Eagles’ Defense Leads 20-10 Victory : Interconference: Philadelphia sacks Jeff George four times and forces three fumbles in win over Indianapolis.

The Philadelphia defense took the heat off Bubby Brister and kept it on the woeful Indianapolis Colts.

The Eagles sacked Jeff George four times and forced three fumbles, two of which set up a field goal and a 14-yard touchdown pass play from Brister to Calvin Williams in a 20-10 victory Sunday night.

“We appreciate the defense getting us the ball,” Brister said. “I had a couple of reads where the blitz was coming and I went long. Every once in a while, you have to take your shots and go with the long ball. If it doesn’t work, well, it keeps the defense honest.”

Brister completed 21 of 39 passes for 217 yards, including a 44-yard pass play to Williams that set up the first Eagle touchdown.

Philadelphia (6-8), which had lost eight of nine games since Randall Cunningham went out with a broken leg, also had a one-yard touchdown run by Heath Sherman after the long pass to Williams and a second field goal by Roger Ruzek, giving the Eagles their most points since the fourth game of the season.

Indianapolis (4-10) managed only one field goal by Dean Biasucci in the first quarter and a 24-yard touchdown pass play from George to Reggie Langhorne in the fourth quarter that ended a streak of 20 quarters without a touchdown.

The Colts, also the only team in the NFL without a touchdown by the offense in the first quarter of any game all season, had a chance to end both streaks after a 36-yard kickoff return by Clarence Verdin put them at their own 45 with 2:35 to play in the first quarter.

A 10-yard pass to Sean Dawkins, a personal foul on the Eagles and a nine-yard run by Roosevelt Potts took Indianapolis to the Philadelphia 21. But Potts lost a yard on the next play and a pass to Dawkins was overthrown in the end zone, setting up a 39-yard field goal by Biasucci with two seconds to play in the quarter.

The first Eagles’ score was on a 21-yard field goal midway through the first quarter by Ruzek, six plays after Rich Miano recovered a fumble by Colts receiver Jessie Hester at the 24.

The Eagles had a 10-3 lead at halftime, then scored again midway through the third quarter. The touchdown pass play to Williams came one play after George was sacked by Clyde Simmons and fumbled.

“Again, it’s the same story,” Colts Coach Ted Marchibroda said. “We had a chance to make a play and don’t make it.”