<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<rss version="2.0">
	<channel>		<title>RUWT? News</title>
		<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com</link>
		<description>RUWT? News for Philadelphia Eagles vs. Minnesota Vikings 1/4/2009</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2006-2007 areyouwatchingthis.com</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:01:30 GMT</lastBuildDate>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:01:30 GMT</pubDate>
		<generator>RUWT?</generator>

		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Eagles use big plays to subdue Vikings]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[By Brian Hall
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- Asante Samuel is no stranger to coming 
up big in the NFL playoffs.  This season, the Philadelphia 
Eagles are the beneficiary.

Samuel returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown and 
Brian Westbrook added a 71-yard touchdown on a screen pass as 
Philadelphia beat the Minnesota Vikings, 26-14, on Sunday.

It was Samuel's fourth career playoff interception return for a 
touchdown - the most in NFL history - and helped send the Eagles
(10-6-1) into a matchup with the defending champion New York 
Giants next Sunday in the divisional playoffs.

"That's the biggest time, that's what it's all about, the 
postseason and trying to get that big win," Samuel said.  "I 
just try to step up, step my game up to another level every 
time. I've got the opportunity in the postseason. I helped my 
team out today and we got the victory."

David Akers added four field goals for the Eagles, who split 
their two games with the Giants this season.  But, Philadelphia 
did earn a 20-14 victory at New York in December, winning four 
of its last five games to earn a wild card spot.

"You can take it back to D.C., but we go as far back as 
Cincinnati," Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown said of his team's 
late-season run following a 5-5-1 start.  "We tied Cincinnati 
and then we lose to Baltimore, the worst losses I have been a 
part of since I've been here.

"We've had that adversity and we know how to build all that in 
and we're just using it as fuel to the fire."

Adrian Peterson had 20 carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns 
in his first postseason appearance for the Vikings (10-7).

"We knew it was going to be a field position game," Minnesota 
coach Brad Childress said.  "Obviously, they got seven points 
off a turnover. They got three points off a punt return. Playoff
football with a nine-point difference, that ends up being it."

The outcome was in doubt until midway through the fourth 
quarter, when Philadelphia took possession on its 29-yard line. 
Westbrook then had a convoy of blockers to lead him on a 71-yard
touchdown on a seemingly simple screen pass.

"It was the first screen we ran all game and it exploded into 
the biggest play of the game," Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb
said.

"We weren't able to establish the run, but that screen came at 
the right time," Westbrook said.

McNabb finished 23-of-34 passing for 300 yards with one 
touchdown and an interception for Philadelphia.  Westbrook 
totaled 121 total yards, just 38 coming on the ground.

"It's hard to be happy when you give up a big play like that in 
a crucial situation," Vikings linebacker Ben Leber said.  "We 
did our best throughout the game. You take away that one play 
and we were pretty solid.  It's hard to hang your hat on a good 
performance when you give up a play like that."

Inconsistent quarterback play continued to plague Minnesota.  
Also playing in his first postseason game, Tarvaris Jackson 
fired a committed a costly mistake in the second quarter.

Samuel jumped in front of the receiver on Jackson's sideline 
pass, intercepting the ball and taking it 44 yards down the 
sideline for a 16-7 Eagles' lead with 6:34 left in the half.

"You always think its going to be a tough match and might come 
down to the last play," Samuel said. "You always want to try to 
make a big play for your team.  Hopefully, I can continue to do 
that."

Jackson finished 15-of-35 passing for 164 yards and one 
interception.

"I was trying to get the ball out a little early," Jackson said 
of the interception.  "I saw that he was looking at me the whole
time.  I thought about throwing it on time, but if I threw it 
early he wouldn't be able to make the play.  I threw it too far 
inside and he was able to make the play."

Philadelphia struck first after rookie DeSean Jackson returned a
punt 62 yards to the Vikings' 27-yard line in the first quarter.
But, the Eagles offense couldn't move the ball and Akers knocked
in a 43-yard field goal.

It was a familiar theme early.

Near the end of the first quarter, Correll Buckhalter took a 
handoff 27 yards down the sideline to again put Philadelphia in 
Minnesota territory.  Again, the drive would stall, and Akers 
connected on the longest field goal in the team's playoff 
history with a 51-yarder as time expired for a 6-0 advantage.

"The balls were good today and obviously you don't have the wind
issues as far as blowing it right or left," Akers said.  "So, if
you make good contact, the ball should travel pretty far.  I was
thinking around 55 would be a legit chance that you wanted to 
take as far."

Another explosive play from Peterson put Minnesota ahead early 
in the second.  After a pass interference penalty on third down 
gave the Vikings the ball in Philadelphia territory, Peterson 
carried up the middle and then broke left into the open for a 
40-yard touchdown run and a 7-6 Minnesota lead.

"It really depends on where they line up," Peterson said.  "The 
hole was there.  It was wide open, those guys did a great job 
pushing their guys out of the hole and opening it up for me."

Akers follow with his third field goal, a 31-yarder, before 
Samuels' interception on the Vikings' next drive.

Neither offense was particularly strong against the two stingy 
defenses, with the exception of the big plays by Peterson and 
Westbrook.

The difference is Westbrook and Samuel now have a rematch with 
the defending champions next week, something that didn't come as
a shock to the veteran Brown.

"I never look past any NFL football team, but I figured we would
have a rematch," Brown said.]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/84535-Eagles-use-big-plays-to-subdue-Vikings</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/84535-Eagles-use-big-plays-to-subdue-Vikings</guid>
				<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 03:20:11 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
			<item>
				<title><![CDATA[Familiar rivals meet when Vikings host Eagles]]></title>
				<description><![CDATA[Philadelphia (9-6-1) at Minnesota (10-6), Sunday 4:30 pm EST

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- If familiarity does not provide the 
Minnesota Vikings with an edge in their playoff opener, the 
NFL's leading rusher just might.

Adrian Peterson will be the focus for both teams when the 
Vikings host the Philadelphia Eagles in a wild card playoff game
Sunday.

Just the fifth running back in NFL history to amass 3,000 yards 
rushing in his first two seasons, how Peterson fares against the
Eagles likely will determine Minnesota's chances to move on in 
the postseason.

But as obvious as the game plan is for the Vikings, head coach 
Brad Childress also knows what to expect from the Eagles, having
spent seven years as an assistant coach with the team before he 
was hired in Minnesota in 2006.

Childress, who has a close relationship to Philadelphia head 
coach Andy Reid dating to the 1980s at Northern Arizona, was in 
charge of the Eagles' offense in his final four seasons.

"I did get a chance to exchange pleasantries, if you will, with 
Andy (Sunday) night," Childress said. "I'm happy for him getting
in. I don't particularly relish playing those guys, just from a 
personal standpoint. He'll give it his best shot and we'll give 
it our best shot."

Minnesota's best shot is to put the ball in the hands of 
Peterson, who led the league in rushing with 1,760 yards and 
ripped off 10 100-yard games this season, including four of the 
last five.

"Brad has one of the best, if not the best running back in the 
National Football League right now, maybe the MVP of the 
National Football League," Reid acknowledged. "He's given him 
the ball a lot and I understand that. He's a heck of a player."

Peterson's contributions have been especially valuable given the
uncertainty at quarterback for Minnesota.

Tarvaris Jackson started the first two games of the season 
before being bench in favor of Gus Frerotte following an 0-2 
start.

Frerotte guided the Vikings to the top of the NFC North before 
suffered a fractured bone in his back in Week 14, opening the 
door for Jackson to reclaim the starting job.

Since returning to the lineup, Jackson has thrown eight 
touchdowns and just one interception - which doesn't surprise 
his counterpart on the opposing sideline.

"I'm really happy for Brad. Everyone pretty much counted them 
out in the beginning when he pretty much benched Tarvaris and 
went with Gus, and they were able to rally behind Gus," Eagles 
quarterback Donovan McNabb said. "All of a sudden now Tarvaris 
is back at the starter, and they're rallying behind Tarvaris, 
and you are seeing a team that has truly bought into Brad's 
philosophy and they seem to be playing well, with a lot of 
intensity."

The Vikings clinched the NFC North title with a last-second 
20-19 victory over the New York Giants, who rested several 
players.

It was one of a number of close calls for Minnesota, which twice
narrowly beat the winless Detroit Lions and also posted a 
one-point home win over Green Bay.

The Vikings hope to welcome back mammoth defensive tackle Pat 
Williams, who sat out the last two games with a fractured 
scapula but has been cleared to practice.

Normally an integral part of the Vikings' staunch run defense, 
Williams' presence might not matter as much against the 
pass-happy Eagles.

When the teams met last season in Minnesota, McNabb threw for 
333 yards and a touchdown and Philadelphia limited Peterson to 
70 yards on 20 carries in a 23-16 victory - albeit against a 
squad forced to play its third-string quarterback.

Reid even joked about his play-calling when asked why Childress 
and Ravens coach John Harbaugh, another former assistant, didn't
share their run-first philosophy with him.

"Or I didn't share with them?" he quipped.

The Eagles overcame an inconsistent start and myriad injuries to
star running back Brian Westbrook to snatch the final playoff 
berth with a 44-6 mauling of NFC East rival Dallas last weekend.

The drubbing of the Cowboys came just a week after Philadelphia 
seemingly KO'd its playoff hopes with a 10-3 loss at Washington.

"I was proud of the team and the way they bounced back from last
week's game in Washington," Reid said. "That's not an easy thing
to do, especially if you allow your mind to go different places 
with all the different games going on. They took care of 
business and had themselves ready to play a strong Dallas 
Cowboys football team."]]></description>
				<category><![CDATA[nfl]]></category>
				<link>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/84022-Familiar-rivals-meet-when-Vikings-host-Eagles</link>
				<guid>http://areyouwatchingthis.com/nfl/news/84022-Familiar-rivals-meet-when-Vikings-host-Eagles</guid>
				<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:31:55 GMT</pubDate>
			</item>
		
	
			
	</channel>
</rss>









