Eagles-Broncos: Three Factors From Philadelphia’s Win Over Denver

In a game that ended up being a lot closer than it should have been, the Philadelphia Eagles came through with a field goal with just a few seconds to spoil Brian Dawkins' homecoming in a 30-27 win over the Denver Broncos.

With the win, the Eagles not only kept their playoff hopes alive, but still have a chance at the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the postseason thanks to the Chicago Bears win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Eagles lose 17-point lead in second half

After Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Donovan McNabb halfway through the third quarter to make it a 27-10 game, Philadelphia seemed to be well on their way to a sixth-straight win. That was until Denver received a second life.

The Broncos went on to score 17 unanswered points after kicker Matt Prater tied the game on a 46-yard field goal with just over six minutes left to play. All of a sudden, the Eagles were on the verge of losing for the first time since Week 10.

Thanks to terrific foot work on a 27-yard reception by Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in what ended up being the game-winning drive, Philadelphia still has a chance of receiving a first-round bye in the postseason.

The inconsistency and collapse by the Eagles' offense

When the Eagles jumped out to a 27-10 lead after Avant's 15-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter, their offense seemed to be unstoppable against the Broncos' defense. Unfortunately, the offense suffered a similar collapse to the one against the Washington Redskins in Week 12.

Towards the end of the third quarter, the Eagles' offense failed to get anything going against the Broncos' defense. Four straight drives consisted of three-and-outs with McNabb finishing 1-of-5 for seven yards and getting sacked twice.

Lucky for them, the offense snapped out of their late funk and showed up when it mattered the most on the final drive to set up the game-winning field goal by Akers from 28 yards out. However, the Eagles offense needs to be consistent throughout the entire game if they have any chance of winning in Dallas next weekend.

The Return of Weapon X: Brian Dawkins

When Dawkins signed with the Broncos last March, was the one date Eagles fans had circled as the one game they could not wait to see this season. They realized how emotional it would be for the 68,000+ on hand at Lincoln Financial Field to see the return of a player who bled green and played his heart out for Philadelphia the last 13 years.

At the end of the day, Philadelphia could have not asked for a better outcome in what could end up being the last game Dawkins plays at Lincoln Financial Field. Not only did the Eagles come through with the win, but Dawkins managed to have an impressive performance for the Broncos, leading the team with seven tackles in the game.

He also received a well-deserved standing ovation as he was introduced at the beginning of the game.

Many imagined numerous scenarios for Dawkins in his return against the Eagles. What if he laid-out DeSean Jackson? What if he picked off McNabb? Lucky for the Eagles, he was able to have a solid game without any of the above happening.

Philadelphia Eagles Control Their Playoff Destiny for the No. 2 Seed

With the holiday season wrapping up, the Philadelphia Eagles are sending a special thanks to the Chicago Bears—especially quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Devin Aromashodu.

After the Bears upset the Minnesota Vikings in overtime on Monday Night Football, the Eagles control their own destiny and have a chance to lock up the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye with a win over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday.

The Vikings seemed to be a lock for the second seed in the NFC a few weeks ago, but have dropped three of their last four games after beginning the season 10-1. As exciting as this may be for a team on a six-game winning streak, Philadelphia knows they could easily miss out on not only a first-round bye, but a home game at Lincoln Financial Field as well.

The Cowboys currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Eagles after a 20-16 win in Philadelphia back during Week Nine. They may have a chance to lock up the No. 2 seed with a win, but the Eagles could also lose the NFC East title with a loss to the Cowboys.

It’s hard to imagine the Eagles controlling their own destiny for the No. 2 seed in the postseason. After dropping to 5-4, Philadelphia has won their last six games—including three games decided by scoring on their final drive of the game.

Of course, they are not only team looking to earn a first-round bye in the playoffs. If the Eagles lose, the Vikings, Cardinals, and Cowboys are all capable of clinching the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

• Vikings clinch with win and Eagles loss

• Cardinals clinch with win and losses by Eagles and Vikings

• Cowboys clinch with win and losses by Vikings and Cardinals

For the second-straight season, the Eagles and Cowboys will square off in Week 17 with plenty on the line. At least this time around, both Philadelphia and Dallas have already clinched a playoff berth—it’s just a matter of seeding at this point.

Dallas Cowboys Show Why This December Is Different From Previous Seasons

The Dallas Cowboys spent the first few weeks of December hearing about their struggles during the month of December, after two losses to the New York Giants and San Diego Chargers.

After handing the New Orleans Saints their first loss of the season—at the Louisiana Superdome—it's safe to say this is a different team, ready to put their previous December struggles behind them.

The Cowboys did what no other team has been able to do this season, by defeating the Saints 24-17 in a statement to keep Dallas alive in not only the playoffs, but the NFC East.

They knew coming in how important a win would be, considering how the NFC could play out the last three weeks of the regular season.

With a loss, the Cowboys would have fallen to 8-6, leaving the Philadelphia Eagles a chance to take a two-game lead in the NFC East and the Giants a chance to claim the No. 6 seed in the NFC if both teams won Sunday.

Instead, the Cowboys remain in control of the No. 6 seed and have a chance to reclaim first place in the NFC East if the Eagles lose to the San Francisco 49ers.

Despite their previous struggles in December, the Cowboys deserve some credit for their two losses to the Giants and Chargers—especially quarterback Tony Romo.

Prior to this season, Romo has been criticized for his inability to perform well in the month of December with a 5-9 record. While the record now sits at 6-11, his performance this month has been nothing short of outstanding.

In three games this December, Romo has completed 82-of-119 attempts for 953 yards and three touchdowns. He's also posted a quarterback rating of 107.9.

He may have struggled in the past, but Saturday's win over the Saints shows Romo has the Cowboys exactly where they should be to make a strong run at the playoffs.

His decision making against the Saints on when to throw and run the ball while under pressure shows how different he is as a player and a leader this time compared to previous Decembers.

The Cowboys' win against the Saints may have been just one game, but they made a statement by winning against a team no one else was capable of beating. After defeating the Saints on their home turf, Dallas has every reason to believe the December talks are finally over, and they can win against any team in the NFC.

The Michael Vick Experiment Is Slowly Becoming Effective For Philadelphia Eagles

After a frustrating first 11 games of the regular season, the Philadelphia Eagles have found a way to use quarterback Michael Vick effectively in the offense the last two weeks in wins over the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants.

Prior to a Week 13 matchup against the Falcons, the only significant part about the Vick signing was a 34-yard run against the Chicago Bears in Week 11. In the first seven games of the season, he completed just 2-of-7 passes for a total of six yards. He also struggled to gain anything with his legs, running for just 27 yards on just 12 attempts. While it’s hard to criticize his performance because of the small amount of time he sees each game, these were far from the numbers expected from the once-dominant Vick.

Every time head coach Andy Reid called upon Vick at the beginning of the season, he just seemed completely out of sync in the Eagles’ offense. Players and viewers would hold their breath wondering if this would be the explosive play where Vick broke free down the field as he did a few years ago with the Falcons.

Instead, he appeared to struggle with helping the offense even gain just a few yards. After his signing was one of the most hyped-up stories at the beginning of the season, Vick was starting to be labeled as a bust by the media.

Now, Vick appears to be at a level where he can make major contributions to the Eagles offense after slowly progressing over the course of the season. In the wildcat formation, he has completed 3-of-4 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for two touchdowns as well.

With the playoffs quickly approaching, Vick has finally reached a playing level where Reid and the rest of the Eagles feel confident in his play-making ability. If he keeps this up for the rest of the season, he could make one dangerous weapon for Philadelphia come playoff time as he seems to progressively get better each week.

What Was Wade Phillips Thinking on Cowboys' Last Drive Against Chargers?

After a recent 20-17 loss to the San Diego Chargers, the Dallas Cowboys and their recent struggles in December have become one of the hottest topics in sports—again.

With three weeks left in the regular season, the Cowboys currently hold the final Wild Card spot in the NFC after sitting first in the NFC East since Week Nine.

With two losses in a row to the New York Giants and Chargers by a combined 10 points, the Cowboys need to recuperate quickly if they plan on making the playoffs this season.

One of the main concerns in last Sunday's loss to the Chargers was the decisions made with play calling on the final drive of the game. Down 20-10, Dallas had less than two minutes to find a way to score quickly and attempt to get the ball back on an onside kick after San Diego wasted 7:17 on their previous drive.

Dallas was forced to start from its own 14-yard line after the trickery play where Felix Jones lateraled to Miles Austin failed on the following kickoff return. As the Cowboys moved further down the field, the clock continued to wind down since all their timeouts had been used.

In this situation, the smart approach for the Cowboys to take seemed to be to find the quickest way to score and get the ball back through an onside kick since it was a two-possession game. So what stopped Wade Phillips from kicking a field goal from the San Diego 18 with a little over 20 seconds left in the game?

A field goal would have put the Cowboys down 20-13 with around 20 seconds left in the game and at least a shot of finding the end zone before time expired.

Instead, Dallas was left with seven seconds on the clock after Tony Romo found Austin in the end zone for the nine-yard touchdown. Seven seconds to recover an onside kick and drive about 30-40 yards to get in Nick Folk's kicking range to attempt a last-second field goal.

Exactly.

The Cowboys needed more than seven seconds to have any shot at tying the game. While it may have been a long shot for Romo and company to actually tie the game given the circumstances, Phillips should have done what was best for Dallas to stay alive—kick the quick field goal and attempt the onside kick since it would have happened no matter what.

Even the look on Romo's face after he threw the touchdown pass to Austin displayed signs of frustration since he knew how unlikely it was for Dallas to tie the game with such little time left.

Give the Chargers credit for defeating the Cowboys and winning their 16th straight game in the month of December. They went on the road and made a statement as to why they deserve a first-round bye in the playoffs.

As far as the Cowboys, they have a tough schedule ahead of them with two upcoming games against the 13-0 New Orleans Saints and 9-4 Philadelphia Eagles the next three weeks.

If the Cowboys find themselves down late in the fourth quarter looking for a game-tying drive, maybe Phillips will use what happened against the Chargers as a lesson on what plays he decides to use.

Dallas Cowboys Look to End December Woes Against San Diego Chargers

It may have been just one week, but the Dallas Cowboys 31-24 loss to the New York Giants last week is already causing the media to write them off for another December collapse.

Unfortunately, the December collapse talk will haunt the Cowboys until they finally make it past the first round of the playoffs and find a way to win the big games in December.

With an 8-4 record heading into Week 14, the Cowboys host the 9-3 San Diego Chargers as they look to end the negative December talk and maintain first place in the NFC East. Holding a one-game lead in the AFC West, San Diego travels to Dallas on a seven-game winning streak.

Despite their loss in the Meadowlands last weekend, Dallas has developed a win streak of its own, winning the last five games at Cowboys Stadium. While one team's streak will come to an end, the Cowboys are concerned with a streak that has developed over the last three years for the Chargers.

Even though the Cowboys have won their last five games at home, San Diego is the last team Dallas wants to face in this type of situation because of the Chargers success in the month of December.

While the Cowboys have struggled during the Tony Romo era in December (5-9), the Chargers have flourished in the final month of the regular season under head coach Norv Turner. Last week's win over the Cleveland Browns improved his record to 10-0 in the month of December since taking over as head coach for San Diego in 2007.

The Chargers are the last team in the NFL the Cowboys want to face in this type of situation. With two teams looking to stay at the top of their division down the stretch of the season, it should be a tough matchup between Dallas and San Diego on Sunday.

If the Cowboys win, the media may give them the credit they deserve for winning against a playoff caliber team in the Chargers during the month of December.

If they lose, expect another week of the media talking about how the Cowboys are on their way to another December collapse and a shot of missing the playoffs.

Andy Reid’s Extension Draws Mixed Emotions From Philadelphia Eagles Fans

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid signed a three-year extension on Tuesday to keep him through 2013. He is expected to make around $5-$6 million each season.

While the numbers may show he deserves the extension, the extension has drawn mixed emotions from the Philadelphia fan base.

Reid has the best winning percentage of any head coach in Eagles history (.611) and has won 115 games in 11 seasons. He’s led the team to five NFC East titles and taken Philadelphia to the playoffs in seven of his first 10 seasons–including five trips to the NFC Championship in eight seasons.

However, despite all the winning success, he has failed to achieve the one thing fans want the most: a Super Bowl.

With all of the success behind the Eagles, it’s amazing they’ve failed to even win one Super Bowl during the Andy Reid era.

Five trips to the NFC Championship game–including four in a row from 2002-05. Of those four straight games, the last three were hosted in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the Eagles were never able to reach the Super Bowl until the fourth trip in 2005 when they defeated the Atlanta Falcons 27-10. Unfortunately, the Eagles lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX 24-21.

The fans in Philadelphia who are happy Reid received the extension are the ones who realize the type of success he’s had as a head coach–despite the fact he has yet to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl. The fans who are unhappy with the extension are the ones who look past the winning percentage and trips to the playoffs and feel he would only deserve the extension if Philadelphia had at least one Super Bowl title from the five trips to the NFC Championship.

With four games remaining, Reid needs one more win to record his eighth winning season in 11 years as head coach for the Eagles. Unfortunately, the only way for him to make the entire Philadelphia fan base happy with his extension is to bring the city its first ever Super Bowl victory.

For Reid’s sake, hopefully it will come sometime before 2013.

How Strength Of Remaining Schedule Could Determine the NFC East Champion

With four weeks remaining in the regular season, the NFC East is still up for grabs between the Dallas Cowboys (8-4), Philadelphia Eagles (8-4), and New York Giants (7-5). Each of the three teams has as good of a chance of hosting a home play-off game as the other, and this division may not be determined until the final week of the regular season.

While each team seems to beat up on each other in this fierce division, the strength of remaining schedule for could have a major impact on who is crowned NFC East Champions in 2009.

Dallas Cowboys

Out of the three teams, the Cowboys may have the most difficult remaining schedule of all. As of now, they have the most control considering their head-to-head win over the Eagles from Week Nine.

Three of their remaining four games are against teams that would be in the play-offs if the season ended today and have a combined 29-7 record. With the AFC West leading San Diego Chargers coming to town this weekend, they finish out the season with a home matchup against the Eagles—which could end up determining which teams is crowned NFC East Champion.

Along with two difficult home games, the Cowboys must travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints, who are flirting with a perfect record, and FedEx Field to take on the Washington Redskins.

While the Redskins sit at 3-9 and are officially eliminated from winning the NFC East, they have played better than their record indicates the last three weeks. They have lost three games in a row by a combined 10 points, including a 7-6 loss against the Cowboys in Week 11.

Philadelphia Eagles

With the success in the month of December during the Andy Reid era, there is every reason to believe the Eagles will make another strong run to claim their first NFC East title since 2006.

Not only have the Eagles won 12 of their last 15 December games, but they are 29-13 in that month since Reid's second season as head coach.

However, just because they have recent success doesn't mean the Eagles will fly through the month of December—especially with the type of schedule that lays ahead of them.

The Eagles travel to the Meadowlands Sunday to take on a Giants squad, looking for revenge after being embarrassed 40-17 in Philadelphia earlier this season, before two home games against the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. They end the season on the road in a crucial game at Cowboys Stadium that could end up determining their play-off fate.

Back in Week 11, the Eagles recorded their first win on Sunday Night Football after losing their first seven games since NBC took over broadcasting rights in 2006. With the upcoming Week 14 matchup against the Giants on NBC, it should be interesting to see whether or not Philadelphia can increase their record to 2-7 on Sunday Night Football.

New York Giants

After a 5-0 start, the Giants appeared to be on their way to a second-straight NFC East title. Since then, they have lost five of seven and are back in the division hunt after a 31-24 win over the Cowboys last weekend.

Out of the three teams fighting for the NFC East title, the Giants may have the best advantage when it comes to their remaining schedule. Other than this week's matchup against the Eagles, the Minnesota Vikings are the only team on their remaining schedule with a record above .500.

After a matchup against the Redskins on Monday Night Football in Week 15, the Giants welcome the 5-7 Carolina Panthers to the Meadowlands for their final regular season game at Giants Stadium. While their remaining schedule may be more favorable, New York still has the disadvantage being one-game back of Dallas and Philadelphia in the NFC East standings.

However, a win over Philadelphia Sunday night would at least move New York up in the Wild Card standings. The Giants have made late-season runs before and they could easily do it again in the final stretch of the 2009 regular season.

Washington Redskins Release Shaun Suisham, Sign Graham Gano

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Washington Redskins have released kicker Shaun Suisham, two days after he missed a 23-yard field goal that most likely would have most likely sealed a victory over the undefeated New Orleans Saints.

Two weeks ago, Suisham missed two field goals--39 yards and 50 yards--in a 7-6 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. After starting the season a perfect 12-for-12 on field goals, he has missed three of his last nine attempts.

As his replacement, the Redskins have signed former Florida State standout Graham Gano, who was considered one of the top prospects in this year's draft. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent before being waived back in September

One Small Win for Philadelphia Eagles, One Giant Vick-tory for No. 7

When the Philadelphia Eagles signed quarterback Michael Vick to a two-year contract in August, the one game that stuck out was Dec. 6–a Week 13 matchup at the Georgia Dome against the Atlanta Falcons, his former team.

At first, it seemed this trip would consist of a hostile environment as Vick returned to play on the same field he played the beginning of his career with before dog fighting charges. Many expected a stadium full of boos from the fans who felt betrayed for him abandoning the franchise.

Turns out, this was far from the case.

There were mixed emotions on Sunday that consisted of cheers and boos as Vick made his way out of the tunnel for the first time. Eagles head coach Andy Reid even designated him as one of the captains for the game and let him lead the team on the field out of the tunnel.

When he made his way on to the field in the first quarter, he was greeted with the same mixed emotions he heard after running out from the tunnel–only this time there seemed to be more cheers.

As the cameras glanced across the stadium, there were a handful of fans supporting Vick with their No. 7 jersey–both Falcons and Eagles–showing their support for his first play at the Georgia Dome since December 2006. His first play may have just been a short three-yard run, but it was a play Vick will remember for the rest of his career.

While his first play against his former team was meaningful, no two plays meant more to Vick than his two touchdowns that came in the second half.

The Eagles received the ball at the beginning of the third quarter, holding on to a 13-0 lead. After marching down the field into Atlanta territory, Philadelphia found themselves facing a 3rd-and-1 on the Falcons' five. Reid called upon Vick for the wildcat formation in hopes of gaining just a first down.

Not only did he pick up the first down for the Eagles, but Vick found his way to the end zone for the first time since 2006. While the touchdown increased Philadelphia’s lead to 20-0, the Eagles’ sideline erupted with excitement as if they had just scored the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl.

All of the Eagles players could not have been happier for a player who has worked so hard the last three months to try and work his way back up to the type of player he was a few years ago. He was welcomed by smiles and hugs from the coaches and players–along with cheers from the handful of fans wearing his jersey in the stands.

Football fans—especially Eagles—had waited 12 weeks to see Vick score his first touchdown since his reinstatement into the league. Each time he would line up at quarterback, fans held their breath wondering if this was the play he would break loose and run down the field like he did a few years ago.

He may have done wrong in the past, but no matter how fans feel about what he did, they can’t help but feel happy for the irony behind his first touchdown of the season coming against his former team.

As exciting as his first touchdown was, there was just as much excitement behind his first passing touchdown of the season, when he found tight end Brent Celek for a five-yard touchdown on the Eagles next drive. On the day, he finished 2-of-2 for 48 yards and ran for 17 yards to go along with his two touchdowns.

Vick knew his return to Atlanta would be special for him, his former teammates, and the fans in the Georgia Dome who still love him for what he did in his six years with the Falcons. What made Sunday’s win even more special for him was the fact he played a major role in the victory.

Vick has said all along that his main goal was to do whatever it takes to help the Eagles reach the Super Bowl and Sunday’s game against his former team showed. From the fans in Philadelphia, congratulations Mike for your amazing performance against the Falcons. While the victory alone felt great to keep the Eagles alive as strong playoff contenders in the NFC, it felt even better to see No. 7 find the end zone not once, but twice.

Cowboys-Giants: Despite Loss To New York, Dallas Deserves Credit For Performance

Now that the Dallas Cowboys lost their first December game of the season, all the media will talk about for the next week is how Tony Romo and company are on their way to another collapse in the final month of the 2009 regular season.

However, it's unfair to jump to conclusions when not looking at the scenario from both teams.

The Cowboys entered Sunday's game with an 8-3 record and a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.

On the other hand, the Giants came in losing five of their previous six and were hoping to stay in the playoff hunt as a potential Wild Card team— especially since the Eagles defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-7 earlier in the afternoon.

If the Giants lost to the Cowboys, they would have dropped two games back of the Eagles and Green Bay Packers just to make it as a Wild Card team.

With four games remaining in the regular season, they would most likely would have to win-out the next four games and hope for help from other teams just to even have a shot at making the playoffs.

Instead, they treated the game against the Cowboys as a playoff-type game to have a better control over their own destiny.

While the Cowboys dropped to 8-4, they still hold the tiebreaker over the Eagles in the NFC East after a 20-16 win at Lincoln Financial Field in Week Nine. Dallas may have a history of struggling in the month of December, but they deserve some credit for their performance against New York— especially Romo.

Romo finished completed 41-of-55 passes for 392 yards— both career highs— and three touchdowns. Cowboys tight end Jason Witten caught 14 receptions for 156 yards and wide receiver Miles Austin recorded his fourth 100-yard game of the season after hauling in 10 receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown.

Roy Williams also found the end zone twice, finishing with six receptions for 60 yards.

It's hard not to criticize the Cowboys for losing their first game of December with their history of struggling in the Tony Romo era (5-8). However, they deserve some credit considering they lost to a good (and hungry) Giants team desperate for a win to keep their season alive.

Redskins Left Kicking Themselves (Again) After Loss to Saints

The Washington Redskins were on the verge of handing the New Orleans Saints their first loss of the season in what would have been one of the most shocking upsets of the year.

Instead, they find themselves frustrated, missing another opportunity to come through with a win because of a missed field goal by kicker Shaun Suisham.

With 1:56 left in the game, the Redskins were holding on to a 30-23 lead at the Saints' four-yard line. All the Redskins had to do was kick a field goal, which would have increased the lead to 10 and most likely put an end to the Saints' undefeated season.

Instead, Suisham's 23-yard field goal attempt went wide right, allowing the Saints new life and a chance to tie the game. Five plays later, Saints quarterback Drew Brees found wide receiver Robert Meachem for 53 yards down the middle to tie the game 30-30 before New Orleans went on to win in overtime.

The Redskins have now lost three games in a row by a combined seven points. While Suisham made his only field goal attempt against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, he missed two field goals from 39 yards and 50 yards against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11 that ended up making a difference in a 7-6 loss.

With the loss, the Redskins drop to 3-9 on the season and are left thinking about the respect they would have earned being the first team to beat the Saints all season. All they had to do was kick a 23-yard field goal that would have sealed the game.

Unfortunately, the missed chip shot is just a small chapter of this season's story for the Redskins and their fans