Eagles Bring Down Cardinals : Johnson Catches 2 Scoring Passes, Sets Up Another in 31-21 Win

No more than 2 months ago, Ron Johnson sat at home, waiting for the telephone to ring and wondering if his National Football League career was over.

The call came 3 weeks ago, and Sunday Johnson made the most of it by catching two touchdown passes and setting up another score as the Philadelphia Eagles knocked the Phoenix Cardinals out of a 3-way tie for the NFC East lead, 31-21.

The Eagles (8-5) gained their fourth straight victory and seventh in their last nine, while the Cardinals lost their second straight with quarterback Neil Lomax sidelined with a knee injury.

“I was pretty much ready to go on to other things,” said Johnson, who was released by the Eagles on Aug. 29 in the final cut. “I was 80% ready to do some counseling work. I still felt I could play. But if the call never came, I was ready to go on.”

Randall Cunningham, who completed 17 of 35 passes for 214 yards and 2 touchdowns, rallied the Eagles from a 14-7 halftime deficit to a 24-14 lead after three quarters. He got an assist from backup Matt Cavanaugh, who came in to throw a scoring pass to Johnson.

The Eagles got to within 14-10 on a 28-yard field goal by Luis Zendejas early in the third quarter and took a 17-14 lead with 7:21 left in the period when Cunningham’s hit Cris Carter for an 8-yard touchdown pass play. The score was set up by Cunningham’s 40-yard pass to Johnson at the Phoenix 12.

The Eagles upped their lead to 24-14 later in the quarter when Cavanaugh relieved Cunningham, who twisted his back, and threw a 9-yard scoring pass to Johnson.

The Cardinals came back to within 24-21 on Earl Ferrell’s 1-yard touchdown run 58 seconds into the final period, but the Eagles put the game away on Keith Byars’ 4-yard scoring run with 4:45 left.

The Eagles took a 7-0 lead in the first period on Cunningham’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Johnson, but the Cardinals tied it on Cliff Stoudt’s 7-yard scoring pass to J.T. Smith. Stoudt completed 24 of 33 for 228 yards and a touchdown.