The countdown continues with the second oldest moment on the list. The 2000 Philadelphia Eagles set the stage for a decade of success, and it all started with their first game of the season. The fact that it was against the Dallas Cowboys made it even sweeter.
Moment #18: The Pickle Juice Game-September 3, 2000
Following the 1995 season, the rest of the 90s were not very kind to the Philadelphia Eagles. They followed a playoff season in '95 with another playoff trip in 1996, but they were shut out by the San Francisco 49ers in one of the worst games I can remember watching. From there, things went considerably downhill, as the Eagles followed up the 1996 season with a 6-9-1 record in 1997 and a 3-13 mark the next season. Head coach Ray Rhodes was fired and replaced by Andy Reid. His first draft pick, for those of you that don't remember, was a quarterback from Syracuse by the name of Donovan McNabb. The first year of the Reid era did not go so well, as the Eagles finished the year with a 5-11 record. Coming into the 2000 season, the Eagles were primed to improve, as McNabb was entering the season as the starter, and Jon Runyan was brought in to protect the young quarterback's right side. Corey Simon was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the draft as well, and after those moves were made, the Eagles were set to open the season against the Dallas Cowboys in Texas Stadium.
With the temperature at game time at 109 degrees, and reaching as high as 130 degrees on the field during the game, the Eagles used a very odd method to stay hydrated: pickle juice. Trainer Rick Burkholder had the Eagles drink pickle juice before the game, as they had used the same method during training camp to prevent cramps. With three straight losing seasons staring the Eagles in the face, they knew they had to come out and make an impact, and they did just that.
Dallas won the toss and elected to receive, but Andy Reid had other plans. The head coach had David Akers kick the ball onsides to start the game. The Eagles recovered and the rout was on. McNabb threw his first touchdown pass of the season to Jeff Thomason to finish the drive. On Dallas' first play of the game, Corey Simon broke through the offensive line and sacked Troy Aikman. Dallas went three and out, and the Eagles moved downfield again, with Duce Staley scoring from a yard out. Jeremiah Trotter returned an Aikman interception for a touchdown on the next Cowboys possession, and the Philadelphia defense eventually knocked the future Hall of Famer out of the game with a concussion. Aikman finished the game 0-5 with an interception. Akers would add a field goal to put the Eagles up 24-0 before Dallas would score with two field goals late in the first quarter, but there would be no comeback for the Cowboys in this game.
The second half was more of the same, as Duce Staley gashed Dallas for 201 yards on the ground, becoming the first Eagle since Steve Van Buren back in 1949 to rush for over 200 yards. He also had four catches for 61 yards to help Donovan McNabb out in the passing game as well. The Eagles would add the next 17 points, thanks to a David Akers field goal, McNabb touchdown run and a touchdown run by Brian Mitchell. Dallas would cap the scoring with a touchdown pass from Randall Cunningham to Joey Galloway, and that was it. The Eagles had officially entered the decade with a 41-14 beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys, in Texas Stadium to start the season. It was the biggest win for the Eagles since a 40-8 win over San Francisco in 1994, and their biggest opening day win since a 41-14 win over Tampa Bay in 1988.
Looking back on the game now, it's amazing how much this game shaped the decades of both teams. The Cowboys were an aging, veteran team that was being led by first year head coach Dave Campo, and most people saw it as just a matter of time before the bottom fell out of the Team of the 1990s. Meanwhile, the Eagles were expected to be improved in the 2000 season, but most people thought that 7-9 or 8-8 would have been respectable. Instead, the Eagles finished the year 11-5 and made the playoffs for the first time since the 1996 season. They won their opening round playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before falling to the eventual NFC Champion New York Giants in the Divisional Round. The next year, Philadelphia would reach their first of five NFC Championship Games during the decade. The Cowboys would fall to 5-11 on the season, and wouldn't have a winning season again until the 2003 year. Dallas has bounced back in the second half of the decade, but they still haven't won a playoff game since 1996.
Donovan McNabb didn't have the best game in Dallas that day, but his first year as a starter was nothing short of excellent. He passed for 3,365 yards and 21 touchdowns, and he also led the team in rushing with 629 yards on the ground with six scores. His efforts got him named to his first Pro Bowl, and despite some off years, he's still the starter for the Eagles as the decade comes to a close. The win in Atlanta yesterday gave the Eagles 100 for the decade, and with four games left in the regular season, there's a very good chance that they will pass that mark. Even though the birds haven't gotten that Super Bowl ring yet, since 2000, they have been one of the best teams in the NFL, and it all comes back to this one game that started the decade. I've never tried pickle juice, but I've always thought about drinking some since this game.
The Eagles and Cowboys had their share of moments against each other during this decade, and moment number 17 is another one of those. Going into the day, most people thought this game wouldn't matter, but a series of events led to a high pressure game, and the Eagles decided to take the Cowboys behind the woodshed in one of the most fun games I've ever watched.
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