How much did Kurt Warner kill the Eagles?
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How much did Kurt Warner kill the Eagles?
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Ten years from now, when you think back about Kurt Warner and how he performed against the Eagles, two games will come to mind.
The one freshest in your memory is last year's NFC championship game in Arizona.
Warner faced the Eagles seven times in his NFL career, but that game was by far his most successful performance against the Birds. He picked the Eagles' defense apart, completing 21 of 28 passes for 279 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. The Eagles couldn't stop the run on that fourth-quarter drive that gave Arizona a 32-25 lead and chewed 7:52 off the clock, but Warner did his part, going 5-for-5 for 56 yards and a touchdown.
And the other game, of course, is the 2002 NFC championship game when the Eagles traveled to St. Louis for a shot at the Super Bowl. Marshall Faulk carried 31 times for 159 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Warner completed 22 of 33 passes for 212 yards and a TD.
Warner's success against the Eagles was remarkably different in the regular season and the playoffs. Would you believe that he was just 1-4 against the Birds in five regular-season meetings? In those games, he completed 55.4 percent of his passes, throwing six touchdowns and nine interceptions with a QB rating of 64.6. Of teams that Warner faced more than once in his career, only the Bucs held him to a lower number (53.5).
In two playoff meetings, he completed 70.5 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and no INTs.
In the regular season meetings, the Eagles managed to pick him off two times or more in four of the five games. But the Birds' defense went without an interception in two playoff meetings against Warner.
Below are a couple charts, showing Warner's games against the Eagles.
Regular season:
| Date | Team | Result | Comp. | Att. | Yards | TDs | INTs |
| 1/20/00 | Rams | 38-31 L | 12 | 24 | 151 | 2 | 2 |
| 9/9/01 | Rams | 20-17 W | 28 | 42 | 308 | 1 | 2 |
| 12/1/02 | Rams | 10-3 L | 20 | 42 | 218 | 0 | 2 |
| 9/12/04 | Giants | 31-17 L | 16 | 28 | 203 | 0 | 0 |
| 11/27/08 | Cardinals | 48-20 L | 21 | 39 | 235 | 3 | 3 |
Playoffs:
| Date | Team | Result | Comp. | Att. | Yards | TDs | INTs |
| 1/27/2000 | Rams | 29-24 W | 22 | 33 | 212 | 1 | 0 |
| 1/18/2009 | Cardinals | 32-25 W | 21 | 28 | 279 | 4 | 0 |
The discrepancy is not unique to the Eagles though. Warner's postseason accolades are ridiculous. He owns the three highest passing yardage totals in Super Bowl history to go along with a 9-4 playoff record. And his 104.6 postseason QB rating is second in league history.
Warner announced his retirement Friday afternoon.
His connection to the Andy Reid/Donovan McNabb Eagles teams will always be unique. Warner reached the Super Bowl three times and twice beat the Eagles to get there. And he's the only quarterback to have twice denied the Birds of a Super Bowl berth.
Feel free to share your favorite (or least favorite) memories from his 12-year career in the comments below.
This story made the Tonner want to imbibe Genny Cream Ale even more than he usually does.- The Eagles would not have beaten the Colts this year. Peyton Manning is the #1 Eagle killer. It doesn't matter if it's Jim Johnson or McDermont making the calls. They cannot contain Peyton Manning. He slices and dices the Eagles D every time he plays them. So the Eagles wouldn't have won a SB this season anyway.— soulman386
- Kurt Warner has had an amazing career in the NFL... which included some really high points (basically most of his post-season games, especially w/ the Rams) and really low points (Giants, and as backup to Matt Leinart on the AZ Cardinals). He is truly one of the Role Models of the NFL and it's a shame that he's leaving. I can't help but wonder - did the NFL miss out on this guy for an extra 5 to 6 years (while he was playing Arena Football and NFL Europe)? Or would he have never become the QB he ended up becoming without that experience in Arena Football in NFL Europe? I guess we'll never know. One thing I do know: Leinart's nowhere near his level - this will be one less team that the Eagles have to worry about in the NFC. Still it's a shame that one of the best all-around QBs in the NFL only got to spend 12 years there. Meanwhile, Favre got 19... and counting?— knighn
- knighn, Good thoughtful post, and that's in short supply in these parts. I'm undecided as to whether Warner's a HOF-er. He's one of just a few where I can make a fairly strong case either way.— MG44
Comment removed.- Yo Sheil Kapadia: I'm pretty sure that the Eagles and Rams didn't play a regular season game on the Jan. 20th 2000. And I'm pretty sure that the Rams didn't beat us in a playoff game on January 27th 2000. You should really get your facts straight before getting your stuff published.— conway86
- And the point of this is???????????— cuso20
Warner is pure class. Never a distraction on or off the field, never a clubhouse cancer, always a professional. I liked it when he said he would make his decision about retiring sooner than later because he did not feel it was right to hold a team hostage while he came to that decision. The implication is obvious and he was true to his word. That shows a true respect for his profession and the NFL in general that another QB [who I don't have to identify] never learned. Anyway, as the article in USATODAy said, he's Minnesota's problem now. Enjoy your retirement KW, see you in Canton in 5 years, no doubt about it.— tpizza- Comment removed.
- Great post, tpizza. Warner was class, and was talked about that way by teammates in St Louis, NY, and Arizona. Perhaps Vermeil could have brought Warner to Philly had Banner and Lurie hired Vermeil instead of Ray Rhodes. Would have been nice.— 76erfn
- Warner is a hall of famer, McNabb is not— BHite15
- Just goes to show, some guys shine in the big games, some guys puck. It's hard to find anyone who has ever met and interacted with Kurt wo doesn't think he is a great person with little excessive ego despite his success. he's still often caleld "Good Ol' Kurt" by the sportscasters who have know him from the UNI days. A class act.— atp2007
- Oh sorry wiff, I should follow your lead and never let my personal opinion about a player enter my posts. Are you for real? Now pardon me while I laugh at that one for about an hour. Thank you 76erfn. Warner was a class act. That's undeniable. Can't think of one incident that can detract from that statement. My feelings about the "other" player only emphasize how much class really has. Thanks again.— tpizza
- 76erfn, I heard that before. Was that really a possibility about Warner?. I'm a tad isolated from team rumors up where I live. Yes, that would have been sweet.— tpizza
- knighn, Warner may be the best argument I can think of for how QBs make receivers and vice versa. When he was with STL he had HOFers all around and was All World and a SB winner. His time with the Giants was marked by lesser if any talent around him and was thought washed up until he signed with the Cards and Larry Fitz and Boldin were catching his passes. Then he "magically" regained his HOF form. The correlation is undeniable.— tpizza
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