Super Bowl power rankings: Who’s the best loser?
By John Buhler
12. 1980 Philadelphia Eagles, Super Bowl XV
The 1980 Philadelphia Eagles came out with a bang, winning 11 of their first 12 games. Though Dick Vermeil’s Eagles would lose three of their final four regular-season games, their 12-4 regular season record was strong enough to win the NFC East.
Philadelphia would win both of its games in the NFC Playoffs, defeating the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional round, 31-16, and the rival Dallas Cowboys in the 1980 NFC Championship at Veterans Stadium, 20-7.
The 1980 Eagles would face former Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett’s Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV and Philadelphia would enter the game as a three-point favorite. Vermeil’s Eagles largely overachieved that year as the only Hall of Famer on that roster was defensive end Claude Humphrey, who spent most of his NFL career with the Atlanta Falcons.
Still, the Eagles were a sound team that were greater than the some of its individual parts. Philadelphia couldn’t stop Super Bowl XV MVP Plunkett, as his Raiders would defeat the Eagles by 17 points, 27-10, for Oakland’s second Super Bowl victory in franchise history.
It would be 19 years before Vermeil would get back to a Super Bowl, winning Super Bowl XXXIV with the St. Louis Rams. In 2004, the Eagles finally got back to a Super Bowl under then head coach Andy Reid in Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, only to lose the New England Patriots by a field goal. The 1980 Eagles may not have been the most talented team to play in a Super Bowl, but their togetherness set them apart from some of the other teams to play for a Lombardi Trophy.
Next: 11. 1972 Washington Redskins