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In the most highly-anticipated game of the NFL regular season, Donovan McNabb passed for 354 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 38-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Making his return to the 'City of Brotherly Love', controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens failed to make an impact for the Cowboys, catching only three passes for 45 yards and venting his frustration as his team's offensive line allowed quarterback Drew Bledsoe to be sacked seven times.
Philadelphia's defence also forced five turnovers with the biggest one coming when cornerback Lito Sheppard picked off a pass by Bledsoe in his own end zone and raced 102 yards for a touchdown with 16 seconds left, sealing his team's fourth win in five games this season.
The Cowboys trailed 31-24 when Eagles safety Michael Lewis was flagged for a 57-yard pass interference penalty.
On 4th-and-18, Bledsoe intended to complete a long pass to Terry Glenn, who was knocked over by Lewis at the Philadelphia 6 with 38 seconds left.
Bledsoe attempted to hit Owens on the next play, but fired a pass off the goalpost with Owens well covered.
On the next play, Bledsoe tried to complete a pass to tight end Jason Witten in the end zone, but Sheppard
read the play, picked off the pass and recorded the second-longest interception return for a touchdown in Eagles history.
McNabb had hit rookie Hank Baskett with an 87-yard touchdown pass with 7:28 left in the third quarter to give the Eagles a 24-21 lead.
Mike Vanderjagt kicked a 39-yard field goal with 11:14 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game.
But the Eagles reclaimed the lead when McNabb connected with Reggie Brown on a 40-yard scoring play off a flea flicker with 9:13 left in the fourth quarter.
Owens was booed throughout by the sell-out crowd after nearly ruining the team with his petulant behaviour last season.
A hero for the Eagles in 2004 when he returned from a broken leg to catch nine passes for 122 yards in Super Bowl XXXIX, Owens disrupted the team with his constant criticisms of McNabb and management last year.
After Owens was suspended and then banished for conduct detrimental to the team, Eagles fans burned his jersey during a mock funeral.
Owens' saga took a bizarre twist on September 26 when he was rushed to the hospital for what was classified as an "accidental overdose" of prescription pain pills.
It was initially reported as a suicide attempt, which Owens unequivocally denied.
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Source: BBC Sport |
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