Late Skins Miscues Keep Slim Eagle Hopes Alive

Yes, the Eagles won yesterday to improve their record to 4-5.  Yes, Brian Westbrook continued to show why he is one the elite running backs in football, with 183 total yards and one of his signature touchdowns, weaving 57 yards through the entire defense, to give the Eagles the lead with 3 minutes to play.  But the win wouldn’t have been possible if the Redskins hadn’t shot themselves in the foot in the red-zone on the drive prior to that Westbrook score.

After Donovan McNabb fumbled with 8 minutes to play, Washington immediately drove down inside the Eagles’ 10-yard line.  The Skins were up 22-20 and a touchdown would have basically ended the game.  After a penalty gave the Skins first-and-goal at the 3, the Eagles defense stepped up with two big stops by Takeo Spikes and (shockingly) Darren Howard.  On the ensuing third down, the Skins blew their best chance to win the game.  Tight end Chris Cooley jumped offsides on a play where the Eagles didn’t have a chance to get the right personnel on the field and Brian Dawkins admitted after the game that it would have been a sure touchdown:

“That was huge,” said free safety Brian Dawkins. “The play they ran, that was a touchdown. Thrash was open in the flat. That was my guy. I was really happy to see that flag.

“They did a zigzag motion in the backfield. They did it earlier in the game. The play went to the other side that time. I was anticipating them doing it again. But they came back to the tight end side. If they hadn’t jumped offsides, it would have been a real hard play to try and make. Because he had me.”

On the next play, Joe Gibbs sealed his team’s fate with an odd decision.  It was third-and-goal from the 7-yard line and offensive coordinator Al Saunders called for a pass to the end zone.  Gibbs overruled the call and changed it to a draw-play to Clinton Portis.  Portis had no chance of making it in for the score, forcing the Skins to settle for a field goal and a tenuous five-point lead.  That lead was erased when the Eagles got the ball in Westbrook’s hands a few minutes later.

So, yes, the Eagles did what they had to do and won the game.  It didn’t inspire a ton of confidence going forward though.  They have the very beatable Dolphins (0-9) next week, followed by the seemingly unbeatable Patriots (9-0) in two weeks.  It looks like they’ll be 5-6 and needing to win at least four of their final five games.  It’s far from likely, but yesterday’s win makes the playoffs at least a possibility.