Eagles football blog

Eagles rest starters after clinching NFC East title

The Philadelphia Eagles got their bye a week early. Thanks to the Detroit Lions, Jeff Garcia and the rest of Philadelphia's starters rested up for the playoffs while the backups finished off a remarkable late-season run with a 24-17 victory over Atlanta on Sunday.

The Eagles (10-6) clinched the NFC East title less than five minutes into the game when Dallas lost 39-31 to the lowly Lions. So, coach Andy Reid pulled his starters to keep them healthy for next Sunday's first-round matchup against the New York Giants (8-8). Continue

Eagles clinch playoff berth, take NFC East lead

With their fewest points and yards of the season, the Dallas Cowboys never gave themselves a chance to clinch the NFC East on Monday night. It was a lot like the meltdown they had two weeks earlier when they had a chance to grab the second-best record in the NFC.

The only bright side Bill Parcells found after a 23-7 loss to Philadelphia was that the Cowboys are still headed to the playoffs. "We've got to get together or that's how we're going to be judged," he said. "If we can beat Detroit and get into the playoffs and do something, then we'll be judged differently." Continue

Garcia engineers Eagles' comeback win over Giants

Jeff Garcia's fiery temper could easily have cost the Eagles the season. His subsequent play Sunday has Philadelphia somewhere no one expected -- on the verge of a playoff berth and possibly the NFC East title.Minutes after being whistled for a taunting penalty and then throwing an interception to set up New York's go-ahead fourth-quarter score, Garcia threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Brown and a 2-point conversion, lifting the Eagles to a 36-22 win.

"I'm very disappointed in myself for those actions," said Garcia, who was 19-of-28 for 237 yards. "I let some other things get the best of me. Those things were out of character. I'm just glad I'm not up here apologizing for my actions costing us a chance to win." Continue

Eagles in playoff contention with victory over Redskins

The Philadelphia Eagles were outgained, outmuscled and nearly blew an 18-point lead. They were able to win -- and keep pace in the playoff race -- because the Washington Redskins also led in two other vital categories: turnovers and bonehead plays.

Rookie linebacker Omar Gaither got his first interception, Michael Lewis returned a pickoff 84 yards for a touchdown, and Brian Dawkins made a crucial fourth-quarter sack in Sunday's 21-19 victory, keeping the Eagles (7-6) tied with Atlanta and the Giants in the tussle for the NFC's two wild-card spots. Continue

Garcia's three TDs have Eagles feeling good

Through tough times in Cleveland and Detroit, Jeff Garcia wondered if he'd ever be a significant contributor in the NFL again. A three-time Pro Bowl quarterback when he was guiding San Francisco to playoff berths, Garcia found out Monday night just how important he is to the Philadelphia Eagles -- as important as Donovan McNabb.

Garcia played like vintage McNabb in leading the Eagles past the Carolina Panthers 27-24. And if the 36-year-old veteran guides them into the playoffs -- at 6-6 they are tied for the NFC wild-card spots -- Garcia just might make Philadelphia forget about ol' Donovan, at least for a bit. Continue

Addai runs for 4 TDs, tying franchise mark in Colts' rout

The Indianapolis Colts' unstoppable force on offense overpowered the Philadelphia Eagles. As for Peyton Manning? He was mostly along for the ride. Rookie running back Joseph Addai rushed for 171 yards and tied a franchise record with four touchdowns, and the Colts' defense never let Philadelphia get close as Indianapolis routed the Eagles 45-21 on Sunday night. Continue

McNabb suffers season-ending injury in loss to Titans

Donovan McNabb's season is over early -- again. The Philadelphia Eagles lost their star quarterback for the rest of the year with a torn knee ligament in a 31-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

McNabb will have surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is expected to be sidelined from eight months to one year. It's the third time in five years McNabb has gone down with six or more games remaining in the regular season. "It's an unfortunate thing," said Jeff Garcia, who replaced McNabb. "Donovan is a competitor, a leader and he was having a great season. He'll be missed." Continue

Eagles knock out Portis, then steamroll Redskins

The Philadelphia Eagles' stale offense needed a couple tweaks to get going. A lucky break and some fresh ideas did the trick. Donovan McNabb threw an 84-yard touchdown pass to Donte' Stallworth, Sheldon Brown returned an interception 70 yards for a score and the Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak with a 27-3 victory over the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

Coach Andy Reid turned over playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg after a 13-6 home loss to Jacksonville. The result was a balanced attack featuring more runs than passes for the first time this season. Continue

Jags' defense flattens McNabb, high-powered Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles had a dropped pass, a penalty and a sack on their first three plays. It only got worse for the NFL's top-ranked offense against a Jacksonville defense missing three starters.Fred Taylor keyed a strong running attack, backup quarterback David Garrard was efficient and the Jaguars shut down Donovan McNabb in a 13-6 victory Sunday. "As a team, it was embarrassing," McNabb said. "Offensively as a unit, we weren't able to do our job." Continue

Bucs' Bryant drills 62-yarder at buzzer to stun Eagles

Nothing in Matt Bryant's career suggested he was capable of making the kick of his life.He was surprised he even got a chance.Bryant nailed a 62-yard field goal -- the third-longest in NFL history -- to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers an improbable 23-21 last-second victory over Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

The kick ruined a gallant comeback engineered by McNabb after the Bucs built a 17-0 lead, mostly on the strength of two interceptions that Ronde Barber returned for touchdowns. It was the longest of Bryant's career by 12 yards, and came on just his third attempt of 50 or more yards in five seasons with the Bucs, Giants, Colts and Dolphins. Continue