Being in separate conferences, the Ravens and Eagles don't square off all that often. But when they do, the teams have provided some fireworks.
In 2004, it was the Terrell Owens saga coming to a head in Philadelphia, and Owens mocking Ray Lewis after scoring a touchdown by doing Lewis' signature pre-game dance. The matchup in 2008 featured a reunion for Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh with his former team.
Harbaugh spent 10 successful seasons as an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles, helping lead the team to five NFC East division titles, four NFC championship game appearances and a spot in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Harbaugh and the Ravens welcomed the Eagles to M&T Bank Stadium on November 23, 2008 for a game that featured two teams that would appear in their respective conference's championship games* *later that season.
Coming off a disappointing 30-10 loss at the hands of the defending champion New York Giants in the Meadowlands, the Ravens stood at 6-4 and returned home after playing five of their previous six on the road. Philly entered the Week 12 showdown at 5-4-1, fighting for a playoff spot in the crowded NFC.
Despite a potent offense featuring quarterback Donovan McNabb and running back Brian Westbrook, this was not the Eagles' day. McNabb was benched at halftime, and the Eagles offense could really never get anything going. In the end, it was a 36-7 victory for Baltimore, featuring a play that put Ravens safety Ed Reed in record books.
Stat of the game
The Ravens defense made life tough for McNabb in the first half. Baltimore forced McNabb into throwing just 8-of-18 for 59 yards and two interceptions before getting benched at the half.
Player of the game
Ed Reed added to his impressive resume with two interceptions and 150 interception return yards. Reed's 150 yards are the most in a game since 1992.
Play of the game
The play of the game came courtesy of Reed in the fourth quarter. Reed stepped in front of a pass from backup quarterback Kevin Kolb and returned it 107 yards for a touchdown to virtually seal the contest. The play stands as the longest interception return in NFL history.
Quote of the week
Harbaugh on the team's focus leading up to the game, considering he would be facing his old team: "It's exciting. There's a little bit of something at stake, and it'll be fun before the game. But when the game starts, it's going to be our players playing against their players, and whoever plays the best is going to win."
What it meant
Baltimore's win over Harbaugh's former team jump-started the Ravens' final postseason push. Including that game, the Ravens won five of their final six, finishing with an 11-5 record and a spot in the playoffs as a wild-card team. Baltimore would make it all the way the AFC championship game, before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champions, Pittsburgh Steelers. Philadelphia would rebound and win four of their last five, also earning a wild-card spot. Philly went on the road and beat Minnesota and the Giants, before losing to the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC championship game.
