Eagles Comeback in Season Finale

Now, the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will see who wins when it really matters.

The first-round playoff opponents closed the regular season against each other Sunday night, with the Eagles coming from behind to win 17-13 as both teams rested most of their starters. Third-string quarterback A.J. Feeley threw two touchdown passes to Dameane Douglas within a 26-second span of the fourth quarter to bring Philadelphia back from a 13-3 deficit.

The Eagles (11-5) and Bucs (9-7) will meet again next Saturday in a rematch of the NFC wild-card game that the Eagles won 21-3 in Philadelphia last season.

Feeley threw a 2-yard TD pass to Douglas with 2:12 remaining, and Rashard Cook recovered Karl Williams' fumble at the Tampa Bay 24 on the ensuing kickoff.

Two plays later, Douglas scored again on a 24-yard play.

Aaron Stecker scored on a 4-yard run and Doug Brien kicked field goals of 42 and 23 yards for the Bucs, who won five of their previous six to grab the final NFC wild-card spot.

With playoff seedings and next week's NFC matchups already determined, neither team had anything to gain by playing their starters in the nationally televised game.

The Eagles clinched their first NFC East title since 1988 last week approached the finale the way teams normally treat the preseason. Donovan McNabb appeared for two plays, and Feeley was on the field by the end.

Seven Philadelphia regulars – running back Duce Staley, defensive end Hugh Douglas, cornerback Troy Vincent, left tackle Tra Thomas, receiver James Thrash, tight end Chad Lewis and safety Brian Dawkins – were declared inactive.

Five others, including offensive linemen John Welbourn, Hank Fraley and Jermaine Mayberry, didn't start.

Tampa Bay played without receiver Keyshawn Johnson, running back Warrick Dunn, defensive end Marcus Jones and kicker Martin Gramatica, who sat out for the second straight week with a strained hamstring.

The Bucs, however, did begin the game with nine of 11 starters on defense. Not that they got much of a feel for what to expect from McNabb next week.

The Eagles' quarterback left after just two plays – both handoffs to Correll Buckhalter – and was replaced by Koy Detmer, who was 5-of-14 for 51 yards and one interception.

Philadelphia threatened twice in the second quarter after having the ball for just 2:40 of the opening quarter, gaining 5 yards before Tampa Bay removed its first-team defense.

David Akers made a 47-yard field goal, trimming the Bucs' lead to 10-3, after earlier missing a 34-yarder that hit the upright.

Brad Johnson started at quarterback for Tampa Bay and played one series, directing a 62-yard drive that produced Brien's first field goal. He was replaced by Shaun King, who used John Lynch's interception to set up Stecker's touchdown run for a 10-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter.

Brien's second field goal made it 13-3 at the half. It remained that way until Feeley threw his first TD pass.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 - ABC, Action News