Paul Domowitch | Effect of a goal-line stand? Stand by

"We needed that," defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said of yesterday's determined, late-game stand by his unit that kick-started the Eagles' 33-25 come-from-behind win. "We needed something to turn momentum around because we didn't play real well to that point."

A Redskins team that entered the game ranked 20th in the league in total offense and was without its best wide receiver (Santana Moss), pushed Johnson's defense around for the better part of 55 minutes.

Clinton Portis rushed for 137 yards. Jason Campbell, who hadn't thrown a touchdown pass to a wide receiver all season, threw three. The Eagles were gashed for a season-high 25 first downs.

When the Redskins recovered a Donovan McNabb fumble with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter and quickly drove to the Philadelphia 7 on a pair of 9- and 8-yard runs by Portis, the Eagles had no margin for error.

Trailing by two, 22-20, they couldn't afford to let the Redskins get into the end zone. And they didn't. With the help of a costly false-start penalty on tight end Chris Cooley, they held them to a Shaun Suisham field goal. On the Eagles' next possession, Brian Westbrook took a McNabb screen pass 57 yards for a touchdown that gave the Eagles a lead they would never relinquish.

"It's all about making plays when you need to," middle linebacker Omar Gaither said. "We did that. It was just a matter of digging deep and having heart. It seemed grim down there. But we took on the challenge to keep them out of the end zone. We just got off the ball and made stops."

After the Eagles held Portis to a pair of 1-yard gains on first- and second down during the crucial stand, Redskins tight end Todd Yoder caught a pass but was stopped just short of the goal line. But a defensive holding penalty on an unidentified Eagle gave Washington a first down at the 3.

A 2-yard gain by Portis moved the ball to the 1. They gave it to Portis again, but defensive end Darren Howard, who has been a nonfactor all season, came in from the backside and caught Portis from behind for a 1-yard loss. The Redskins would have scored on the next play had Cooley not jumped before the snap. Ex-Eagle wide receiver James Thrash, who caught five passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns yesterday, was wide open in the end zone. But the play was quickly whistled dead.

"That was huge," said free safety Brian Dawkins. "The play they ran, that was a touchdown. Thrash was open in the flat. That was my guy. I was really happy to see that flag.

"They did a zigag motion in the backfield. They did it earlier in the game. The play went to the other side that time. I was anticipating them doing it again. But they came back to the tight end side. If they hadn't jumped offsides, it would have been a real hard play to try and make. Because he had me."

With a third down now back at the Eagle 7, Redskins coach Joe Gibbs nixed a throw into the end zone and went with a draw to Portis. He was stopped at the 3 by linebacker Takeo Spikes and cornerback Joselio Hanson.

"We felt like they might be playing soft and we would have the chance to pop something inside," Gibbs said. "They were dropping everybody and we felt like there was a chance to take the shot on the draw there and have a chance to get in."

The draw play didn't surprise the Eagles.

"We anticipated it," said Johnson. "It didn't surprise me."

Said Dawkins: "If you were to go back and look at their red-zone and especially, goal-line [tape], they do a great job of getting into the end zone. I think Clinton came into the game with six touchdowns, and at least five were from goal-line situations. They had a lot of confidence that, by making it up, they'd catch us in a different defense and be able to gash us. But we were ready for it."

THUMBS DOWN:

-- To Redskins coach Joe Gibbs for his curious decision to go for two after the Redskins' second touchdown in the second quarter. Kicker Scott Suisham missed the PAT after the first touchdown, but the second quarter is too early to be going for two. Jason Campbell's pass for Antwaan Randle El went incomplete.

DID YOU NOTICE?:

-- After giving up two 31-yard completions to James Thrash in the second quarter, cornerback Will James spent the second half on the bench. He was replaced as the nickel corner by Joselio Hanson.

-- Defensive end Jevon Kearse played just one snap in the first half, and didn't get into the game in the second half until there were fewer than 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Rookie second-rounder Victor Abiamiri got substantial playing time rotating with Juqua Thomas at left end.

-- Defensive end Darren Howard, who came into the game with just three tackles all season and has seen his playing time drastically reduced, had a big stop on the Eagles' fourth-quarter goal-line stand. -- Brian Westbrook had seven touches on the Eagles' game-opening 11-play, 82-yard touchdown drive. He also was the intended receiver on a pair of incompletions that were negated by Washington penalties.

-- The two costly poor throws by McNabb in the first half. He overthrew tight end Brent Celek on a third-and-2 play near midfield, which forced the Eagles to punt. Later, he overthrew Reggie Brown on a sideline route at the end of the first half that would have given the Eagles a first down at the Washington 30 and given David Akers a more makable field-goal attempt than the 53-yarder he came up short on. He also threw behind an open Hank Baskett on a two-point attempt following L.J. Smith's touchdown catch in the third quarter.

-- McNabb's poor throw to Brown on a deep ball in the fourth quarter actually paid off. Brown ran a post route against Redskins defensive back Pierson Prioleau. McNabb's pass was thrown behind Brown, who realized it before Prioleau and was able to adjust and catch the pass for a 45-yard TD.

BY THE NUMBERS:

-- The Eagles sacked Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell just once Sunday. They have 25 sacks, but 10 came in their win over the Lions. They've had one or zero sacks in five of their nine games.

-- The Eagles have given up six touchdown passes in the last two games. That's as many as they gave up in their first seven games.

-- For the first time this season, defensive end Trent Cole went back-to-back games without a sack.

-- Prior to forcing two fourth-quarter fumbles yesterday, they Eagles hadn't recovered an opponent fumble since Week 3. They have 5 for the season.

-- Redskins tight end Chris Cooley had five catches for 33 yards. For the season, opposing tight ends have caught 30 passes for 357 yards and four touchdowns against the Eagles.

-- James Thrash's two 31-yard second-quarter receptions were the first completions of 30 or more yards by the Redskins in 20 quarters.

-- Eagles wide receivers have 98 catches for 1,419 yards and seven TDs this season. Through nine games last year, they had 73 for 1,395 yards and 11 TDs.

-- Donovan McNabb rushed for three first downs against the Redskins. That's just one fewer than in the first eight games.

-- In their last five games, the Eagles have converted 34 of 68 third-down opportunities (50 percent).

-- McNabb was sacked just twice Sunday. It's only the third time this season that the Eagles have allowed fewer than 3 sacks in a game.

-- When the Eagles scored on their first possession Sunday, it was only the third time this season, the Eagles have put points on the board on their first possession.

-- McNabb didn't throw an interception against the Redskins. It was his sixth interceptionless game of the season. He has not thrown an interception in 12 of his last 19 regular-season starts.

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