EAGLES NFC TITLE GAME HISTORY
Wilbert Montgomery, center, breaks away from Dallas defenders in the NFC championship game at Veterans Stadium on Jan. 11, 1981. Montgomery gained 194yards and the Eagles won, 20-7.
Since the 1970NFL-AFL merger, the Eagles have played seven times for the NFC championship. Their results have been mixed, but respectable. The recaps:
• Eagles 20, Cowboys 7, Jan. 11, 1981: In extremely cold weather but record “Dallas Week” heat at the Vet, Wilbert Montgomery uncorked a 42-yard touchdown run early and a nine-yard Leroy Harris score in the third quarter made the difference. So did the Eagles’ defense, which forced five fumbles and recovered three. The Eagles fell, 27-10, to the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl.
• Rams 29, Eagles 24, Jan. 27, 2002: A late rally fizzled when Donovan McNabb was intercepted by Aneas Williams with 1:55left in St. Louis. The Rams lost, 20-17, to New England in the Super Bowl.
• Buccaneers 27, Eagles 10, Jan. 19, 2003: In the last football game at the Vet, Duce Staley ran 20yards for a touchdown 52seconds into the game, but Tampa Bay quickly took control. A 92-yard Ronde Barber interception return of a McNabb pass for a touchdown sealed it with 3:12left. Tampa Bay advanced to defeat the Raiders, 48-21.
• Panthers 14, Eagles 3, Jan. 18, 2004: Jake Delhomme tossed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Mushin Muhammad and DeShaun Foster ran for a one-yard touchdown in the Linc. The Eagles settled for a 41-yard David Akers field goal. Carolina fell, 32-29, to New England in the Super Bowl.
• Eagles 27, Falcons 10, Jan. 23, 2005: McNabb flipped two touchdown passes to Chad Lewis in the Linc, but the Eagles went on to fall, 24-21, to the Patriots in Jacksonville.
• Cardinals 32, Eagles 25, Jan. 18, 2009: DeSean Jackson’s 62-yard TD pass from McNabb gave the visiting Eagles a 25-24 lead with 10:45to play, but Arizona scored on an eight-yard pass from Kurt Warner to Tim Hightower with 2:53left. Arizona lost, 27-23, to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.
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Minnesota scored first and not again as Nick Foles threw two TD passes to Alshon Jeffery and another to Torrey Smith in the Linc. In the Super Bowl in Minnesota, the Eagles topped the Patriots, 41-33.