(My Sportsbook) - Lito Sheppard was ready for Sunday's showdown against the
Dallas Cowboys, and wasn't about to let an ankle problem keep him off the field.
The Eagles' starting cornerback went down with the injury in Week 1 against the Houston Texans and had missed the next three games. It had become a major concern as to when Sheppard would return, but a visit by Terrell Owens apparently provided him more than enough incentive.
Sheppard and others, including fellow corner Sheldon Brown, were responsible for covering the explosive former Eagles wideout in the thrilling 38-24 win. He and the rest of the Eagles defense held the enigmatic Owens to just 45 yards on three catches, as well as a few sideline blow-ups reminiscent of those that were a featured part of days in San Francisco and Philly. The most memorable outburst by T.O. on Sunday was when Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe heaved a short jump-ball towards the end zone that was easily picked off by Sheppard. Owens was caught on camera yelling at wide receivers coach Todd Haley as he stormed to the Dallas bench.
It certainly wasn't Owens' day on Sunday. He dropped two passes, including one in front of onrushing safety Michael Lewis, and was constantly harassed by the raucous crowd. Owens was held without a catch in the first half for just the fifth time in his career.
Bledsoe also was tormented all day, and blew a chance to even the score when the game was 31-24 late in the fourth quarter. Those hopes were smashed when Sheppard collected his second INT of the day, racing 102 yards for the win- clinching touchdown.
It was deja vu for Sheppard, who also had a 101-yard interception return for a touchdown against Dallas at Texas Stadium in November of 2004.
No. 2 Dallas receiver Terry Glenn and tight end Jason Witten were expected to find holes in the defense while the Eagles worried about Owens, but they were kept out of the end zone as well. Running back Julius Jones did the most offensive damage for Dallas with 100 yards on 26 carries.
Philadelphia's defense bailed out the offense on many occasions, and sacked Bledsoe seven times after the veteran had been sacked just three times over the previous three games. Eagles defensive end Darren Howard played like a house on fire with seven tackles, two sacks, a pair of quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
"A game like this, I haven't been a part of for a long time," Howard said after the game. "The crowd was electric. I caught myself watching the game on the sideline. I thought about buying a ticket because I was so appreciative of how good the game was. I'm just so appreciative to be in this type of situation."
Howard, who came over from New Orleans in the offseason, and defensive tackle Darwin Walker sparked the Eagles to a 4-1 record and first place in the NFC East standings. Walker recorded the first three-sack game of his career and now has four on the season. Second-year end Trent Cole recorded his sixth sack of 2006, and is tied for the NFL lead with Carolina's Julius Peppers.
Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson deserves a game ball too, after he used a myriad of blitz packages to keep Bledsoe and company off track. Bledsoe compiled a 33.1 passer rating on Sunday thanks to a tremendous push from Philly's front four. Also, Bledsoe's streak of nine straight games with at least one TD pass came to a screeching halt.
"It started up front," Sheppard said. "Those guys were able to get great pressure on Bledsoe. They got to him a lot and even when they didn't get him down, they distracted him. He was able to throw some balls up and we were able to make some plays off of them. That is where it started, up front, and I have to give them the credit. Without them, we would not be able to do what we did tonight."
MCNABB, OFFENSE COME OUT FIRING
Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is an early MVP candidate, and has the numbers to back up the praise. McNabb threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-33 completions, while eclipsing the 300-yard passing mark for the third time this season.
McNabb, whose QB rating on Sunday was 112.4, made Owens eat all of the harsh words he had uttered about the former Syracuse star. Owens suggested last season the Eagles would have been better with Brett Favre at quarterback, and even suggested that McNabb got tired in the waning moments of Super Bowl XXXIX.
But McNabb was his cool, calm self, did his talking on the field, and has now thrown for 1,602 yards with 11 touchdowns against just one interception.
McNabb spread the ball around, connecting with second-year wide receiver Reggie Brown on a 40-yard touchdown via flea-flicker, while rookie receiver Hank Baskett broke out with a career-high 118 yards and an 87-yard touchdown on three catches.
"It feels awesome," said Baskett, whose TD gave the Eagles a 24-21 lead midway through the third quarter. "The win was the biggest thing, and that's all that matters. It doesn't matter if you have a hundred yards or two catches, as long as the team wins, that's all it comes down to, right there."
Baskett and fellow wideout Greg Lewis, who had two TD catches against Green Bay, are filling in for injured starter Donte' Stallworth. Stallworth missed Sunday's game with an aggravating hamstring injury and is day-to-day.
WESTBROOK'S KNEE A CONCERN
After being a late scratch last Monday night against the Green Bay Packers because of a swollen knee, Eagles running back Brian Westbrook showed no signs of problems on Sunday.
Westbrook carried the ball 11 times for 33 yards and a score, while hauling in five McNabb passes for an additional 53 yards after not practicing all week. There had been rumors that Westbrook would need arthroscopic surgery, but those were quickly extinguished.
"Really, the only couple of people who know what's really going on are me and some of the doctors that I've seen," Westbrook said. "Any reports from anybody outside of that circle is a questionable source."
Along with McNabb, Westbrook is one of the most explosive and exciting players on the Eagles roster. His ability to make people miss and set up mismatches on defense is unlike any other. If Westbrook's knee holds up, the Eagles will be shooting for a playoff spot.
UP NEXT: MARCHIN' TO NEW ORLEANS
The Eagles will take their three-game winning streak down south to New Orleans for a battle with the Saints at the Superdome. This will be Philadelphia's first trip to the Big Easy since the 2000 season.
Philly has won the past six meetings against the Saints, including a 33-20 victory in the last matchup on November 23, 2003. McNabb threw for 259 yards and one touchdown that day at the Linc, while Brian Westbrook ran for 52 yards and a score on nine carries. Westbrook caught three passes for 47 yards in the win -- Philadelphia's 15th in 23 all-time meetings versus the Saints.
New Orleans suffered its first loss of the season in Week 4 against Carolina, but rebounded with a slim 24-21 victory against Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Rookie phenom Reggie Bush, fellow running back Deuce McAllister and quarterback Drew Brees played major roles in the win, and will be even busier this weekend against the Eagles. Bush is a Westbrook clone, and will give Jim Johnson's defense fits at times.
The Eagles have won six straight games over the Saints, and are 3-0 at the Superdome since last losing there in 1989.
