Editing Philadelphia Eagles (section)

=== Leonard Tose era (1969–1984) ===
{{See also|Leonard Tose}}
[[File:VeteransStadium1986-2a.jpg|thumb|[[Veterans Stadium]] in [[South Philadelphia]], the Eagles' home field from [[1971 Philadelphia Eagles season|1971]] to [[2002 Philadelphia Eagles season|2002]], which they shared with baseball's [[Philadelphia Phillies|Phillies]]]]
In [[1969 Philadelphia Eagles season|1969]], [[Leonard Tose]] bought the team from Wolman for $16.155&nbsp;million,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/pdf/Y_B_YHISTORY.pdf |title=Year-by-Year History |access-date=December 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060129104352/http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/pdf/Y_B_YHISTORY.pdf |archive-date=January 29, 2006 }}</ref> the equivalent of ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US|16155000|1969|r=-6}}}} today, representing a record then for the highest amount ever paid for a professional sports franchise. Tose's first official act was to fire Coach [[Joe Kuharich]] after a disappointing 24–41–1 record during his five-year reign. Tose then named former Eagles wide receiver [[Pete Retzlaff]] as the team's general manager and [[Jerry Williams (American football)|Jerry Williams]] as its new head coach.

With the [[AFL–NFL merger|merger]] of the NFL and [[American Football League|AFL]] in {{nfly|1970}}, the Eagles were placed in the [[NFC East]] Division with the [[New York Giants]], [[Washington Redskins]], and [[Dallas Cowboys]]. The Eagles' heated [[Eagles–Giants rivalry|rivalry]] with the Giants is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating back to 1933, and is often cited as one of the best rivalries in the NFL.<ref name="Giants-Eagles rivalry">{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/12/15/gallery.oldrivals/content.7.html |title=Top 10 NFL Rivalries Of All Time: No. 4 Giants–Eagles |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=December 15, 2005 |access-date=September 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917122951/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2005/12/15/gallery.oldrivals/content.7.html |archive-date=September 17, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Birds' Biggest Rival—In a division of fierce foes, the Giants have battled the Eagles as tough as anyone |date=September 17, 2006 |first=Bob |last=Brookover |newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |page=D1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Eagles—Giants among top rivalries |date=November 6, 2008 |first=Bob |last=Brookover |newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |page=D6}}</ref> [[1970 Philadelphia Eagles season|1970]] was also the last season for the Eagles at Franklin Field; the team finished the first post-merger season in last place in their division at 3–10–1.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1970 Philadelphia Eagles Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/phi/1970.htm |access-date=August 21, 2024 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] }}</ref>

In [[1971 Philadelphia Eagles season|1971]], the Eagles moved to [[Veterans Stadium]], which had just been constructed and was initially acclaimed as a triumph of ultra-modern sports engineering.<ref name="w709">{{cite web | last=DeLucia | first=Matt | title=A look back at the history of South Philly's Veterans Stadium 20 years after implosion | website=NBC10 Philadelphia | date=March 21, 2024 | url=https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/a-look-back-at-the-history-of-veterans-stadium-20-years-after-implosion/3809167/ | access-date=August 21, 2024}}</ref> After a 3–10–1 record in 1970 and three consecutive blowout losses to [[1971 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati]], [[1971 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas]], and [[1971 San Francisco 49ers season|San&nbsp;Francisco]] to open the {{nfly|1971}} season, Williams was fired and replaced by assistant coach Ed Khayat, a defensive lineman on the Eagles' 1960 NFL championship team. Williams and Khayat were hampered by Retzlaff's decision to trade longtime starting quarterback [[Norm Snead]] to the [[1971 Minnesota Vikings season|Minnesota Vikings]] in early 1971, leaving the Eagles a choice between journeyman [[Pete Liske]] and raw [[Rick Arrington]]. Khayat lost his first two games but won six of the season's last nine, thanks largely to the efforts of the Eagles' defense, led by all-pro safety [[Bill Bradley (American football)|Bill Bradley]], who led the NFL in interceptions (11) and interception return yardage (248).

The team regressed in [[1972 Philadelphia Eagles season|1972]] to finish 2–11–1, and Khayat was released. The two wins (both on the road) proved to be surprises, however. Philadelphia beat the [[1972 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] (which had had the best record in the AFC a year before) 21–20 and the [[1972 Houston Oilers season|Houston Oilers]] 18–17 on six field goals by kicker [[Tom Dempsey]]. The latter game had been called the "Johnny Rodgers Bowl", because the loser, in finishing last in the league, would gain the first overall pick in the [[1973 NFL draft]], which was then presumed to be [[1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]] wingback [[Johnny Rodgers]], the [[Heisman Trophy]] [[1972 NCAA University Division football season#Heisman Trophy|winner]]. With their loss, the Oilers got first pick and took [[1972 Tampa Spartans football team|University of Tampa]] defensive end [[John Matuszak]], who later faced Philadelphia in [[Super Bowl XV]]. With the second overall pick, the Eagles selected [[1972 USC Trojans football team|USC]] tight end [[Charle Young]].

Khayat was replaced by offensive guru [[Mike McCormack (American football)|Mike McCormack]] for the [[1973 Philadelphia Eagles season|1973 season]]. Aided by the skills of quarterback [[Roman Gabriel]] and towering young wide receiver [[Harold Carmichael]], they managed to infuse a bit of vitality into a previously moribund offense.

New general manager [[Jim Murray (American football)|Jim Murray]] also began to add talent on the defensive side of the line, most notably through the addition of future Pro Bowl linebacker [[Bill Bergey]] in [[1974 Philadelphia Eagles season|1974]]. Overall, however, the team was still mired in mediocrity. McCormack was fired after a 4–10 [[1975 Philadelphia Eagles season|1975 season]].

==== Dick Vermeil years (1976–1982) ====
{{See also|Miracle at the Meadowlands|Super Bowl XV}}
[[File:dickvermeil.jpg|thumb|[[Dick Vermeil]], Eagles head coach from 1976 to 1982, who led the Eagles to their first [[Super Bowl]] appearance in [[Super Bowl XV]] against the [[Oakland Raiders]] in 1981]]
[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 05 - Wilbert Montgomery.jpg|thumb|[[Wilbert Montgomery]], Eagles running back from 1977 to 1984, in the [[1980 NFC Championship Game]] against the [[Dallas Cowboys]] at [[Veterans Stadium]]]]
In {{nfly|1976}}, [[Dick Vermeil]] was hired from [[UCLA Bruins football|UCLA]] to coach the struggling Eagles, who had managed only one winning season from 1962 to 1975.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O70MAAAAIBAJ&pg=2239,224559&dq=dick+vermeil&hl=en |title=Eagles search ends with Vermeil |date=February 9, 1976 |work=St Petersburg Times |access-date=November 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117035452/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O70MAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gV8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2239,224559&dq=dick+vermeil&hl=en |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> Vermeil faced numerous obstacles as he attempted to rejuvenate a franchise that had not seriously contended in well over a decade. Despite the team's young talent and Gabriel's occasional flashes of brilliance, the Eagles finished [[1976 Philadelphia Eagles season|1976]] with the same 4–10 record as in 1975. In [[1977 Philadelphia Eagles season|1977]], the first seeds of hope began to emerge. The team obtained hard-throwing quarterback [[Ron Jaworski]] in a trade from the [[Los Angeles Rams]] in exchange for popular tight end [[Charle Young]]. The defense, led by Bergey and defensive coordinator [[Marion Campbell]], began earning a reputation as one of the hardest-hitting in the league.

[[1978 Philadelphia Eagles season|1978]] saw one of the great moments in Eagles history, [[The Miracle at the Meadowlands]], when [[Herman Edwards]] returned a fumble by [[1978 New York Giants season|Giants]]' quarterback [[Joe Pisarcik]] for a touchdown with 20 seconds left in the game, resulting in a 19–17 Eagles victory.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Ellenport |first=Craig |title=Miracle at the Meadowlands: The fumble that changed football |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/11/14/miracle-meadowlands-40th-anniversary-giants-eagles-joe-pisarcik-herman-edwards-harry-carson |access-date=August 12, 2022 |magazine=Sports Illustrated }}</ref> The Eagles would edge into the playoffs with a 9–7 season. Young running back [[Wilbert Montgomery]] became the first Eagle since Steve Van Buren to exceed 1,000 yards in a season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eagles 1000 Yard Rushers Season |url=https://www.statmuse.com/nfl/ask/eagles-1000-yard-rushers-season |access-date=August 12, 2022 |website=StatMuse }}</ref> In [[1979 Philadelphia Eagles season|1979]], the Eagles tied for first place with an 11–5 record, as Montgomery shattered team rushing records with a total of 1,512 yards.

In [[1980 Philadelphia Eagles season|1980]], the team dominated the NFC, facing its chief nemesis, the [[1980 Dallas Cowboys season|Dallas Cowboys]], in the [[1980–81 NFL playoffs#NFC: Philadelphia Eagles 20, Dallas Cowboys 7|NFC Championship Game]]. The game was played in cold conditions before faithful fans at [[Veterans Stadium]]. Led by an outstanding rushing performance by Montgomery, whose long cutback TD run in the first half is one of the most memorable in Eagles history, and a gutsy game from fullback [[Leroy Harris (running back)|Leroy Harris]], who scored the Eagles' only other TD that day, the Birds earned a berth in [[Super Bowl XV]] with a 20–7 victory.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Black And Blue: The Story Of The 1980 NFC Championship Game |url=https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/black-and-blue-the-story-of-the-1980-nfc-championship-game-20268790 |access-date=August 12, 2022 |website=www.philadelphiaeagles.com }}</ref>

The Eagles traveled to [[New Orleans]] for Super Bowl XV, where they were heavily favored over the [[1980 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]], who had squeaked into the playoffs as a wild-card team. Things did not go the Eagles' way, beginning with Tose's imprudent decision to bring comedian [[Don Rickles]] into the pregame locker room to lighten the mood. Jaworski's first pass was intercepted by Rod Martin, setting up an Oakland touchdown. Later in the first quarter, a potential game-tying 40-yard touchdown pass to Rodney Parker was nullified by an illegal-motion penalty. The final score was 27–10. Journeyman quarterback [[Jim Plunkett]] was named the game's MVP.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Washingtonpost.com: Super Bowl XV: Comeback QB Throws 3 TDs in 27–10 Win |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/nfl/longterm/superbowl/stories/sb15.htm |access-date=August 12, 2022 |website=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref>

The team got off to a promising start in the [[1981 Philadelphia Eagles season|1981 season]] by winning their first six games. They ended up 10–6 to earn a wild-card berth. However, their hopes to repeat as NFC champs were dashed in the wild-card round by the [[New York Giants]], who won 27–21.

After the Eagles finished 3–6 in the strike-shortened [[1982 Philadelphia Eagles season|1982 season]], Vermeil quit the team, citing "burnout".

Defensive coordinator Marion Campbell replaced Vermeil as head coach. Campbell had helped to popularize the "bend-don't-break" defensive strategy in the 1970s. Philadelphia struggled through the mid-1980s, marked by flagging fan participation. The team failed to make the playoffs in [[1983 Philadelphia Eagles season|1983]] and [[1984 Philadelphia Eagles season|1984]]. The team nearly moved to [[Phoenix, Arizona]] at the end of the 1984 season.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/didinger-when-the-eagles-almost-left-philly-14600124 | title=Didinger: When the Eagles Almost Left Philly | access-date=December 3, 2022 | archive-date=December 3, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203135524/https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/didinger-when-the-eagles-almost-left-philly-14600124 }}</ref>