1991 Philadelphia Eagles season The 1991 Philadelphia Eagles season resulted in missing the postseason , despite having a 10 – 6 record and finishing with the top - ranked defense in the NFL . During Week 1 , quarterback Randall Cunningham was lost for the season with a knee injury . Overview . A " Real " Fresh Start . On January 8 , team owner opted not to renew the contract of , the Eagles ' head coach since 1986 . On the same day , Braman promoted then - offensive coordinator , making him the 18th head coach in club history . They opened with a 3 – 1 mark , their best start since 1981 , despite having lost QB Randall Cunningham for the year due to a knee injury suffered at Green Bay on opening day . After coming on to lead the Eagles to their solid start , backup QB was also injured in game 5 . A Winless October . With McMahon sidelined , the Birds suffered through a four - game skid . By midseason , Philadelphia had used an astounding five different quarterbacks ( This list also including rookie , & veterans , & ) in eight games and seen its record sink to 3 – 5 . A Relatively Healthy McMahon Returns . Week 10 saw McMahon return to the line - up , and the Eagles surged into contention for a playoff spot with a six - game winning streak ( the club ' s longest since the start of ' 81 ) that upped their record to 9 – 5 . Heart Of A Champion . A season ending rib injury to ( already the teams backup QB ) McMahon in week 15 ( a 19 – 14 win against the Giants ) made way for a devastating loss at home to Dallas in week 16 , ending Philadelphia ' s playoff hopes . However , the season was highlighted by a 10 – 6 record , allowing the Eagles to join the 49ers as the only NFL clubs to post 10 - or - more wins in each of the last four seasons . A Defense That Rewrote the Record Books . The defense finished the season ranked # 1 in the NFL in terms of fewest yards allowed overall , vs . the run , and vs . the pass . As such , the Birds became only the fifth club in NFL history and the first since 1975 to accomplish this rare triple . In addition , the Eagles ' defense led the NFL in sacks and fumble recoveries and tied for the league lead in takeaways . Five members of that defensive unit represented the Eagles in the Pro Bowl – DEs and , DT , and LB were selected as starters while CB also made the NFC squad . The selection of White , Simmons , and Brown marked only the sixth time in NFL history that three defensive linemen from one team were elected to the Pro Bowl . Offseason . NFL Draft . The 1991 NFL Draft draft was held April 21 – 22 , 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan , New York . On that day , Raghib " Rocket " Ismail from the University of Notre Dame , who was projected as the number one overall pick , [ 1 ] signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) . The Los Angeles Raiders made him the 100th pick of the draft in the 4th round . The Eagles with a 10 – 6 record in 1990 had the 19th or 20th pick in each round . The Eagles also that a pick at number 8 in the 1st round and they chose Antone Davis a Tackle out of Tennessee . The Eagles 1st round pick at number 19 was traded away earlier and acquired by the Green Bay Packers . They made 12 picks in the 12 rounds of the 1991 draft . The overall number 1 pick was made by the Dallas Cowboys and they chose Russell Maryland a Defensive Tackle out of the Miami ( FL ) Awards and honors . NFL Comeback Player of the Year – Jim McMahon QB UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year – Reggie White DE