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PhiladelphiaEagles.com
» Features
» Season Rewind Bears
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It all started coming together for the Eagles. The offense broke out of its red zone slump with a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Donovan McNabb to tight end Matt Schobel with 5:02 to play in the fourth quarter. The scoring strike gave the Eagles a 16-12 lead. Then, Sav Rocca perfectly placed a 43-yard punt out of bounds at the Bears' 3-yard line. Trailing by four points, Chicago had to march 97 yards with 1:57 remaining and no timeouts. The Bears needed a touchdown against a defense that stood tall during a late goal-line stand the previous week to seal a win over the Jets.
One minute and 42 seconds later, Bears quarterback Brian Griese was jumping into the arms of guard Ruben Brown after he threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad, which lifted the Bears to a 19-16 win. Griese completed 7 of 9 passes in driving the Bears the length of the field.
Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson mixed in blitzes and three-man rushes to try to generate pressure on Griese, but at the same time avoid surrendering the big play. The final drive should not have been a complete surprise. The Bears offense was able to move the ball efficiently throughout the game, especially in the second half when they controlled the ball for 18 minutes, 37 seconds. For the game, the Bears outgained the Eagles, 386-334, and were able to convert 8 of 16 third-down opportunities. Punter Brad Maynard was only utilized twice. The Eagles offense was also successful between the 20-yard lines. But McNabb and Co. managed only the one late touchdown in four trips inside the red zone. The first three, which all came in the first half, resulted in a total of just 14yards and ended with three field goals by David Akers. - CHRIS McPHERSON
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