Another Eagle Present in a Season of Giving

For more than three hours, the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles tried to find a way to lose. The Eagles are still the class of the NFL in that department.

Outplayed and seemingly beaten by the Eagles, the Giants capitalized on two late turnovers to come back from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 23-17 victory in overtime Sunday.

Michael Strahan’s 44-yard interception return for a touchdown in overtime won it for the Giants (5-3).

“You can call it human error or you can call it the defense playing hard,” Strahan said. “I call it a miracle from God.”

Strahan may be giving the Eagles (2-6) too much credit. If Philadelphia has perfected anything, it’s a demoralizing way to blow a game.

The Eagles had a field-goal try blocked and fumbled on their 5 late in the fourth quarter--the second play leading to Kent Graham’s touchdown pass to Pete Mitchell that tied the score at 17-17 with two minutes left.

Then in overtime, the Giants’ Christian Peter tipped Doug Pederson’s pass on third-and-eight, with Strahan catching it and running untouched to the end zone.

“I saw the ball get tipped and thought, ‘This is too good to be true,’ ” Strahan said. “It was moving in slow motion.”

The Eagles blew a chance to put the game out of reach with 6 1/2 minutes left in the fourth quarter when Norm Johnson’s 33-yard field- goal attempt was blocked--also by Peter--after a high snap.

“If they kick a field goal, I think the game really would have been over,” Strahan said.

Four of the Eagles’ losses have been by a touchdown or less--with each one being decided by inept or bizarre plays.