McCoy's 50-yard touchdown run lifts Eagles over Giants, 27-17

On a night when Michael Vick was mortal and the Eagles kicked themselves in the rear with red-zone inefficiency, penalties, and dropped passes, LeSean McCoy came up with a winning touchdown run against the New York Giants that was every bit as dramatic as the one his mentor produced seven years ago at the Meadowlands.

Brian Westbrook's 84-yard, game-winning punt return was later viewed as a turning point in the 2003 season, which ended with an appearance in the NFC championship game.

McCoy's 50-yard touchdown dash on fourth down with 4 minutes, 34 seconds left in the game Sunday night gave the Eagles their first comeback win of the season, a 27-17 triumph over the Giants at Lincoln Financial Field. It could prove to be every bit as important as Westbrook's defining moment.

With the victory, the Eagles stand alone atop the NFC East at 7-3, dropping the Giants, a team they have beaten five straight times, to 6-4. They further legitimized the claim that they are one of the NFC's contenders to reach far into the playoffs and possibly even the Super Bowl.

It was not a performance anywhere as crisp as last week's 59-28 mashing of the Redskins, or even the wipe-brow win over Indianapolis a week earlier. But it was much more important.

And McCoy saved the day, with an assist from his two blockers, Jason Peters and Todd Herremans. The two linemen kicked out and mauled defensive backs Deon Grant and Kenny Phillips, and McCoy did the rest, outracing the defense into the end zone for a 22-17 lead after the Giants had rallied ahead, 17-16, in the fourth quarter.

A two-point conversion gave the Eagles a 24-17 cushion, and a 30-yard David Akers field goal with 25 seconds provided the final tally.

The Giants had more than enough time to mount a comeback, but a strange series of events eventually led to the Eagles' regaining possession.

With 4:18 left, Eli Manning tossed a pass to receiver Derek Hagan that bounced off cornerback Joselio Hanson and into the hands of Asante Samuel for his second interception of the game. But on the return, Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw forced Samuel to fumble the ball away.

Four plays later, though, Manning fumbled the ball back when, on fourth and 6, he ran for a first down to the Eagles' 40 but did not slide. The quarterback fell forward untouched, the ball popped out, and Darryl Tapp was there to pick it up. The Giants challenged the call, but it stood up.

On the Eagles' ensuing possession, McCoy put the finishing touch on the game with a 40-yard run. After spending most of the game stuck in his own backfield, the tailback finished with 111 yards on 14 carries. Vick has been the Eagles' MVP this season, and possibly the league's, but McCoy has been the unheralded hero.

His carry on fourth and 1 came close to not even happening. Vick almost bobbled away the snap, but he was able to pitch the ball to McCoy, who swung wide through a gaping hole.

Speaking of Vick, he was solid, but he was nowhere near as great as he was last week in Washington when he set the NFL on fire. Still, he completed 24 of 38 passes for 258 passes, and ran 11 times for 34 yards and a first-quarter score. He was harassed all day by the Giants' front seven taking a number of hits.

While the Giants lost the late challenge they did win won earlier in the quarter when a Bradshaw fumble was reversed. The original call was that the running back lost possession when linebacker Ernie Sims knocked the football loose and defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley recovered on the Giants' 38.

The Eagles still held and forced the Giants to punt. They regained possession on their own 10-yard line with 7:52 remaining.

From about the midway point of the third quarter to the early minutes of the fourth, the Eagles did almost everything wrong and the Giants did everything right. The result: A 16-3 Eagles lead turned into a 17-16 deficit.

First there was a long New York drive culminated by a Manning-to-Travis Beckum 2-yard touchdown. Then the Eagles got the ball back and the offense floundered, but this time it wasn't in the red zone.

There was another costly holding penalty and Vick finally turned the ball over with a fumble. He's yet to throw an interception this season, but it was his first turnover on the season. And it couldn't have come at a worse time.

Giants defensive end Justin Tuck forced the fumble, defensive tackle Barry Cofield recovered it and New York was in business on the Eagles' 32. On their first play of the drive, Manning connected with Brandon Jacobs for a 22-yard reception when Sims bit on a play fake and couldn't get back in time to cover the running back.

A play later, Manning hit receiver Derek Hagan for a 5-yard touchdown and the lead.

In spite of that daunting moment, the Eagles' offense drove 82 yards. But again they failed to punch one into the end zone and settled for a short David Akers field goal and a 16-3 margin. The Eagles came into the game ranked eighth in the league in red zone offense, but could not figure out the Giants, who clamped down inside their own 20-yard line.

Buoyed by their defense, New York finally strung together a touchdown drive. The key play occurred when safety Quintin Mikell was called for pass interference on third and 14 for the Giants. The penalty gave New York the ball on the Eagles' 2 and one play later they scored when Manning hooked up with Beckum.

The Giants now had the momentum. The Eagles blew it away in the first half.

Even though they led, 13-3, the Eagles had to go into the half thinking that they squandered away at least seven points. The biggest blunder came when receiver Jason Avant failed to hold onto a would-be touchdown pass from Vick that landed squarely into between the numbers of his jersey.

Avant, normally as sure-handed as they come, fell to the turf in disbelief and Vick stared blankly in his receiver's direction for what seemed like forever. Facing third-and-goal on the 6, the Eagles ran a perfect play fake that left Avant in the back of the end zone. But he dropped it, and the Eagles had to settle for Akers' second field goal. The kicker could have had three before the half, but his 42-yard attempt just before the break was blocked by Terrell Thomas.

The New York cornerback appeared to have beaten Eagles tackle King Dunlap on an inside rush. The Giants' Corey Webster picked up the loose ball and returned it 27 yards before Sav Rocca made what could have been a touchdown-saving tackle.