Kolb comes through for Eagles in 27-24 win over 49ers

FROM THE MORNING CALL

SAN FRANCISCO — Kevin Kolb answered a bunch of questions positively about his overall ability Sunday night. Conversely, the Eagles' defense failed to do the same about being able to finish off an opponent after being handed a commanding late advantage.

What it amounted to in the end was too much drama for comfort on a national TV stage but a gratifying 27-24 victory nonetheless over the winless and desperate San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park.

The 49ers (0-5) turned what should have been a romp into a nail-biter by rallying with two touchdowns after falling behind by 14 points in the fourth quarter. But Kolb and the Eagles (3-2) were able to do enough to hold on for the win and remain in a first-place tie with New York and Washington in the NFC East.


Kolb completed 21 of 31 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown. He was helped by a running game that produced another 125 yards and did enough in the fourth quarter to avert what would have been a disastrous loss.

Considering how banged up the team was to begin with and then the injuries it sustained in the game, what the Eagles were able to accomplish was all that more remarkable.

Running back LeSean McCoy, who came in with fractured rib, contributed 92 yards on 18 carries and caught five passes for 46 more yards. He accomplished all that behind a line that lost left tackle Jason Peters for good to a knee injury in the first quarter and despite a knee injury that hampered top playmaker DeSean Jackson for a good portion of the second half.

Defensively, the Eagles lost tackle Brodrick Bunkley early to a hamstring injury and overcame the absence of cornerback Asante Samuel, who sat this game out with a concussion.

"That's what you mean when you say `battle,' "Kolb said. "Some guys stepped in off the bench. I don't know how many guys we had playing hurt out there. Quintin Mikell ... LeSean McCoy played his tail off with a broken rib, and that's hard to do."

That the Eagles succeeded in large part because of what Kolb did was not important.

"We were just so focused in on winning this football game that nothing else mattered," he said.

Kolb's 49ers counterpart, Alex Smith, threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted twice and received no ground support as the 'Niners were held to 74 yards on 22 running plays.

The second interception, which came when rookie Trevard Lindley stepped in front of a wounded duck caused by immense pressure from Trevor Laws in the closing seconds, sealed it.

The game began with what has become a disturbing pattern for the Eagles -- with a failure to hold on its first series following a big return that set up a short field.

Ted Ginn took the opening kickoff 44 yards to the 'Niners' 49, and his teammates marched methodically the rest of the way for a 7-0 lead. Three times they converted on third down, twice with eight yards or more to go.

Ex-Eagle and deep reserve Brian Westbrook even entered the mix on that drive, contributing a 6-yard run.

They scored when Smith hit Michael Crabtree with a 7-yard pass.

On the drive, the embattled Smith completed all four pass attempts for 40 yards.

But Kolb delivered the perfect answer, responding with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown march in which he went 6-for-6 for 72 yards. The scoring play might have been best of all, with Kolb pulling off a spectacular escape from a sack and then hitting Brent Celek, who dragged Taylor Mays into the end zone after making the catch at the 2.

Then Moise Fokou, making his first start at strong side linebacker in a bit of a desperation move by defensive coordinator Sean McDermott to stop the run, jarred the ball loose with a solid hit on Frank Gore, popping it loose for a turnover that set up a go-ahead field goal from 33 yards by David Akers.

"We just wanted to be flying around and making plays," Fokou said. "I just happened to be fortunate enough to make a play on that snap. I came in here focused on trying to be physical and I ended up having a pretty good day."

The defense forced another turnover on the next series when reserve cornerback Dimitri Patterson, in single coverage against Ginn deep down the right sideline, intercepted an underthrown pass by Smith.

Although the Eagles weren't able to get beyond their 20 before being forced to punt, they were able to turn around field position on an illegal block penalty tacked on to Sav Rocca's 51-yard punt.


That came into play when the 49ers went three-and-out on their ensuing series, setting up a short field that led to another Eagles' TD.

This time, it was McCoy breaking through a hole right up the middle and going 29 yards to the end zone for a 17-3 lead.

Kolb's only shaky moment came late in the first half, after the 'Niners' Joe Nedney had kicked a 50-yard field goal with under a minute remaining. Kolb lost a fumble on a sack by Manny Lawson, giving the 'Niners another shot.

But when a 13-yard pass to Crabtree was followed by an incompletion, Nedney missed from 40 yards with 5 seconds to go.

The Eagles' defense added a touchdown in the fourth when rookie end Brandon Graham chased Smith out of the pocket and forced a fumble as Smith attempted a sloppy pass while running to his left. Quintin Mikell picked it up and raced 52 yards the other way for a score and a 24-10 lead with 13:26 to go.

Smith, responding to chants of "We want Carr," directed a quick, 69-yard touchdown drive and followed it up with a 36-yard TD drive following another big kickoff return with under 5 minutes to go.

Fortunately for the Eagles, they had added a 45-yard field goal by Akers before that second TD. That score, which turned out to be the difference, was set up by a 38-yard kickoff return by Jorrick Calvin and a 22-yard pass from Kolb to Jeremy Maclin on the first play after that.

"Kevin had a tough task on his hand, just trying to make it work and get everybody into the game and involved and things like that," Jackson said. "I think we were able to do some things that we liked, and then again we did some things that we didn't like. So we just have to go back to the film and watch it and get on the same page."

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