{"numbering":"no_numbering","slides":[{"title":"10. 2014: Foles' bomb to Maclin sparks comeback","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Getty_Images_Nick_Foles_Jeremy_Maclin.jpg","credit":"Rich Schultz/Getty Images","published":1599915600,"caption":"

The Eagles found themselves in a 17-0 hole against Chad Henne and the Jaguars in the 2014 opener, but Nick Foles rallied the Eagles back with 34 unanswered points for a 34-17 win.

The Eagles took the lead for good with seven minutes left in the game on Foles’ 68-yard TD pass to Jeremy Maclin. That remains the fifth-longest fourth-quarter (or overtime) game-winning TD pass in Eagles history, and it’s the second-longest TD pass of Foles’ career. He had an 83-yard go-ahead TD to Nelson Agholor against the Texans in 2018.

"},{"title":"9. 2004: Westbrook kick-starts the Super Bowl season","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Getty_Images_Brian_Westbrook.jpg","credit":"Streeter Lecka/Getty Images","published":1599915600,"caption":"

On the Eagles’ fifth play of the 2004 season, at the Linc against the Giants, Brian Westbrook tore 50 yards behind right guard Shawn Andrews to set up Donovan McNabb’s first TD pass to Terrell Owens.

The Eagles went on to beat Kurt Warner and the Giants, 31-17, on their way to 13 wins, the NFC East title, No. 1 seed in the NFC and a spot in Super Bowl XXXIX against the Patriots.

It was the longest run Westbrook ever had in Philadelphia and the fourth-longest opening-day run in Eagles history.

"},{"title":"8. 1947: Van Buren’s legendary kick return","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Getty_Images_Steve_Van_Buren.jpg","credit":"Nate Fine/Getty Images","published":1599915600,"caption":"

The Eagles had never reached an NFL Championship Game, but they opened their 15th season with a 45-42 win over Washington at Shibe Park in what was at the time the highest-scoring game in the NFL’s young history.

The Eagles took the lead for good in the second quarter on Steve Van Buren’s 95-yard kickoff return, the third of his Hall of Fame career.

The win gave the Eagles a six-game opening-day winning streak. Van Buren also had a rushing TD in that game.

The Eagles went on to go 8-4 that year, losing to the Cards, 28-21, in the NFC Championship Game at Comiskey Park.

"},{"title":"7. 2017: Graham, Fletcher start 2017 season in style","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/USA_Brandon_Graham_Fletcher_Cox.jpg","credit":"Tommy Gilligan/USA Today Images","published":1599915600,"caption":"

The Eagles were up only five with a couple minutes left in the 2017 opener vs. Washington at FedExField when Brandon Graham strip-sacked Kirk Cousins deep in Eagles territory. Fletcher Cox recovered at the Washington 20-yard line and lumbered in for the clinching touchdown and a couple minutes later the Eagles had a 30-17 win in Landover.

Cox also had a fumble recovery TD in the closing minutes of the 2014 opener against the Jaguars after Trent Cole strip-sacked Chad Henne. He’s one of only four players in NFL history with two fumble recovery TDs on opening day (the others are Brad Dusek, DeAngelo Hall and Jason Taylor).

"},{"title":"6. 1980: Jaworski, Carmichael light it up","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Getty_Images_Ron_Jaworski.jpg","credit":"Focus on Sport/Getty Images","published":1599915600,"caption":"

The Eagles began the run to their first Super Bowl with a 27-6 opening-day rout of the Broncos at the Vet. And they started the game out with Ron Jaworski connecting with future Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael, who beat Broncos corner Steve Foley for a 56-yard TD just 9½ minutes into the game.

Carmichael went on to catch three passes for 135 yards, and the Eagles went on to reach their first Super Bowl.

"},{"title":"5. 2019: One Wentz bomb to Jackson wasn’t enough","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/USA_DeSean_Jackson_Carson_Wentz.jpg","credit":"Eric Hartline/USA Today Images","published":1599915600,"caption":"

We didn’t see much of Carson Wentz playing with DeSean Jackson last year, but they made history in their one full game together. Wentz threw TD passes of 51 and 53 yards to Jackson in last year’s 32-27 opening-day win over Washington, making Jackson the first player with two 50-yard TD catches on opening day since Irving Fryar did it for the Dolphins against his former team, the Patriots, in 1994.

Only 10 players have ever had two 50-yard TDs in an opener, only four in the last 50 years. Jackson was the first Eagle with two 50-yard TDs in any game since Ben Hawkins in Washington in 1967. The Eagles didn’t have another 50-yard TD all year.

"},{"title":"4. 1934: A record-setter for Hanson","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Hanson_Swede_0.jpg","credit":"Philadelphia Eagles","published":1599915600,"caption":"

Opening day 1934 wasn’t a very good one for the Eagles. They lost, 19-6, to Curly Lambeau’s Packers at City Stadium in Green Bay. The Packers were up 19-0 when Eagles back Swede Hanson, a Central Jersey native and Temple graduate, averted the shutout with the longest opening-day run in Eagles history — an 81-yard touchdown.

That remains the fifth-longest rushing TD the Packers have ever allowed and the second-longest at home. It’s the Eagles’ fourth-longest TD run ever and the fourth-longest opening-day TD run ever.

"},{"title":"3. 2008: McNabb to Baskett because why not?","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Getty_Images_Hank_Baskett_Donovan_McNabb.jpg","credit":"Chris McGrath/Getty Images","published":1599915600,"caption":"

In the second quarter of the 2008 opener at the Linc, the Eagles were backed up on their own 10-yard line after Brian Westbrook was stuffed for a loss by Chris Long, playing in his first NFL game. Donovan McNabb dropped back and spotted Hank Baskett wide open around the Eagles’ 40-yard line. It was an easy throw and catch, and Baskett’s third career TD of 85 yards or more tied an NFL record.

The TD gave the Eagles a 21-0 lead on their way to a 38-3 win. It was the longest opening-day TD pass play in the NFL since Tony Dorsett’s 91-yarder from Roger Staubach against the Colts in 1978. Baskett’s 90-yarder remains the seventh-longest opening-day TD catch in NFL history.

"},{"title":"2. 1961: Brown’s record-setting moment","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/slide/image/Getty_Images_Tim_Brown.jpg","credit":"Bettmann/Getty Images","published":1599915600,"caption":"

In their first game after the NFL Championship Game, the Eagles beat a Browns team that had won seven NFL titles in the previous 15 years. Timmy Brown got the Eagles started with a kick return that stood as the longest opening-day TD in NFL history until Ellis Hobbs of all people had a 108-yard kick return TD for the Patriots against the Jets 46 years later.

Brown’s return stood as the longest play in Eagles history until Josh Huff of all people had a 107-yard kick return against the Titans in 2014.

"},{"title":"1. 2000: The onside kick that opened a season","image":"https://www.nbcsports.com/sites/rsnunited/files/gallery/hero/Getty_Images_Andy_Reid.jpg","credit":"Ronald Martinez/Getty Images","published":1599915600,"caption":"

This was the play that really put the Andy Reid Eagles on the map. They had gone 14-33-1 over the three previous years, they hadn’t won a playoff game since 1995 and they had won just four of their last 17 games against the Cowboys.

The Eagles opened the 2000 season at Texas Stadium, and Reid and John Harbaugh — guessing that the Cowboys would be distracted by the 109-degree temperatures — decided to open the game with an onside kick. David Akers kicked it, Dameane Douglas recovered it and by the middle of the first quarter the Eagles were up 24-0 on their way to a 41-14 rout.

That was the game that signaled the Eagles had arrived.

"}]}

The 10 greatest opening-day plays in Eagles history