Loss Behind Them, Eagles Dominate Again
Tue Nov 16, 4:47 PM ET
By ROB MAADDI, AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA - Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens went back to describing touchdown patterns instead of explaining sideline confrontations.
AP Photo
One week after a dismal performance at Pittsburgh resulted in Philadelphia's first loss of the season, the Eagles were their usual selves, winning easily and getting along just fine.
McNabb threw three of his four TD passes to Owens as the Eagles improved to 8-1 with Monday night's 49-21 win at Dallas. It was Philadelphia's sixth victory by a double-digit margin in nine games.
"It was a nice, character win," Eagles coach Andy Reid said.
After opening the season with a franchise-best seven straight victories, the Eagles were thoroughly dominated in a 27-3 loss to the Steelers. During the game, cameras caught Owens giving a frustrated McNabb an earful on the sideline. Both players insisted the wide receiver merely was trying to encourage the disheartened quarterback in the animated, one-sided conversation.
So after McNabb and Owens connected for a 59-yard catch-and-run TD in the first quarter against the Cowboys, they mocked the incident by playfully arguing on the sideline.
"Last week I was trying to get him up and the media said I was getting at him, but that never was the case," said Owens, known for his sideline tirades in San Francisco. "We were just trying to have some fun with it."
The duo had a lot of fun at the Cowboys' expense. Owens caught six passes for 134 yards. His three TDs gave him an NFL-best 12 TD receptions this season, and he also leads the league with 884 yards receiving.
"I just feel confident. I got a lot of faith in myself and my abilities," Owens said. "That's why I fought so hard to get here."
McNabb finished with 345 yards passing on just 15 completions, and matched a career high with the four TDs, the third time he's done it this season and fifth time in his six-year career. It also was McNabb's fourth 300-yard game this year, giving him nine overall.
McNabb completed four passes of 40 yards or longer, including 59-yard TDs to Owens and Todd Pinkston. His longest pass was a 60-yarder to Freddie Mitchell that will be replayed on highlight reels for generations.
McNabb spun away from one would-be tackler and sprinted to his right, only to find another defender waiting. So he went back to his left, chased by two more players, and finally heaved the ball across his body off his back foot perfectly into Mitchell's arms. In all, McNabb held the ball 14.1 seconds before throwing it.
"Nothing with him surprises me," Mitchell said. "It felt like forever."
The offense had 485 yards and six TDs against Dallas, a remarkable turnaround after gaining just 411 yards and scoring one TD in the previous two games combined.
While McNabb and the receivers made the big plays, the running backs were effective. Brian Westbrook had his best game since he cracked a rib against Cleveland, finishing with 56 yards rushing and catching four passes for 62 yards.
Veteran Dorsey Levens ran for 73 yards on 12 carries. Over the past four games, Levens has showed flashes of his old Pro Bowl form, rushing for 165 yards on 33 carries, an average of 5.0 yards.
The new-look defense was solid against the Cowboys despite allowing three TDs. Jeremiah Trotter, replacing Mark Simoneau at middle linebacker, provided a physical presence against the run. Backup defensive tackles Sam Rayburn and Hollis Thomas again had strong performances, and cornerback Lito Sheppard returned an interception 101 yards for a score.
"You're never as good as you think and you're never as bad as you think," Reid said. "Sometimes things snowball and they do it fast."
McNabb, Owens Lead Eagles Over Cowboys
Tue Nov 16, 1:52 PM ET
By JAIME ARON, AP Sports Writer
IRVING, Texas - Donovan McNabb led Philadelphia to six touchdowns, throwing three of them to Terrell Owens, and topped them all with his amazing improvisation, then Lito Sheppard added a 101-yard interception return for one final score, helping the Eagles resoundingly bounce back from their first loss of the season with a 49-21 victory over the reeling Cowboys.
AP Photo
McNabb spun away from one would-be tackler and sprinted to his right, only to find another defender waiting. So he went back to his left, chased by two more players, and finally heaved the ball, letting loose a 60-yard pass that looked more like a punt.
Freddie Mitchell ran under it for an easy catch, of course. The way the Philadelphia Eagles (news) were rolling against the Dallas Cowboys (news), it seemed they could do no wrong.
The Eagles (8-1) quickly made it known that they still should be considered the midseason favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl by scoring 35 points in the first half — more than they'd scored in any game this season — and wound up with their most points since beating St. Louis 52-10 in November 1981.
McNabb was 15-of-28 for 345 yards, with four TD passes and no interceptions. Owens caught six passes for 134 yards.
Philadelphia scored touchdowns the last five times it had the ball before halftime. There was the minor interruption of a punt, but the Cowboys (3-6) fumbled the return, adding to the humiliation of their fifth loss in six games — and their eighth in nine tries against the Eagles. Their last three losses have been 21, 23 and, now, 28 points.
This one was historically ugly as Dallas gave up its most points ever at home and its most anywhere since a 50-24 loss at Cincinnati in December 1985. The Cowboys allowed four touchdowns in one quarter (the second) for the first time in franchise history and the 35 points Philadelphia scored in the first half tied another dubious record.
he Eagles loved every minute of it, especially Owens.
He pretended to skate in the end zone after his first score, a 59-yarder, then playfully argued with McNabb on the sideline, mocking their confrontation from last week. After a 27-yard touchdown catch, he mocked his own celebration from four years ago at Texas Stadium, only this time he stood on a small star logo painted on a helmet in the end zone instead of the big one at midfield.
By the time he scored again in the third quarter, putting Philadelphia up 42-14 midway through the third quarter, he merely dunked the ball over the crossbar.
Dallas coach Bill Parcells grimaced through it all, knowing there was little he could do about yet another lopsided loss. The Cowboys' season is a bust, with the only curiosity left being when he'll turn the offense over to rookie quarterback Drew Henson.
Vinny Testaverde, playing two days after turning 41, was decent enough to keep the future leader on the sideline. He was 21-of-30 for 254 yards with two touchdowns to Jason Witten. Eddie George added a 15-yard touchdown run.
Testaverde's only interception came in the end zone with about five minutes left. Sheppard took it all the way, breaking past the defense around the 30 only to have Keyshawn Johnson reach him at the goal line. Johnson grabbed the back of his collar out of frustration.
Unlike their 26-3 loss to Cincinnati last week, when Parcells called the Cowboys "stupid," Dallas was simply outplayed this time. However, there were still several boneheaded mistakes — such as flags on all three extra points, the fumbled punt and a muffed kickoff that was recovered.
Philadelphia's biggest struggle was on third down, a problem that's bothered the Eagles for weeks. They didn't convert one until there were about three minutes left in the first half. The skid ended, perhaps fittingly for this game, on McNabb's 60-yarder to Mitchell.
About the only thing Philadelphia did wrong was call a timeout in the closing seconds of the first half, when the Cowboys had taken a knee and were walking to the locker room. Parcells doubled back and returned to the 50-yard line, staring across the field.
It was the same blank look he wore most of the night.
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