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Eagles, Vick embarrass Redskins, McNabb

LANDOVER, Md. - Money can't buy everything, Donovan McNabb learned last night. Michael Vick, the quarterback McNabb helped bring back to the NFL in 2009, unfurled one of the greatest regular-season performances in NFL history, leading the Eagles to a 59-28 victory over the Redskins at soggy FedEx Field, which pretty much emptied at halftime.

Michael Vick racked up 333 passing yards and 80 rushing yards as the Eagles blew out the Redskins. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)
Michael Vick racked up 333 passing yards and 80 rushing yards as the Eagles blew out the Redskins. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)Read more

LANDOVER, Md. - Money can't buy everything, Donovan McNabb learned last night.

Michael Vick, the quarterback McNabb helped bring back to the NFL in 2009, unfurled one of the greatest regular-season performances in NFL history, leading the Eagles to a 59-28 victory over the Redskins at soggy FedEx Field, which pretty much emptied at halftime.

Vick did something no one had ever done, throwing for four touchdowns, running for two more, racking up 333 passing yards and 80 rushing yards as the Eagles romped to a 59-21 lead after three quarters.

"I could never have envisioned this," Vick said, when asked whether this was what he saw happening when he signed with the Birds in August 2009. "Signing here, I didn't even think I'd be starting as the quarterback this year."

Had Vick ever played better, at any level?

"I've had some great games in my day. I don't think I've had one quite like this one," Vick said on the night the Eagles piled up a franchise-record 592 net yards. They've scored more points only once before, when they got 64 one day in 1934 against the Cincinnati Reds.

"I'm proud of him," Eagles coach Andy Reid said of Vick. "He led our football team, our offense, the way you're supposed to lead it . . . He was in charge out there."

This certainly was not what the Redskins had in mind when they announced McNabb's 5-year, $78 million contract yesterday, with $40 million of it reportedly guaranteed. (There were insider-media whispers last night that the "real" guarantee could turn out to be far less.) The Redskins were poised to bask in the fond embrace of "Monday Night Football's" national media spotlight; when a cloud of reporters drifted into the press box an hour or so before the game, you figured maybe an important politician was on hand, but, no, the crowd was gathered around McNabb's agent, Fletcher Smith.

"I was happy for him. That's a lot of cash," Reid said, when asked about McNabb's deal. "He's pretty well set, I'd say."

McNabb got a rousing ovation as fireworks rocketed into the night when he was introduced. The Washington brass was looking ahead to a solid win and an official end to the controversy coach Mike Shanahan uncorked when he benched McNabb near the end of the previous game, a loss to Detroit on Oct. 31.

Alas, then came the kickoff.

When it was over, the 6-3 Eagles owned a share of the NFC East lead and had set the table for their own big-time media event, Sunday night's game against the New York Giants, who also are 6-3. Who knows, maybe the Birds will announce Vick's new contract over brunch? ("I'm not going to talk about any of that stuff," general manager Howie Roseman said in the postgame locker room, if you were wondering.) Vick finished the evening 20-for-28 for those 333 yards, the four previously mentoned TDs and a 150.7 passer rating.

"It stings anytime you literally get your ass whipped," Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth said. "It was embarrassing. I couldn't wait for the game to be over. They played like they were racking up BCS points. They should be ranked No. 1 now."

Turns out, when the Redskins defeated the Eagles, 17-12, on Oct. 3 in McNabb's return to Philadelphia, some of his former teammates didn't appreciate what he said afterward, when he noted that everyone makes mistakes, and declared the Eagles had made one by trading him.

That was a tough point to try to sell last night.

"That was incredible," Eagles strong safety Quintin Mikell said, when asked about Vick. "I've never seen anything like it, especially at the pro level."

Here is the relevant stuff from the most amazing first quarter you are likely to witness between two longtime rivals fighting for the lead in their division. ("I'd say it was a pretty good one, a pretty good first quarter," Reid said, smiling.) Just in case you forgot anything:

* First play from scrimmage, 88 yards and a touchdown from Vick to DeSean Jackson. Longest first play in franchise history, longest TD from scrimmage for either man. "What a first play," center Mike McGlynn marveled. "That really set the tone for us."

* Second Eagles drive, five plays to go 63 yards, Vick runs it in himself, diving past DeAngelo Hall on a play reminiscent of how Vick suffered torn rib cartilage Oct. 3. That day, he was crunched short of the goal line by Hall and Kareem Moore. This time, he slipped Hall's hit and scored.

* After McNabb was pressured on third down and threw a pick to Eagles rookie safety Kurt Coleman, starting his first NFL game, Vick shovel-passed to LeSean McCoy 11 yards for a TD and a 21-0 lead.

* Next Eagles possession, Jerome Harrison, who entered the evening with two Eagles carries for 6 yards, ran through the entire Washington defense, 50 yards for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead.

* It wasn't part of the first quarter, but it was the first play of the second quarter, so we're throwing it in for no extra charge - Vick to Jeremy Maclin, 48 yards and a touchdown, upheld after a Washington challenge. Thirty-five to nothing, Eagles.

* Vick completed all eight of his first-quarter passes, for 181 yards and two TDs. He was 10-for-10 before he threw incomplete.

* Total net yards for the first quarter were 280-23.

The Redskins almost got back into it with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns, but that just gave Reid (and Vick) reason to keep the foot on the gas. Vick's second TD run made it 42-14 with 3:34 left in the first half, the Birds capitalizing on the first of former Redskin Dimitri Patterson's two interceptions, in his second NFL start.

David Akers made it 45-14 with 25 seconds left in the half, also setting a team record for first-half scoring, eclipsing that 42-point first half against Detroit in the blue-and-yellow-uni game, Sept. 23, 2007.

McNabb led Washington to a TD that made it 45-21 early in the third, but the Eagles drove right down and got those seven points back, Vick scanning the field for a full 7 seconds before finding Jason Avant at the back of the end zone. It was 52-21.

Then McNabb tried to power a throw to the outside off his back foot and Patterson jumped the pattern for a 40-yard pick-six. Fifty-nine to 21.

Some stuff happened after that, probably, but no one was watching. In the stadium, most of the people remaining for the fourth quarter were wearing very wet Eagles clothing.

McNabb's big, celebratory night was washed away. He finished 17-for-31 for 295 yards, two TDs, three INTs and a 69.4 passer rating, less than half Vick's rating.

Shanahan's face was the same color as his maroon rain poncho.

"We've got a good team," Patterson said afterward. "A good young team. A talented team. And we've got Michael Vick. He's amazing."

Birdseed

Ernie Sims got an ankle injury X-rayed . . . The Redskins converted none of their 10 third downs . . . Jorrick Calvin fumbled twice on returns but the 'Skins didn't recover either miscue . . . Dimitri Patterson's only previous interception came 5 years ago, when he was a Redskin . . . Andy Reid finally inserted Kevin Kolb with 2:13 left . . . The only two teams to score more than 59 points in a game against Washington, the Bears in 1940 and the Browns in '54, won the league championship that year. Of course, the Bears pretty much had to, since they did it in the championship game . . . Jerome Harrison gained 109 yards on 11 carries . . . The Eagles did not have a 100-yard receiver. DeSean Jackson managed 98 yards on his two catches. *

For more Eagles coverage and opinion, read the Daily News' Eagles blog, Eagletarian, at www.eagletarian.com.

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