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Philly shows off its offense

EAGLES 37, REDSKINS 7: Donovan McNabb shreds Washington's defense, and Philadelphia holds Steve Spurrier's offense scoreless.

©Associated Press
September 17, 2002

LANDOVER, Md. -- An impressive offense was on display for Steve Spurrier's first Monday night game. And it belonged to the other team.

Donovan McNabb threw two touchdowns, ran for another and threw for 292 yards as Philadelphia routed Washington 37-7.

The game was stopped briefly during the fourth quarter when police used pepper spray to break up a fight in the stands.

The Eagles players scattered from their bench onto the field. They and fans in the stands on that side of the stadium were holding their noses with concerned looks on their faces at a time when people are worried about security.

After a brief conference between referee Bob McElwee and a uniformed officer, play resumed after a delay of about five minutes.

"Whenever you see your teammates coming out on the field and pretty much grabbing their throats or covering their nose, it's a pretty tough situation," McNabb said. "I've never been a part of anything like that. It's a first for me. It's probably a first for Monday night. Hopefully, it doesn't happen again."

Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson said a Prince George's County police officer intervened in a fight and was injured, prompting a "small amount of pepper spray" to move the fans back. The cooling fans on the Philadelphia bench helped spread the spray quickly.

The Eagles defense didn't allow a touchdown. The best Redskins drive reached Philadelphia's 35, and Washington's only touchdown came on Jacquez Green's 90-yard punt return in the second quarter.

It was Spurrier's worst defeat as a coach since a 62-24 loss to Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, 1996, and it didn't matter who the quarterback was.

Danny Wuerffel played the second half after Shane Matthews left the game with a bruised shoulder on the Redskins last offensive play of the first half, and didn't fare any better.

The Eagles bounced back from a 27-24 loss to Tennessee.

"We started fast, and we finished strong, which is something we had to do after last week's extravaganza," Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said.

Spurrier showed a range of emotions, from wiping away tears after a moment of silence for Johnny Unitas to lots of face-rubbing and head-scratching and even ducklike lip-pursing as the offense went awry.

"We got clobbered," Spurrier said. "We never could go anywhere. They beat us every which way."

The sure sign that things weren't going right: Spurrier gave cornerback Champ Bailey his first offensive touch since 2000 on a pitch reverse, but Bailey fumbled the ball on a hit by Carlos Emmons. The Eagles converted the turnover into a field goal.

The Eagles, meanwhile, were an offensive thing of beauty on the first drive. James Thrash got cornerback Fred Smoot lost on the first play and caught a pass for a 33-yard gain.

Todd Pinkston caught a 26-yarder over Darrell Green, and McNabb capped the six-play, 80-yard drive by scrambling outside of Pro Bowl linebackers LaVar Arrington, Jeremiah Trotter and Jessie Armstead for 8 yards into the end zone.

On the second drive, McNabb, who completed 26 of 38 in the game, rolled out and suckered Armstead into leaving Duce Staley alone for a 22-yard reception.

The Redskins eventually forced the Eagles to kick a field goal, but Arrington jumped offside on the attempt to give the Eagles first and goal that McNabb converted into a 2-yard touchdown to tight end Jeff Thomason.

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