Bird Watch: Eagles Defeat Redskins in Come-from-Behind Fashion

The Eagles didn't exactly demolish their rivals this afternoon, but they did perform impressively in the final quarter, and wound up capturing a come-from-behind victory to keep themselves in the hunt for both the NFC East division and the playoffs. The lowly Washington Redskins fought throughout the entire game to pull out what would have been a surprising win, but failed to contain the explosive Eagle offense late in the contest, and a 32-yard David Akers field goal is what decided the great matchup. With another balanced offensive attack that included a mix of passes by QB Donovan McNabb and runs by several different players, the Birds were able to overcome inconsistent defensive play that may have cost them the game. Many will point out that Philadelphia was supposed to blow out Washington in this Week 12 showdown, and that is certainly true, but credit should be given where it is deserved--and it was definitely deserved in the fourth quarter, in which the team came back from a 8-point deficit and came out victorious.

Donovan McNabb tends to have a sub-par performance following a string of great games, but the veteran passer played well against the Redskins, completing 21 of 35 passes against a solid secondary. He also had a touchdown pass, and would have had two if not for a holding penalty that negated a score early in the game. Besides his interception that came off of a tipped pass, McNabb looked comfortable in the pocket and overall had a nice performance today to lead his team to a win. LeSean McCoy started at the Running Back position for the  second consecutive week in place of the injured Brian Westbrook, and once again made significant contributions to the offense, gaining a total of 101 yards and catching a crucial 2-point conversion late in the game. In regards to notable defenders from the game, CB Asante Samuel missed a couple of tackles but regained the crowd's support when he intercepted a pair of Jason Campbell passes in the first half. One of the largest negatives of the contests came in the form of an injury to explosive WR DeSean Jackson. The 2nd-year threat--who had 41 yards and a TD up until his injury--took a crushing blow to his upper back and neck, and as a result of the powerful tackle, Jackson's head was shifted around in forceful motions as he hit the ground. Head coach Andy Reid is calling the injury a concussion (something Eagle fanatics have heard a lot about over the past few weeks), and Jackson's status for the coming weeks are currently unknown.

The rivalry matchup, which began at 1:00 p.m. ET, began with a jolt of surprise as the Eagles chose to execute an onside attempt on the opening kickoff. Unfortunately, they were unable to recover the unexpected tap of a kick, and the Redskins were given an immediate advantage in field position. Washington capitalized off of the opportunity and put points on the board only a few minutes into the first quarter. Jason Campbell completed a few passes and on another designed throwing play, the oft-criticized Quarterback ran the ball around the right side of the offensive line for a 1-yard touchdown. 

The Eagles then followed up on the Redskins' score with a successful drive of their own. After driving down the field via several hand-offs to LeSean McCoy and passes to a few different receivers, the Birds tacked on a trio of points from a 29-yard field goal by K David Akers. Although they were able to add these early points, it was clear the red zone remained a problematic area of the field for Philadelphia, as they weren't able to punch the ball into the endzone, especially with a 1st down at the Washington 10-yard line.

The Eagles' defensive unit forced the 'Skins to a punt in the next series, one of the few times they did so in the game, for Washington frequently converted on 3rd downs throughout the contest. After a few plays involving McCoy and brief runs by FB Leonard Weaver and QB Michael Vick--who was brought in several times this week after exploding for a 34-yard run in Week 11--Donovan McNabb found DeSean Jackson wide open in the endzone for a thrilling 35-yard scoring strike. With the touchdown, the Eagles gained a 3-point lead, as well as some momentum in what was a heated rivalry game.

Right after this defensive stand and score by the Eagles, the Redskins did just about the same thing, except in reverse order. They struck back with a 4-yard TD pass from Campbell to WR Santana Moss and then kept the Eagles' offense to limited yardage and forced a punt. Several unsuccessful series for both sides followed, including a drive in which Washington began to drive the ball down the field but were halted when Asante Samuel made a good coverage read and picked off one of Campbell's throws. Despite the turnover, which placed the Birds inside Redskin territory, the offense yet again stalled and settled with a field goal by Akers, this one from 24 yards out. 

On the resulting series for the 'Skins, things didn't get any better for the players in white and red. Samuel got his hands on another pass, and recorded his second interception of the game. However, Philly squandered the opportunity to score 7 points because of good field position and for what seemed the millionth time, sent David Akers out to kick a 41-yard field goal. The trusty Kicker converted, as expected, and the Eagles took a 2-point lead as the second quarter headed towards an end.

The scoring leader altered again shortly after halftime when the Redskins got another touchdown, this one in the form of a 10-yard pass from Campbell to backup TE Fred Davis. During the next few drives, the Washington defense did a quality job containing the Philadelphia offense, especially since they were without several injured stars like DT Albert Haynesworth and CB DeAngelo Hall. The Philly defensive squad also played well over the next few series, but DT Brodrick Bunkley was escorted off the field because of a right ankle injury. Reserve lineman Antonio Dixon replaced Bunkley for the remainder of the game, but it isn't expected that the powerful Defensive Tackle will miss any of the coming games because of the pain he is experiencing in his ankle.

Heading into the fourth and final period, the Eagles found themselves down 5 points and in danger of dropping a game to the lowly Redskins. Despite this disappointing fact, the team found a way to develop some explosiveness and aggressiveness. After allowing a 5-play drive down to their own 7-yard line, the defense stuffed the Redskins and their short-yardage attempts to score a TD, and held their rivals to a field goal.

Smart clock management and balanced calls followed for the Birds on the resulting offensive series, as the team was able to wind time down while productively moving the ball in the process. LeSean McCoy carried a few times and picked up decent chunks of yardage, while Leonard Weaver also took a hand-off, and 3rd-string, hard-nosed RB Eldra Buckley pounded the ball up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown rush, putting the Eagles right back into the game and arousing the crowd to a state of massive excitement. Because the Redskins' lead was cut to 2 with the score, head coach Andy Reid ordered for the Eagles to go for a 2-point conversion, and to the thrill of the Lincoln Financial Field attendants, LeSean McCoy caught a short pass by McNabb and dove into the endzone to get the pair of points, tying the game at 24 with only around 7 minutes to go.

The defense rallied under the circumstances and forced the Redskins to punt the ball on the next drive, and the Eagles were given a prime chance to score the go-ahead points and place themselves in good positioning for a victory. They did just that, as 8 runs and a short pass set them up for a field goal try that had the potential to give them the lead and give the ball back to Washington with only about a minute to play. David Akers connected on the kicking attempt, and the Birds captured a 27-24 lead. A final defensive stand and a couple of intentional Quarterback kneel-downs then secured Philadelphia's impressive come-from-behind win.

With their seventh win of the season, the Eagles now prepare to face an up-and-down member of the NFC South division in the Atlanta Falcons. This matchup will take place back away for the Eagles, in the Georgia Dome, and will be played on Sunday afternoon at approximately 1:00 p.m. ET. Further analysis and evaluation of today’s game will be released throughout the week, but for now, take a look at the Eagles’ statistical leaders from the matchup, some of their key players, a scoring summary of the contest, and a look at some interesting things that you may have missed while viewing the game:

Statistical Leaders

Passing: Donovan McNabb (QB): 21-35, 260 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Rushing: LeSean McCoy (RB): 17-76 yards

Receiving: Jason Avant (WR): 5-94 yards

Receiving (cont.): Jeremy Maclin (WR): 5-63 yards

Defensive: Will Witherspoon (OLB): 6 tackles

Defensive (cont.): Sheldon Brown (CB): 6 tackles

Kicking: David Akers (K): 4-4 FG, 1-1 extra point

Punting: Sav Rocca (P): 5-43.2 punt yard average

For a complete statistical breakdown of the game, click here.

Key Players

• WR Jason Avant: Avant has always been a quality backup receiver for the Eagles, but it seems only now people are beginning to notice his ability to shine in clutch situations. He was once again a play-maker for the offense today, recording 5 receptions for 94 yards, including two that were spectacular catches in which Avant left the ground and completely stretched out to pull the ball in. He didn't find the endzone, but he was definitely a key player in terms of being a contributors and momentum-shifters. Avant may never be a starting Wide Receiver, but he's making a case for being one of the best backups this year with his phenomenal late-game performances.
• DT Mike Patterson: Patterson rarely gets credit for the work he does on the defensive line, and it was clear he was giving his all this afternoon. Several times the 5th-year defender raced from his typical spot on the field to make a tackle in the open field, and overall was displaying a high level of intensity. He aided DE Trent Cole in placing pressure on Redskins' QB Jason Campbell on the play in which Cole recorded a sack, and was recorded as making 5 tackles, 4 of them being solo take-downs. The 300-lb. DT isn't a weekly superstar, but is always playing with passion, and today he deserves the honor of being one of the game's "Key Players".
• CB Asante Samuel: Samuel was receiving a loud chorus of jeers when he appeared to give little effort on several tackles early in the game, something he's had trouble with all year. But the veteran defensive back rebounded with a pair of interceptions. His two turnovers tie him for the most picks recorded in one season in franchise history, and the former Patriot still has 5 games to play. Of course, he still needs to work on his tackling techniques, but there is no question that he delivered against the Redskins, and was a significant factor on the defensive side of the ball.

Did You Know...

• ...that the Eagles used a lot of formations in which Sean Jones and Quintin Mikell rotated from the Free and Strong Safety spots? Jones is listed as a FS, and Mikell a SS, but there were many occasions when the two would swap positions and play on both sides. In addition to this interesting formation, the Eagles once again used the "3-Safety" defense, and both Quintin Demps and Macho Harris--two backup defensive backs--saw action as the "center field" Safety.
• ...that a rotation at the Middle Linebacker spot was in use versus the Redskins? This is the second week in a row the team has placed more than one player at the position on a constant basis, and veteran Jeremiah Trotter was the primary player in the middle. Young and physical Joe Mays, as well as backup Tracy White, also experienced a few repetitions at MLB.
• ...that Eldra Buckley scored the first touchdown of his career with his 1-yard run today? The former member of the Chargers' practice squad earned a spot on the 53-man roster with excellent showings in OTAs and the preseason, and was finally able to score this week after getting opportunities in the last two weeks but failing to cross the goal-line. With Brian Westbrook still injured, it should be expected the hard-nosed RB will receive at least a few more touches over the next few weeks.

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter
	TD	J.Campbell 1 yd. run (S.Suisham kick) (4-19, 1:54)
	FG	D.Akers 29 yd. Field Goal (10-68, 4:11)
	TD	D.Jackson 35 yd. pass from D.McNabb(D.Akers kick) (7-51, 3:17)
2nd Quarter
	TD	S.Moss 4 yd. pass from J.Campbell (S.Suisham kick) (13-80, 6:04)
	FG	D.Akers 24 yd. Field Goal (6-15, 2:15)
	FG	D.Akers 41 yd. Field Goal (3-5, 0:16)
3rd Quarter
	TD	F.Davis 10 yd. pass from J.Campbell (S.Suisham kick) (9-80, 4:57)
4th Quarter
	FG	S.Suisham 25 yd. Field Goal (5-16, 1:50)
	TD	E.Buckley 1 yd. run (D.McNabb-L.McCoy pass) (10-90, 4:18)
	FG	D.Akers 32 yd. Field Goal (10-66, 3:47)