Eagles throttle Redskins in rematch, 59-28

FROM THE MORNING CALL

LANDOVER, Md. — Football or pinball?

Based on the way the Eagles tilted the Washington Redskins and kept turning the scoreboard over at FedEx Field in front of a national TV audience Monday night, it was too hard to tell.

Either way, it was Eagles 59, Redskins 28 in an NFC East rematch the Eagles seized control of on the first play from scrimmage and never let go.

Considering what happened when the Eagles last met the Redskins just six weeks and one day earlier, the result was as shocking as it was spectacular. These were the same teams that engaged in a lackluster 17-12 defensive scrum won by the Redskins on Oct. 3.

Monday's verdict came roughly three hours after a brief pregame skirmish and around nine hours after Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb, whom they acquired from the Eagles in the offseason, signed a five-year contract extension worth $78 million, with $40 million guaranteed.

All that money came before McNabb took his first snap since being benched in the closing minutes of a 37-25 loss to Detroit two weekends earlier.

"I thought we came out and played well from the get-go," Eagles coach Andy Reid said in an understatement. "I thought all phases did a good job. There were some plays we'd like to have back, but there were some good ones in there too."

The Eagles had 35 points before the Redskins had a first down and set the tone right at the start, when quarterback Michael Vick faked a handoff, rolled to his left on a bootleg and unloaded an 88-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson on the first play from scrimmage.

That play alone was the longest of both Pro Bowl players' careers as well as the longest first play from scrimmage in franchise history. And it was just a tease of the avalanche that would follow under the direction of Vick, who has established himself as an MVP candidate.

Vick was 20 of 28 for 333 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also carried eight times for 80 yards and a pair of rushing TDs while taking just one sack. He became the first player in NFL history with 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game.

And he led an attack that produced a franchise record 592 yards and the second most points in team history. "He's always been a great player, a great talent," wide receiver Jason Avant gushed. "And I think that here with Coach Reid and [offensive coordinator] Marty [Mornhinweg] and [backup QB] Kevin [Kolb] and guys helping him learn the offense and to study more -- I think that when he got here, he studied the game of football way more than he did when he was in Atlanta -- and you have competitors around here … to show him the ropes, it makes you a better player."

The Eagles were in the end zone less than five minutes after their first touchdown, when Vick finished off a 5-play, 63-yard drive by scrambling for a 7-yard touchdown.

A short field created by an interception by rookie Kurt Coleman set the Eagles up for their third touchdown. Coleman was behind Santana Moss when a perfect pass by McNabb went through Moss' hands. The ensuing 7-yard return set the Eagles up just 37 yards away.

This time, it took them six plays to punch it in, scoring on a perfectly executed shovel pass from Vick to LeSean McCoy that was reminiscent of the play McNabb and Brian Westbrook made famous in their days together in Philadelphia.

Then it was backup running back Jerome Harrison's turn. On the Eagles' next series, Harrison took a handoff, burst through an opening on the left side and rumbled 50 yards to the end zone.

Although the first quarter ended less than two minutes later, the Eagles scoring barrage wasn't even close to being over. On the first play of the second quarter, they struck again, with Vick launching a 48-yard bomb to Jeremy Maclin.

Not until after that play were the Redskins able to advance the football beyond 10 yards. But they did so spectacularly when McNabb connected with Fred Davis on a 71-yard pass that set up a 3-yard touchdown pass to Darrel Young on the next play.

When McNabb hit Anthony Armstrong with a 76-yard missile on the Redskins' next series, it set up a 6-yard touchdown pass to Keiland Williams on the next play (after a penalty). But 21 points was as close as the 'Skins would come, thanks to an interception by cornerback Dimitri Patterson -- the first of two for him in his second career start -- that set up another short field late in the second quarter.

Vick gained all but one of the yards himself on the 28-yard touchdown drive that followed, running for 21 yards to the 6, then taking it in from there two plays later.

David Akers added a 48-yard field goal with 25 seconds to go in the quarter, giving the Eagles a 45-14 advantage at intermission and their highest point total for a half in team history.

After a first half of quick scoring drives with all kinds of plays deep down the field, the Eagles put together a methodical 11-play series that covered 71 yards on their way to their seventh touchdown, achieved with the help of three third-down conversions. The score came when Vick fired a dart to Avant in the back of the end zone that went for a 3-yard score.

Not to be outdone, the Eagles' defense came through with a score shortly after that, when Patterson came through with his second interception and raced 40 yards to the end zone, strutting for the last 10.

That play was the final dagger and perhaps the best argument for keeping the starting job he was handed after Ellis Hobbs was injured against Tennessee on Oct. 24.

"I just wanted to show that I can tackle, I wanted to show that I'm smart, I can read routes and that you're not going to continue to throw over there," Patterson said, "because when you do, you're going to pay.

"I play opposite of a Pro Bowler, maybe a Hall-of-Famer [ Asante Samuel], and there's no secret about that. So, OK, you want to come over there, well you're going to pay. And that's what I want to show."

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