Packers 27, Eagles 20
By Joseph Santoliquito
Michael Vick made it exciting, but that's about it, as the Green Bay Packers withstood a late Eagles charge in beating the Birds, 27-20, at Lincoln Financial Field. Vick provided a bolt of offense for a team that was offensively dormant for a half, clawing back from a 17-point deficit.
But there were serious repercussions from a tough opening-game loss. The Eagles have also lost center Jamaal Jackson for the season with a torn right biceps and Leonard Weaver with a torn ACL in his left knee. Vick replaced Eagles' starter Kevin Kolb, who left the game with a concussion after the first half. Eagles' middle linebacker Stewart Bradley also didn't play in the second half due to a concussion.
"I've never been part of a game like this before, where there were all kinds of injuries," said Eagles' tailback LeSean McCoy, the Birds' second-leading rusher who picked up 35 yards, behind the game-high 103 yards provided by Vick. "It was important we came back the way we did, but just to see guys going down and down, that takes something out of a team."
What the Eagles got was a spark in Vick, who made what seemed to be a blowout into something pretty entertaining in the end. He directed the Eagles to two second-half scores and had them within a touchdown of tying the game, with 4:13 to play and the ball at the Eagles' 24. Vick then turned it into the Michael Vick Experience, Philly style, dodging and juking through the Packers' defense for pickups of 9, 16 and 3 yards.
The Eagles' hopes finally stalled at the Green Bay 42, when Clay Matthews stopped Vick on a fourth-and-1 with 2 minutes left to play. The Packers sat on the last 1:54 and let the debate begin as to who the Eagles should start next week.
