After a little break for Christmas, the Top 25 returns, and now we've really hit the best moments in Philadelphia sports this decade. The Eagles make another showing now, as does Freddie Mitchell for the third time. While this moment itself didn't win the game, the sheer improbability of it happening, along with the fact that it was a playoff game, makes it one of the best moments of the last ten years.
Moment #6: Fourth and 26-January 11, 2004
Heading into the NFC Divisional Playoffs in 2004, the Philadelphia Eagles were one of the hottest teams in the NFL. They had taken the momentum from Brian Westbrook's punt return against the Giants, and turned it into wins in ten of their last 11 games. Donovan McNabb hadn't had his best statistical season, throwing for only 16 touchdowns, but the Eagles had finished the regular season with a 12-4 record and home field advantage in the NFC for the second year in a row. The only team that may have been hotter than them was the Green Bay Packers, and that was who they were going to be playing in the second round of the playoffs.
After a loss to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, the Packers turned their season around, winning their last four games to get into the playoffs, then defeating the Seattle Seahawks on an Al Harris interception return in overtime. Brett Favre had lost his father four days before Christmas, and responded by leading his team to blowout victories over the Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos to close out the season. The game against Seattle was close, but with the two hottest teams in the NFC facing off, people were expecting a close, well played game.
The Packers came out on defense and made their first statement midway through the first quarter. Donovan McNabb was sacked, and fumbled the football at the Philadelphia 40 yard line. It took Brett Favre one play to hit Robert Ferguson for a touchdown and a Green Bay lead. The next Packer drive went just as well, with Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport pounding the Eagles on the ground. Favre hit Ferguson again, and just like that, the Eagles were down by two touchdowns. McNabb would lead the Eagles on a scoring drive midway through the second quarter, hitting Duce Staley on a seven yard touchdown pass, but that would end the scoring until the fourth quarter.
The game remained 14-7 in favor of the Packers as the fourth quarter began, but it only took one play to change that. Todd Pinkston brought in a 12 yard touchdown pass from McNabb, and the game was tied. After the defense stopped the Packers on their next drive, it looked like the Eagles would have all the momentum, but back to back sacks of Donovan McNabb and a poor punt by Dirk Johnson put the Packers right back in the driver's seat. Brett Favre hit Javon Walker for 44 yards on the first play of Green Bay's drive, and Ryan Longwell kicked a 21 yard field goal with just ten minutes to play. Once again, the Philadelphia offense was quiet, with McNabb being taken down on third down and three to end the drive. The Packers then embarked on a 10 play drive that ate six and a half minutes off the clock. By the time they finally punted the ball, there was just 2:21 left in the game.
The Eagles started their drive quickly, with a 22 yard run by Duce Staley to move them out to their 42 yard line. From there, things went backwards in a hurry. Donovan McNabb was sacked on second down for a 16 yard loss, and after an incomplete pass on third down, the Eagles faced a fourth and 26, with their season on the line. McNabb took the snap, and an offensive line that had been dominated all day managed to give him time to look down the field. The Packers played a soft zone on the play, which allowed Freddie Mitchell to run, almost uncovered, down the middle of the field. As he reached the Green Bay 48 yard line, he turned and caught the pass from McNabb. From the first look, it seemed like Mitchell was right at the first down marker, but the officials marked his forward progress to the Green Bay 46 yard line, giving him a 28 yard catch and an improbable first down.
Of course, the Eagles still weren't even in field goal range. Donovan McNabb hit Freddie Mitchell for nine yards after an offsides penalty against the Packers, then followed that up with a three yard run for another first down. A ten yard completion to Todd Pinkston put the Eagles well into range for David Akers, and he nailed a 37 yard field goal with just five seconds to play in regulation. The Eagles won the coin toss to start overtime, but could do nothing with the ball again, and Dirk Johnson's punt only made it to the Green Bay 42 yard line, putting them in great field position. Then, the second amazing moment of this game happened. Brett Favre dropped back to pass and unleashed a floating, wounded duck of a pass that looked more like a punt. Brian Dawkins made the interception and returned it to the Green Bay 34 yard line. Six plays and 21 yards later, David Akers nailed a 31 yard field goal to win the game for the Eagles and send them to their third straight NFC Championship.
I wish I could rank this moment higher, but there's just no way. The Eagles came out the next week and were outplayed in every aspect of the game against the Carolina Panthers, losing their third straight NFC Championship. Not only that, but the conversion didn't win the game; it just kept a drive alive that the Eagles needed to tie the game. It was the Dawkins interception of Favre that actually shifted the game in favor of the Eagles. Regardless, whenever you can have a game where Donovan McNabb is sacked eight times and still manages to throw for 248 yards and rush for another 107, that's impressive. Freddie Mitchell had three great plays in his entire career, and all of them are on this list. He may not have made many plays, but when he did, they were big ones.
Here is Fourth and 26, also known as the peak of Freddie Mitchell's career. Considering how badly the offensive line had played during that game, it was amazing how much time Donovan actually had to throw on that play.
We enter the Top Five with the next moment on the list. This one is the earliest moment of the decade, and save for Game 3 of the 2008 World Series, it is the one that ended the latest into the night.
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