The Philadelphia Eagles took advantage of coach Andy Reid’s challenge of a call in the fourth quarter to set up a touchdown that gave them breathing room as they beat a battling Houston Texans side 34-24 on Thursday.
The victory allowed the Eagles (8-4) to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East ahead of the New York Giants (7-4). The Texans (5-7) are last in the AFC South.
The Texans had rallied from a 20-10 halftime deficit with two touchdown drives in the third quarter that took up 12:34 to take a brief lead at 24-20.
The Eagles, however, struck back quickly early in the fourth quarter when quarterback Michael Vick made a two-yard touchdown run.
The home side put the game beyond doubt when Reid challenged the placement of the ball when tight end Brent Celek had stretched out to grab what appeared to be a first down at the Texans’ five-yard line when the Eagles had faced a third and 19 situation.
The referee, however, placed the ball short of the first down markers, with Reid making a successful challenge of the ball positioning, and two plays later Vick connected with fullback Owen Schmitt for a touchdown that ensured the victory.
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