Michael Vick's Weapons Torch Cowboys Sunday Night, Avenge 2009 Finish

Filed under: Cowboys, Eagles, NFC East

How important were third-year receiver DeSean Jackson and second-year running back LeSean McCoy to Philadelphia's 30-27 Sunday night victory at Dallas?

Let the numbers tell the story of how the Eagles avenged their humiliating losses to the Cowboys that prevented them from winning the NFC East in the 2009 finale and knocked them out of the playoffs the next week:

o. 216, the yards from scrimmage produced by Jackson, 91 on the go-ahead touchdown pass from quarterback Michael Vick in the fourth quarter.

"That was him making a play," Eagles coach Andy Reid said of Jackson. "It was a hitch route ... Michael hit him right on time (and) DeSean took care of the rest."

o. 153 -- the yards from scrimmage produced by McCoy, 50 on four straight touches as the Eagles played keepaway with their lead having been cut to just three points with little more than four minutes still to play.

"LeSean ... ran hard, explosive and the big O-line was coming off the ball," Reid said. "To be able to sustain a drive and wrap it up is a beautiful thing."

o. 60 -- the yards from scrimmage produced by all the rest of the Eagles, who also endured two interceptions by Vick, matching his total of his nine previous games.

Thanks to the 369 yards from scrimmage combined from Jackson and McCoy, Philadelphia moved into sole possession of the NFC East lead at 9-4, ensuring their ninth winning season in Reid's 12 seasons. The New York Giants (8-4) play the Minnesota Vikings Monday night at Detroit in a snow-delayed game, six days before playing host to the Eagles in a showdown for first place.

Jackson's 210 receiving yards, which included a 60-yard bomb from Vick on the opening play and about half of which came after he briefly had to leave the game with an ailing left ankle, were the third-most in Philadelphia history behind the 237 of Hall of Famer Tommy McDonald in a 1961 contest and the 221 by Kevin Curtis in 2007, the year before Jackson joined the Eagles. Jackson also became just the eighth NFL receiver to top 900 yards in each of his first three seasons, joining a list that includes Hall of Famers Bob Hayes and Jerry Rice.

 

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