As promised, quarterback Donovan McNabb came up big in Seattle, racking up 349 passing yards with two touchdowns and one interception as the Eagles (5-3) dominated the Seahawks (2-6) at Qwest Field.
McNabb and the Philly offence started slowly, going 3-and-out on four of their first five possessions.
The other was a promising drive as the Eagles marched 72 yards into the Seahawks red zone...before McNabb was picked off by Seattle strong safety Deon Grant.
By contrast Seneca Wallace got the hosts on the board with their very first play! The Seahawks quarterback connected with wide receiver Koren Robinson for a 90 yard score, with less than two minutes on the clock.
However the Eagles defence was stifling for the rest of the night, forcing Seattle to punt on every possession and only allowing the Seahawks offence to enter their half of the field three times.
Philly's D only gave up 233 total yards and also picked up four sacks.
McNabb and his receivers finally came to life in the 2nd quarter, with back-up tight end Brent Celek (in for the injured L.J. Smith) the pick of the bunch.Celek ended up with a career high 131 receiving yards and he produced some big catches on both of the Eagles touchdown drives.
The first ended with a 22 yard pass from McNabb to Reggie Brown, before guard Todd Herremans made a surprise appearance on the score sheet.
With under a minute to go in the half, Herremans checked in as an unorthodox tight end and converted the one yard pass from McNabb, giving Philly a 14-7 lead at half-time.
The Eagles offence continued to dominate in the second half, scoring on every possession bar their last, yet worryingly all of these were David Akers field goals.
Despite moving the ball down the field at will, Philly stalled every time they got in and around the red zone, something they will have to correct if they are to stand a chance next week against the Giants.
Akers was a perfect 4/4 on the night but the Eagles inability to convert their chances into touchdowns and put the game away, could have told against stronger opposition.
Brian Westbrook had a quiet night on the ground for the Eagles but his 61 yards on 20 carries were crucial in keeping the Seahawks defence honest.
Receiver Kevin Curtis seems to have grown in confidence every week since his return from injury.He made some nice plays, catching six passes for 83 yards and is starting to look like the 1,000+ yard guy he was last year.
Philly's third straight win coupled with New York's crushing defeat of Dallas, means the Eagles move ahead of the Cowboys and off the bottom of the NFC East.
The Eagles remain just one game back from Washington (6-2), who host the Steelers on Monday night and two games back from the NY Giants (7-1).
A home win over the Giants next weekend would go a long way to proving the Eagles' playoff credentials, but to do so they need to address their red zone/short yardage issues.
Otherwise they will come up wanting!
No comments:
Post a Comment