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NFL
NFC: Eagles 27, Falcons 10
Philly finally shakes the futility of the previous three title games with a dominant performance.
By RICK STROUD
Published January 24, 2005
PHILADELPHIA - The wind whipped, the thermometer dipped and the Eagles' foul-weather fans shivered with the thought of having their hearts ripped out again in the NFC Championship Game.
It was a perfect time for Donovan McNabb to prove he has ice in his veins.
Shaking off three consecutive failures in conference title games, McNabb made it fourth and goal to go for the Eagles by playing a nearly perfect game in a 27-10 win over Atlanta.
He finished 17-of-26 for 180 yards and two touchdown passes to tight end Chad Lewis.
Helped by a swarming defense that caged Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and a rushing attack led by Brian Westbrook, McNabb exorcised the torment of consecutive defeats in the title game to the Rams, Bucs and Panthers.
Instead, McNabb said the celebration in the middle of Lincoln Financial Field with teammates and coach Andy Reid was just how he had envisioned it.
"It definitely was," McNabb said. "I was waiting for the confetti to start flying. It took awhile for that. But you know what? It's just a great feeling for the city of Philadelphia. Obviously, we know what happened the last three years, being this close and never being able to pull it out. But this year was something special. Everything that's happened so far has been a special feeling. There's no reason for it to stop now."
The Eagles make their first Super Bowl appearance in 24 years against defending champion New England.
Winning the title game was balm for a city that hasn't enjoyed a major sports championship since the 76ers won the NBA title in 1983. The Eagles' only Super Bowl appearance resulted in another heartache when they fell to the Raiders 27-10 in 1981.
"Donovan McNabb had a tremendous game. He showed his maturity and he showed his poise," Falcons coach Jim Mora said. "I thought he did a great job of dealing with the pressure that I'm sure they felt, even though they denied it, and he earned his team a trip to the Super Bowl."
Meanwhile, Vick was sacked four times, completing 11 of 24 passes for 136 yards and one interception. McNabb outrushed him 32 yards to 26.
The Eagles led 14-10 at halftime, making their jittery fans even more worried about a second-half collapse.
"If we were hoping they were going to feel some pressure, they dispelled the notion right there, which is a credit to them," Mora said. "When you've been in the position they've been in as many times as they have, the weight of the world is on you."
But the Eagles never wobbled. Behind the steady play of McNabb, they took the second half kickoff and sustained a clock-chewing 60-yard drive behind Westbrook, which ended with a 31-yard field goal by David Akers.
Meanwhile, Vick never got on track against a disciplined defense that kept him bottled up in the pocket. Jevon Kearse occasionally flipped from left to right defensive end, containing Vick on rollouts to his left throwing side. And Derrick Burgess stayed home any time Vick would bootleg to his right.
"We wanted to stay as aggressive as we possibly could against them but have discipline in our lanes," Reid said. "We didn't want to pull off and play hesitant football, so (defensive coordinator Jim (Johnson) put a lot of emphasis on that. The guys cut it loose and I thought for the most part attacked him and that offensive line."
A miscommunication between Vick and tight end Alge Crumpler resulted in an interception, which Brian Dawkins returned to the Falcons 11-yard line. The turnover led to another Akers field goal and a 20-10 lead.
McNabb put the game away with 3:21 left when he tossed his second touchdown to Lewis.
"After the last touchdown, guys started getting caught up in the moment," Reid said. "It was great. I think it even makes it more worthwhile that we had to do it four times to get over the hump."
Vick finished with no rushing yards and only six completions in the second half. However, Mora defended the performance of his 24-year-old quarterback.
"You're making too much of Michael Vick," Mora said. "This is a team game. If we were out there playing basketball, you'd say they neutralized Allen Iverson or Shaquille O'Neal. It's not like that. We don't fall into that trap, just like I'm sure five years ago Andy Reid didn't fall into that trap."
Apparently not. Reid and McNabb might have been joined at the hip in infamy had the Eagles become the first team to lose four straight conference title games. McNabb had thrown one touchdown and five interceptions combined in the previous three title games.
Vick's first appearance on that stage came Sunday. Mora doesn't think his quarterback is too many steps behind McNabb.
"I think he's extremely close," Mora said. "I think he's already knocking on the door. Michael Vick accomplished some tremendous things this year for a 24-year-old quarterback in his first year in the system."
The historic significance also wasn't lost on McNabb, who prevailed in the first title-game matchup between African-American quarterbacks.
"Today, you saw two quarterbacks that just try to win," McNabb said. "Michael Vick is a winner. People can talk about him running the ball and not throwing as much, but he wins. I'm sure if you ask any passing quarterback in the league, would they like to go (12-4), I'm sure they'll say yes.
"You're just excited about this particular game because it was special. It was a special game, it was history."
Atl Phi
First downs 14 22
Total Net Yards 202 326
Rushes-yards 26-99 33-156
Passing 103 170
Punt Returns 2-20 1-(-4)
Kickoff Returns 5-117 3-54
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 1-19
Comp-Att-Int 11-24-1 18-27-0
Sacked-Yards Lost 4-33 2-13
Punts 5-26.0 3-38.3
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 2-0
Penalties-Yards 5-24 6-59
Time of Possession 26:45 33:15
[Last modified January 24, 2005, 06:27:54]
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