Season Rewind Giants - Philadelphia Eagles

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With the bitter taste of an ugly early-season loss to the Giants still lingering, the Eagles welcomed New York to Lincoln Financial Field in desperate need of a win.

The Giants didn't pile up 12 sacks this time -- in fact, Donovan McNabb was only sacked three times -- but when David Akers' last-second, 57-yard field goal clanked off the right upright, Philadelphia was hung with maybe its most heartbreaking loss in a season full of them.

After missing the previous two games with injuries to his ankle and thumb, McNabb returned to the field against New York, and on the first series of the game he led the Eagles straight down the field on an authoritative scoring drive capped by an effortless 18-yard touchdown pass to Brian Westbrook.

But it would be the only time that the Eagles would find the end zone.

New York's offense couldn't get anything going either, as Eli Manning and Co. would only muster two first downs in the first quarter. The second quarter was dominated by a pair of aggressive defenses, and though the Giants drove the ball inside the Eagles' 5, they were forced to settle for two Lawrence Tynes field goals. The Eagles led 7-6 at halftime.

In the second half, Manning began to get his offense moving, and Eagles nemesis Plaxico Burress burned Philadelphia once again. With time winding down in the third quarter, Manning hit the playmaking wide receiver on a "hot" read over the middle to beat the Eagles blitz for a 20-yard touchdown, making Philadelphia pay for a rare Westbrook fumble and giving New York a 13-10 lead.

From there, the two teams traded field goals and punts until McNabb led Philadelphia on a frantic 50-yard drive to give Akers a shot at the 57-yard field goal that came maddeningly close to vaulting the Eagles into overtime and, possibly, playoff contention.

- JUSTIN KUNKEL

11.5:

Trent Cole's sack total on the season after he brought down Eli Manning twice. In doing so, he moved within a half-sack of the NFC leader and Giants' end, Osi Umenyiora (12).

11:20:

The time of possession for the Eagles in the fourth quarter alone, during which they desperately tried to close the three-point deficit.

"That [kick] kind of sums up how the season has gone for us to this point. So close, and yet so far away."
- LB Takeo Spikes

David Akers' 57-yard field goal attempt tailed to the right and smacked the upright, bouncing back onto the field. After the game, Andy Reid said that, with the conditions, the kick was actually outside of the range he had set for Akers after pre-game warmups. But, the kick had plenty of distance and probably would have been good from 60-plus had it not drifted right.