Eagles

The Last Time the Eagles Beat the Bengals, Torrance Small, Brandon Whiting, and Bubba Miller Were Starters

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Oct 23rd, 2024 · 2:31 PM EDT

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Eagles vs. Bengals this coming weekend:

Here are the Eagles starters the last time they beat the Bengals on 12/24/2000 pic.twitter.com/t4DHaroucs

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) October 23, 2024

This game was the year 2000 season finale and wasn’t exactly a barn burner. The Birds won 16-7 and the defense shut down a Bengals offense that had Corey Dillon and not much else. They finished 4-12 that year while the Birds went 11-5. This was during the time period where Akili Smith turned out to be a bust and the Bungles bridged the gap with Jon Kitna before beginning the Carson Palmer era.

You’d expect younger Eagles fans to know Donovan, Chad Lewis, Tra Thomas, and Jon Runyan on the offensive side. Jermane Mayberry was solid for a long time and went to a Pro Bowl a few years after this. Hugh Douglas is currently on the radio, Hollis Thomas is in Philadelphia and does all sorts of various media and appearances, and three of those four in the secondary were franchise studs. Birds fans should also know current politician Corey Simon and Jeremiah Trotter, of course, who now has multiple sons playing football in the NFL and college.

As for the others:

• Chris Warren: Had some great years in Seattle. This was actually the only game he played for the Eagles. Duuuuuuuuuuuce was injured and missed most of the 2000 campaign.
• Cecil Martin: Played fullback here for a couple of seasons. A 6th round draft pick out of Wisconsin.
• Charles Johnson: Signed in Philly after five seasons in Pittsburgh. He was a first round draft pick who showed some flashes, and had one 1,000-yard season in Yinzerville, but never totally panned out.
• Torrance Small: He had two decent seasons here as a WR2. He actually led the team in receiving in 1999 with 655. This was in the pre-Terrell Owens days when the Birds just could not or would not find reliable receivers.
• John Welbourn: A 4th round pick out of Cal. He played five seasons for the Birds, then Artis Hicks took over.
• Bubba Miller: This guy was an undrafted free agent who came in during the Ray Rhodes era. Hank Fraley eventually replaced him and centered the Eagles in the Super Bowl.
• Brandon Whiting: Whiting was alright. He had a a six sack season in 2002 but Hugh Douglas was a wrecking ball at the other defensive end position.
• Barry Gardner: This guy was a second round pick out of Northwestern and All-Big Ten two years in a row. Turned out to be a bang-average NFL linebacker.
• Carlos Emmons: Carlos wasn’t bad at all, just overshadowed mostly by Jeremiah Trotter in the middle.
• Damon Moore: Short career due to injuries, but he went on this run of three interceptions in two playoff games back in 2002. There was a year of Blaine Bishop at strong safety, then Michael Lewis came in.

Good memories actually. This was when Andy Reid’s Eagles turned a hard corner and embarked on a really great multi-year run. Go Birds.