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Camp Countdown:...
by: CHRIS ZERVOUDIS

After A Long Wait,...

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

The Eagles entered their Week 16 game in New Orleans knowing that for only the second time this millennium they would be watching the playoffs from home. By the time the game was over and Philadelphia had secured a 38-23 win, the Saints were all but guaranteed the same fate.

Philadelphia's win over Dallas a week earlier was a product of excellent defense and a few breaks going the Eagles' way. The win over New Orleans was an offensive explosion the likes of which Eagles fans hadn't seen since the drubbing of Detroit in Week 3.

That's not to say the Eagles didn't catch a huge break that got the ball rolling. Facing third-and-1 from his own 36-yard line on the game's opening possession, Donovan McNabb pulled the ball down and scampered down the left sideline. McNabb had a clear path to the end zone, but Saints safety Josh Bullocks caught him at the New Orleans 26-yard line and popped the ball out with a well-placed uppercut.

The ball flew through the air, eventually landing inside the New Orleans 5-yard line, but after a mad scramble it ended up in the end zone, where wide receiver Kevin Curtis recovered for a bizarre Eagles touchdown.

That started a scoring spree by both offenses that resulted in a total of 35 first-quarter points, and a 21-14 Philadelphia lead. But it wasn't until the third quarter that the Eagles started to pull away.

After receiving the second-half kickoff, the Saints drove the length of the field to the Eagles 7-yard line. Quarterback Drew Brees hit David Patten on a slant on first-and-goal, but Patten was stopped within inches of the end zone by Lito Sheppard and Stewart Bradley. Saints coach Sean Payton challenged the call unsuccessfully, and the Eagles went on to stone Mike Karney on second-and-goal and Aaron Stecker on third- and fourth-and-goal to defend their seven-point lead.

McNabb responded to the defense's emotional stand by leading the offense 98 yards for a score, and the Saints were beaten. McNabb's third touchdown pass - a 7-yard toss to Kevin Curtis - salted the game away.

- JUSTIN KUNKEL

1st:

The theme of Stewart Bradley's day. The linebacker became the 1st player in team history to record his 1st career sack and 1st career interception in his 1st career start.

1,048:

Kevin Curtis' receiving yards after posting 78 against the Saints. In doing so he became just the second player with 1,000 receiving yards in Andy Reid's tenure, and just the 11th in franchise history.

"We have a team here that should be in the playoffs. We haven't played like that, but today we did. And when you learn how to finish the season like we have in the past, we will return to the postseason."
- RB Brian Westbrook

Donovan McNabb snuck a 7-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Curtis late in the fourth quarter. Even after the Eagles grabbed the momentum with their 98-yard touchdown drive, the Saints crept back within eight points after a pair of field goals, but the touchdown gave Philadelphia a two-score lead with just over two minutes remaining.