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Posted on Sun, Dec. 07, 2003 | |
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Buckhalter's romp make it a rout Philly.com Staff Correll Buckhalter turned a convincing Eagles' performance into a bona fide blowout today when he scored on a 64-yard run with 1:47 to play, giving the Eagles a 36-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles (10-3) outscored the Cowboys 26-0 in the second half to take control of the NFC East and remain in the hunt for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. "I thought our team took a different approach in the second half, more matter-of-fact," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "We played better in the second half because of that. "It looked like the guys were just not going to be denied." The Eagles also clinched a playoff spot with their eighth straight win, but clearly their goals are much higher since shaking off that 0-2 start. The Birds haven't lost since falling to Dallas, 23-21, on Oct. 12. The Cowboys (8-5) now have been beaten badly in two straight games and even making the playoffs may prove to be a challenge. Donovan McNabb was 19-of-35 for 248 yards and three touchdowns despite having several passes dropped in the cold and windy conditions. Buckhalter finished with 115 yards on just 13 carries, and also caught two passes for 29 more. Rookie tight end L.J. Smith caught the first touchdown pass of his career, giving the Eagles a 26-10 lead in the fourth quarter. David Akers made it 29-10 a few minutes later when he kicked his second field goal, from 21 yards out, with 6:06 to play. Smith caught the six-yard scoring pass from McNabb with 12:52 to play in the final period, capping a decisive sequence that saw the Eagles seize control by taking advantage of an interception and a safety by Cowboys quarterback Quincy Carter to score 16 straight points after the game was tied 10-10 at halftime. Carter wasn't looking for the snap when he stood in shotgun formation inside his own 10-yard line with 2:30 left in the third quarter. The result was almost predictable. Carter didn't see the ball coming from center Matt Lehr until it was squirting past him and into the end zone, where he knocked it out of bounds under pressure from Darwin Walker for a safety and a 19-10 Eagles lead. The Birds then marched 68 yards after the ensuing free kick, capped by Smith's touchdown catch. Carter's woeful second half continued when Bobby Taylor made an interception with 5:12 to play. Carter had two interceptions, three sacks and the safety after the halftime intermission. He wound up 15-of-24 for just 93 yards, one touchdown and the two picks. "The second half was just awful," Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said. "We didn't do anything but self-destruct." The Eagles capitalized on the game's first turnover when Duce Staley scored on a five-yard shovel pass in the third quarter, giving the Eagles a 17-10 lead. Sheldon Brown got his first interception of the season when Carter rushed his throw under the pressure of a blitz and Brown stepped in front of Terry Glenn with 13:32 left in the third quarter. Brown returned the interception 10 yards to the Dallas 27, before Todd Pinkston drew the second pass interference penalty of the game against Dallas cornerback Mario Edwards, on a third-and-10 play. That gave the Eagles a first down at the Cowboys 10. Staley took a short shovel pass from Donovan McNabb two plays later and dove across the goal line. Just before halftime, the Cowboys responded to the Eagles first touchdown drive with one of their own and went into the locker room with a 10-10 tie. The Cowboys marched 61 yards in just 2 minutes, 43 seconds, capped when Carter found little-used tight end Jeff Robinson from three yards out. Robinson has just two receptions this season, but both have been for touchdowns. Brian Westbrook was the workhorse on the first touchdown drive of the game, and his 16-yard screen pass gave the Eagles a 10-3 lead. Westbrook handled the ball on all but two plays of the seven-play scoring drive, catching three passes from McNabb for 28 yards and running twice for five more. Passes to Freddie Mitchell (22 yards)and Correll Buckhalter (24) moved the Eagles into scoring range. David Akers opened the second quarter with a 22-yard field goal, giving the Eagles a 3-3 tie. Billy Cundiff kicked a 29-yard field goal with 3:43 left in the first quarter to put the Cowboys up 3-0 after the Eagles struggled to move the ball early in cold and windy conditions. The Eagles failed to get a first down on their first two possessions, with McNabb completing just 2-of-4 passes for 3 yards. McNabb warmed up on the Birds' third possession, directing an eight-play, 65-yard drive to set up Akers' 20th field goal of the season (in 23 attempts). McNabb hit Pinkston for a 23-yard gain, then found Mitchell for 33 more to give the Eagles a first down at the Dallas 10. A holding penaly pushed the ball back to the 32, before Westbrook ran for seven yards and McNabb scrambled 21 yards to the Cowboys 4. McNabb nearly scored on the third-down run, but stepped out of bounds as he tried to turn the corner and reach the end zone. The temperature at kickoff was 30 degrees, but the wind chill factor made it feel like 12 degrees. |
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