Philly Phlashback: The Time Sheldon Brown’s Hit Almost Killed Reggie Bush

Let’s momentarily put aside tonight’s Philadelphia Eagles-New Orleans Saints Playoff Matchup, to look at one of the greatest hits in Eagles history, in the Eagles only other playoff matchup against the Saints. The scene was the divisional round of the playoffs in 2007, Drew Brees and Sean Payton were in their first season with the Saints, and Sheldon Brown just about killed Reggie Bush. 

2006 might have been Andy Reid’s finest as Eagles’ head coach. He had managed to lead the Eagles to the NFC divisional round with Jeff Garcia playing quarterback, after Donovan McNabb tore his ACL.

The Eagles went on to lose to Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints 27-24, but the Saints lost the next week to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Title game.

What was really memorable about this game, besides Andy Reid punting on fourth and short, was Sheldon Brown laying one of the hardest hits in NFL history on Reggie Bush.

The most amazing thing about this hit was that it would even be legal in today’s NFL. He drilled Bush, but it wasn’t even close to being helmet-to-helmet.

Here it is in .GIF form, although .GIFs were pretty lame back then.

This video takes an in-depth look at inside the minds of Reggie Bush, Drew Brees, and Sheldon Brown during the hit, or at least what they were probably thinking.

All jokes aside, the Eagles won’t have to worry about hitting Saints’ running-back Pierre Thomas tonight, because he is out with a chest injury. But if Bradley Fletcher of Cary Williams wanted to a lay a hit like this on Jimmy Graham early tonight to set a tone, that would be cool.