1991 Philadelphia Eagles season
Encyclopedia
The 1991
Philadelphia Eagles
season resulted in missing the postseason, despite having a 10–6 record and finishing with the top-ranked defense in the NFL. During Week 1, quarterback Randall Cunningham
was lost for the season with a knee injury.
draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York. On that day, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail
from the University of Notre Dame
, who was projected as the number one overall pick,[1] signed with the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
(CFL). The Los Angeles Raiders made him the 100th pick of the draft in the 4th round.
The Eagles with a 10 – 6 record in 1990 had the 19th or 20th pick in each round. The Eagles also that a pick at number 8 in the 1st round and they chose Antone Davis a Tackle out of Tennessee. The Eagles 1st round pick at number 19 was traded away earlier and acquired by the Green Bay Packers. They made 12 picks in the 12 rounds of the 1991 draft.
The overall number 1 pick was made by the Dallas Cowboys
and they chose Russell Maryland
a Defensive Tackle out of the Miami (FL)
– Jim McMahon QB
UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year – Reggie White DE
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
season resulted in missing the postseason, despite having a 10–6 record and finishing with the top-ranked defense in the NFL. During Week 1, quarterback Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
was lost for the season with a knee injury.
A "Real" Fresh Start
On January 8, team owner opted not to renew the contract of , the Eagles' head coach since 1986. On the same day, Braman promoted then-offensive coordinator , making him the 18th head coach in club history. They opened with a 3–1 mark, their best start since 1981, despite having lost QB Randall Cunningham for the year due to a knee injury suffered at Green Bay on opening day. After coming on to lead the Eagles to their solid start, backup QB was also injured in game 5.A Winless October
With McMahon sidelined, the Birds suffered through a four-game skid. By midseason, Philadelphia had used an astounding five different quarterbacks (This list also including rookie , & veterans , & ) in eight games and seen its record sink to 3–5.A Relatively Healthy McMahon Returns
Week 10 saw McMahon return to the line-up, and the Eagles surged into contention for a playoff spot with a six-game winning streak (the club's longest since the start of '81) that upped their record to 9–5.Heart Of A Champion
A season ending rib injury to (already the teams backup QB) McMahon in week 15 (a 19–14 win against the Giants) made way for a devastating loss at home to Dallas in week 16, ending Philadelphia's playoff hopes. However, the season was highlighted by a 10–6 record, allowing the Eagles to join the 49ers as the only NFL clubs to post 10-or-more wins in each of the last four seasons.A Defense That Rewrote the Record Books
The defense finished the season ranked #1 in the NFL in terms of fewest yards allowed overall, vs. the run, and vs. the pass. As such, the Birds became only the fifth club in NFL history and the first since 1975 to accomplish this rare triple. In addition, the Eagles' defense led the NFL in sacks and fumble recoveries and tied for the league lead in takeaways. Five members of that defensive unit represented the Eagles in the Pro Bowl – DEs and , DT , and LB were selected as starters while CB also made the NFC squad. The selection of White, Simmons, and Brown marked only the sixth time in NFL history that three defensive linemen from one team were elected to the Pro Bowl.NFL Draft
The 1991 NFL Draft1991 NFL Draft
The 1991 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 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York. On that day, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail
Raghib Ismail
Raghib Ramadian Ismail is a retired professional American and Canadian football player, who played Wide receiver in both the Canadian Football League and National Football League. He played college football at Notre Dame...
from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, who was projected as the number one overall pick,[1] signed with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL). The Los Angeles Raiders made him the 100th pick of the draft in the 4th round.
The Eagles with a 10 – 6 record in 1990 had the 19th or 20th pick in each round. The Eagles also that a pick at number 8 in the 1st round and they chose Antone Davis a Tackle out of Tennessee. The Eagles 1st round pick at number 19 was traded away earlier and acquired by the Green Bay Packers. They made 12 picks in the 12 rounds of the 1991 draft.
The overall number 1 pick was made by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and they chose Russell Maryland
Russell Maryland
Russell James Maryland is a former professional American football player. He played defensive tackle for ten seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Cowboys first overall in the 1991 NFL Draft...
a Defensive Tackle out of the Miami (FL)
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
Player Selections
| = Pro Bowl Pro Bowl In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those... er |
= Hall of Famer Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees... |
| Rd | |PLAYER | |Birthdate | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... | OT | 02/28/1967 | Tennessee | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Pick Made by Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
|||||||
| 2 | 48 | Jesse Campbell | DB | 04/11/1969 | North Carolina State | ||||
| 3 | 75 | Rob Selby | OG | 10/11/1967 | Auburn | ||||
| 4 | 104 | William Thomas | LB | 08/13/1968 | Texas A&M | ||||
| 5 | 131 | Craig Erickson | QB | 05/17/1969 | Miami | ||||
| 6 | 156 | Andy Harmon Pick Acquired from Seattle Seahawks |
DT | 04/06/1969 | Kent State | ||||
| 6 | 160 | Pick Acquired from San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
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| 7 | 187 | James Joseph | RB | 10/28/1967 | Auburn | ||||
| 8 | 216 | Scott Kowalkowski | LB | 08/23/1968 | Notre Dame | ||||
| 9 | 242 | Chuck Weatherspoon | RB | 07/31/1968 | Houston | ||||
| 10 | 271 | Eric Harmon | OG | 03/03/1967 | Clemson | ||||
| 11 | 298 | Mike Flores | DE | 12/01/1966 | Louisville | ||||
| 12 | 327 | Darrell Beavers | DB | 11/24/1968 | Morehead State |
Staff
| 1991 Philadelphia Eagles staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
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Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 1, 1991 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 20–3 | |
| 2 | September 8, 1991 | Phoenix Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 26–10 | |
| 3 | September 15, 1991 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
W 24–0 | |
| 4 | September 22, 1991 | Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
W 23–14 | |
| 5 | September 30, 1991 | at Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
L 23–0 | |
| 6 | October 6, 1991 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
L 14–13 | |
| 7 | October 13, 1991 | New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
L 13–6 | |
| 8 | Bye | |||
| 9 | October 27, 1991 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 23–7 | |
| 10 | November 4, 1991 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 30–7 | |
| 11 | November 10, 1991 | at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 32–30 | |
| 12 | November 17, 1991 | Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
W 17–10 | |
| 13 | November 24, 1991 | at Phoenix Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 34–14 | |
| 14 | December 2, 1991 | at Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
W 13–6 | |
| 15 | December 8, 1991 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 19–14 | |
| 16 | December 15, 1991 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 25–13 | |
| 17 | December 22, 1991 | Washington Redskins Washington Redskins The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,... |
W 24–22 | |
Awards and honors
NFL Comeback Player of the YearNFL Comeback Player of the Year Award
The NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has been given out after every season since 1972 by Pro Football Weekly. The player named Comeback Player of the Year shows perseverance in overcoming adversity, in the form of not being in the NFL the previous year, a severe injury, or simply poor...
– Jim McMahon QB
UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year – Reggie White DE