Eagles’ Barnett Proves Ready for Prime Time : Interconference: Philadelphia receiver has five catches for 187 yards and a touchdown in the 21-6 victory over Oilers.

Fred Barnett hasn’t done much for the Philadelphia Eagles this season--except on Monday night.

Barnett, returning from a knee injury that cost him the last 12 games of last season, caught five passes for 187 yards and a touchdown to lead the Eagles to a 21-6 victory over the Houston Oilers.

“If there’s any doubt about Fred Barnett coming back, he’s certainly back,” Eagle Coach Rich Kotite said.

It was Barnett’s second exceptional Monday night performance this season. On Sept. 12 against the Chicago Bears, he caught eight passes for 102 yards. In the Eagles’ five other games, Barnett has 17 catches for 257 yards.

“With all the blitzing they do, Calvin (Williams) and I were praying we’d have a big game,” Barnett said. “I was hoping I’d get a lot of balls thrown my way.”

Randall Cunningham completed 13 of 24 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles (5-2) stayed within a game of first-place Dallas in the NFC East and handed the Oilers (1-6) their third loss in a row.

“We have to keep working hard to get over this thing,” Oiler Coach Jack Pardee said. “We’re struggling and we know we can get out of it. There’s no magical way.”

Cody Carlson, who has sat out three games this season with a shoulder injury, returned to start at quarterback for the Oilers, but left the game at the start of the fourth quarter. Sacked twice, he completed 11 of 22 passes for 164 yards with a fumble and an interception.

The interception, which came in the second quarter, was costly. Eric Allen stepped in front of a pass intended for Haywood Jeffires at the Houston 31 and returned it 17 yards.

Four plays later, rookie running back Charlie Garner scored a one-yard touchdown that put Philadelphia ahead, 7-6.

“You have to play good defensively and good offensively and you have to protect the ball,” Pardee said. “We did two of the three. We need to do a better job of protecting the ball.”

With the Eagles leading 14-6, Billy Joe Tolliver replaced Carlson and led the Oilers on a 72-yard drive in the fourth quarter, but Gary Brown fumbled a toss, and the ball was recovered by Philadelphia’s Britt Hager at the Oiler five.

James Joseph closed out the scoring for the Eagles on a 35-yard pass from Cunningham with 2:18 left in the game.

Barnett had three catches of more than 50 yards, including the 53-yarder for the touchdown that increased the lead to 14-6 in the third quarter.

Barnett flew past Cris Dishman, made the catch at the 13, avoided the defensive back’s arm tackle and spun into the end zone.

The play made up for an earlier 53-yard reception that ended with Dishman stripping the ball from Barnett and returning the fumble 29 yards. Barnett also had a 36-yard catch called back because of a holding penalty.

Philadelphia reached the Houston one midway through the second quarter, but, on fourth down, Cunningham’s pass to Brian O’Neal in the end zone went off his fingertips.