Eagles Use Late Rally to Win Again

Donovan McNabb engineered another late game rally to lead the Eagles to a second consecutive comeback win against an inferior team. And, once again, the team overcame adversity, some of which was their own doing and other simply being sometimes how things go in the NFL. The victory allowed the Eagles to keep pace with both the Cowboys in the NFC East and the Packers in the Wildcard race, who both won on Thanksgiving Day.

Yesterday's game followed a similar script to the previous game, as the Eagles rallied from a 24-16 fourth quarter deficit to prevail 27-24. Seemingly shaking off growing criticism about his inability to lead the team back late in games, McNabb showed poise and precision on two scoring drives in the games final minutes. First he led the team on a 90-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown with 7:24 remaining and then took them 66 yards to a game winning field goal at the 1:48 mark.

Although the Redskins fell to 3-8, they came into the game with the 4th rated defense in the NFL, so these long drives were not easy and are clearly a good sign. McNabb had the added challenge of being without DeSean Jackson (who left earlier with a concussion) and having an ineffective Brent Celek (who later divulged that he may have torn thumb ligaments.) No matter- he simply leaned on Jason Avant, Jeremy Maclin and LeSean McCoy and they came through in a big way.

The big plays on the touchdown drive were consecutive tremendous catches by Avant for 46 and 20 yards, respectively, who is emerging as yet another weapon on the Eagles offense. Over the past two seasons, he has demonstrated a growing ability as a sure handed possession receiver, but now is displaying the ability to get separation and make catches down the field. The drive almost stalled at the one yard line, but Eldra Buckley finally was able to punch it in on the fourth play. McCoy then showed great determination and balance on a shuttle pass to get a two point conversion, tying the score.

After the Eagles defense held the Redskins, the offense took possession again on their own 20. This time McNabb used a pair of passes to Maclin (including a 35-yard connection) and a heavy dose of McCoy's running to move to the Redskins 14. David Akers came on to kick his fourth field goal of the game to make it 27-24. The defense then stepped up again, forcing the Redskins to the turn the ball over on downs.

One thing that was different from last week, though, was that the Eagles fell behind early. For some inexplicable reason the Eagles chose to open the game with an on sides kick that back fired into a quick 7-0 Redskins lead. Considering that the Redskins have one of the least effective offensive units and one of the better defensive units in the NFL, and were further hindered by injuries, electing to gamble at the outset seemed totally nonsensical. The last thing that the Eagles would want is to give them a short field or easy points.

Nevertheless, the Eagles did work back from the many adversities they faced, such as the absence of players and injury limitations, as well as the self inflicted variety such as penalties, ill advised gambles and the Mildcat. Once again, McNabb maintained composure and his young teammates around him responded well. The depleted defense was uneven throughout the contest as expected, but they came up big when needed in the end. Surprisingly, they struggled to get pressure on Jason Campbell, but forced the Redskins to work underneath all day.

Although favoring a sore neck, Asante Samuel jumped a couple routes to pick off two Campbell passes in the second quarter. The Eagles turned both of those into Akers field goals and grab a slim 16-14 lead at half.

McNabb finished the day 21-35-1 for 260 yards. Before Jackson got injured, McNabb connected with him on yet another long scoring strike. Late in the first quarter, Jackson slipped behind coverage and McNabb found him in the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. McCoy and Weaver both ran the ball well all day, combining for 120 yards on only 23 carries. For the second time in three weeks, Avant led the team in receiving, accumulating 94 yards on 5 receptions.

This was another game that the Eagles both should have and needed to win. They now find themselves at 7-4, one game behind the Cowboys and in the top Wildcat spot. They found ways to win each of the past two games which is good, but their challenge may have increased further with the injuries to their leading receivers, Jackson and Celek.

Fortunately, the Eagles are showing some excellent depth and quickly growing maturity on offense. It appears they are still a few weeks away from shoring up the defense, so if they hope to win next week's big game in Atlanta, it appears that it is going to require McNabb to rally his young mates again. The Falcons pulled out a comeback win themselves yesterday and lurk just one game behind the Eagles.

Eagles Need Another Professional Win

With the Cowboys already having secured a Thanksgiving Day win, an Eagles team that is still less than full strength find themselves once again needing to beat an inferior opponent to keep pace. And, as he did last week, Donovan McNabb will need to provide the same steadying influence for his young teammates.

On paper, this would appear to be a relatively easy game for the Eagles. The Redskins lug a 3-7 record to Philadelphia as well as an array of baggage. The team's front office has stripped Coach Jim Zorn's play calling responsibilities and handed them to a consultant in an apparent attempt to get him to quit. This has failed on both counts as Zorn remains on the sidelines and the offense has not looked a whole lot better. Also, the Eagles defeated the Redskins 27-17 last month in Washington.

Appearances can sometimes be deceiving, though. Washington has historically played its best football against the Eagles, including a sweep of their season series a year ago. They also possess one of the better defensive units in the NFL, which just last week in Dallas held the division leading Cowboys scoreless until the games final minutes.

Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott has already needed to patch some holes and will be closely watching his starting cornerbacks, who come into the game nursing injuries. Last week the defense overcame several blown assignments and players in unfamiliar positions to contain the Bears enough to win. Their cause will be aided by the Redskins own injury woes as they are missing three of their top playmakers. Running backs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts along with Chris Cooley will all be out of the line-up, so the team will look to Rock Cartwright and Fred Davis to replace them.

Besides the confusion created by the dysfunctional coaching situation, QB Jason Campbell is playing with little confidence. The Eagles will try to capitalize on that by getting in his face and forcing him to make bad throws. Injuries have forced the Redskins into using a patchwork line that has had difficulty protecting Campbell, so the Eagles ability to capitalize and take pressure off the inexperienced linebackers and defensive backs will be key.

On offense, the Eagles will be without Brian Westbrook again, but rookie LeSean McCoy has done a nice job and continues to look more comfortable. Considering the Redskins strong pass rush, Leonard Weaver figures to take a fair amount of snaps to help protect McNabb, but both players will be used to attack a vulnerable run defense. If McCoy has early success, his first 100-yard rushing day could be in the offing.

Although the Redskins have a stingy pass defense, the Eagles offense revolves around the pass, so do not expect them to back off. McNabb will move the ball around, with a heavy concentration to DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant. The Redskins have been very effective keeping opposing tight ends in check, but that does not mean the Eagles will ignore Brent Celek altogether.

The Redskins will try to control the clock and look to the defense to give them a chance to win. Although the Skins are stout against the pass, they create very few turnovers. If the Eagles take care of the ball, McNabb and cast should be able to score points, while the defense will have enough to hold down the Redskins struggling offense.

Expect the Birds to grab an early lead and win the turnover battle. Also expect Rock Cartwright to have success on the ground, bouncing outside the tackles to daylight and for the Eagles to be periodically stalled by the Redskins defense. Both may frustrate Eagles fans, but they will ultimately prevail.

With tougher games are on the schedule ahead and the Cowboys 1 1/2 games up, securing a win against a last place team at home is paramount. Clearly the Eagles are not at full strength, so a professional workmanlike effort guided by the veteran leaders like last week in Chicago is what the team needs to stay within striking distance until missing players get back on the field.

Redskins 13

Eagles 24

Eagles Use Big Plays to Sink the Sherman's

The Eagles must be spending some time watching their brothers in red pinstripes across the street. They hit a few home runs early to build a lead and hung on to win, bouncing back from last week's disappointing loss. Meanwhile, the Redskins new Sherman Brothers offensive scheme proved to be more of the same, laden with turnovers and unfortunate plays.

DeSean Jackson and recently acquired Will Witherspoon were the stars, scoring touchdowns on big plays to stake the Eagles to a 27-7 first half advantage. Jackson got things started on the first series, by taking the ball on an end around and racing past Redskins defenders for a 67-yard touchdown. Witherspoon added to that lead at the end of the quarter when he slid under a tipped pass and shot into the end zone from 9 yards out.

The new Eagles linebacker was at it again on the 3rd play of the Redskins ensuing series, sacking Jason Campbell and forcing him to fumble. Quinton Mikell recovered at the Redskins 36, but after a 3 and out, the Eagles settled for a David Akers 47-yard field goal to make it 17-0.

Campbell and Rock Cartright led Washington to get on the board. The Redskins got great field position when Cartright returned the kickoff 42 yards and Macho Harris was penalized an additional 15 yards for an illegal block. The team quickly drove 45 yards, with Cartright contributing an 11-yard run and Campbell going 4-4, including a 2-yard scoring pass to Devin Thomas.

The Eagles tacked on a field goal after another Redskins fumble to make it 20-7. Immediately after the 2-minute warning, Donovan McNabb found a wide open Jackson deep down the left sideline on a 3rd and 22 play, who bounded into the end zone for a 57-yard scoring play. The Skins mounted a short drive that resulted in a field goal at the end of the first half.

Both teams took turns sputtering on offense in the second half, trading punts back and forth. Campbell strung together some good passes late in the game, tossing his second TD of the contest with 1:38 left on the clock to close out the scoring at 27-17.

Although the Eagles won, Brian Westbrook was knocked out at the end of the first quarter when he took a knee to the head, and left the game with a concussion. With two important division games against the Giants and Cowboys coming up, his absence would be a big blow. Additionally, Jackson sprained a foot on his scoring reception, but it is anticipated that he will play next week.

If Jim Zorn were a fan, his sideline view and having access to listen into the play calls would have been exciting. Unfortunately, Zorn is still the head coach, and seemed to be struggling to figure out what to do and how to act. He looked on helplessly as the Sherman's led the offense to a number of turnovers, penalties and ineffective plays. Apparently that was the intent of the Redskins executives, perhaps so he could experience what they have in watching the struggling team.

Overall, the Eagles used Jackson's explosiveness and the defense's attacking style to hit a few home runs, but were not able to put together any consistency or sustained drives. The team's offensive personality has definitely shifted to reflect the big play abilities of young receivers Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, so this might be expected, but in order to fulfill the team's Super Bowl expectations, they will also need to be able to develop more consistency on offense. Losing Westbrook, who looked spry and elusive early on, would certainly make that objective more difficult as back-up LeSean McCoy has not demonstrated the same explosiveness or ability to turn 3 yards into 5 or 6.

A win is a win, especially in hostile territory against a team that has had their number of late. Also, the Redskins do have a solid defense, so lets credit the team more for the long scoring strikes as opposed to bemoaning their lack of offensive continuity. Washington is a team that has been embarrassed by their play and the actions of their front office, so the bright lights of Monday night and extra adrenaline to save face served as additional motivators. And, the Redskins defense has been impacted less as their coaches have been afforded the opportunity to still call the shots.

The win allowed the Eagles to keep pace with the Cowboys at 4-2, and move to within 1/2 game of the Giants, who dropped to 5-2 with their loss yesterday to the Cardinals. Sunday has the potential to be a red letter day in Philadelphia with the Big Apple teams visiting the Linc and the Bank for an afternoon, evening football, baseball doubleheader with huge import. Needless to say, successful days by the Eagles and Phillies could make for one of the most memorable days in Philadelphia sports history. Although a few early long balls might be enough to propel each team to victory, both would prefer to sustain their offensive attacks throughout the game.

Eagles Seek Return to Form After Lost Week

Tonight is an opportunity for the Eagles to begin putting last week's painful loss in Oakland behind them. To add insult to injury, the New York Jets visited the Raiders yesterday and left contrails all over the field on the way to a 38-0 whipping- a game so easy that the Jets QB snacked on a hot dog during the game. The lopsided game helped to reinforce that the previous week was more about the Eagles futility and less about the Raiders resurgence.

Besides using the memory of last week's game as motivation to play to their potential going forward, the best thing the team can do is chalk up the big upset loss as a poor performance that sometimes happens to good teams and get back on track with a strong showing in Washington tonight. Similar to the Raiders, the Redskins have had a less than satisfying season thus far, so much so that the front office made the decision to give Coach Jim Zorn's play calling responsibilities to a consultant.

Sherman Lewis, the consultant, will relay plays from the press box to another Sherman (Smith) on the sideline, while Coach Zorn gets to observe. It is not clear whether this is to enhance Zorn's enjoyment of the game, help him learn how it is done or allow him to send in two tight ends for a quarterback sneak, but it would seem to make for a dysfunctional situation. Additionally, starting quarterback Jason Campbell was benched at half-time last week, but will be back under center, at least for awhile. There is no word on who makes that call. To the Eagles credit, players have reminded themselves to not be duped into thinking that the game will be easy.

The reality is that the Eagles have struggled against the Redskins in recent years, including a pair of losses last season. The latter had looked to be a big blow as the Eagles gave up controlling their playoff destiny in Week 16, and ultimately needed an unlikely combination of events to get into the playoffs. So, regardless of who is calling plays for them, the Redskins will probably present a stiff challenge this evening.

Andy Reid hopes to get his offense untracked tonight after failing to score a touchdown against the Raiders. Last week's main culprits were poor protection for McNabb and a highly unbalanced offensive approach. Considering that the Redskins have a strong defensive line that will keep pressure on McNabb, fortunately, Jason Peters and guard Todd Herremans should be back in the line-up after returning from injuries. Handing the ball off more to Brian Westbrook, and perhaps LeSean McCoy would also help to keep the heat off and potentially open up the passing game.

Look for McNabb to regain his rhythm and spread the ball around to DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek, Jeremy Maclin and his two running backs. Westbrook should get more carries than he has gotten since returning from injury, but the Eagles will still stay with a heavy dose of passing.

On the defensive side of the ball, Sean McDermott will likely use a great deal of stunting and blitzing, recognizing that the Redskins offensive play calling consultant may need to shake off the cobwebs. Conversely, the Redskins will have a clear element of surprise tonight, so it will be important for the Eagles defense to not get locked into what they saw in film study leading up to the game. Campbell will either have a chip on his shoulder and be determined to prove his place as the starter, or he will be looking over his shoulder and indecisive. The Eagles will quickly put that to the test with pressure early on.

This will be a tough NFC East battle. The fact that the Eagles have the better team, along with the extra motivation from last week's embarrassing loss and the Cardinals victory over the Giants last night, should allow them to emerge victorious. Securing a win tonight is particularly important with the Giants and Cowboys coming into town over the next two weeks.

Prediction

Eagles 24

Redskins 17

Redskins Making Me Worry

The more I hear about the Washington Redskins and examine their season thus far, the more I get worried about Monday night's game. This, of course, is fueled by last Sunday's totally improbable loss to the Oakland Raiders, a futile team in seemingly total disarray. The Redskins have some similarities, but have also played close games every week, albeit against some bad teams.

The Redskins take a 2-4 record into the game, having eked out wins against the Rams and Bucs at home. They lost their other home game against the Chiefs, as well as their three road games. Except for the Giants, all their opponents have losing records and are a combined 1-23 against the rest of the league.

Despite playing such a soft schedule, the most points they have scored is 17. Averaging a meager 13 points per game, only a handful of teams have performed worse. In an unprecedented move, the team announced yesterday that they are going to have a consultant in the press box take over the play calling duties from their current coach.

Perhaps they preferred torturing Jim Zorn rather than simply cutting him loose? Sounds a little dysfunctional, somewhat like the Oakland Raiders. At least detectives and law enforcement officers are not involved, but it is not your typical, sure fire way to jump start an NFL offense. Zorn did say that he gets a chance to walk around and listen in to the play calls.

Are you getting scared, yet? Similar to last week, all conventional reasoning and odds would seem to favor the Eagles this week. A team in turmoil, with a futile offense taking on another team that is supposed to be a Super Bowl contender. Unfortunately, things did not work out as most everyone would have expected against the Raiders. Could the Eagles experience deja vu?

Here is the argument that the Birds could be similarly challenged this week:

• The Redskins are 2-1 at home and the game is in Washington.
• It is a Monday night football game, which provides extra motivation as players know their peers are likely looking in.
• The Redskins swept them last season, including a 10-3 win in Week 16 when the Eagles needed a victory to control their playoff destiny.
• Washington has been in every game this season.
• The Eagles offensive line is hurting and surrendered 6 sacks last week.
• The Redskins have a strong pass defense and have a defensive line that can put pressure on the QB.
• Donovan McNabb and his offense were out of synch all day, partially due to the line as well as the play calling.
• The Redskins are ranked 5th in the NFL in points allowed, so they are capable of making things difficult for the Birds again this week.
• The Eagles have a hole at middle linebacker after losing their starter and back-up for the season. The Raiders were able to exploit Jeremiah Trotter's lack of speed last week and just acquired Will Witherspoon will still be learning his abc's.
• Although they have not scored many points, the Skins do have some playmakers in Clinton Portis, Santana Moss and Chris Cooley.

You can see, despite outward appearances to the contrary, there is ample reason for Eagles fans to be concerned about Monday's game. This is especially true if the Eagles themselves take the game too lightly and do not properly prepare. The team would be wise to ignore the Redskins record and all the stuff about their new "offensive play caller in the press box consultant." Instead, they should remind themselves that this opponent swept them last season, and that they could only muster 3 points in a "must win" game at the end of December.