| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|  | | Philadlephia quarterback Donovan McNabb was 26-of-55 for 213 yards on Sunday, but he helped lift the Eagles past the Steelers at the end. |
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- For three quarters, Donovan McNabb looked like
a quarterback trying to play his way out of the job. After that, he
looked like John Elway.
McNabb rallied the Eagles from 10 points down with less than
three minutes remaining Sunday and to an improbable 26-23 overtime
victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers decided by David Akers's two
field goals.
Akers kicked a winning 42-yard field goal 4:16 into the overtime
after tying it with a hurried 42-yarder on the final play of
regulation following an onside kick recovery.
The Steelers (5-5), losing their second straight after winning
five in a row, never got the ball in overtime as the Eagles won the
coin toss and McNabb drove them 39 yards for Akers' fourth and
decisive field goal.
"To come into a place like this, come back from 10 points down
and win in overtime says a lot about this team," defensive tackle
Corey Simon said. "We're still trying to sneak up on people, but
this is a pretty good team."
The Eagles (7-4), winning their sixth in eight games, were down
23-13 after Kris Brown's 40-yard field goal with 3:42 remaining and
hadn't moved the ball consistently all day. McNabb passed for only
213 yards despite attempting 55 passes.
|
Fly Like an Eagle
|
|
The Eagles' turnaround has come on both sides of the ball this season. Philly is scoring an average of six more points per game than they were at this point last season, while holding opponents to eight fewer points per game. But the biggest difference has been their play at the end of games, enabling them to win two straight overtime games.
|
|
|
1999
|
2000
|
|
W-L
|
3-8
|
7-4
|
|
PPG
|
15.1
|
20.9
|
|
PPG all.
|
23.3
|
15.5
|
|
4th qtr pt diff*
|
-5
|
+24
|
|
* Includes OT
|
"But Donovan kept telling us, 'Stay with it, we'll make
something happen," wide receiver Charles Johnson said. "He wasn't
panicking, he didn't have any big eyes or anything."
Philadelphia got to 23-20 on a 57-yard drive finished by
McNabb's 13-yard pass to Brian Mitchell with 2:29 remaining, the
fourth way Mitchell has scored this season.
"I couldn't get in sync for a long time, but I did finally at
the start of the fourth quarter and things started to roll,"
McNabb said. "I had to keep my head up and be a leader."
Tim Hauck then recovered a high-bounding onside kick to give the
Eagles the chance to send the game into overtime.
"I didn't even have time to take a deep breath," Akers said of
his tying field goal. "But once I got out there, it was just
automatic motor movement."
Akers missed a 38-yarder with 9:04 remaining, seemingly an
important miss with Pittsburgh up 20-13 following linebacker Joey
Porter's go-ahead 32-yard touchdown return of Stanley Pritchett's
fumble.
The Steelers lost even though Jerome Bettis ran for 134 yards
and a 7-yard touchdown.
|
TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
|
Question on the Eagles: What are the Eagles' chances of winning the
NFC East?
Donahoe: The Eagles certainly have a chance of winning the NFC East.
With the Giants' loss today, the Eagles are just a half game out of first.
And if Donovan McNabb keeps
progressing and playing the way he's playing, they'll have a better shot at
it. For the second week in a row, McNabb rallied the Eagles for the tying
touchdown in regulation and then moved them for the game-winning field goal
in overtime. You have to be impressed with McNabb's development as a young
quarterback. Because he's come through the last two weeks, the Eagles are
very much alive in the East.
Question on the Steelers: Should Kent Graham replace Kordell Stewart after
back-to-back losses?
Donahoe: That's a decision the coaches in Pittsburgh have to make.
But this loss should not be pinned on Kordell. After the Steelers got a 10-0
lead, the defense couldn't make enough stops. The defense didn't appear to
play as aggressively late in the game, and the Eagles capitalized. It was a
frustrating loss for the Steelers, but you can't hang it on the quarterback.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
|
"You have it right there, you go to grab it and hold it and it
just falls through your fingers," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said.
So ineffective were the offenses until the frantic finish that
the pass interference penalty was the major offensive weapon for
both teams. A 7-yard pass interference call on Troy Vincent led to
Bettis' touchdown, which made it 13-13.
The Steelers were penalized 13 times for 141 yards, the Eagles
nine times for 61 yards.
"It was the first time that I got up after every play looking
for a flag," Steelers safety Lee Flowers said. "It got to the
point where we should have left Philadelphia and the refs on the
field."
Flowers inadvertently fired up the Eagles by revealing Cowher's
challenge to the Steelers to win their final seven games.
"They said a lot of things last week about how they were going
to run the table, and that meant a lot to us," Eagles tight end
Chad Lewis said.
The Steelers were penalized three times for 53 yards to account
for most of the yardage on a 78-yard drive finished by McNabb's
2-yard scoring toss to Jeff Thomason in the second quarter -- the
first touchdown against the Pittsburgh defense in 21 quarters.
Cornerback Chad Scott was penalized twice for 38 yards for pass
interference.
Game notes
The Steelers' streak was the NFL's longest since the 1976
Steelers went 22 quarters without allowing a touchdown. ...
Mitchell, who set the NFL record for career kickoff return yardage
with a 32-yarder in the second quarter, has scored on a touchdown
reception, an 85-yard run, a 72-yard punt return and an 89-yard
kickoff return this season. ... Mitchell had six kickoff returns
for 134 yards, giving him 10,371 yards for his career. Mel Gray
held the record of 10,250. ... Of the Steelers' five losses, four
are by three points or fewer, including last week's 9-7,
last-minute loss to the Titans. ... Philadelphia has allowed 541
yards rushing the last three games. ... Pittsburgh's offense has
scored one touchdown in each of the last five games.
| |
ALSO SEE
Philadelphia Clubhouse
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
Week 11 wrap-ups
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Donovan McNabb talks with ESPN's Sal Paolantonio after grabbing another OT victory for the Eagles.
wav: 485 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Hugh Douglas knows who's in charge in Philadelphia. Donovan McNabb.
wav: 48 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Brian Mitchell and the Eagles are confident they can fight back against any team.
wav: 86 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
