Righted Redskins Catch Eagles Off-Balance

With or without Terrell Owens, the Philadelphia Eagles are losing and in danger of slipping out of the playoff race.

The Eagles fell into sole possession of last place in the NFC East on Sunday night because of their anemic running game and an offense that produced only one touchdown. The Washington Redskins, rebounding from the worst loss of Coach Joe Gibbs’ career, rode a more balanced attack and touchdown runs by Mike Sellers and Clinton Portis to a 17-10 victory.

“I’m really proud of our players to bounce back after what happened last week,” Gibbs said.

The day was filled with off-field Eagles news: Owens, suspended indefinitely for comments he made about the organization and Donovan McNabb, was involved in a locker-room fight with former teammate Hugh Douglas last week; and running back Brian Westbrook, pining for a new contract since training camp, was given a five-year extension.

The Eagles didn’t really miss Owens, unless he could have transformed into a running back. McNabb completed passes to seven receivers, and Owens’ replacement in the starting lineup, rookie Reggie Brown, caught a 56-yard pass for the first touchdown of his career. He finished with five receptions for 94 yards.

But Westbrook gained only 24 yards in 17 carries for Philadelphia, which entered the game passing the ball a league-high 72% of the time.

Washington’s passing was precise. Mark Brunell completed 21 of 29 passes for 224 yards. Chris Cooley caught seven passes for a career-high 85 yards. Portis ran 21 times for 67 yards. Although those numbers aren’t spectacular, they were a change of pace after the previous week’s 36-0 blowout against the New York Giants.

The victory ended Washington’s seven-game losing streak against Philadelphia and moved the Redskins (5-3) into a tie with Dallas for second place in the division. The Eagles (4-4) have lost three of four.

Philadelphia took the ball from its 15-yard line to Washington’s seven in the final minutes. The drive ended when Ryan Clark intercepted McNabb’s pass on fourth and four with 1:25 left.

The Redskins’ defense was led by linebacker LaVar Arrington, who completed his return from exile by starting the game and also serving as a team captain. Arrington played sparingly in the first two months of the season, creating tension between player and coaches, but his six tackles tied for the team lead with Phillip Daniels, who played on a sore ankle.

McNabb played with several injuries, including an abdominal strain and a bruised rib. But he was as agile as ever when he escaped two would-be sackers to complete a pass to tight end L.J. Smith in the second quarter. Still, McNabb often found it hard to locate receivers against a defense that didn’t have to worry about the run. McNabb finished 22 for 35 for 304 yards.

Brown’s touchdown gave the Eagles an early lead, but the Redskins answered with a field goal and a touchdown in the second quarter. Cooley’s 18-yard reception and a 39-yard pass interference penalty on Lito Sheppard set up Sellers’ one-yard touchdown run, only the second time he has carried the ball in his six-year career.