Eagles-Vikings Live Blogging: Fourth Quarter Goodness

> Third and five to start is a duck throw to Berrian with, mercifully, no flag. The Vikings blow the coverage for a touchback, and we have a rare Commerce Opportunity. Big stand by the defense.

> Today's robot from Fox is a Pete Townshend-ish guitarist. Just think, some design agency is paid major coin -- five figures at least -- for those animations. It's all worth it, though, because it makes us all think Fox Is Very, Very Cool. I, personally, always patronize Fox products because of the robots. Don't you?

> Childress is throwing the challenge flag -- what, Fox, no commercial break? What are you, communists? -- and given that it's a marginal call that could go either way, it goes against the Eagles. For the record, they still don't have a penalty today. Not that I'm bitter.

> So we're first and 10 from the four, and if the Eagles can avoid giving up the safety here, that would be Just Peachy. Westbrook gets a yard, because Corell Buckhalter Shall Not Touch The Ball. BDub now has 13 carries for 15 yards. McNabb drills the ball into Avant, who guts out another five yards after the catch for his longest RAC ever, for the first down. From the 16, McNabb hits Brown in Avant's spot for 9; Buck with a good chip on Allen to avoid more insanity from him. Westbrook Breaks LOOSE! for three yards and the first down. At this pace, he'll have 100 on teh ground, but only if the game goes into ten-tuple overtime. McNabb hits Curtis, who does his Super Mario tapdance for another five after the catch. McNabb with time is moving the ball; it's all about the time, and they are trying enough runs to help with that.

> From the 43, Westbrook gets nothing on a first down shotgun draw. It's followed by Nick Cole committing a false start; Westbrook throws the ball after the whistle as Reid waves the air down. Odd. An 8 yard ball to Curtis on a curl sets up a huge third and 7 with 9:30 left. McNabb had time, then got hit as he threw; the duck is dropped by Baskett, who would have had a first down from it. Signature play there, really. Rocca punts it out of bounds to the 19 for a 35 yard net, and the four-hour hairpull continues.

> At this point in the game, Eagles Fan is terrified of Peterson breaking another run, while Vikings Fan is terrified of McNabb finally using the accuracy to, you know, actually score a touchdown. You get the feeling that no matter what, the next touchdown wins, and that there's no way it's ending as 16-14.

> Peterson for five as Fox talks about the Vikings DL gaining confidence, Tarv connects with Rice as Samuel is a step late on the same throw that he got a TAINt from in the first half; you get the feeling that Samuel baited him there and just missed. Peterson for a yard to the left, and we're at the halfway mark of the fourth. A Berrian false start is Minny's first flag of the day! Woo hoo! Who knew they could get them! 2nd and 14 has Childress on his chart, and Brown drops an easy pick that would have been huge; it hit him right in the freaking hands. GAHHH. Can they get off the field on 3rd and 13? Heavy pressure on Tarv forces him out of the pocket and incomplete, and that's the third three and out of the day, second in the second half. With 7:02 left, a 36 yard punt with no return sets up the Eagles with the chance for a clinching drive. I'm not counting on it.

> From the 28, the Eagles don't really get the clinching drive. Instead, they get a 72 yard screen to Westbrook that featured about a half dozen pancake blocks from the line, the receivers, and my own massive spiritual erection. GOOD GOD, THAT WAS AWESOME. Eagles 23, Vikings 14. Just a warning, but I might miss a few plays while smoking a cigarette. And I don't smoke.

> First down from the 25 has Tarv high and wide to Wade. Second down has the resurgent Chris Clemens in Tarv's face as Dawkins almost pulls in his own tapped ball for a TAINt. Can they get off the field? Oh mais oui, with a back foot overthrow that has Viking Fan booing for all he is worth. It's punting time with 6:19 left, and a few first downs would end this. Kluwe's best punt of the day changes the field position, but that's really not what Viking Fan was hoping for there.

> 6:07 left, and can they milk the clock? Westbrook for two to the left. From the gun, McNabb throws the obvious screen for a loss to Celek, just mostly to wind the clock. It's a loss, but at least the clock's still ticking. On 3rd and 12, I'm thinking it's a draw, and Westbrook gets 10 on it, which gets the clock down to 3:50 before the kick. Rocca blasts a 51 yard punt that's all net, and with 3:41 left, it's on the defense to prevent drama.

> Tarv from the gun. Brown breaks up a pass to Rice for the incomplete, and the last six possessions for Minny has given them 62 yards. Useful, that. Second and 10 brings big pressure and another Tarv overthrow and crowd booing; Aikman is into full excuse mode for a guy who is 10 for 28 for 134 yards, at home, with a running attack that's giving him over 100 yards. Another pressure and incomplete is bailed out with a roughing the passer call to Akeem Jordan for coming up high, and while that was Major Stupid, it might not matter in the long run.

> Tarv to Wade for three with 3:24 left; Buck is so in the tank for Tarv that he's praising that ball. I love how sad Fox guys sound when the Eagles are winning; it's their only redeeming quality. Tarv scrambles for a nice game, and Drama is Building; they are at midfield with 2:55 left, but a bad snap and Eagle fumble recovery ends all of that. Center Matt Birk and Tarv are not happy with each other, but honestly, that is on Birk, and that is the ballgame.

> Westbrook goes right for three, and Minny calls time. Fox shows McNabb's ratings against the Vikings, and this game is the worst, not that he'll care. On second and seven, McNabb throws a perfect little back screen to Celek for a first, and that shows you something about the comfort level with his accuracy today, that they are calling that throw in Clock Killing Mode. 2:34 left, and the Vikings final timeout comes on an inside Westbrook run for nothing. He dances around again to kill clock, and a holding penalty is declined to make it 3rd and 11. Westbrook takes it to the 27 and the two-minute warning. An Akers field goal attempt after the timeout awaits.

> Some stats from the game: Westbrook has 20 carries for 38 yards, while Buck has 2 for 27. Honestly, they couldn't have given him 3 or 5 more carries? Peterson is 19 for 43 on everything but the touchdown run, and major ups to the defense for that. McNabb is 23 for 34, with 300 yards, 1 TD and 1 pick.

> Akers hits again from 44, and they've all been like, you know, when he was young and great. I guess the dome agrees with him. That makes it 26-14 Eagles, and pushes the Vikings to needing two touchdowns, rather than the touch and field goal. With what Tarv has shown this half, I'm feeling fairly confident now.

> Akers puts it in the endzone, and Peterson tries a desperation return that doesn't work; Vikes start at the 13 against the prevent. Lito Sheppard gets a little run with a nice tackle to keep the clock running on a 3-yard out. Taylor gets 5 and doesn't get out of bounds, and the Vikes aren't showing much alacrity. Taylor gets out of bounds on a play where Tarv clearly had no interest in anything down the field, as he doesn't want another pick. He runs for 13, but there's a hold, and the clock keeps running. Dawkins almost gets the coup de grace pick, but has to settle for hurting Brian Berrian. I think he'll take that. Another screen for Taylor for 8, and the only difference between these plays and kneel downs is semantics. A false start gives us some runoff, so with luck this will be the last play... and it's a Tarv incomplete as McNabb dances like a crazy person.

Your final is Eagles 26, Minnesota 14, and they're on the road to New York against a rested Giants team that should be favored by at least a touchdown. I'd like to thank the team for keeping me from an 0-4 gambling whitewash, and giving us all January football. Andy Reid still needs to resign, of course, but what a nice going-away present!