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Parkey's FG lifts Eagles over Colts, 30-27

INDIANAPOLIS - Cody Parkey walked onto the field three seconds and a 36-yard field goal away from a 30-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts, the team's second straight come-from-behind victory to begin the season. Coach Chip Kelly relied on his rookie kicker to seal another double-digit comeback Monday night.

Eagles kicker Cody Parkey, punter/holder Donnie Jones and tight end James Casey celebrate after the game. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)
Eagles kicker Cody Parkey, punter/holder Donnie Jones and tight end James Casey celebrate after the game. (Yong Kim/Staff Photographer)Read more

INDIANAPOLIS - Cody Parkey walked onto the field three seconds and a 36-yard field goal away from a 30-27 win over the Indianapolis Colts, the team's second straight come-from-behind victory to begin the season. Coach Chip Kelly relied on his rookie kicker to seal another double-digit comeback Monday night.

Parkey made the field goal for the win, although the Eagles' celebration was halted when the officials awarded the Colts a timeout that they said Indianapolis called right before Parkey's kick.

So Parkey lined up again. The Colts had no timeouts to stop the second attempt, and the Eagles celebrated a victory that was bolstered by the dynamic ability of Darren Sproles and an opportunistic defense. The Eagles improved to 2-0.

"The one thing about this team is we're grounded, and it just means we're 2-0," coach Chip Kelly said of the comebacks. "It also means we have to execute better on both sides of the ball in the first half. You're not going to make a living continuing to be 17 down in this league."

The game changed when the Colts held a seven-point lead and were in field-goal range late in the fourth quarter to try to put the game out of reach. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck tried to find T.Y. Hilton, who appeared to be dragged to the ground by Brandon Boykin when the ball was in the air. The pass went right to Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, who made a pivotal interception.

The Eagles needed only five plays to tie the score. It helps to have Sproles, who continued proving he was a shrewd offseason acquisition by taking a short pass 51 yards to the Colts' 6-yard line. Jeremy Maclin caught a touchdown pass on the next play to tie the score at 27.

The Eagles defense came up with a critical stop to get the ball back for the offense. Nick Foles helped bring the Eagles into field-goal range. He first found Zach Ertz for 24 yards, then connected with Sproles for 17. Parkey's right foot handled the rest against his former team.

"Our equipment manager . . . said all week, 'You're going to hit the game-winner,' " Parkey said. "It's pretty crazy that it happened that way."

Sproles finished with seven catches for 152 yards. He also had 26 rushing yards and a touchdown. Foles said he used to play with Sproles in video games, and he's simply seeing what he saw the virtual Sproles do.

"He's just a dynamic football player, and we're really excited," Kelly said. "He can run it, he can catch it - he's a complete running back. And he really came up huge."

LeSean McCoy led the Eagles with 79 rushing yards and a score. Foles finished 21 of 37 for 331 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

One week after entering halftime with a 17-0 deficit, the Eagles trailed 17-6 at the break against. The Colts possessed the ball for 18 minutes, 17 seconds, keeping the Eagles offense off the field. Indianapolis also stymied the Eagles on their scoring chances.

The Eagles had drives stall at the Colts 20-yard line, 14, and 8. They scored only six points in those three possessions near the end zone. Parkey's missed 38-yard field goal did not help, but the Eagles needed those drives to result in touchdowns.

"We have to make sure, especially on the road, that we get touchdowns in the red zone," Foles said. "We just didn't execute in the red zone. I need to do a better job of that. . . . But when we got back in there, we made the most of our opportunities, and we got some touchdowns."

Just like the opening weekend, the Eagles rebounded from a lackluster first half. After the Colts built a 20-6 lead, the Eagles scored two touchdowns within two minutes to tie the game. McCoy rushed 1 yard after Riley Cooper drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, Fletcher Cox stripped Colts running back Trent Richardson at the Colts 26. DeMeco Ryans jumped on the ball, and momentum appeared to shift.

The Eagles tied the game with the help of two critical running plays. McCoy carried on third and 15 at the 31-yard line and juked his way for a 21-yard play to keep the drive alive. Three plays later, Sproles pinballed through the Colts defense for a 19-yard score. It was Sproles' second rushing touchdown in two weeks, and tied the game at 20.

In the locker room after the game, the consensus was that the Eagles can play better. Foles thinks he can play better, McCoy insists he can play better, Maclin pledges that he will play better. But the Eagles are 2-0 with a condensed week of preparation for their first NFC East game of the season, when Washington visits on Sunday. They're eager to see what a full game will look like - not just a second-half comeback.

"Hopefully we got it out of our system," Kelly said. "But we have to do a better job in the first half executing."

@ZBerm