Adrian Fedkiw
Talk about an escape.
Roger Ruzek kicked a game-winning 44-yard field goal as time expired in overtime and the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the lowly Seattle Seahawks 20-17 in a key Week 15 matchup in 1992.
A win was expected coming in going against a 2-11 Seahawks team and the Eagles’ defense certainly put them in a great position to one. Philadelphia outgained Seattle 466-87, but the Seahawks hung around because they sacked Randall Cunningham 10 times and the Eagles committed 17 penalties for 191 yards.
The Eagles needed a late 8-yard touchdown run by Herschel Walker to force overtime after the Seahawks went in front at the 13:50 mark of the fourth when Dwayne Harper returned a Cunningham fumble 52 yards for a score to give them a 17-10 advantage.
Seattle’s offense continued to struggle in the extra session, but its defense still got to Cunningham until the Eagles were finally able to put a drive together and come away with the victory. The win was part of a four-game winning streak to close the season. The Eagles finished the year at 11-5 and defeated the 12-4 New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card Round before bowing out in the Divisional Round to the Dallas Cowboys.
Reggie White and Clyde Simmons posted two sacks apiece and Mike Golic notched the other one for Philadelphia, which limited Seahawks quarterback Stan Gelbaugh to 66 yards on 9-of-31 passing.
Despite all the harassment by the Seattle defensive line, Cunningham still threw for 365 yards with an interception on 27-of-44 efficiency. He added 23 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
Walker rumbled for 111 yards and a score on 23 carries.
The Eagles had to go 94 yards to tie the score and send it to overtime. Keith Byars’ 46-yard catch and run put Philadelphia into Seattle territory at the 48-yard line. Heath Sherman powered for 15 yards off the right side of the line to put the Eagles at the 23 and Cunningham found Vai Sikahema in the left flat to convert a 4th-and-2. Walker finished off the lengthy march when he bounced his 8-yard touchdown run to the outside along the right boundary, knotting the game at 17-apiece with 4:52 to play.
Cunningham tossed a pair of key completions in overtime, leading to Ruzek’s game-winner. He hit Roy Green for 20 yards along the left sideline to move the ball to midfield and shoveled a pass to Byars under duress and he gained 21 yards to get the Birds inside the 30.
Earlier, both teams traded field goals in the first quarter.
Jeff Feagles’ 36-yard punt following an Eagles three-and-out on their opening possession gave the Seahawks prime position inside of midfield and a roughing the passing penalty put Seattle into field-goal range. John Kasay split the uprights from 39 yards out.
The Eagles answered back with a field goal on their ensuing series, picking up a pair of third downs to get them into range. Cunningham scrambled for eight yards on a 3rd-and-5 and Sikahema picked up 15 yards on a swing pass on a 3rd-and-4. Ruzek nailed a 42-yard field goal to tie the score.
Philadelphia went in front for the first time early in the second quarter. Cunningham connected with Barnett on a 53-yard bomb along the right sideline. After being sacked for a loss of nine by Rufus Porter on a second down, Cunningham was bailed out by a facemask penalty on 3rd-and-15. Cunningham left the game for one play, with Walker rumbling up the middle for six yards on 1st-and-goal, before returning and capping off the march with a 4-yard touchdown run and a 10-3 Eagles lead.
Seattle tied it up late in the frame. Mark McMillan’s 40-yard pass interference penalty set up John L. Williams’ 11-yard touchdown reception in the right flat with 3:55 left before the half.
Cunningham connected with Barnett on a 43-yard completion following a play-action bootleg on a 3rd-and-7 early in the third, but Ruzek’s 42-yard field goal was blocked to keep the game level.