A look back at the previous NFC title games in Philly — on the anniversary of one of the best

Seven years ago Tuesday, Nick Foles and the Eagles dismantled the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field to earn a trip to Super Bowl LII. We all know what happened next.

On Sunday, the Eagles will have their seventh opportunity to clinch an NFC title at home — something they’ve been able to do in four of their previous six attempts. Let’s take a look back at the Birds’ past home NFC championship games while we wait for Sunday’s matchup with the Commanders.

Jan. 11, 1981: Beating the Cowboys for the franchise’s first trip to the Super Bowl? Doesn’t get much better than that. The Eagles defense forced five fumbles, and recovered three, and running back Wilbert Montgomery rushed for 194 yards and a memorable touchdown to deliver a 20-7 win in front of the crowd at Veterans Stadium. The windchill factor was minus-17 degrees, but that didn’t stop the Birds, or the fans, from having a blast.

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The Eagles had easily dispatched the Buccaneers the previous two seasons in the playoffs, and fans hoped they’d do the same on Jan. 19, 2003, the final game at the Vet. The resulting 27-10 loss was one of the most devastating in Philly sports at that time, and the Bucs’ first-ever road playoff win.

A week after Donovan McNabb’s fourth-and-26 miracle against the Packers, the Eagles were riding all sorts of momentum into the first NFC championship game at the Linc on Jan. 18, 2004. Unfortunately, the Birds lost by 14-3 and fell short of the Super Bowl for the third year in a row.

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The first NFC championship win at the Linc came on Jan. 23, 2005, as McNabb and future Eagles quarterback Michael Vick faced off. McNabb threw two touchdown passes to Chad Lewis and David Akers hit two field goals to send the Eagles to Tampa for a Super Bowl matchup with the Patriots.

You remember this one. It felt like the party started before the game even kicked off.

Then Nick Foles threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns, and Patrick Robinson picked off Case Keenum for a 50-yard TD return, as the Eagles dominated the Vikings, 38-7, to secure their spot in Super Bowl LII. Those Eagles ultimately captured the Birds’ first Super Bowl win.

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The most recent NFC championship game at the Linc came just two seasons ago. After quarterback Brock Purdy left the game early in the first half, the Eagles defense cruised to victory, limiting the 49ers to just one Christian McCaffrey touchdown in the 31-7 victory on Jan. 29, 2023.

The Eagles are 4-4 all-time in the NFC championship game, and 4-2 at home, with the most recent loss coming in the 2008 season against the Arizona Cardinals on the road.