"That was a good way to do it," Eagles coach Andy Reid said after his team improved to 6-4 and remained a game behind the first-place Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East. "Being able to come from behind against a good football team . . . I think that's a plus."

The drive that allowed the Eagles to end a two-game losing streak followed a blocked field goal attempt by rookie Antonio Dixon.

With the Eagles down by three points, the Bears had taken over when McCoy was stripped of the football by cornerback Charles Tillman at the end of a 17-yard run. Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer recovered at the Eagles' 37, which meant the Bears were already in field goal range.

On a fourth and 3 from the 30, Robbie Gould was sent on for a 45-yard attempt, well within the powerful kicker's range. But Dixon, with an assist from linebacker Joe Mays, denied the attempt with the first blocked field goal of his career.

"Joe Mays pushed me from behind and I blew the guard up," Dixon said. "I got my hands up and I caught it."

The importance of that play wasn't lost on Dixon's teammates.

"That probably made the game for us right there," safety Quintin Mikell said.

Nobody was happier about the blocked kick than McCoy.

"It was like a million pounds lifted off me," McCoy said.

After his fourth-quarter fumble, McCoy received nothing but encouragement from the sideline.

Jackson told the rookie he was going to score the game-winning touchdown.

"Yeah, he told me that," McCoy said after running for 99 yards on 20 carries. "He said, 'I got one, and we're going to get it together.' But DeSean's crazy."

Dixon's blocked kick gave the Eagles outstanding field position at their own 38-yard line and Donovan McNabb and the offense put together a perfectly executed drive.

McNabb completed 5 of 6 passes on the drive for 31 yards and also picked up a first down with a quarterback sneak on a third-and-one play from the 47-yard line. The quarterback's biggest throw on the game-winning drive was a third-and-6 completion to Jackson for a first down at the 10.

McCoy followed with a 10-yard run for the game-winning touchdown.

"It wouldn't have matter if we would have won, 3-2," McNabb said after completing 23 of 32 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. "This was a game we definitely needed to come out and win by any means necessary. I thought today as a team we pulled together . . . and we were just waiting to see who would come up with the big play."

The defensive combination of Tracy White and Sean Jones sealed the win on the Bears' final possession. White knocked a Jay Cutler pass into the air and Jones intercepted it.

After the game, McNabb spoke with Cutler on the field. McNabb did most of the talking into Cutler's ear, and the exchange ended with a hug.

McNabb declined to be specific in an interview with NBC, but said of the chat, "It's a fraternity we have with quarterbacks. . . . Keep strong, keep confident, and things will work out."

Cutler also declined to be specific, but said of McNabb, "He's a first class guy, a guy I've admired from afar. He's gone through some ups and downs. I think one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He's a first-class dude."

The Eagles managed to erase a 12-10 deficit with the quick-strike offense midway through the third quarter that has been their trademark most of this season.

The two-play, 30-second drive started with a 16-yard pass to Jeremy Maclin and ended one play later with a 48-yard TD pass from McNabb to Jackson.

That score was redemption for Jackson, who on consecutive plays in the second quarter created a scoring opportunity that he immediately let slip away. First he returned a punt 53 yards to Chicago 39, then he lost a fumble that Chicago recovered at the 33-yard line.

Immediately after Jackson's go-ahead score, the Bears needed just six plays to erase a five-point deficit.

Cutler, who misfired most of the evening, completed all four of his throws on the drive, including a 15-yard touchdown to tight end Kellen Davis, who had slipped behind linebacker Chris Gocong. Cutler made the TD throw with a blitzing Quintin Mikell in his face, then connected with running back Matt Forte for a 2-point conversion that gave Chicago a 20-17 lead.

A tripping penalty by Jason Peters led to an Eagles punt on their next possession, and when McCoy fumbled in the fourth quarter, it appeared as if another close game was about to go against the Eagles.

But this time they overcame all their miscues and a key injury to Asante Samuel to pull out a fourth-quarter victory. It was the first time they won a game they trailed in the fourth quarter since Oct. 12 of last season at San Francisco.

"Now we have the blueprint of how to do it," Mikell said. "To actually go through a game like this is big, because later in the season and in the playoffs, these kinds of games are important. Now that we've done it, we can say we've been here before and we know how to do it."

Contact staff writer Bob Brookover at 215-854-2577 or bbrookover@phillynews.com.