|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
LANDOVER, Maryland (Ticker) -- With his legs, Donovan McNabb is taking the Philadelphia Eagles to new heights. McNabb fell four yards shy of the best rushing performance in club history by a quarterback and Eddie Murray missed a 44-yard field goal with 1:16 remaining as the surprising Eagles defeated the Washington Redskins, 23-20. The second overall pick in the 1999 draft, McNabb came up with one of the best performances in his young career for the Eagles (9-4), who are one-half game in front of the New York Giants (8-4) and 1 1/2 games in front of Washington (7-5) in the NFC East. "We have to compliment Donovan with a great day. He did a nice job of putting the offense on his back and running with it. Every game he gets better," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. Last season, the Eagles finished last in the division with a 5-11 record. They have not qualified for the playoffs since going 10-6 in 1996 but have the second-best record in the NFC. Philadelphia also won its fourth straight game, matching its longest winning streak since 1996. "We have been continually getting better all year," Reid said. "I think teams must feel they better come in and strap it up against us. Over the last few weeks that has happened and that speaks for itself." McNabb, who has to pick up the slack in the running game with Duce Staley sidelined for the remainder of the season, set up the go-ahead score with a 54-yard run to the Washington 7 with under five minutes left. Five plays later, David Akers booted a 30-yard field goal to give Philadelphia a 23-20 lead with three minutes remaining. McNabb carried 11 times for 125 yards, falling four yards shy Jack Concannon's club record by a quarterback, accomplished on December 4, 1966 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. McNabb leads the team with 558 yards rushing and five touchdowns. "I don't plan on continuing that but what it was is they did an excellent job of adjusting in the second half and going underneath our receivers," McNabb said. "Wheneve things are sort of gloved up and I see a hole, I'll take it." McNabb also scored on a 21-yard run in the third quarter and had a three-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Thomason in the first quarter. He completed 19-of-30 passes for 137 yards and one interception. "He deserves a lot of credit. He does a lot of things to make you think," said Redskins cornerback Champ Bailey, who was taken five picks after McNabb in the 1999 draft. "He could throw and could get down the field like a running back." Making his third straight start in place of injured starter Brad Johnson, Jeff George led the Redskins into position to tie it by completing a 51-yard pass to James Thrash that moved the ball to the Philadelphia 34 with 1:40 left. But the drive stalled and the Redskins called on the 44-year-old Murray, a former Eagle and the club's fourth kicker this season. He missed badly to the right. Considered an overwhelming favorite to win the NFC East and a Super Bowl contender, the Redskins could not build on last Monday night's impressive win at defending champion St. Louis. "We've got four games left in the regular season and we're going to win them all," a confident George said. "Eleven and five doesn't sound too bad to me. We're a scary team. We just need to put it all togehther." Akers, in his first season as the club's regular kicker, booted a 33-yard field goal with 11:43 remaining that gave Philadelphia a 20-17 lead. But it was on the next drive that the Redskins may have cost themselves the game. Washington moved to the Eagles 3, thanks to a 30-yard pass interference penalty on safety Brian Dawkins. After two plays went nowhere, Eagles corneback Bobby Taylor was called for holding, giving Washington another first down on the 2. But Skip Hicks lost one yard on the next two plays and George threw an incompletion, bringing on Murray, who kicked a 20-yard field goal with 8:59 left, tying the score, 20-20. "We were coming off a pass interferance call that we felt could go both ways," Taylor said. "But they made the call and you have to respect it. Guys just dug in, dug down deep. We went nose-to-nose and guys made plays." The Eagles continuely hurt themselves with penalties, committing 11 for 98 yards. Six of those penalties resulted in first downs for Washington. The Redskins were severely hampered in the running game without the services of Stephen Davis, the NFC's leading rusher, who missed the game with a hairline fracture of the right forearm. Hicks struggled trying to replace Davis and rushed for just 22 yards on 10 attempts. Adrian Murrell had 14 yards on seven carries. "A year ago he (Davis) was our most valuable player," Washington coach Norv Turner said. "Trying to find a rhythm or tempo without him in there, you have to make adjustments. I thought we gave ourselves chances in a number of areas but we struggled to run the ball inside the 5." Davis was not the only injury the Redskins had to contend with. Rookie starting outside linebacker LaVar Arrington suffered a concussion on the opening kickoff and did return. Starting wide receiver Alber Connell sustained a knee injury in the second quarter and also did not play the rest of the way. Following the big defensive stand, McNabb went to work on the next drive. Facing a 3rd-and-10 at his 39, McNabb took off around right end and raced down the sideline before being taken down by Mark Carrier on the Washington 7. Darnell Autry ran for no gain on first down and McNabb threw a pair of incompletions, bringing on Akers, who converted the go-ahead kick. George, who completed 22-of-38 passes for 230 yards, attempted to rally the Redskins. On 3rd-and-21 from his 16, George got a break when defensive end Hugh Douglas jumped offsides. George took advantage of the break and found Thrash wide open down the left sideiline for a 51-yard gain. George completed passes to Murrell and Thrash but on 3rd-and-2, he badly misfired for former Eagle Irving Fryar. Murray, who kicked four field goals in last week's win, was short and to the right on his 44-yard attempt, sending off a celebration on the Philadelphia sideline. Things actually got off to a great start for the Redskins on their opening possession. After an offsides penalty by Damon Moore gave Washington a first down on 4th-and-1, George hit Thrash with a 36-yard TD pass two plays later. Thrash, who had five receptions for 121 yards, hurt the Redskins later in the period by fumbling a punt that Mike Bartrum recovered on the Washington 11. "We knew going into this game that our backs were against the wall and we had to step up and we didn't get it done today," Thrash said. "A big part of it was turnovers. My punt return, I dropped the ball and they crushed us. That took our momentum away." Two plays later, McNabb found Thomason with a three-yard TD pass to tie it. McNabb engineered a 15-play, 71-yard drive that took more than 6 1/2 minutes in the second quarter and Akers capped it with a 27-yard field goal for a 10-7 lead. McNabb, who threw a crucial interception with under a minute remaining in a 17-14 loss to the Redskins earlier this season, made one his few mistakes today when he was intercepted by Champ Bailey on the Eagles 34 with 4:47 to play before halftime. The Redskins converted the turnover into a touchdown in just three plays when George found tight end Stephen Alexander wide open for a 36-yard touchdown. George made a crucial mistake early in the third quarter, fumbling a snap on his 21 and Dawkins recovered. On the next play, McNabb rolled to left and took off down the sideline, where he faked Carrier before powering his way into the end zone to give Philadelphia a 17-14 lead. Murray tied it for the Redskins with a 26-yard field goal with 2:16 left in the third quarter.
|
