy rushed 27 times for 131 yards. But beating the Cowboys in their own stadium with the playoffs on the line? You couldn’t have scripted a better ending to Chip Kelly’s first regular season with the Eagles.
