Preview Game Goes to Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will get to see who wins when it really matters.

The first-round playoff opponents closed the regular season against each other Sunday night, with the Eagles coming from behind to win, 17-13, as both teams rested most of their starters.

Third-stringer A.J. Feeley threw two touchdown passes to Dameane Douglas in a 26-second span of the fourth quarter to bring Philadelphia back from a 13-3 deficit.

The Eagles (11-5) and Buccaneers (9-7) will meet again Saturday in a rematch of the NFC wild-card game that the Eagles won, 21-3, in Philadelphia last season.

“We have something to prove to ourselves,” Buccaneer cornerback Ronde Barber said. “We went up there and got embarrassed last year. That’s the bottom line. We didn’t get it done.”

Feeley threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Douglas with 2:12 remaining, and Rashard Cook recovered Karl Williams’ fumble at the Tampa Bay 24 on the ensuing kickoff.

Two plays later, Douglas scored again on a 24-yard play.

“Everybody was talking about this being a meaningless game, but it wasn’t meaningless for the guys who played,” Eagle safety Brian Dawkins said. “They practice every day.... It was great to let them have a chance to show what they can do.”

Tampa Bay marched into Philadelphia territory in the final 1:46, but Shaun King’s desperation pass fell incomplete short of the end zone as time expired.

“When you’re a winner, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. You could be playing marbles, Nintendo, whatever--you want to win,” Buccaneer defensive end Steve White said.

Aaron Stecker scored on a four-yard run and Doug Brien kicked field goals of 42 and 23 yards for the Buccaneers, who won five of their previous six to grab the final NFC wild-card spot.

With playoff seedings and next week’s NFC matchups already determined, neither team had anything to gain by playing their starters in the nationally televised game.

The Eagles clinched their first NFC East title since 1988 last week and approached the finale the way teams normally treat the preseason. Donovan McNabb appeared for two plays, and Feeley was on the field by the end.

McNabb trotted off after handing off twice to Correll Buckhalter and was replaced by Koy Detmer, who was five for 14 for 51 yards with one interception. Brad Johnson started at quarterback for Tampa Bay and played one series.