Philadelphia Eagles: Thanksgiving Memories

With an .800 record, the Philadelphia Eagles have one of the best all-time Thanksgiving Day records.

They won their first Thanksgiving Day game in 1939, lost the next year and have not lost since. This undefeated streak includes shutouts against the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions. In the team's most recent appearance in 2008, the Eagles defeated the Arizona Cardinals 48-20.

Here's a look back at some of the most memorable Thanksgiving Day games played by the Eagles.

2008: The Brian Westbrook Bowl

In 2008, the Eagles played the Arizona Cardinals at home on Thanksgiving night. Brian Westbrook scored three touchdowns before the Cardinals even got on the board, eventually scoring a fourth. The Eagles picked off Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner three times.

The fans really were into the holiday spirit and the game. The Cardinals were never really in the game and the Eagles won 48-20.

That game started the Eagles on a streak where they won four of their last five games to make the playoffs as a wild card team. In the playoffs they beat the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants. Next up in the NFC Championship Game was the Cardinals, whom they had trounced on Thanksgiving. Visions of the Super Bowl danced in Eagles' fans heads.

The Cardinals had other ideas, turning that game into the Larry Fitzgerald Bowl. Fitzgerald scored three touchdowns in the first half. But the Eagles fought back and scored three unanswered touchdowns, the last a 62-yard bomb from Donovan McNabb to DeSean Jackson. 

But as has become all too familiar for Eagles fans in 2011, the defense could not hold the lead and the Cardinals scored one more time to win the game.

In the end, the joy of a Thanksgiving victory was overshadowed by another disappointing playoff loss.

1989: The Bounty Bowl

The most famous victory was the 1989 game, which became known as the Bounty Bowl. The Eagles destroyed the Dallas Cowboys 27-0. Cowboy coach Jimmy Johnson was so irate with the score that he alleged that Eagles' coach Buddy Ryan had taken out a $200 bounty on his kicker Luis Zendejas and quarterback Troy Aikman. Zendejas left the game after a hard hit by linebacker Jessie Small.

Another historical aspect of the 1989 Thanksgiving game was that Reggie White was the initial recipient of John Madden's yearly Turkey Leg Award. White and the Eagles' defense contained Aikman for the entire game. Aikman threw three interceptions and completed only seven passes for 54 total yards.

Philly fans were so incensed by Johnson's comments that they returned the love two weeks later in Bounty Bowl II in Philadelphia. As Johnson left the field he was pelted with snow balls, chunks of ice, beer and anything else the fans could throw. 

"America's Team," as the Cowboys were called back then, was no match for the Eagles in 1989.

1968: The O. J. Bowl

1968 was one of the worst years in team history. Just say Joe Kuharich or Norm Snead and a senior Eagles fan will start to moan. The team gave up 149 more points than they scored that year.

However, they had positioned themselves well to win a big prize: the number one overall pick in the draft and the rights to O.J. Simpson. Headed into the last three games of the season, the Eagles were 0-11. The Buffalo Bills had already won one game and tied another. So if the Eagles could just lose two of the last three games, they were home free. 

They played the 3-6-2 Detroit Lions in one of the ugliest Thanksgiving games in history. Between the two teams, there were 73 running plays for a total of only 234 yards. The Eagles managed only 161 yards of offense but won the game 12-0 on four field goals. They were helped by Gregg Landry throwing three interceptions. They still had a chance to get the first draft pick if they lost the final two games.

Unfortunately the following week the Eagles defeated the New Orleans Saints and ended up with the third draft pick. They selected Leroy Keyes in one of the most unpopular picks they ever made. Of course, everyone knows who the next pick after Keyes was—Mean Joe Greene.  Two Hall of Fame players had slipped through the Eagles' grasp.

Even worse than the 28-41-1 record that Kuharich had with the Eagles, he will always be remembered for winning that Thanksgiving game that Eagles' fans wish he had lost.