Playoffs of the 2000s: Philadelphia vs. Seattle

We've been introduced to 11 of the playoff teams in our fictional Playoffs of the 2000s series, and now it's almost time to meet the final participant. We already know three of the four conference championship teams: New England took down Pittsburgh; Indianapolis breezed past Baltimore in the AFC; and New Orleans pulled off an upset over No. 2 seed Green Bay in the NFC.

In our last article, we asked this bonus question: Who intercepted Peyton Manning in both of the Indianapolis-Baltimore second-round matchups in the last decade? Commenter "Steinomyte" hit the nail on the head in the when he said Ed Reed.

Now, let's breakdown the final divisional-round game from the Playoffs of the 2000s, where the NFC No. 4 seed Seattle Seahawks will face the NFC No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles

The top seed in the NFC, the Eagles earned that distinction in three consecutive years, starting in 2002. Philadelphia won the NFC East for four consecutive seasons (2001-2004) and once more in 2006. They then reached the playoffs as the No. 6 seed in each of the last two years. The Eagles also earned a wild-card spot during the 2000 season. The team made four straight NFC championship appearances, losing its first three to the Rams, Buccaneers and Panthers, respectively, before defeating the Falcons to reach Super Bowl XXXIX. There, they fell to the Patriots by a three-point margin. The team made one more trip to the NFC championship last year, losing to Arizona in the conference title game. Andy Reid took the reins in 1999 and has led the Eagles to a 10-7 playoff record in his tenure. The team is 5-2 in the second round of the playoffs over the last 10 years and 7-2 at home over the same span.

Booed by the Philadelphia fans before he could even wear a jersey, Donovan McNabb has endured what can only be described as a dysfunctional relationship with the Eagles faithful ever since. He and Reid quickly made winning the norm, and Eagles fans soon became so accustomed to regular-season domination that even deep trips into multiple playoffs weren't enough to quench their thirst.

Winning their first of four consecutive division titles in 2001, the Eagles won an easy contest against the Buccaneers in the first round before traveling to Chicago for round-two action. McNabb threw two TD passes and ran for one more TD in the Eagles' 33-19 victory over the home team. Next came a trip to St. Louis to try and defeat the Greatest Show on Turf. The Eagles held a slim lead in the third quarter, but two Marshall Faulk touchdowns put the Rams up for good, and a McNabb TD run wasn't enough to close the gap.

The defense was responsible for the team's round-two win over the Falcons the next season. Cornerback Bobby Taylor intercepted Atlanta QB Michael Vick and returned it 39 years for a TD. Each team kicked two field goals before halftime, but the Falcons couldn't muster any second-half points and walked away in defeat. Philadelphia held a clear edge going into the NFC Championship, with warm-weather Tampa Bay coming to town. Philly went up early, but it was actually the Buccaneers who held a 10-point lead deep into the fourth quarter. A McNabb-led drive was ended with 3:12 left on the clock, as Ronde Barber intercepted McNabb and returned the pick 92 yards for a score, ending the Eagles' title hopes.

In the next season, the Eagles again earned the No. 1 seed in the conference. Round two brought Brett Favre's Packers to town, and they were on the verge of an upset before McNabb rallied the troops in the fourth quarter -- the Eagles won the game by a field goal in overtime. Carolina took a trip to Philadelphia for the NFC championship, where McNabb struggled terribly, throwing for just 100 yards. If you know an Andy Reid offense, you can fill in the blanks. McNabb had to leave the game with a rib injury, and his backup fared no better.

After three consecutive NFC championship losses, the Eagles needed to break through and reach the Super Bowl the next year. Again earning the top seed, the Eagles easily disposed of the Vikings in the second round. Michael Vick and the Falcons came back to town for the NFC championship, and went home the losers, as Philadelphia shut out the Falcons in the second half of that game to win the NFC title by a score of 27-10. We know how that Super Bowl turned out; the Eagles entered yet another offseason titleless.

Seattle Seahawks

After a squeaky win in the first round of our series over the Giants that could be attributed largely to the Seahawks' home-field advantage, the team will have to take the road in our Playoffs of the 2000s, and they're 0-3 in an opposing team's stadium over the last decade (and 0-1 in the neutral-field Super Bowl). The Seahawks advanced from Round 2 just once in three tries over the last 10 years, during their Super Bowl run in 2006.

In that 2005 season, Seattle was able to earn the top seed in the NFC, wrestling it away from the Eagles for the first time in four years. With Washington and Carolina having to travel across the country to face the Seahawks, Seattle was able to decisively win two playoff games to advance to Super Bowl XL. They entered halftime of that game down just four points, but two plays after the break, the Steelers' Willie Parker took the ball 75 yards for a touchdown. The teams swapped touchdowns once more, and Pittsburgh came away with a 21-10 victory.

The Seahawks would reach Round two in each of the next two years, losing to the Bears (in overtime) and the Packers, before slipping from their perch atop the NFC West in 2008 and 2009.

The Game

These two West Coast offenses are built very similarly, though at their peak the Seahawks had a great advantage with running back Shaun Alexander. Once he began to fade, the team was in trouble, missing out on the playoffs in each of the last two years.

Conversely, no matter who McNabb has had to work with, he's gotten the job done, winning with receiving groups headlined by James Thrash, Todd Pinkston, Reggie Brown, Freddie Mitchell and others. The addition of Brian Westbrook opened the offense up, but even before he joined the team Duce Staley did more than enough to give the Eagles a credible rushing attack.

However, Reid and McNabb have built around the pass, and it's worked wonders for them, as the four straight trips to the NFC Championship game can attest. While it may not be enough for Eagles fans, that kind of run is very hard to find in the league these days. Consider that in each of those four championship games, the Eagles face a different opponent -- not one team could mimic the Eagles' consistency.

While it's possible the Mr. Hyde McNabb could make an appearance in this Seattle-Philadelphia game, it would be very hard for the Seahawks to leave behind the comfort of Qwest Field and win a playoff game at Lincoln Financial, where the Eagles are 7-2 in playoff games and 3-0 in Round 2 games.

Give Alexander the only Seattle touchdown in this contest. McNabb throws for two TDs, one each to tight ends Chad Lewis and L.J. Smith, and the defense returns a turnover for another score. Throw in a few FGs, and the Eagles walk away victorious by a score of 24-13.

Here is your bonus question: While McNabb has been the leader of the Eagles over the last 10 seasons, he hasn't been the only quarterback behind center in the playoffs. What three other quarterbacks have attempted passes during the playoffs for Philadelphia over the last decade?

The Eagles advance to our NFC championship to face the NFC No. 3 seed New Orleans Saints.