Eagles Defense Makes History in 31-0 Shutout Over Raiders
On Sunday, the Eagles didn’t just win - they made history. In a 31-0 dismantling of the Raiders, Philadelphia’s defense delivered a performance we haven’t seen in decades. Literally.
The Raiders were held to just 75 total yards of offense, marking the Eagles’ most dominant defensive outing since 1955, when they limited the Chicago Cardinals to a mere 49 yards in a 27-3 win. That’s not a typo - 49 total yards. The Cardinals managed just one passing yard that day.
To find the last time the Eagles both shut out an opponent and held them under 75 yards? You’d have to rewind all the way to 1949, when they blanked the New York Bulldogs 7-0 at the Polo Grounds.
The Bulldogs mustered only 34 yards of offense. That’s not just rare - that’s football fossil territory.
And in the modern NFL, what the Eagles did Sunday is almost unheard of. Since 2000, only eight teams have failed to reach 75 yards in a game. That’s across thousands of games, and the Raiders just joined that exclusive - and unfortunate - club.
Here’s the company they now keep:
| Team | Yards | Opponent | Week |
|---|
| Jets | 53 | Bills | 2022 Week 9 | | Bears | 47 | Browns | 2021 Week 3 |
| Chiefs | 67 | Chargers | 2010 Week 14 | | Bengals | 72 | Jets | 2010 Week 17 |
| Browns | 26 | Bills | 2004 Week 14 | | Texans | 47 | Steelers | 2002 Week 14 |
| Browns | 53 | Jaguars | 2000 Week 14 | | Cardinals| 58 | Browns | 2023 Week 9 |
Sunday’s game wasn’t just a win. It was a statement - and a surprising one at that.
The Eagles came into Week 15 on a three-game skid, and while their defense had shown flashes, it wasn’t exactly leading the league in most categories. In fact, here’s where they ranked heading into the weekend:
- 9th in points allowed
- 22nd in total yards allowed
- 11th in pass yards allowed
- 26th in rushing yards allowed
- 16th in sacks
- 24th in passer rating allowed
- 17th in opponent completion percentage
Not exactly the kind of profile you’d expect from a team about to pitch a historic shutout.
But context matters. The Eagles’ defense has been dealing with some hurdles - Jaelan Phillips didn’t join the team until the trade deadline, and Jalen Carter has been playing through shoulder injuries. There have also been a few ugly games - like the Black Friday loss to the Bears and the Week 6 stumble against the Giants - that have skewed the numbers.
Still, this wasn’t the 1991 Eagles defense. That legendary unit, led by Reggie White and coached by Buddy Ryan’s fingerprints, only held an opponent under 100 yards once - 90 yards against the Cowboys in Week 3.
Even the 1981 Eagles, who finished No. 1 in both points and yards allowed, never held a team under 100. Their best showing was 176 yards allowed to Washington in Week 14.
Last year’s Super Bowl-caliber defense? They held the Giants to 119 yards in Week 6. Impressive, but still not what we saw on Sunday.
And here’s the kicker: nine different teams this year have had a single play go for 75 yards or more - the same number the Raiders managed in their entire game. That’s how rare this is.
Just look at these explosive plays:
| Team | Player | Play Type | Yards |
|---|
| Bucs | Emeka Egbuka | Catch | 77 | | Colts | Jonathan Taylor | Runs (x2) | 80, 83|
| Colts | AD Mitchell | Catch | 75 | | Eagles | DeVonta Smith | Catch | 79 |
| Falcons | Bijan Robinson | Run | 81 | | Lions | Jahmyr Gibbs | Run | 78 |
| Rams | Tutu Atwell | Catch | 88 | | Saints | Rashid Shaheed | Catch | 87 |
| Steelers | DK Metcalf | Catch | 80 | | Vikings | Jordan Addison | Catch | 81 |
That’s 10 plays this year that gained more yards than the Raiders had all game. Just in Week 5, four players - Egbuka, Atwell, Mitchell, and Metcalf - had single receptions longer than the Raiders’ entire offensive output.
And if you really want to put it in perspective, heading into Sunday, an individual player had more yards than the Raiders’ 75-yard total 155 times this season. That includes 51 different players who have matched or exceeded that number in a single game.
Bills RB James Cook alone has done it nine times this season. On Sunday, he put up 111 yards against the Patriots - 36 more than the entire Raiders offense.
So yes, the Eagles defense may not be the most statistically dominant unit in the league. And yes, the Raiders' offensive line is in rough shape. But what Philadelphia did on Sunday - against any NFL team - is rare, remarkable, and absolutely worthy of the record books.
The Eagles still have work to do, with two games against the Commanders and a big one against the Bills looming. But if this defense is heating up at the right time, Sunday might not be the last time we see something special.
For now, though, they’ll enjoy this one. Performances like that don’t come around often - just ask the 1949 Eagles.