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Eagles win topped with free pizza -- a lucky combination

Eagles fans overwhelmed Papa Johns stores in the Philadelphia area on Tuesday for free pizzas, thanks to a 20-yard field goal.

This must be my lucky week.

First, the N.Y. Giants got whipped by the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon, which meant the Eagles were still eligible for the playoffs as I settled into my seat at Lincoln Financial Field for their game against the N.Y. Jets.

Second, a fan from the stands kicked a 20-yard field goal at halftime, earning me and 69,143 others a free large pizza at Papa Johns on Tuesday.

And third, I got two of the last pizzas made at the Papa Johns in Feasterville yesterday, as they ran out of dough two hours before closing because of the rush of Eagles fans.

One worker, Roy Murray, estimated that 200 pies were claimed by fans showing their tickets to the Eagles game, which – lucky me – was a 45-19 blowout of the Jets.

"I don't know how they [Papa Johns] can afford to give so many pizzas away," said Staci Pfau, a store manager. "Don't they know how many people go to Eagles games?"

The crush matched a busy Friday and Saturday output combined, Pfau said. Other Papa Johns stores had been calling around for more dough, she said as she turned away orders at 9 p.m. She told Eagles fans who missed out that they could come back Wednesday for their free pizza with one topping.

After that, Papa Johns workers can rest easy for a while, because the Eagles play in Dallas this weekend. But then the team returns home for its regular-season finale against the Redskins on New Year's Day.

If my luck holds out, the Eagles will still be in the playoff hunt by then.