IS FEELING THE VALENTINE'S DAY LOVE
Updating: The Eagles' defense is turning what could have been a runaway into a taut struggle. Can't get off the field.
Fortunately, the Giants' D isn't any better. 30-17 at the half, Birds, blocked extra point after Eagles' final TD.
The Giants fumbled the ball away on the final play of the half, which should not have been the final play of the half. Replays clearly showed two seconds remaining when Moise Fokou recovered Dominik Hixon's fumble.
Probably the worst-officiated half of this season, easily.
They didn't find any flags to throw on DeSean Jackson's 72-yard punt return TD, though.
Earlier: First the Giants got a field goal when a pick bounced off Jeremiah Trotter's hands and was caught by Kevin Boss. (It was a great catch by Boss, though). Then they got a touchdown four plays after a phantom illegal contact on Quintin Mikell converted a third and 11 for them. Replays showed no contact whatsoever. Mikell then whiffed on a tackle on a 68-yard TD pass to Hakeem Nicks.
The Eagles came back and should have had a touchdown on their next drive, but settled for a 20-yard David Akers field goal after frittering away second and goal from 2 on razzle-dazzle and then not getting a call on third and goal, when Brent Celek was blatantly held by Aaron Rouse. Oddly enough, ever since Tom Coughlin pitched a fit after a special teams penalty went against him, the Eagles can't buy a call.
It's 17-10 Birds, midway through the second.
Earlier: The rain has stopped but the Eagles haven't. Nothing like a 14-0 lead 5:20 into the game.
First the visitors went 67 yards in 6 plays after taking the opening kickoff. Could it be that they're actually getting this Michael Vick thing figured out? Big play in the drive was Vick's lone snap, on which he rolled right and threw 32 yards to DeSean Jackson, at the New York 7. Two plays later, Donovan McNabb hit Brent Celek from 8 yards for the TD. A red zone success, no less.
Then, the Giants were driving on their first possession when Brandon Jacobs lost the ball after being hit by Trent Cole. Sheldon Brown picked it up and pretty much jogged 60 yards for the TD
Crowd seems stunned. And soggy.
Earlier: The Eagles' inactives are up and wide receiver Kevin Curtis made a trip to scenic North Jersey for no reason; as he had indicated, he is not playing tonight. The team had listed Curtis as questionable and put him on the bus, perhaps just in case Jeremy Maclin's foot got worse or DeSean Jackson experienced unexpected concussion complications.
No surprises on the Eagles' list, which also includes corner Geoffrey Pope, RB P.J.Hill, RB Brian Westbrook, OL Stacy Andrews, OL Mike McGlynn, DT Trevor Laws and third quarterback Kevin Kolb.
No surprises for the Giants, either, unless you were a member of the Guy Whimper fan club; Aaron Ross is now a starting safety instead of a corner, a development that has taken place over the past few weeks
Stay tuned..
Les
Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News
since 2002.
Before that, he spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers. It took Les
only a few seasons after the switch to figure out that there was no
penalty box at the Linc, and that the time really wasn't his, despite
what Andy Reid kept saying. Les came to Philadelphia and the Daily News
from Charlotte in 1983. In the intervening years, he has pretty much
lost track of NASCAR, and his accent. He, his wife Barbara, and their
two sons live in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
E-mail Les at bowenl@phillynews.com
and follow
him on Twitter.
Paul
Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982.
He has spent most of his nearly 3 decades with the paper covering the
Eagles and pro football. For the last 10 years, he’s been a
selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A native of Wilkes-Barre
and a graduate of Wilkes University, Domo started his career in Texas,
working first for the Midland Reporter-Telegram (1976-78), and then for
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he covered some god-awful Texas
Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually was
boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose 2 sports coats to
blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley,
a University of Oklahoma grad who still hasn’t gotten over
that Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State 5 years ago, have 2 terrific
daughters -- Allison, 28, who is an attorney in South Jersey, and Amy,
25, who works in administration for a professional baseball team.
E-mail Domo at PDomo@aol.com and follow
him on Twitter.
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