Phil Sheridan: Eagles learning from late comebacks?

Maybe it will all pay off somewhere down the line. Maybe the Eagles will be trailing in the fourth quarter in Dallas on Jan. 3, or in a playoff game, and they will draw on what happened these past two Sundays.

Maybe all this ticking-clock desperation against freefalling teams like Chicago and Washington will be worth it in the end. These wins can serve as dress rehearsals should the Eagles find themselves in a tight spot in January.

One thing is for sure, these comeback wins kept alive the Eagles' chances to reach the postseason.

"It can provide confidence," quarterback Donovan McNabb said. "Obviously, you want to stay away from that situation and make sure you secure the win early."

All the Eagles were able to secure early yesterday was mystified exasperation from fans who filled the Linc on a gorgeous late-November afternoon. Coach Andy Reid gave dead-in-the-water Washington buoyancy with an onside kick to open the game. It was the kind of bold move coaches use when they're desperate and, well, maybe Reid is at this point.

"That gave them momentum right at the beginning," Eagles safety Quintin Mikell said.

"We won the toss, you thought we'd take the ball," McNabb said. "We were able to overcome it. Don't know how many times we'll be able to do that."

Reid spotted Washington a 7-0 lead. Jason Campbell abused the Eagles' third-down defense to take leads of 14-10, 21-16 and finally 24-16 early in the fourth quarter.

Hey, Reid prides himself on being a successful quarterbacks coach. It took him one day to transform the enigmatic Campbell into Peyton Manning on third downs. After going without a touchdown in 12 consecutive possessions, Campbell led his team to three against the Eagles.

The Eagles opened their make-or-break drive 90 yards from the north goal line. McNabb got in touch with his inner Josh McDaniel, employing some of the potty-mouthed Broncos coach's motivational techniques in addressing the Eagles' young offense.

And it really is a young offense. McNabb is the only player left who started in the Super Bowl five years ago. Only two offensive linemen - Todd Herremans and Jamaal Jackson - were starters as recently as 2007. Everyone else is new. So the 33-year-old QB got loud in an effort to rally the kids.

"I'm kind of the lone wolf, a little bit," McNabb said. "When you have rookies, young guys, you have to do that. It's my job to do that. I take pride in it. The thing about it is, guys really stepped up to the challenge. ... You've got to try to get your point across. There's nothing soft-spoken on the sideline."

The words wouldn't have meant much if McNabb hadn't made two excellent throws to Jason Avant to advance the ball 66 sudden yards on the game-tying drive. The kick-start wouldn't have gotten the Eagles anywhere if McNabb hadn't made a perfect throw for a 35-yard gain by rookie Jeremy Maclin on the game-winning drive.

And it would all have been hot air if Avant hadn't made a terrific catch or two, if Maclin hadn't deked the defensive back by waiting until the last moment to raise his hands for the ball, if LeSean McCoy hadn't willed himself into the end zone on a 2-point conversion and if the Eagles defense hadn't finally made a couple of necessary stops.

Those things all happened in the fourth quarter. They all happened after the Eagles found a way to sharpen their focus and raise their game when it mattered.

"When you have a talented team like we have," McNabb said, "every now and then you have to bring that nasty attitude out. If it's sparked by me, by what I say or maybe my play or just being there, that's what I look forward to doing. Yes, they are young, but they've played enough games to know what to expect."

It is an important chemical equation to develop. To these young offensive players, McNabb is the veteran leader who made the big throws the last two weeks. He's the guy who took charge of that huddle and led two must-score drives in the fourth quarter yesterday.

"We had to stand up sometime," linebacker Jeremiah Trotter said.

That can only help this team's development.

"Obviously," fullback Leonard Weaver said, "the stigma has been around that we can't win and come from behind, and we've done it twice in a row."

"That's what good teams do," Avant said.

The Eagles have not proven that they're a good team this year. But maybe that starts with believing they are. And if a couple of comeback wins nurture that flickering confidence, then maybe what transpired here - the good and the bad - will serve the Eagles well when it matters most.

The fourth quarter of that next NFC championship game would be nice.