“Mac Attack” Leads Eagles to Victory
Eagles Sink Bucs 33-14
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Jeremy Maclin had reason to celebrate after scoring his first career TD.
Rookie wideout Jeremy Maclin officially arrived Sunday as he caught six passes for 142 yards to lead the Birds to victory over the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Donovan McNabb hooked up with Maclin on two scores as the Eagles (3-1) cruised to a 33-14 win.
McNabb was sharp in his return from a rib injury. No. 5 went 16 for 21 for 264 yards and three touchdown passes while using his feet to gain 30 yards on two rushes.
"He felt pretty good," said Head Coach Andy Reid about his QB. "He took a couple of hits... from a confidence standpoint, you never want him hit, but it was good that [he did get hit] and felt comfortable coming out of it."
D-Mac’s favorite target was the other “Mac” on this team. Maclin, the Birds’ No. 1 pick in last spring’s NFL draft, had his first 100-plus yard game of his career and scored his first (two -- that is) NFL TDs.
Maclin looked impressive grabbing a 51-yard pass in the end zone early in the game that put the Eagles up 7-0. The “Mac Attack” would strike again in the second quarter when McNabb found Maclin for a 40-yard score.
Other standout stars for the Birds offense included tight end Brent Celek, fullback Leonard Weaver and running back Brian Westbrook.
Celek caught four passes for 58 yards. His standout play was on 38-yard catch and run when he literally leapfrogged Tampa’s Ronde Barber before being tackled.
Weaver only carried the ball twice for four yards but he made nice plays in the passing game and special teams. He caught a ball from McNabb that he took in for a 20-yard TD in the second quarter and he returned a squib kick 18 yards.
B-West only gained 35 yards on eight touches but he made sure to find the end zone on a seven-yard rush in the third quarter.
The Birds defense played up and down. They harassed Tampa’s QB Josh Johnson (no he isn’t the same guy who pitches for the Marlins) into a bevy of mistakes but they also allowed Johnson to throw for 240 yards and two scores.
Johnson twice hooked up on TD passes with tight end Kellen Winslow who lead Bucs' receivers with nine receptions for 102 yards.
But, the Birds defense intercepted Johnson three times -- twice by Asante Samuel and once by Sheldon Brown. The Birds also sacked the young Tampa QB three times and they got a late safety when Darren Howard tackled “Cadillac” Williams in the end zone.
But all wasn’t well for the Birds as they accumulated costly penalties throughout the game -- especially on the defensive side. In total the Birds were tagged for ten penalties resulting in 111 yards. The worst one being a 15-yard personal foul on Macho Harris that negated a sack and gave the Bucs a first down on a third and 25 play.
The Eagles can’t expect to beat better teams late in the season if they continue to make those mistakes.
There were some other random rumblings from the game.
Did fans at home notice the amusing names of some Tampa players including Stylez G. White, Niko Koutouvides, Andrew Economos and Sammie Straughter?
The lopsided score also allowed Michael Vick to take extra snaps in the fourth quarter. He completed his first pass in 33 months and had an 11-yard run.
Also, congratulations go out to Reid on earning his 100th regular season win.
But, possibly the biggest cheers of the entire game were reserved for newly resigned linebacker Jeremiah Trotter who was introduced last during pregame inros so that fans could show their appreciation. The Ax Man mostly played on running downs and contributed on three tackles. It was the first action since 2007 for the four-time Pro-Bowler.
Next up for the Bird’s will be their first West Coast trip of the season as they head to Oakland to play the Raiders next Sunday. Note that it will be the Birds third-straight game against teams with one of fewer wins.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC 10 Philadelphia
Posted Sunday, Oct 11, 2009 - 4:45 PM EST
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