4th and 26
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| Date | January 11, 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Eagles by 5.5[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Ed Hochuli | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 67,707[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hall of Famers | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Packers: Brett Favre Eagles: Brian Dawkins | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Fox | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Cris Collinsworth | |||||||||||||||||||||
4th and 26 was a National Football League (NFL) game played on January 11, 2004, between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles during the 2003–04 playoffs. The Packers travelled to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a divisional playoff game after beating the Seattle Seahawks in a wild card game the week prior. After taking an early 14–0 lead, the Packers allowed the Eagles to tie the game in the fourth quarter, 14–14. After the Packers regained the lead on a late field goal, the Eagles got the ball with only a few minutes left to tie or take the lead. After a penalty and a sack pushed the Eagles back 16 yards, they faced a fourth down with 26 yards to go with just 1:12 left on the game clock. Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb completed a 28-yard pass to wide receiver Freddie Mitchell for a first down. The Eagles continued their drive with a tying field goal to send the game into overtime. After the Eagles intercepted Packers' quarterback Brett Favre, kicker David Akers kicked a game-winning field goal to send the Eagles to the NFC Championship Game, which they would go on to lose 14–3 to the Carolina Panthers.
Background
The Green Bay Packers went 10–6 during the 2003 NFL season, enough to win the NFC North after ending the year on a 4-game winning streak. This included a 17–14 regular season loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10.[3] The Eagles won the NFC East after going 12–4, which included a 9-game winning streak in the middle of the season.[4] This record was enough to secure the 1st seed in the 2003–04 NFL playoffs and a first-round bye. The Packers saw success throughout the season behind the passing acumen of Brett Favre, who threw for 32 touchdowns and over 3,300 yards, and the rushing success of Ahman Green, who ran for 15 touchdowns and a team-record 1,883 yards.[3][5] The Eagles success primarily came from quarterback Donovan McNabb, who accumulated almost 3,600 yards combined passing and rushing.[1][4] The Eagles relied on a "running back-by-committee" approach with Brian Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter and Duce Staley all rushing for over 450 yards for the season.[6][4] Both teams employed defensive units ranked in the top 15 by scoring.[7]
The Packers hosted the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the playoffs, winning 33–27 in overtime courtesy of an interception returned for a touchdown by former Eagle Al Harris (known as the "we want the ball and we're gonna score" game).[8] As the first seed in the playoffs, the Eagles secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.[citation needed] Thus, the divisional round playoff game was hosted by the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, scheduled for the evening of Sunday, January 11, 2004.[citation needed] This would be the second postseason meeting between the Packers and Eagles; the previous meeting was back in the 1960 NFL Championship Game, which the Eagles won 17–13.[citation needed]
Game summary
First half
The game began with the four consecutive punts, two by each team. Midway through the first quarter, Eagles' quarterback Donovan McNabb fumbled the ball on the Eagles' 40-yard line, which Packers' linebacker Nick Barnett recovered. Packers' quarterback Brett Favre threw a 40-yard touchdown pass on the first play to Robert Ferguson to put the Packers on the score board with a 7–0 lead. James Thrash returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards to the 44-yard line. McNabb rushed for 41 yards on the first play to get the ball to the Packers 15-yard line. After a short rush and two incomplete passes, Eagles' kicker David Akers missed a 30-yard field goal attempt. After the missed field goal, Favre led the Packers on an 8-play, 88 -yard drive, which included a 26-yard run by Ahman Green. Favre threw his second touchdown pass to Ferguson from the 17-yard line, giving the Packers a 14–0 lead with 1:16 left in the first quarter. Both teams traded punts, before McNabb led the Eagles on their first scoring drive, completing five consecutive passes for 77 yards, including a 45-yard pass to Todd Pinkston. On the last play, his 7-yard touchdown pass to Duce Staley cut the lead to 14–7. The Packers took the ensuing kickoff and drove 67 yards to the Eagles' 1-yard line, featuring a 33-yard run by Green. On fourth down, Green was tackled for no gain. The Packers turned the ball over on downs and the Eagles ran out the rest of the time in the first half of the game.[9]
Second half
The third quarter started with three short drives, each ending in a punt (two by the Packers and one by the Eagles). Late in the third quarter, the Eagles began an 8-play, 88-yard touchdown drive, despite two 10-yard penalties against them on the drive. McNabb was responsible for all of the yards on the drive, rushing for 37 yards and completing four passes for 72, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Pinkston that tied the game at 14 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Each team punted once before the Packers began a 5-play, 48 yard drive that ended in a field. Starting at mid-field, Favre completed a 44-yard completion to Javon Walker, but the Packers were unable to get into the end zone. Ryan Longwell kicked a 21-yard field goal to give the Packers a 17–14 lead. The ensuing Eagles drive started with a 22-yard run by Duce Staley, but on the next play, McNabb threw for an incomplete pass. On second down the Eagles were penalized 5 yards for a false start and then a sack pushed the Eagles back to their own 26-yard line, and on third down McNabb threw another incompletion.[9] The Eagles, faced with a fourth down and 26 yards, needed to convert for a first down, with only 1:12 remaining and one timeout left.[9]
4th and 26
The fourth down play (74 Double Go) called for a slant route to Mitchell.[10][11] McNabb threw a deep pass to Mitchel and the Packers' Cover 2 defensive coverage broke down, allowing the reception. Packers' linebacker Nick Barnett, who was responsible for shallow coverage of Mitchell, bit on the tight end. Darren Sharper, who was partially responsible for deep coverage of Mitchell, played past the first down marker, positioning himself for an interception rather than preventing any play in front of the marker. The only player that was close to making a play, Packers' safety Bhawoh Jue, was playing the sidelines and was too late to prevent the catch or first down. Mitchell completed the catch and was brought down at the Packers 46, giving the Eagles a first down. Broadcaster Joe Buck criticized the spot of the ball, as it appeared from the broadcast that Mitchell barely crossed the line to gain, but the officials gave him some extra yards.[citation needed]
End of the game
The Eagles gained another 27 yards, almost running the game clock out, before Akers made a game-tying, 37-yard field goal, which led to the game going into overtime. The Eagles got the ball first, but punted after going three-and-out. On the first play of the Packers' drive, Eagles' safety Brian Dawkins intercepted a Favre pass and returned it 35 yards. The Eagles gained 21 yards to get into field goal range. Akers kicked a 31-yard, game-winning field goal attempt, giving the Eagles a 20–17 victory.[9][12][13][14]
Aftermath
Packers defensive coordinator Ed Donatell was fired on January 16, 2004, five days after the game.[15] The Eagles' win advanced them to the NFC Championship Game, which they lost to the Carolina Panthers, 14–3, ending their season.
The Packers and Eagles met during the 2004 regular season game in Philadelphia, in which the Packers had won six straight games and the Eagles started the season 11–1. The Packers hoped to gain revenge from their heartbreaking playoff loss, but the Eagles dominated this game, winning 47–17 after jumping out to a 35–0 lead. McNabb recorded five touchdowns and a franchise record 464 passing yards in the game. Both teams won their respective divisions in 2004 and returned to the playoffs. The Packers lost in the Wild Card round to the Minnesota Vikings, while the Eagles advanced to Super Bowl XXXIX, their first Super Bowl appearance in 24 years, but lost to the New England Patriots.
In 2011 and 2012, the 4th and 26 play was noted in respective articles published in Advanced Football Analytics and the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports. Both articles discussed the author's use of a Markov chain to estimate the probability of a series of football events. As the author wrote, "What are the odds that a drive containing a 4th-and-26 from the 25 would end with a successful field goal? According to the Markov model, a whopping 1 out of 175."[16][17]
Prior to a 2016 meeting in Philadelphia, the Eagles' scoreboard operator posted "4th and 26" as the down and distance to remind the Packers and their fans of that play.[18] However, the Packers went on to win this game, 27–13.
In 2019, during the NFL's celebration of its 100th season, the NFL listed the "4th and 26" game as #69 on its list of the NFL's 100 greatest games.[19]
References
- ^ a b "Take Five". Green Bay Press-Gazette (clipping). January 11, 2004. p. 4. Retrieved June 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Silver, Michael (January 19, 2004). "McNificent". SI.com. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "2003 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c "2003 Philadelphia Eagles Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ Braun, Rick (December 31, 2003). "For Ahman Green, winning is what matters most". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ Brown, Clifton (December 5, 2003). "The Eagles' Formula: Three Backs, No Losing". The New York Times. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ "2003 NFL Opposition & Defensive Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ Demovsky, Rob; Henderson, Brady (January 9, 2020). "Seahawks vs. Packers: From a failed called shot to an improbable comeback". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Eagles 20-17 Packers (Jan 11, 2004) Play-by-Play". ESPN.com. January 12, 2004. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Frank (January 7, 2011). "Recalling Eagles' Fourth and 26". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
- ^ Frank, Reuben (January 5, 2011). "Donovan to FredEx: Fourth-and-26 revisited". Comcast Sports Net Philadelphia. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
- ^ Anderson, Dave (January 16, 2004). "Fourth-and-26 Has No Meaning Yet for Eagles". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
- ^ Reid, Ron (January 15, 2004). "'Fourth and 26' joins some famous names in big-play annals". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
- ^ Brookover, Bob (December 2, 2004). "Fourth and 26 Forever: The Eagles will never forget Freddie Mitchell's catch. They just wish it led to something bigger". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
- ^ "Donatell dismissed after fourth-and-26 play". January 16, 2004. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- ^ "A Markov Model of Football". Advanced Football Analytics. September 20, 2011. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ Goldner, Keith (March 12, 2012). "A Markov Model of Football: Using Stochastic Processes to Model a Football Drive". Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports. 8. doi:10.1515/1559-0410.1400. S2CID 199666856. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ^ Eagles troll Packers with 4th & 26 on scoreboard (Photo)
- ^ "NFL 100 Greatest Games". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.