DETROIT -- They came to see Michael Vick play quarterback and he did that in an electrifying manner that, well, defied description. I can't do it justice. I'm not good enough. Vick ran, passed and pushed the Eagles offense to the win, but he sure had a lot of help as the Eagles came from ahead, and then from behind, to beat Detroit 35-32 at Ford Field on Sunday in a game that became very, very interesting in the final minutes..
The game was exhilarating, it was a roller coaster and it was as entertaining as you can get in a span of four quarters. The Eagles ralied around Vick, who worked his magic to the tune of 321 total yards running and passing. Had he been given the chance to return kicks, I suspect, he would have made a play or two there, also.
But it was more than Vick, of course. The defense gave up 17 points early -- mostly to the ultra-quick running back Javid Best -- and then clamped down on Best, came hard after quarterback Shaun Hill and generally shut down star wide receiver Calvin Johnson. That is until the Eagles had a 35-17 lead and Johnson caught a touchdown pass, which was nullified by a penalty, only to score on the very next play. Johnson then converted the two-point conversion and all of a sudden, it was 35-32. The special teams, which struggled with penalties and field position all game long, allowed the Lions to convert the onside kick when Riley Cooper couldn't come up with the attempt.
Thankfully, the defense caged the Lions when it mattered most and was able to secure the win. On a day when Dallas lost in the division (to Chicago) and Minnesota fell to Miami, hey, you take the love where you can get it. A win is a win is a ... you get it.
At one point, the Eagles were down 17-7 and Ford Field was delirious and it looked pretty bleak. Then the Eagles turned it, warts and all, and now the Eagles are 1-1 with Kevin Kolb and Stewart Bradley cleared to play.
LeSean McCoy's 46-yard scoring romp finished off the Lions, giving the Eagles a 35-17 lead and they started to relax on the sidelines. Not bad. McCoy ran for more than 100 yards and scored 3 touchdowns, the first since Charlie Garner in 1995 to do so.
More to come. Stay tuned. There is so much to talk about from this game.
