Jeff Garcia led the Philadelphia Eagles past the Carolina Panthers 27-24 in the NFL on Monday night and by playing well in place of injured star quarterback Donovan McNabb.
And if he guides them into the playoffs -- at 6-6 the Eagles are tied for the NFC wild-card spot -- Garcia won't be hearing the boos fans at Lincoln Field sent his way in the first half.
Garcia threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns and Brian Dawkins' 38-yard interception return set up David Akers' 25-yard field goal with 3:13 to go.
PHOTO: AP
After Garcia struggled early, he was nearly unstoppable, using his arm and his legs to offset Carolina's dangerous pass rush.
The 36-year-old veteran, who replaced the injured McNabb (torn right knee ligament) two weeks ago and lost twice, had TD passes of 8 yards to Brian Westbrook, 30 to Donte' Stallworth and 40 to Reggie Brown. When Lito Sheppard picked off a fade pass to Keyshawn Johnson with 25 seconds left, the Eagles were back in the playoff chase, tied with Carolina, Atlanta and the New York Giants.
One of the great benefits of life in the mediocre NFC is that a 6-6 record makes you a contender.
Garcia, the former San Francisco 49ers star, has thrown for six touchdowns and no interceptions since taking over for McNabb.
The Panthers' Jake Delhomme played well early in the game, throwing a touchdown pass in each of the first three quarters. However, he made two big mistakes in the last period, allowing the Eagles to erase a 21-14 deficit. He ended up with 269 yards with TDs of 9 yards to Steve Smith, 1 yard to Johnson, and 35 yards to DeAngelo Williams.
But the interceptions ruined his night and continued the inconsistency that the Panthers have been plagued by all season.
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