For Eagles, It’s Good Enough

The Philadelphia Eagles are so good they don’t need their best game to win. Especially against an injury-riddled team such as the Chicago Bears.

David Akers kicked four field goals, Donovan McNabb threw for 237 yards and a touchdown, and the Eagles improved to 4-0 for the first time since 1993 with a 19-9 victory over the Bears on Sunday afternoon at Chicago.

“We had some positive plays. We also had some mistakes we just can’t do,” McNabb said. “The positive thing is we put enough points on the board to win.”

Terrell Owens caught eight passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, which he celebrated with sit-ups in the end zone. Brian Westbrook ran for 115 yards and caught nine passes for 63 yards.

Philadelphia has won all four of its games by double-digits -- and this one could have been more lopsided.

The Eagles outgained the Bears, 316-90, through three quarters, allowing Chicago (1-3) onto their side of the field once.

Akers had field goals from 40, 42, 42 and 51 yards, but also missed from 39 and 45 yards. McNabb completed 24 of 38 passes but was intercepted in the third quarter, ending a streak dating to last season of 161 consecutive passes without a pick.

“We have a lot of room for improvement,” Owens said. “We didn’t exactly play as well as we’d like on the offensive side of the ball. But we weathered the storm.”

St. Louis 24, San Francisco 14 -- Marc Bulger passed for 186 yards, Marshall Faulk rushed for 121 more at San Francisco and the Rams sent the 49ers to their first 0-4 start in 25 years.

Isaac Bruce had seven catches for 100 yards as the Rams got their ninth victory in 11 games against their longtime rivals. This one was out of reach early: St. Louis built a 24-0 halftime lead, and the sellout crowd booed San Francisco off the field while heading for the exits.

Shaun McDonald caught a touchdown pass and Joey Goodspeed and Steven Jackson had two-yard scoring runs for the Rams (2-2), who met little resistance while scoring on all four of their first-half drives.

Pittsburgh 28, Cincinnati 17 -- Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, showing uncommon poise for a rookie who wasn’t expected to play this season, twice rallied the Steelers (3-1) and Duce Staley ran for 123 yards in the victory at Pittsburgh.

Roethlisberger completed 17 of 25 passes for 174 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions to easily better Bengal quarterback Carson Palmer, who was 20 for 37 for 164 yards and two interceptions.

Palmer’s former USC roommate, Troy Polamalu, finished off the Bengals (1-3) with a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the game.

Cleveland 17, Washington 13 -- Lee Suggs, who missed the first three games because of a neck injury, rushed for 82 yards and scored on a three-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, leading the Browns at Cleveland.

Quarterback Jeff Garcia completed 14 of 21 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown for the Browns (2-2), who didn’t secure the win until Washington’s Laveranues Coles fumbled with two minutes left.

The Redskins (1-3) converted one of 11 third-down opportunities and quarterback Mark Brunell completed 17 of 38 passes for 192 yards.

Arizona 34, New Orleans 10 -- Emmitt Smith had his best game since leaving Dallas two years ago, gaining 127 yards in 21 carries to help the Cardinals (1-3) stun the Saints (2-2) at Tempe, Ariz., and give Dennis Green his first victory as Cardinal coach.

Smith, six months past his 35th birthday, had his 77th 100-yard rushing game to tie Walter Payton’s record for most in an NFL career. It was his first 100-yard game since Thanksgiving 2002, when he did it for Dallas against Washington.

He is the first NFL player to gain more than 100 yards past the age of 35 since Marcus Allen for Kansas City against Cleveland on Dec. 3, 1995.

New York Jets 17, Miami 9 -- The Jets came up with four turnovers by Jay Fiedler in the second half at Miami, including an interception returned 66 yards for a touchdown by Donnie Abraham, to improve to 3-0.

New York also won its first three games in 1966 and 2000.

The Dolphins fell to 0-4 for the first time since their expansion season in 1966.

Miami has scored two touchdowns this year while committing 14 turnovers.