Season Rewind: Redskins 20-12 - Philadelphia Eagles

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Camp Countdown:...
by: CHRIS ZERVOUDIS

After A Long Wait,...

Fan-Demonium: Eagles...
by: TOMMY LAWLOR

If the Eagles could take any solace from falling to 0-2 with a 20-12 loss to the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football, it came in quarterback Donovan McNabb's play down the stretch.

McNabb went 15-of-20 for 129 yards in the final minutes. He completed passes to six different receivers and helped move the Eagles into the red zone on both of their fourth quarter possessions. The only problem is that when the Eagles were on the cusp of scoring six, the offense stalled – even with the game on the line.

The first three times the Eagles go to the red zone, they had to settle for a David Akers field goal. On the fourth and final time inside the Redskins' 20-yard line, down by eight, they needed more than three, and simply couldn't get it. McNabb misfired on three of his four attempts, including a fourth-down throw across the middle to Kevin Curtis, who was seperated from the ball by Redskins rookie LaRon Landry.

|Washington quarterback Jason Campbell threw for 209 yards, and his ability to keep plays alive with his feet helped the Redskins convert 8-of-15 third-down opportunities. It was a 20-yard scramble by Campbell that helped set up a touchdown at the end of the first half. With the ball at the Eagles' 1-yard line and only 18 seconds left, the Redskins were called for three consecutive penalties. Then-Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs was going to settle for the field goal with the ball at the 16-yard line, but he changed his mind after the Eagles used a timeout.

With the offense on the field, Campbell took the ball out of the shotgun and hit tight end Chris Cooley in the left side of the end zone for a touchdown to give the Redskins a 10-6 halftime lead. The bizarre turn of events shifted the momentum directly behind the Redskins. A 28-yard screen pass to Ladell Betts late in the third quarter helped set up a 6-yard touchdown run by Portis to give Washington a 20-9 lead with 12:08 left in the game, and the Eagles could only muster another field goal.

- CHRIS MCPHERSON

2:

The number of passing plays of 20 or more yards the Eagles had through two games. They had 12 in their first two games in 2006.

8-of-15 vs. 4-16:

The Redskins third down conversion rate vs. the Eagles third down converstion rate.

"I think today when we went out we just didn't have that sense of urgency. We try to get the guys pumped up and things ilke that, but we didn't really have that sense of urgency from the beginning. We have to find a way to come out on fire."
- Running Back Brian Westbrook

LaRon Landry seperated Kevin Curtis from the ball on fourth-and-6. Trailing by 8, and at the Washington 9-yard line with 1:10 remaining in the game, the Eagles were down to their last shot. Curtis lined up right, ran 6 yards up the field and cut across the middle. Donovan McNabb put the ball in Curtis' hands, but Landry nailed Curtis and put the game on ice.