Philadelphia Eagles · Franchise era 3 of 7
Vermeil's climb: the Philadelphia Eagles story
Franchise era
1976—1985
Vermeil's climb
Philadelphia Eagles
The story in one sentence
Dick Vermeil turned a depleted roster into the 1980 NFC champion through relentless development and Montgomery's complete running.
From exhaustion to the first Super Bowl
Ron Jaworski, Harold Carmichael and Wilbert Montgomery gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the buddy ryan defense.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1976
What came before
Philadelphia defeated Lombardi's Packers for the 1960 championship, then spent most of the next fifteen years searching for another core.
1981-01-03
Divisional Round: Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles
1981-01-11
Conference Championship: Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles
1981-01-25
Super Bowl: Philadelphia Eagles vs Oakland Raiders
After 1985
What came next
White led one of football's deepest defenses while Cunningham reimagined quarterback movement, but the gifted group never won a playoff game together.
The core