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Eagles down Redskins, stop losing streak

Oct 16, 2011 - 11:23 PM Landover, MD (Sports Network) - Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles put it together long enough to end their four-game losing streak.

It was the Washington Redskins who had a quarterback problem.

Vick threw for 237 yards and a touchdown, LeSean McCoy rushed for 126 yards and a score and Kurt Coleman had three interceptions in Philadelphia's 20-13 win over the Redskins on Sunday.

While Vick came out for two plays after a hard hit, Redskins starter Rex Grossman came out for good after throwing four interceptions in three quarters.

John Beck led an 80-yard touchdown drive, scoring himself on a two-yard run late in the game to get Washington within 20-13. But the Eagles (2-4) picked up a first down on 3rd-and-inches inside two minutes and Vick kneeled the clock down to end the game and the team's month-old losing streak.

The Redskins (3-2) were coming off a bye and lost for the second time in three games. They scored 10 unanswered points while shutting Philadelphia out during the second half, but couldn't overcome a mistake-prone first two quarters.

The Eagles scored 10 points off two Grossman interceptions in a dominant first half. They picked up 16 first downs and held the ball for more than 21 minutes in the half, outgaining the Redskins 250 yards to 75.

It was the type of performance many expected from the Eagles before dreadful losses to the Falcons, Giants, 49ers and Bills had them on everyone's most disappointing list.

The win will take some of the pressure off Eagles head coach Andy Reid heading into a bye.

Earlier in the week, two Eagles players made headlines after they asked fans to remove a sign accross the street from the team's practice facility that called for Reid's firing.

"When you stink, they're going to let you know," Reid said of Philadelphia fans. "They had all kinds of right to do that. I'm OK with it."

Meanwhile, the first four Redskins possessions ended in either a punt or an interception until Graham Gano kicked a 50-yard field goal before halftime.

Grossman was 9-of-22 for 143 yards before leaving and Beck, who lost the battle to be starter in the preseason, went 8-of-15 for 117 yards.

"No. 1, we needed a spark and John's been practicing very well the last couple of weeks. And with four turnovers, we thought it was time to make a change and give John an opportunity," said Redskins coach Mike Shanahan.

Fred Davis caught six passes for 95 yards and was targeted almost twice that amount.

Coleman was the first Eagle since 1966 -- and 11th in team history -- to have at least three interceptions in a game. His second and third picks came on back-to-back Redskins possessions late in the third quarter.

"This isn't just me up here standing. This is the whole defense," Coleman said during his postgame comments. "We played as a team and I really felt like everybody was doing their job. We stopped the run, which forced them to throw the ball."

Before Coleman's last two picks, Vick came out for two plays after taking a hit from LaRon Landry. Vince Young, in his first regular season action as an Eagle, was intercepted by DeAngelo Hall on the second play.

After Beck's touchdown, the Eagles thought McCoy had a first down on a run to the outside, challenging the spot on the field. After it was upheld, Vick got the inches they needed for a first down to all but end the game.

"We just wanted to put a complete game together," said Vick. "I'm proud of our guys for sticking [with it] and fighting. We thought there were some things we could have done better, put more points on the board, but the Redskins have a good defense so I'm glad to just come out with a victory."

Although McCoy didn't get the first down on that play, he celebrated like he did. He jumped to his feat and punched Reid in the stomach.

A quick start Sunday ensured the Eagles wouldn't suffer another gut-punch loss.

Vick and Brent Celek hooked up for a seven-yard TD in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead, capping an 82-yard drive which was set up by Coleman's first interception. The drive was moved along by an unnecessary roughness penalty, a roughing the passer penalty and a fourth down conversion inside the Washington 40.

Philadelphia went 72 yards for another touchdown on its next possession, with McCoy picking up 21 of them on a run to the eight-yard line. McCoy scored on a one-yard run to the left on third down early in the second quarter.

Celek's juggling 21-yard catch on first down help set up Alex Henery's 28-yard field goal for a 17-0 lead. The ball popped out of Celek's hands, but he tipped it to himself as he was falling and squeezed it to his chest.

Nate Allen intercepted Grossman on the next play from scrimmage after Henery's field goal and Vick escaped a sack to scramble 25 yards on first down, leading to a 24-yard field goal to make it 20-0 with 2:27 left in the half.

Mike Patterson then sacked Grossman on third down for a loss of eight, but Gano kicked a 50-yard field goal to get the Redskins on the board.

Jabar Gaffney had a 45-yard catch on the first play of the second half and Gano kicked a 26-yard field goal to get Washington within 20-6.

Landry's hit on Vick left the quarterback with a chunk of grass sticking out of the top of his facemask. Young, who suffered a hamstring injury in the last preseason game, scrambled right and was hit as he threw the ball directly to Hall for a pick.

Coleman's interception two plays after that gave the Eagles the ball back but Vick was incomplete on a 4th-and-2 pass to Jason Avant. Coleman's third pick came three plays later.

"There are so many times in this league that you face adversity for one reason or another," said Grossman, "that you have to go back to your core belief of I believe in myself ... that every single play I'm going to get it done."

Game Notes

It was the first meeting between the teams since Vick threw for 333 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two TDs in a 59-28 rout on Monday night during Week 10 last year. The Eagles had a team-record 592 total yards in that game...Before McCoy's TD, rookie running back Dion Lewis almost had his first NFL touchdown but the call was reversed and the ball placed near the one-yard line.