Eagles have clear path to Division title

EAST RUTHERFORD: The game between the New York Football Giants and Philadelphia Eagles Sunday night was already an important NFC East contest going in.

Each team was looking to better its playoff position on the national network television broadcast, but when the Dallas Cowboys lost to the San Diego Chargers earlier in the day, the game was suddenly for first place in the division.

The game – at least the offenses – lived up to the intensity of a game with a clear path to a title on the line.

The Eagles prevailed in a wild shootout 45-38, both teams scoring in just about every way possible.
Defense? What defense? It was evident both teams defenders were struggling a bit with the wet field conditions with the Eagles getting the better of it.

“I was a little different,” Eagles safety Quintin Mikell said after the game. “Out on the field there were little puddles and stuff. We were slipping around a little bit. But everyone was playing on the same surface. You can’t use that as an excuse, but you can’t beat grass.”

The Eagles jumped out to a 14-0 lead after Donovan McNabb and company engineered a six-play, 67-yard drive on their first possession that resulted in an eight-yard touchdown pass from McNabb to tight end Brent Celek.

The Birds second TD came after defensive end Trent Cole forced a fumble by Brandon Jacobs, the ball went from Jacobs’ hands, bounced off Giants tight end Kevin Boss’ foot and right into the hands of cornerback Sheldon Brown, who waltzed 60 yards for an easy touchdown.

It was Brown’s fifth fumble recovery-touchdown of his career tying a franchise held by Eric Allen and Seth Joyner.
The Giants came back with a 15-play, 77-yard drive that resulted in a 26-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes. The first quarter ended with the Eagles ahead 14-3.

The Giants made it 14-10 early in the second quarter when Eli Manny hit Hakeem Nicks with a 67-yard touchdown pass.

But like their first meeting this season, the Birds exploded for 10-points on a field goal and a brilliant 72-yard punt return DeSean Jackson, his third career punt return for a score, a franchise record.

It was Jackson’s seventh touchdown of more than 50 yards this season.
But unlike their last meeting, Big Blue got off the mat and rolled down the field with a 67-yard drive on eight plays in 2:39 minutes, Ahmad Bradshaw scoring on a three-yard run making the score 24-17.

And like their last meeting the Giants were unable to stop the Eagles who, with 1:32 remaining in the first half, went 70 yards on eight plays in 1:20 minutes. The extra point was blocked but the Birds went to the locker room with a 30-17 lead.

The Giants started the second half on fire on both sides of the ball.

Manning led the Giants on an 11-play scoring dive to pull within six points, 30-24. Jacobs scored on a one-yard plunge.

On their next possession, the Eagles turned the ball over when McNabb threw a strike to Giants linebacker Jonathan Goff.

Then the Giants handed the ball right back to the Eagles when, on the first play from scrimmage, Manning, after getting chased from the pocket, ran straight ahead for 14-yard gain. When Manning went to slide he went head first, fumbled, the Eagles recovering.

The Eagles failed to move the ball on the next possession and punted back to the Giants.

On the play of the drive, Manning hit Hixon with a short pass that the fourth-year player took 61 yards to the house giving Big Blue it first lead of the night at 31-30.

On the ensuing drive, the McNabb-to-Jackson show continued when McNabb – with outstanding protection – hit his second-year speedster with a 60–yard completion to give the Eagles a 37-31 lead. Jackson literally skipped backwards into the end zone.

With eight to his credit, Jackson tied Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears (07) and Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch (Rams, ’51) for the all-time record for 50-yard touchdowns in a season.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said the play should never have happened.

“Should have covered him,” the frustrated coach said, his team now facing steep odds to make the playoffs. “Basically you have a two-man pattern. They blocked it up well. They protected, you know which, they maximized protected. I think it was a two receiver route. (McNabb) threw the ball down the field similar to the one they did to us over there before the half…very, very disturbing.”

The Eagles iced the game in the fourth when McNabb directed a 12-play, 91-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard pass from McNabb to fullback Leonard Weaver.

The Birds made up for the blocked extra point when McNabb hit Jason Avant in the corner of the end zone for a two-point conversion.     

Mikell admitted they needed their offense to bail them out to get the win.

“Our offense, they saved us tonight,” said Mikell, who registered six tackle (3 solo). “We gave up the lead, it was pretty frustrating, but once we got it back it was like ‘look man let’s hold this lead, get some three and outs and preserve this win’ Our offense saved us and hopefully we won’t need them to do that many more times.”