1988 Philadelphia Eagles season

The 1988 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's fifty-sixth season in the National Football League (NFL).

1988 Philadelphia Eagles season
Owner	Norman Braman
Head coach	Buddy Ryan
Offensive coordinator	Ted Plumb
Defensive coordinator	Wade Phillips
Home stadium	Veterans Stadium
Results
Record	10–6
Division place	1st NFC East
Playoffs	Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Bears) 12–20
Uniform
← 1987 Eagles seasons 1989 →

Background

This season resulted in the team's appearance in the postseason for the first time since 1981. The Eagles won the NFC East for the first time since 1980, but lost to the Chicago Bears during the NFC Divisional round during the Fog Bowl.

In control of its own destiny for a playoff berth, but not the NFC East title on the final day of the regular season, Philadelphia dumped the Dallas Cowboys, 23–7. Guaranteed a minimum of a wild card berth following a New Orleans Saints win, the team had to wait for the end to the New York Jets-New York Giants game at Giants Stadium to learn if had clinched the division or not to avoid the Wild Card round. The Jets won the game, 27–21, on a late touchdown strike from Ken O'Brien to Al Toon, giving the Eagles the NFC East crown on the tiebreaker of having beaten the Giants in both regular-season meetings.

Offseason

NFL draft

1988 Philadelphia Eagles Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	9	Keith Jackson	TE	Oklahoma
2	30	Eric Allen	CB	Arizona State
3	64	Matt Patchan	T	Miami (Florida)
5	122	Eric Everett	DB	Texas Tech
6	149	Don McPherson	QB	Syracuse
	160	Rob Sterling	CB	Maine
7	176	Todd White	WR	Cal State Fullerton
8	207	David Smith	RB	Western Kentucky
10	261	Joe Schuster	DT	Iowa
11	288	Izel Jenkins	CB	North Carolina State
12	288	Steve Kaufusi	DE	BYU

Personnel

Staff

1988 Philadelphia Eagles staff

Front office Owner – Norman Braman President and chief operating officer – Harry Gamble Director of player personnel – Joe Woolley Head coaches Head coach – Buddy Ryan Offensive coaches Assistant head coach/offense – Ted Plumb Quarterbacks – Doug Scovil Offensive backs – Dave Atkins Offensive line – Bill Walsh Assistant offensive line – Dan Neal

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator/linebackers – Wade Phillips Defensive line – Dale Haupt Defensive backs – Jeff Fisher Special teams coaches Special teams – Al Roberts Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Ronnie Jones

Roster

1988 Philadelphia Eagles roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  6 Matt Cavanaugh 12 Randall Cunningham  9 Don McPherson Running backs (RB) 32 Walter Abercrombie 41 Keith Byars 26 Michael Haddix 35 Mark Konecny 25 Anthony Toney Wide receivers (WR) 81 Shawn Beals 80 Cris Carter 84 Kenny Jackson 85 Ron Johnson 82 Mike Quick Tight ends (TE) 83 Jimmie Giles 88 Keith Jackson 89 David Little LS

Offensive linemen (OL) 72 David Alexander G 63 Ron Baker G 78 Matt Darwin T 73 Ron Heller T 66 Ken Reeves T/G 50 Dave Rimington C 68 Reggie Singletary G 61 Ben Tamburello G Defensive linemen (DL) 99 Jerome Brown DT 90 Mike Golic DT 97 John Klingel DE 74 Mike Pitts DT 96 Clyde Simmons DE 92 Reggie White DE

Linebackers (LB) 58 Ty Allert MLB 52 Todd Bell OLB 91 Scott Curtis OLB 56 Byron Evans MLB 53 Dwayne Jiles OLB 59 Seth Joyner OLB 55 Mike Reichenbach MLB Defensive backs (DB) 21 Eric Allen CB 42 Eric Everett CB 33 William Frizzell SS 34 Terry Hoage FS 48 Wes Hopkins FS 46 Izel Jenkins CB 20 Andre Waters SS 43 Roynell Young CB Special teams (ST) 10 John Teltschik P  8 Luis Zendejas K

Reserve 87 Eric Bailey TE (IR) 95 Doug Bartlett DT (IR) 77 Donald Evans DE (IR) 86 Gregg Garrity WR (IR) 94 Steve Kaufusi DE (IR) 57 Ron Moten LB (IR) 98 Joe Schuster DT (IR) 65 Ron Solt G (IR) 47 Rob Sterling S (IR) 47 active, 9 inactive Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 4	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 41–14	1–0	Tampa Stadium	Recap
2	September 11	Cincinnati Bengals	L 24–28	1–1	Veterans Stadium	Recap
3	September 18	at Washington Redskins	L 10–17	1–2	Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium	Recap
4	September 25	at Minnesota Vikings	L 21–23	1–3	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	Recap
5	October 2	Houston Oilers	W 32–23	2–3	Veterans Stadium	Recap
6	October 10	New York Giants	W 24–13	3–3	Veterans Stadium	Recap
7	October 16	at Cleveland Browns	L 3–19	3–4	Cleveland Stadium	Recap
8	October 23	Dallas Cowboys	W 24–23	4–4	Veterans Stadium	Recap
9	October 30	Atlanta Falcons	L 24–27	4–5	Veterans Stadium	Recap
10	November 6	Los Angeles Rams	W 30–24	5–5	Veterans Stadium	Recap
11	November 13	at Pittsburgh Steelers	W 27–26	6–5	Three Rivers Stadium	Recap
12	November 20	at New York Giants	W 23–17 (OT)	7–5	Giants Stadium	Recap
13	November 27	Phoenix Cardinals	W 31–21	8–5	Veterans Stadium	Recap
14	December 4	Washington Redskins	L 19–20	8–6	Veterans Stadium	Recap
15	December 10	at Phoenix Cardinals	W 23–17	9–6	Sun Devil Stadium	Recap
16	December 18	at Dallas Cowboys	W 23–7	10–6	Texas Stadium	Recap

^[1]

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Season summary

Week 1

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Eagles	21	13	7	0	41
Buccaneers	0	0	14	0	14

• Date: September 4
• Location: Tampa Stadium
• Game attendance: 43,502
• Referee: Johnny Grier
• TV announcers (CBS): James Brown and Gary Fencik

Scoring summary

Q1	13:30	PHI	Quick 37 yard pass from Cunningham (Dorsey kick)	PHI 7–0
Q1	3:40	PHI	Toney 2 yard run (Dorsey kick)	PHI 14–0
Q1	2:23	PHI	Jackson 8 yard pass from Cunningham (Dorsey kick)	PHI 21–0
Q2	7:10	PHI	Dorsey 23 yard field goal	PHI 24–0
Q2	2:22	PHI	Dorsey 24 yard field goal	PHI 27–0
Q2	0:30	PHI	Cunningham 2 yard run (Dorsey kick)	PHI 34–0
Q3	11:12	TB	Hill 42 yard pass from Testaverde (Igwebuike kick)	PHI 34–7
Q3	6:37	PHI	Hoage 38 yard run (Dorsey kick)	PHI 41–7
Q3	1:32	TB	Carrier 56 yard pass from Testaverde (Igwebuike kick)	PHI 41–14

^[2]

The Eagles played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tampa Stadium where temperatures reached 90-degrees. On the Eagles’ fourth play of the game, Bucs linebacker Kevin Murphy chased Cunningham out of the pocket, and he rolled to his left and floated a 37-yard TD to Mike Quick. The first quarter ended with the Eagles up 21 to 0 after Anthony Toney ran for a TD and Cunningham threw an 8-yard TD to Jackson. The Eagles even scored on a 38-yard TD run by safety Terry Hoage on the only carry of his 13-year career.^[3]

Week 2

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Bengals	7	7	0	14	28
Eagles	14	0	3	7	24

• Date: September 11
• Location: Veterans Stadium
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers (NBC): Kevin Slaten and Dave Lapham

Week 3

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	3	0	7	10
• Redskins	14	0	3	0	17

• Date: September 18
• Location: RFK Stadium
• Referee: Jerry Markbreit
• TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Terry Bradshaw

Week 4

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	14	0	7	21
• Vikings	10	0	7	6	23

• Date: September 25
• Location: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
• Game weather: Indoors (dome)
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Dan Fouts

Week 5

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Oilers	16	0	0	7	23
• Eagles	0	20	9	3	32

• Date: October 2
• Location: Veterans Stadium
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• Television network: NBC

Week 6

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	3	0	3	7	13
• Eagles	0	14	3	7	24

• Date: October 10
• Location: Veterans Stadium
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf

Week 7

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	0	3	0	0	3
• Browns	3	0	6	10	19

• Date: October 16
• Location: Cleveland Stadium
• Referee: Johnny Grier
• TV announcers (CBS): Steve Zabriskie and Will McDonough

Week 8

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	17	3	3	0	23
• Eagles	0	7	3	14	24

• Date: October 23
• Location: Veterans Stadium
• Referee: Dick Hantak
• TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Dan Jiggetts

Week 9

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Falcons	0	7	13	7	27
Eagles	3	7	0	14	24

• Date: October 30
• Location: Veterans Stadium
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers (CBS): James Brown and Gary Fencik

Week 10

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	3	7	0	14	24
• Eagles	0	10	10	10	30

• Date: November 6
• Location: Veterans Stadium
• Referee: Bob McElwee
• TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Dan Fouts

Week 11

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Eagles	0	14	3	10	27
Steelers	10	6	7	3	26

• Date: November 13
• Location: Three Rivers Stadium
• Referee: Fred Wyant
• TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Dan Jiggetts

Week 12

Team	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
• Eagles	7	3	0	7	6	23
Giants	7	3	7	0	0	17

• Date: November 20
• Location: Giants Stadium
• Referee: Tom Dooley
• TV announcers (CBS): Pat Summerall and John Madden

Week 13

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	7	7	0	7	21
• Eagles	7	0	17	7	31

• Date: November 27
• Location: Veterans Stadium
• Referee: Gordon McCarter
• TV announcers (CBS): Tim Ryan and Dan Jiggets

Week 14

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Redskins	7	0	3	10	20
Eagles	3	13	3	0	19

• Date: December 4
• Location: Veterans Stadium
• Referee: Ben Dreith
• TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton and Dan Fouts

Week 15

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Eagles	21	0	0	2	23
Cardinals	0	7	7	3	17

• Date: December 10
• Location: Sun Devil Stadium
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Terry Bradshaw

Week 16

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Eagles	0	10	7	6	23
Cowboys	7	0	0	0	7

• Date: December 18
• Location: Texas Stadium
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers (CBS): Tim Brandt and Hank Stram

Standings

NFC East
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Philadelphia Eagles(3)	10	6	0	.625	6–2	8–4	379	319	W2
New York Giants	10	6	0	.625	5–3	9–5	359	304	L1
Washington Redskins	7	9	0	.438	4–4	6–6	345	387	L2
Phoenix Cardinals	7	9	0	.438	3–5	6–6	344	398	L5
Dallas Cowboys	3	13	0	.188	2–6	3–9	265	381	L1

Playoffs

Divisional

Main article: Fog Bowl (American football)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Eagles	3	6	3	0	12
• Bears	7	10	0	3	20

• Date: December 31
• Location: Soldier Field
• Game start: 11:30 a.m. CST
• Referee: Jim Tunney
• TV announcers (CBS): Verne Lundquist and Terry Bradshaw

Known as The Fog Bowl in NFL lore, the Bears defeated the Eagles, 20–12, in a contest in which a heavy, dense fog rolled over Chicago's Soldier Field during the second quarter and cut visibility to about 15–20 yards for the rest of the game.

Awards and honors

• NFL All-Rookie: Eric Allen
• Bert Bell Award: Randall Cunningham^[4]
• Sporting News Rookie of the Year: Keith Jackson