2000 season-in-review team reports —
NFC East
As published in print Jan. 31, 2001
|
| Overview |
| While the Eagles knew they were on the verge of enjoying an upswing, they
didn’t expect to swing so high so fast. In head coach Andy Reid’s first season
on the job in 1999, he guided the Eagles to a 5-11 record. He was cautious with rookie QB
Donovan McNabb and brought him along slowly. Reid’s patience paid off big-time in
2000, as the Eagles surpassed even the most optimistic predictions to finish 11-5 in the
regular season. Not content to just make the playoffs, the Eagles beat the Buccaneers in
the first round before losing to the Giants, ending a season that had the players and fans
dreaming of greater things to come. |
| Turning point |
| There was a four-game stretch in November in which the Eagles began to
look like a playoff team. First, they defeated the Cowboys in overtime. Then, they went on
the road and beat the Steelers in overtime. Those victories were followed by a 34-9
trouncing of the Cardinals at home and a 23-20 win at Washington. After those four
victories, the Eagles knew they could make some noise in the postseason. |
| Offensive MVP |
| Is there any doubt? Any doubt at all? The obvious answer is Donovan
McNabb. This young quarterback developed into a star in just his second NFL season.
He’s got the arm to throw wherever he wants, but opponents need to be wary of his
feet as well. McNabb was the Eagles’ leading rusher with 629 yards and six
touchdowns. McNabb accounted for about 75 percent of the Eagles’ offense in 2000. |
| Defensive MVP |
| After having his 1999 season cut short by knee and biceps injuries, DE
Hugh Douglas came out with a vengeance in 2000. He recorded 15 sacks and played well vs.
the run, earning a starting spot in the Pro Bowl. Douglas also seemed to make a habit of
making big plays when they were most needed. One of the reasons for his success is the
fact he bulked up in the offseason, putting on weight without losing any of his speed. |
| Biggest surprise |
| The rapid development of PK David Akers. No one expected him to be as
clutch as he was in 2000, especially considering he had so little experience. Last season
Akers was only a kickoff specialist because the Eagles had veteran Norm Johnson handling
field-goal duty. Akers kicked game-winning field goals against the Cowboys, Steelers and
Redskins. |
| Biggest disappointment |
| The wide receivers weren’t as consistent as the Eagles would have
liked. While starters Charles Johnson and Torrance Small were OK, no one stepped up to be
a true No. 3 wideout. |
| Rookie recap |
| Only the top two rookies really contributed. DT Corey Simon (first-round
pick) was a true stud. He set the tone for his rookie season on his first play from
scrimmage when he sacked Cowboys QB Troy Aikman in Week One. Simon ended the season with
9½ sacks. WR Todd Pinkston (second round) didn’t become the No. 3 receiver the
Eagles were looking for, but the team still is hopeful he will develop. OG Bobby Williams
was inactive all season, which isn’t ideal for a third-round pick. However, winning a
starting OL spot on the Eagles was tough this past year, as the unit had the same starters
in place for every game. |
| Free-agent/trade review |
| The Eagles signed ORT Jon Runyan to a six-year, $30.5 million deal that
included a $9.5 million signing bonus. Although he struggled at times in his three
meetings with Giants DLE Michael Strahan, Runyan was a very solid addition. RB-KR Brian
Mitchell was an outstanding pickup, serving as a team leader. He also was very helpful in
the return game. LB Carlos Emmons played at a near-Pro Bowl level in place of the departed
William Thomas. Paul Grasmanis became a valuable member of the DT rotation. FB Stanley
Pritchett was signed to battle Cecil Martin, but the former Dolphin couldn’t win the
starting job. While Pritchett contributed, he didn’t live up to expectations. |
Top of page
|
Regular-season record: 11-5
|
| Team leaders |
|
Rushing — Donovan
McNabb, 629 yards on 86 carries, 7.3 avg., 6 TDs.
Passing — Donovan
McNabb, 330-569 attempts for 3,365 yards, 21 TDs, 13 interceptions, 77.8 rating.
Receiving — Chad
Lewis, 69 receptions for 735 yards, 10.7 avg., 3 TDs.
Scoring — David
Akers, 121 points on 34 PATs and 29 FGs.
Kickoff returns — Brian
Mitchell, 47 for 1,124 yards, 23.9 avg., 1 TD.
Punt returns — Brian
Mitchell, 32 for 335 yards, 10.5 avg., 1 TD.
Punting — Sean
Landeta, 86 for 42.3 avg., 36.0 net, 8 TB, 23 inside 20, 0 blk., 60L.
Interceptions — Troy
Vincent, 5 for 34 yards, 6.8 avg., 0 TDs.
Sacks — Hugh
Douglas, 15. |
| Results |
|
| Pointspread Shown Refers to Philadelphia. |
| Date |
Opponent |
Spread |
Score |
| Sept. 3 |
At Dallas |
(+6) |
41-14 |
| Sept. 10 |
New York Giants |
(-3) |
18-33 |
| Sept. 17 |
At Green Bay |
(+4) |
3-6 |
| Sept. 24 |
At New Orleans |
(+1.5) |
21-7 |
| Oct. 1 |
Atlanta |
(-3) |
38-10 |
| Oct. 8 |
Washington |
(+3) |
14-17 |
| Oct. 15 |
At Arizona |
(-2.5) |
33-14 |
| Oct. 22 |
Chicago |
(-6.5) |
13-9 |
| Oct. 29 |
At New York Giants |
(+3.5) |
7-24 |
| Nov. 5 |
Dallas |
(-3) |
16-13* |
| Nov. 12 |
At Pittsburgh |
(+3.5) |
26-23* |
| Nov. 19 |
Arizona |
(-8) |
34-9 |
| Nov. 26 |
At Washington |
(+6) |
23-20 |
| Dec. 3 |
Tennessee |
(+3) |
13-15 |
| Dec. 10 |
At Cleveland |
(-14) |
35-24 |
| Dec. 17 |
BYE |
|
|
| Dec. 24 |
Cincinnati |
(-10.5) |
16-7 |
| POSTSEASON |
| Dec. 31 |
Tampa Bay |
(+3) |
21-3 |
| Jan. 7 |
At New York Giants |
(+4) |
10-20 |
| * Overtime |
|
Top of page
Back to team index |
|
 |
The Archives
2000 - 2001 Season |
| Online writers — features and
columns by our PFW staff, columnists, AFC reporters, NFC reporters and contributing
writers |
| College football — articles,
college notepad, key college game previews, PFW's college top 10 |
| Fantasy football — articles,
injury reports, weekly fantasy tips, weekly matchups, The Fantasy Doctor, mock drafts,
draft boards, "In our opinion" daily fantasy columns |
| Free-agency |
| General features — Internet
features, features from our print edition, Hall of Fame features, team reports, training
camp reports |
| Handicapper's Corner —
staff selections, games of the week, PFW Players of the Week, NFL standings, weekly
handicapping columns, predictions |
| "A closer look" —
in-depth analysis of general football topics |
| "In our opinion" daily columns
— opinions on general football topics |
| "PFW spins" —
short-takes on current events |
| Joel Buchsbaum
— college player evaluations, NFL player analysis, NFL draft coverage, NFL notepad,
NFList, college game previews and other NFL articles by PFW's contributing editor |
| NFL Draft — player evaluations,
printouts, feature stories, commentaries, draft recaps |
| Ron Pollack —
articles and commentary by PFW's editor-in-chief |
| Season in review —
the 2000-2001 NFL season |
| XFL — the inaugural year |
|
