1992 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1992 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 60th in the National Football League (NFL). The team fought through adversity from the outset and improved upon their previous output of 10–6,[1] winning eleven games and returning to the playoffs after a year out.
| 1992 Philadelphia Eagles season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Norman Braman |
| Head coach | Rich Kotite |
| Home field | Veterans Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 11–5 |
| Division place | 2nd NFC East |
| Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (at Saints) 36–20 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Cowboys) 10–34 |
| Uniform | |
 | |
This was the first season the team was sponsored by the Russell Athletic brand until the 1996 season.
After winning four in a row and five of their last six regular-season games, the Birds kept the momentum going and posted their first playoff victory since the 1980 NFC Championship Game, topping the Saints in New Orleans in the Wild Card playoffs. It was also their first playoff win on the road, since the 1949 NFL Championship Game. Season highlights included: the first 4–0 start since going 6–0 to begin the 1981 campaign, a home shutout of the Denver Broncos on September 20, a memorable seven-play goal-line stand in a 7–3 win over the Cardinals on October 25, a come-from-behind 47–34 win over the New York Giants at the Meadowlands (which included a Vai Sikahema punt return for a touchdown and his iconic boxing with the padding at the base of the goal posts), and cornerback Eric Allen batting away a Mark Rypien pass at the goal line to seal a playoff-spot-clinching 17–13 decision against the Washington Redskins on December 20.
The entire season was the focus of Mark Bowden's best-selling book "Bringing the Heat", which also dealt in great detail with prominent recent-term figures who were not with the 1992 Eagles, including tight end Keith Jackson who became the first prominent NFL player to use his newly-granted rights of full and unrestricted free agency and signed a deal with the Miami Dolphins several weeks into the season, and former coach Buddy Ryan who struggled through a TV commentator's role two years after he was fired as the Eagles coach but remained a huge (and not always positive) influence on the 1992 Eagles (particularly through the defensive players who loved Ryan and remained loyal to him, and who were lukewarm at best about Rich Kotite's leadership). Bowden's book also described the personal issues that Eagles players faced, the friction between how injuries should be (or were) treated by the team's medical staff, and the story of hugely successful but haunted then-team owner Norman Braman.
The last remaining active member of the 1992 Philadelphia Eagles was punter Jeff Feagles, who retired after the 2009 season.
Offseason
The Eagles were represented at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, as Herschel Walker represented the United States in the two-man bobsled event. Walker and Brian Shimer's sled finished seventh and missed a medal by 0.32 seconds, and was the higher finishing American team.[2]
Jerome Brown's death
Tragedy struck the team when, on June 25, 1992, defensive tackle Jerome Brown lost control of his Chevrolet Corvette at high speed before crashing into an electric pole, killing Brown and his nephew Gus. Later that evening in Philadelphia, in front of a large gathering at Veterans Stadium and a national television audience who were participating in a Billy Graham Crusade, Reggie White broke the news of his teammate's passing to the shock of the audience.
The Eagles retired number 99 in honor of Brown, kept his locker untouched, and wore a patch with his initials and number on their jerseys. They also adopted the rallying cry "Bring It Home For Jerome", referring to their desire to win the Super Bowl for their fallen teammate.
NFL draft
The Eagles had a 10–6 record in 1991 and tied with three other teams. Because of this they selected the 16th to 20th pick on a rotating basis in the 12 rounds. They traded away their first round pick earlier, which was made by the Dallas Cowboys. With their pick in the second round they chose Siran Stacy, a running back out of the University of Alabama. The Eagles selected 12 players over the 12 rounds.
| 1992 Philadelphia Eagles draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 48 | Siran Stacy | Running back | Alabama | |
| 3 | 75 | Tommy Jeter | Defensive tackle | Texas | |
| 4 | 92 | Tony Brooks | Running back | Notre Dame | |
| 4 | 102 | Casey Weldon | Quarterback | Florida State | |
| 5 | 129 | Corey Barlow | Defensive back | Auburn | |
| 6 | 160 | Jeff Sydner | Wide receiver | Hawaii | |
| 7 | 187 | William Boatwright | Guard | Virginia Tech | |
| 8 | 214 | Chuck Bullough | Linebacker | Michigan State | |
| 9 | 241 | Ephesians Bartley | Linebacker | Florida | |
| 10 | 272 | Mark McMillian | Defensive back | Alabama | |
| 11 | 299 | Pumpy Tudors | Punter | Chattanooga | |
| 12 | 326 | Brandon Houston | Offensive tackle | Oklahoma | |
| Made roster | |||||
Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
47 active, 12 inactive, 1 practice squad
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Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6 | New Orleans Saints | W 15–13 | 1–0 | Veterans Stadium | 63,513 |
| 2 | September 13 | at Phoenix Cardinals | W 31–14 | 2–0 | Sun Devil Stadium | 42,533 |
| 3 | September 20 | Denver Broncos | W 30–0 | 3–0 | Veterans Stadium | 65,833 |
| 4 | Bye | |||||
| 5 | October 5 | Dallas Cowboys | W 31–7 | 4–0 | Veterans Stadium | 66,572 |
| 6 | October 11 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 17–24 | 4–1 | Arrowhead Stadium | 76,626 |
| 7 | October 18 | at Washington Redskins | L 12–16 | 4–2 | RFK Stadium | 56,380 |
| 8 | October 25 | Phoenix Cardinals | W 7–3 | 5–2 | Veterans Stadium | 64,676 |
| 9 | November 1 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 10–20 | 5–3 | Texas Stadium | 65,012 |
| 10 | November 8 | Los Angeles Raiders | W 31–10 | 6–3 | Veterans Stadium | 65,388 |
| 11 | November 15 | at Green Bay Packers | L 24–27 | 6–4 | Milwaukee County Stadium | 52,689 |
| 12 | November 22 | at New York Giants | W 47–34 | 7–4 | Giants Stadium | 68,153 |
| 13 | November 29 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 14–20 | 7–5 | Candlestick Park | 64,374 |
| 14 | December 6 | Minnesota Vikings | W 28–17 | 8–5 | Veterans Stadium | 65,280 |
| 15 | December 13 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 20–17 (OT) | 9–5 | Kingdome | 47,492 |
| 16 | December 20 | Washington Redskins | W 17–13 | 10–5 | Veterans Stadium | 65,841 |
| 17 | December 27 | New York Giants | W 20–10 | 11–5 | Veterans Stadium | 64,266 |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints
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Week 2: at Phoenix Cardinals
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Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos
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Week 5: vs. Dallas Cowboys
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Week 6: at Kansas City Chiefs
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This game ended the longest ever gap between two NFL teams meeting – it was the first occasion the Eagles had opposed the Chiefs since October 22, 1972,[5] and only their second-ever matchup.[6] This occurred because in previous seasons when the AFC West and NFC East met each other, either the Eagles or the Chiefs (but never both) finished in fifth position and did not play the ordinary set of interconference games.[5]
Week 7: at Washington Redskins
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Week 8: vs. Phoenix Cardinals
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Week 9: at Dallas Cowboys
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Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Raiders
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Week 11: at Green Bay Packers
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Week 12: at New York Giants
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Week 13: at San Francisco 49ers
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Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings
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Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks
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Week 16: vs. Washington Redskins
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Week 17: vs. New York Giants
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Standings
| NFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) Dallas Cowboys | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 409 | 243 | W2 |
| (5) Philadelphia Eagles | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 354 | 245 | W4 |
| (6) Washington Redskins | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 300 | 255 | L2 |
| New York Giants | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–6 | 4–8 | 306 | 367 | L1 |
| Phoenix Cardinals | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 4–10 | 243 | 332 | L2 |
Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcard | January 3, 1993 | at New Orleans Saints | W 36–20 | 68,893 |
| Division | January 10, 1993 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 34–10 | 63,721 |
NFC Wild Card: at New Orleans Saints
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NFC Divisional: at Dallas Cowboys
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References
- 1992 Philadelphia Eagles
- Todor Krastev (February 5, 2006). "Bobsleigh Doubles Olympic Games 1992 Albertville". Archived from the original on November 2, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2007.
- "1992 Philadelphia Eagles draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- "1992 Philadelphia Eagles".
- Urena, Ivan; Pro Football Schedules: A Complete Historical Guide from 1933 to the Present, p. 18 ISBN 0786473517
- Pro Football Reference; In a single game, from 1970 to 2005, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, versus the Kansas City Chiefs, in the Regular Season, sorted by ascending Date
Further reading
- Bringing the Heat (1994; ISBN 0-679-42841-0), an account by Mark Bowden of the 1992 Philadelphia Eagles season