Down 21-0, Eagles Rebound to Win : Interconference: An interception return gives Philadelphia a 35-30 victory over Jets, but Cunningham suffers a broken leg.

Randall Cunningham’s leg was broken, the Jets were pushing the Eagles around and the score was 21-0 in favor of New York. Still, the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t quit.

Behind backup quarterback Bubby Brister and a 94-yard interception return by Eric Allen, the Eagles staged another comeback and beat the New York Jets, 35-30, Sunday.

“I’ve seen teams that are behind play with confidence before,” said Brister, who replaced Cunningham in the second quarter after Cunningham broke his left leg, “but not like that. This team is definitely special.”

Special enough to be 4-0, with three victories requiring major rallies.

Special enough to shrug off injuries to Cunningham--out 8-10 weeks--top receiver Fred Barnett (torn ligament in his right knee) and backup receiver Jeff Sydner (ruptured patella in his left knee). Sydner is gone for the season and Barnett probably is, too.

“Oh man, that’s the kind of team we have,” said Cunningham, who was standing on crutches in the back of the end zone to greet Allen after the cornerback’s sensational interception return around and through nearly every Jet.

“This is something we’ve grown accustomed to the last five-six seasons,” said safety Wes Hopkins, who made a game-saving tackle on New York’s Johnny Mitchell in the final moments. “No matter what’s happening in the game, we know we’ve got 60 minutes. We have the guys who can make the big plays and get us back.”

Allen made the biggest play, stunning the Jets (2-2).

He then ran directly to Cunningham. “I saw him standing there and said, ‘Man, what are you doing here?’ ” Allen said. The rest of the Eagles’ defensive unit then joined the celebrating.

The Jets got the ball back and started moving. Mitchell caught a 37-yard pass on fourth and 10 and nearly broke loose for a touchdown, but Hopkins made a saving tackle at the Eagles’ 39. The Jets got to the 28, but Byron Evans tackled Esiason as the quarterback scrambled on fourth down, stopping him only two yards short of a first down.

“When we were up 21-0, we should have put them away. We should have buried them,” Mitchell said. “I think we just played around with them. We were too easy on them. We had our chance and we didn’t get it done.”

The Eagles trailed, 21-7, when Cunningham went down, but they didn’t go flat. Brister connected with Mark Bavaro for a touchdown with 41 seconds remaining in the half.

The Jets struck back on their first play of the second half after Philadelphia punted. Mitchell was wide open and caught Esiason’s pass near midfield, cut right at the Eagles’ 40 and outraced the secondary for a 65-yard touchdown, his third of the day.

But the Eagles kept coming. Johnny Johnson’s fumble was recovered by William Thomas at the New York 17. On third down, Brister connected with Calvin Williams on an 11-yard touchdown pass play, making the score 28-21.

Brister, signed in the off-season after being cut by Pittsburgh, guided the Eagles 87 yards to tie the score. Brister ran for 23 yards on third down and connected with Bavaro for 16 yards on another third down, bringing Philadelphia to the Jets’ one. Rookie Vaughn Hebron ran it in for the touchdown.

“Bubby came in and did a heck of a job,” Eagle Coach Rich Kotite said. “He beat a good football team under difficult circumstance in a hot stadium.”