The Worst Game in Philadelphia Sports History
Head coach Andy Reid and star quarterback Donovan McNabb had pushed the Philadelphia Eagles into a position as conference favorites by the end of the 2002 regular season, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were all that stood in their way in the NFC Championship Game.
Philadelphia’s progressive climb under Reid included home playoff victories in each of the previous two seasons over the Tony Dungy-led Buccaneers, a franchise who notoriously struggled in road playoff games, especially in cold weather.
Ready for the Super Bowl
The city reached the height of Eagles hysteria after their team advanced to their second consecutive NFC Championship Game. Philadelphia held a Friday afternoon pep rally in Center City surrounding the opportunity to clinch a Super Bowl berth against the Bucs on January 19, 2003.
The narrative also seemed to play perfectly for the final Eagles game at Veterans Stadium, the quintessential home for a fan base regularly galvanized by a rough and tough mentality on the field and in the stands. The idea of a supposed wimpy team from Florida pulling off an upset in the winter weather sounded impossible.
After all, the Bucs had one win in franchise history in road games when the temperature at kickoff was under 40 degrees. It came less than a month prior in Chicago against a lowly Bears team that finished 4-12.
Brian Mitchell returned the opening kickoff to the Tampa Bay 26-yard-line. Duce Staley scored two plays later. A memorable day in franchise history was imminent after the Eagles took a 7-0 lead in the opening minute. “Fly, Eagles, Fly” boomed through the crowd, and nobody in Philadelphia even considered what was about to happen next.
Buccaneers Stun Eagles
The Buccaneers had replaced Dungy with the fiery Jon Gruden as head coach that season. He improved an already stingy defense, and the unit stifled McNabb and the Eagles for the proceeding 59 minutes.
The nightmare scenario for Philadelphia began late in the first quarter. Tampa Bay wide receiver Joe Jurevicius took a short reception on a crossing pattern for 71 yards to set up a touchdown and quiet the raucous crowd at the Vet. Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, and the Tampa Bay defense suddenly took over. The visitors took a 20-10 lead into the final minutes.
A late drive inspired hope for Eagles fans for some momentum, only to end in the most stunning play in Philadelphia sports history. The Eagles faced first-and-goal from the Tampa Bay 10-yard line with just over three minutes remaining. Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber intercepted McNabb and iced the game with an ensuing 92-yard touchdown return. McNabb couldn’t muster up much of an effort to chase down the streaking Barber. It was Philadelphia’s third turnover of the afternoon.
The Veterans Stadium crowd stood with their jaws dropped. The unthinkable had occurred. The Bucs advanced to Super Bowl XXXVII with a 27-10 victory.
As the story goes, you could hear a pin drop in the corridors as over 66,000 fans emptied out of the Vet knowing their team had inexcusably looked past its opponent too soon.
The Eagles lost two additional disappointing NFC Championship Games sandwiching the stunner against the Buccaneers. The franchise’s three Super Bowl losses after the 1980, 2004, and 2022 seasons were more consequential from an outsider’s perspective. However, this was the most devastating loss Eagles fans have ever witnessed.
The #Bucs will celebrate Ronde Barber's induction into the Hall of Fame in Week 3 when they host the Philadelphia Eagles on MNF.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 22, 2023
Barber's 92-yard pick-6 vs. the Eagles in the 2002 NFC Championship game is one of the most iconic moments in team history.pic.twitter.com/ds4vAAC5nW
Watch The John Kincade Show on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.
