Eagles blog

A look at opening-day facts, figures and stats from throughout Eagles history

The Eagles' 2025 season opener is Thursday night against the Cowboys at the Linc

By Reuben Frank • Published September 3, 2025

The Eagles’ first opening-day game was the worst loss in franchise history.

In 1933, the Eagles’ official season opener was a 56-0 loss to the Giants at the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan. That remains the most lopsided loss in Eagles history.

Things have gotten better.

The Eagles are 44-47-1 in their 92 season openers, but after going 16-27-1 in their first 44, they’re 28-20 in their last 48.

With some unforgettable games along the way.

The 41-14 win in Tampa in the 1988 opener that told the NFL the Eagles were for real after a decade of losing.

The 41-14 win in Dallas in the 2000 opener — same score as 1988 — in the Pickle Juice Game.

The 31-17 win over the Giants in the 2004 opener at the Linc, with Terrell Owens announcing his arrival with three touchdown catches from Donovan McNabb back when they still liked each other.

The 34-29 win over the Packers in São Paulo last year, with Saquon Barkley scoring three touchdowns in his Eagles debut.

As we all get set to watch the Eagles’ 93rd season opener Thursday night at the Linc vs. the Cowboys, let’s take a look at 10 opening-day facts and figures from the Eagles' first 92 openers.

1. The Eagles and Cowboys haven’t opened a season in Philadelphia in 55 years, since the Cowboys won 17-7 at Franklin Field in 1970. Roger Staubach threw for only 115 yards in that game, but Calvin Hill rushed for 117 yards, and Chuck Howley, Jethro Pugh and Thomas Stincic all recorded interceptions off Norm Snead.

The only other Eagles-Cowboys openers until 2000 were lopsided Dallas wins — 28-6 in 1972 and 27-7 in 1976, both at Texas Stadium in Irving.

In 2000, in the famed Pickle Juice Game, the hottest game in NFL history at 109 degrees at kickoff, the Eagles won the opening onside kick — David Akers kicked it, Dameane Douglas recovered it — and went on to rout the Cowboys 41-14, the most points to this day the Cowboys have allowed on opening day.

2. The Eagles have won five straight season openers that were home games, a stretch that includes last year’s game in São Paulo.

Last time they lost at home on opening day was 2010 to the Packers when Kevin Kolb was the Eagles’ starter but was replaced by Michael Vick after suffering a concussion.

Last time they lost a season opener at home to a division opponent was 1999, when Chris Jacke’s field goal with no time left after Kwamie Lassiter picked off Doug Pederson gave the Cards a 25-24 win at the Vet in Andy Reid’s first game as an NFL head coach.

Thursday night’s game against the Cowboys will be the Eagles’ first season opener at the Linc since they beat Washington 32-27 behind Carson Wentz’s three touchdown passes in 2019. The Eagles are 7-2 in season openers at the Linc, losing only to the Bucs in 2003 and the eventual Super Bowl-champion Packers in 2010.

3. The last seven times the Eagles won their season opener they went on to make the playoffs. The last time they didn’t was 2016. The last time they lost their opener and made the playoffs was 2010.

4. The most points the Eagles have scored on opening day is 45 in a 45-42 win over Washington at Municipal Stadium (the future JFK) in 1947.

They’ve been shut out six times, most recently 17-0 to Tampa in 2003 in the first game at the Linc. They’ve recorded one opening-day shutout — 7-0 over the New York Bulldogs at the Polo Grounds in 1949.

The most points the Eagles have given up in an opener is 42 in that 45-42 win over Washington in 1947. The 87 combined points is one shy of the NFL record of 88 set in 2018 when the Bucs beat the Saints 48-40 at the Superdome.

5. The Eagles have won four straight openers, tying their longest streak since they won six in a row from 1942 through 1947. They also won four straight from 2011 through 2014 and 2016 through 2019.

Their 12-2 record in their last 14 openers is best in the NFL. The Chiefs and 49ers are both 10-4. The last NFC team to win 12 openers in a 14-year span was the Bears, who went 12-2 from 1984 through 1997.

The Eagles’ longest streak of opening-day losses is nine in a row from 1968 through 1976, and they lost those games by an average of 13.7 points. From 1933 through 1987, the Eagles were 21-33-1 in openers. Since 1988 they’re 23-14.

6. Most career opening-day passing yards is McNabb’s 2,327 in 10 openers, most rushing yards is LeSean McCoy’s 571 in six games, most receiving yards is Harold Carmichael’s 693 in 13 games, most sacks is Trent Cole’s 7½ (Reggie White only had five) and most interceptions is Wes Hopkins’ five in 10 openers. Troy Vincent holds the NFL record with eight opening-day interceptions, but only two were as an Eagle. He had four with the Dolphins and two with the Bills.

7. The team record for most rushing yards on opening day remains Duce Staley’s 201 yards against the Cowboys in the Pickle Juice Game, a 41-14 win at Texas Stadium in 2000. That was the last Eagles-Cowboys opener.

The receiving record goes back 62 years to 1963, when Tommy McDonald had 179 yards in a 21-21 tie with the Steelers at Franklin Field.

The passing record belongs to Ron Jaworski, who threw for 371 yards in a 37-34 overtime loss to Washington at the Vet in 1982.

The sack record is 3.0 by White in a 20-3 win over the Packers at Lambeau Field in 1991, and the interception record is two shared by six players, most recently Kurt Coleman and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who each had four INTs off Brandon Weeden in the Eagles’ 17-16 win over the Browns in Cleveland in 2012.

8. The Eagles’ longest opening-day touchdown was Hank Baskett’s 90-yard catch from McNabb in the 38-3 win over the Rams at the Linc in 2008.

Longest TD run was Swede Hanson’s 81-yarder in a 19-6 loss to the Packers at City Stadium in Green Bay in 1934.

Longest kickoff return was Timmy Brown’s 105-yarder in a 27-20 win over the Browns in 1961 at Franklin Field, longest punt return was DeSean Jackson’s 85-yarder in the 38-10 win over the Panthers in Charlotte in 2009, longest INT return was Darius Slay’s 70-yarder off Mac Jones in the Eagles’ 25-20 win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium in the 2023 opener and longest fumble TD return was White’s 70-yarder after forcing a Doug Williams fumble in the 1987 opener, a 34-24 loss in Washington.

9. Jaworski, McNabb and Randall Cunningham share the club record with five opening-day wins, but Jalen Hurts would tie them with a win on Thursday night. Hurts and Adrian Burk both have four opening-day wins in an Eagles uniform. Cunningham was 5-4 and Jaworski and McNabb were 5-5. Hurts is 4-0 and Burk was 4-1.

Hurts and college teammate Tua Tagovailoa are the only QBs to win on opening day in each of the last four years. Among active quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers has the most opening-day wins (11), followed by Joe Flacco and Matt Stafford (8 each) and Russell Wilson, Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes (6 each). Stafford and Kirk Cousins (7 each) have the most losses. All-time, Tom Brady has the most wins (16) and Drew Brees and Eli Manning have the most losses (10 apiece).

Since 1977, Jaworski, Cunningham, McNabb, Wentz and Hurts have started 37 of a possible 48 games. From 1995 through 2000, the Eagles used six starting QBs in six seasons (Cunningham, Rodney Peete, Ty Detmer, Bobby Hoying, Pederson, McNabb).

10. What about the worst Eagles performances on opening day? The Eagles’ worst opening-day passer rating since 1960 was Hoying’s 29.1 in the 1998 opener vs. the Seahawks. Hoying was 9-for-23 for just 60 yards with an interception in the Eagles’ 38-0 loss at the Vet. The lowest rushing average since 1960 (minimum 10 carries) was Junior Tautalatasi’s 1.5 on 11 carries for 16 yards in that 41-14 win in Tampa in the 1988 opener.

https://www.nbcsportsphiladelphia.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-season-opening-facts-figures-and-stats/682085/