The History of The Philideldia Eagles; Part 7 (1991-1998)

With Ryan's firing by Norman Braman, Ryan's former Offensive Coordinator, Rich Kotite, took the helm of the franchise. Kotite would lead the Eagles to a 10-6 record in 1991 but, due to a particularly strong NFC, missed the playoffs (the team's cause was not helped by the season-ending injury incurred by Cunningham in the season's first game). In 1992, Kotite led the Eagles back into the postseason with an 11-5 record. In the Wild Card Round, the Eagles soundly beat the New Orleans Saints by a final score of 36-20. Dallas eliminated the Eagles in the next round (34-10). At the end of the season, DE Reggie White would leave the team through free agency. In 1993 and 1994, Kotite's Eagles would fall apart after initially promising starts, and missed the playoffs in each season. New owner Jeffrey Lurie proceeded to fire Kotite, who was almost immediately hired to coach the New York Jets, where he was by all accounts a miserable failure.

Lurie's choice to replace Kotite was San Francisco 49ers Defensive Coordinator Ray Rhodes, who successfully lobbied 49ers star Ricky Watters to join the team as a free agent. In 1995, Rhodes's first season, the Eagles got off to a slow start by losing 3 out their first 4 games: they subsequently rebounded, finishing with a 10-6 record and a playoff spot. In the Wild Card Round, the Eagles played at home and overwhelmed the Detroit Lions 58-37, with 31 of Philadelphia's points coming in the second quarter alone. Despite this dominating performance, yet again, the Eagles were eliminated in the next round by the Dallas Cowboys (30-11). Ironically, this would be Randall Cunningham's last game as an Eagle. Cunningham would score the only touchdown of the game and the last Eagles post-season touchdown until the Eagles defeated Tampa in the 2000-2001 playoffs.

1995 was perhaps most notable in that it signaled the end of Randall Cunningham's tenure as starting quarterbacking. Rhodes benched Cunningham in favor of the Rodney Peete. Before the benching, news reports circulated that owner Jeffrey Lurie and Head Coach Ray Rhodes tried to trade Cunningham to the Arizona Cardinals.

In 1996, the Eagles got off to a good start, winning three of their first four games. However, a week-5 Monday night game at Veterans Stadium against the hated Cowboys would witness a season-ending knee injury to Peete and the loss of the team's momentum, and the transition to an offense led by Ty Detmer and Watters. While Watters would have a wonderful season, running for 1,411 yards, the season followed an all-too-familiar pattern: 10-6 record, and early elimination (14-0 to the 49ers) in the playoffs. In 1997 and 1998, Rhodes deteriorated under the stress of the job, and the team spiraled to the bottom of the standings. A quarterback controversy began under Rhodes and was never resolved. Left with little choice after a 3-13 campaign, fan revolt and sagging team morale, Lurie fired Rhodes.