Posted on 12/06/2004 9:03:15 AM PST by Libertarian4Bush
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Donovan McNabb usually puts up these numbers playing video games.
McNabb threw a career-high five touchdown passes in the first half and finished with a team-record 464 yards passing, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a 47-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Brian Westbrook had 11 catches for 156 yards and three TDs and Terrell Owens caught eight passes for 161 yards and one score. McNabb set a team record by completing his first 14 passes and finished 32-of-43.
"Statistically, it felt like playing a video game," McNabb said. "We were clicking on all cylinders. We spread the ball around. Everyone contributed. We sent that message out that week in and week out we come ready to play."
Meanwhile, Brett Favre threw two interceptions that led to Philadelphia's first two scores. His streak of games with a TD pass was snapped at 37, second in NFL history to Johnny Unitas' 47 straight.
The four-time NFC East champion Eagles (11-1) matched the best start in team history. They have won nine games by a double-digit margin and hold a two-game lead over Atlanta for first place in the conference.
Since losing to Pittsburgh 27-3 last month, the Eagles have won four in a row by at least 20 points, outscoring their opponents 151-50.
"I don't think there's any defense that can stop us," Westbrook said. "We can only stop ourselves with penalties and mistakes."
The Packers (7-5) snapped a six-game winning streak, but remained tied with Minnesota for first place in the NFC North.
"We can throw this one in the recycle bin," Favre said. "We didn't play very well. We didn't give much of an effort."
A rematch of a thrilling playoff game 11 months ago, this one never lived up to its hype. The Eagles scored four TDs in the second quarter, led 35-3 at halftime and rested most of their starters with 8:18 left.
The Packers were 72 seconds away from going to the NFC championship game last January, before the Eagles converted a fourth-and-26, tied the game in regulation and won in overtime. Philadelphia then lost the NFC title game for the third straight year, while Green Bay fired its defensive coordinator and agonized over the loss throughout the offseason.
For one quarter, this game was competitive.
McNabb lost a fumble inside Green Bay's 25 on Philadelphia's opening possession, but Favre was intercepted by Brian Dawkins on the ensuing drive.
Three plays later, McNabb and Owens connected on a 41-yard catch-and-run TD. Owens caught the ball at the 26, streaked down the left sideline, broke one tackle and leaped into the end zone for his 14th touchdown, breaking the team's single-season record.
"I just thank God for Donovan. It's special. I can't put into words what he means to me," Owens said.
Favre drove the Packers to Philadelphia's 15 early in the second quarter, but was intercepted by Sheldon Brown at the 7. McNabb then led the Eagles 93 yards, tossing a 9-yard pass to Westbrook for a 14-0 lead.
McNabb threw a 41-yard TD pass to Westbrook on Philadelphia's next drive, giving the Eagles a 21-0 lead. McNabb executed a perfect play-fake to fullback Josh Parry, who has no carries this season, and hit a wide-open Westbrook in the flat.
McNabb's 6-yard pass to L.J. Smith gave the Eagles a 28-0 lead, and his 12-yard toss to Westbrook made it 35-0 in the second quarter.
David Akers kicked four field goals in the second half.
Packers backup quarterback Craig Nall threw TD passes of 1 yard to William Henderson and 17 yards to Javon Walker in the fourth quarter.
Favre finished 14-of-29 for 131 yards. Running back Ahman Green wasn't a factor in his first game after sitting out with bruised ribs last week.
Eagles coach Andy Reid broke Greasy Neale's franchise record with his 67th win in his sixth season in Philadelphia.
"We're certainly not as bad as we looked," Packers coach Mike Sherman said. "We're a lot better than we played."
Game notes The 1949 Eagles finished 11-1, before winning the NFL championship. They started 11-1 in 1980, finished 12-4 and lost the Super Bowl. ... Green Bay hasn't won in Philadelphia since 1962, losing seven straight. ... McNabb has a career-high 28 TDs passes this season. ... Owens became the first Eagles player to reach 1,000 yards receiving since Irving Fryar in 1997. He broke the team record with his seventh 100-yard game. ... Favre's record streak of starts moved to 220, counting playoffs, and is almost 100 more than Ron Jaworski's previous NFL quarterback mark of 123. ... Favre has thrown seven picks in his last five games
they're making the plays that turn close losses into close wins. but they're not where indy is yet, and indy can't win in new england or pittsburgh. which is good, 'cause they're the only team I really fear.
oh yes he was. it was HEROIC of him to confront his demons. compare that to the coverage any other celebrity with a substance abuse problem, VH1 excepted.
Yes, I know. 1996 is NOT 2004. Some people will jump on anything, no matter how old, irrelevent, or idiotic...
Another half-witted statement from a Philly fan. Like we haven't heard THOSE before. /s/
Change "another division" to "the AFC" and I'll agree 100%. Right now, any team other than Philly or Atlanta (despite their apparent mental block against TB) in the NFC should be embarassed about being in the playoffs.
the media love afair with brett favre is sickening, and continued to be so yesterday. the Fox commentators were making excuses for him left and right, and were flat-out DESPONDENT that his little streaks got broken (wins, and games with TD pass). how many of those consecutive starts can he actually remember? but it's okay, 'cause he's a MAN's MAN. a COWBOY. a GUNSLINGER.
Well, considering he did it voluntarily, and wasn't dragged kicking and screaming to rehab or court-ordered into rehab because of criminal probes...
We SHOULD smile upon people who admit problems and seek help on their own. We are all human, and make mistakes, but it takes good decent people to own up to it and correct those mistakes themselves, instead of blaming others. Brett Farve IS a decent person, and is undeserving of the treatement he is receiving from you...
If you can't understand that, then you, my FRiend, are on the wrong website...
Yes. Their defense is solid and their offense is quite good. Super Bowl? Probably not, considering they'll have to get through New England and Pittsburgh (in either order) to get there, but a deserving division champion, no doubt.
the media love afair with McNabb is sickening, and continued to be so yesterday. but it's okay, 'cause he's a MAN's MAN. a COWBOY. a GUNSLINGER.
Oh bull. I was working in sports media at the time, and I remember it well. Just like anyone else, he had his supporters, but he had a lot of people kicking him while he was down.
It's obvious which category you're in.
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
Oh BOO HOO. LOL
You'd take Favre in a SECOND.
Forget another division, the other conference. I got a buck that says the NFC sends a 7-9 team to the playoffs while the AFC leaves an 11-5 team home.
I'm picking New England to take the Conference but I'm rooting for Pittsburgh.
right, and your irrational feelings regarding the people involved have NOTHING to do with it. yuo're a sore loser, with contempt for a team and a city that haven't even won anything. then you wonder why no one takes you seriously when you whine about kicking others while they're down. if YOU can't understand THAT, then YOU, my pest, are in for some serious disappointment.
Indy isn't for real. No team with that bad a defense is for real, their offense is for real but their defense is a joke. Too bad KC won't make the playoffs this year, that touchdown every possession game was funny.
that won't happen, but I think an 8-8 team goes (maybe the rams?) while the 10-6 Jets don't. the reverse happened about 15 years ago or so. oddly enough, you'd think that such a scenario is made even less likely by the "flattening" of the system (4 div + 2 wc now, as opposed to 3/3 in the past).
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
Actually, I'd think the "flattening" makes it more likely, as it becomes slightly more possible to have an enitre division of weak teams (can anyone say "NFC West"?) -- also, the new scheduling adds one more inter-conference game (up to 4 from 3), so in a year where one conference is significantly superior, they're going to win the bulk of those games, driving the average record up in their own conference and down in the other.
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