Eagles-Vikings Live Blogging: Thid Quarter Goodness

> Akers kicks off to start the second half to the strains of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" -- what, Minny, no Replacements or Prince? -- and Kyle Eckel makes a nic stop to start Minny at the 15. Kleinsasser gets loose on a play action bootleg for 16. AP is stopped for no gain on first. A toss right gets them 2, and it's another third and long that Tarv shouldn't be able to convert against Those Oh So Exotic Blitz Packages... which, of course, leads to a vanilla 4-man blitz and an easy screen to Kleinsasser again for 20. Minny is now 7 for 11 on third down, and that's the whole damn ball game, really.

> Offsides on Trent Cole is the fourth flag for the road team against none for the home squad. Yes, we notice such things. AP is stopped for no gain up the middle. Taylor is stopped for a loss to the left, and it's One More Goddamned Opportunity To Get Off The Freaking Field. Dawkins gets to Tarv on a blitz for a fumble that Tarv recovers, and big ups to Dawk for yet another effective Superman Flight moment. The punt works well for Minny, with a holding penalty by the hated Sean Considine starting the team on their own 5. Time for commerce!

> McNabb nearly takes a safety as Fox shows that the fifth flag of the day against the Eagles was, well, Total Bullshit. We're used to it. Second down is a losing run from Westbrook, because Correll Buckhalter is not allowed to run the ball. Third and 11 brings McNabb to Avant for a first down from gun, from his own end zone, and the line did a nice job of keeping him clean there. Huge, though I think Avant has negative RAC for his career. Westbrook stumbles for 2 to the left on an ugly looking run. On second and 8, McNabb delivers under pressure again, with a first down ball to Celek. That works so well that McNabb fakes and goes up to Celek again for a very nice gain, and they are at midfield. Vikings could be missing Sharper there.

> Another ball to the TE, this one Schobel, for 7 yardss. The second and three ball is a knocked down slant, and it's one more big down here, since another first down gets us close to points. BDub off, McNabb from the gun, and he finds Avant for another conversion, 5 yards to the right. Nice catch by the maligned Avant. From the 38, Jackson gets two on the end around, and Jared Allen has that same goofy smile moment that McNabb gets in close games. Odd. Second and 8 shows how Westbrook really isn't himself; he gets a yard on a toss, and it's one more big damn down. McNabb is called for a sack instead of an incompletion on yet another marginal call that doesn't go the Eagles way, forcing the punt. Rocca gets it to 10, and with 3:41 left in the third, this game remains Utterly Freaking Maddening.

> Joe Buck praises the Eagles for the field position change. Whoop De Damn Do, especially after the Vikings convert three or four third downs on this drive. Taylor for 6 yards, then Peterson for 3. The Eagles defense hasn't had much luck on long third downs, so maybe a short one would be more to their liking? Yes indeedy, as AP is stopped by Chris Gucong for the defense's second three and out of the game. DJ takes advantage of more terrible Vikings punt coverage for a 30 yard return, and the Eagles will start their next drive at the Viking 40. I'm smelling a field goal opportunity! Or maybe the cat has puked. I get them confused sometimes.

> Fox shows DJ mouthing off to Childress. WTF, DJ? Westbrook starts it with a 2 yard gain up the middle that, like most of his work today, calls to mind the Duce Staley era in Pittsburgh. On second and 8 from the gun, Jared Allen works Tra Thomas and causes the fumble; the Vikings recover at their own 46, and the cat isn't alone in the puking. Gahhhh.

> Can the defense make a stand? Tarv misses Wade on first down. Schaincoe goes down to let us see some more ads. Yay, more ads! AP gets 5 on one of those middle runs that just cause high blood pressure; he had nothing, but still got 5. Another Huge Third Down... won't happen before the end of the quarter. Yay, more ads!