What can be said positive about a loss in the last seconds against the lowly
Arizona Cardinals? Heartbroken! Shocking! Unbelievable! UNTHINAKABLE!!! The
Eagles had the game won at 20-14 after David Akers kicked what was thought
to have been the clinching FG with only 1:17 left and the Cardinals were
out of timeouts. Arizona even started on their own 26-yard line deep in
their own territory. Sixty-four seconds later, Miracle #4 happened again
when MarTay Jenkins caught the 35 yard touchdown pass from Jake Plummer.
What made it more embarassing was that Troy Vincent should have tackled
Jenkins around the 2 yard line, but the receiver made a few jukes and jives
and dove into the endzone. It looked like Plummer's comeback would come up
short after he threw incomplete on 3rd-and-10 from the Eagles' 35 yard line
while facing and all-out-blitz. But on forth down, the Eagles played a
prevent defense giving ample time for Plummer to do his magic and Jenkins
did the rest by faking out Vincent. Game over. Eagles lose 21-20.
Philadelphia came out sluggish again on offense as Donovan McNabb was sacked on
the second play from scrimmage, fumbled and the Cards ran it into the endzone
for an all too easy score. Cards up 7-0. Then, Donovan McNabb led the Eagles
down the field inside the Cardinals 10 yard line only to be intercepted by
Kwamie Lassiter inside the 5. Earlier in the drive, Todd Pinkston scored what
appeared to be a 71-yard touchdown. But on the play, Correll Buckhalter was
called for holding nullifying the play. Jake Plummer then led the Cards down
the field on a 14-play, 70-yard drive culminating with a 2-yard pass to Joel
Mackovica. The play gave Arizona a 14-0. It would be the last time the Cardinals
would do anything offensively until the last minute of the game. The Eagles
defense stiffened and allowed the Eagles to get back into the game, even
taking the lead 17-14 at the half.
First off, McNabb led a 6 play 83-yard drive late in the first quarter. Donovan's
pass to Brian Mitchell help setup the Eagles first touchdown as he ran down the field
for 56 yards after catching the short pass over the middle. Todd Pinkston completed
the drive with a 17-yard catch for a touchdown. After the Eagles got the ball back
in the second quarter, McNabb drove the Eagles 56 yards in 10 plays to setup a 42
yard field goal by David Akers. The score was cut to 14-10. Donovan McNabb then ran
the two-minute offense to perfection as he completed passes of 14 yards to Chad Lewis,
a 20-yard pass to Brian Mitchell, an 18-yard pass to Na Brown and finally a 2-yard pass
to Todd Pinkston for his second touchdown of the game and a 17-14 lead at halftime.
The Eagles proceeded to go ultra conservative and only scored 3 points in the second half.
They lost the game on the last play, yes, but they also lost the game for not doing anything
in the last 30 minutes too. They had the game won and they let Arizona stay too close
and in the end it bit them on the ass. What a way to go into the bye week. We shall see
what happens in the Meadowlands in two weeks.