Win is a Win, Eagles 27 Falcons 14

The season resumed Sunday and the Eagles responded with their second straight win, a 27-14 victory over the Falcons. It was a much-needed win. Brian Westbrook returned from a rib injury and provided the offensive spark, rushing for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Donovan McNabb threw for 253 yards and rushed for 25 yards, including a touchdown run. Defensively, the Eagles netted a pair of interceptions and held their own against Atlanta's potent rushing attack. The Eagles churned out 432 yards against Atlanta on Sunday, including 192 yards on the ground. On the other hand, they converted just three of 12 third downs and scored in two of four trips to the red zone. The Eagles controlled the football for 32 minutes, 21 seconds and put 27 points on the board. They gained an average of 6.4 yards per offensive play.

They rode Brian Westbrook to the win on Sunday as Donovan McNabb struggled to get his rhythm and Westbrook responded with 205 yards from scrimmage, 118 of them in a huge second half. Westbrook was absolutely brilliant, gaining tough yards in the running game, breaking tackles and getting into the secondary, contributing in the passing game and working hard in the blocking phase of the game. The guy is, we were reminded again, a great football player. However, the Eagles need a whole lot more than Westbrook to reach their peak effectiveness on offense. The Eagles want to throw the football. We all understand that. They need to find answers when the air game is not clicking, something that took most of a first half to do on Sunday. Not until the play-calling mixed in the running game and stuck with it did the offense show a sparkle of life.

A third-and-6 completion to DeSean Jackson gained 30 yards and the offense shrugged to life just a little bit. That completion was the kind of great design and execution the Eagles need to have more often. Jackson lined up in the backfield with McNabb in the shotgun, went in motion as a linebacker followed him to the left side of the offensive formation. Jackson immediately became the primary target on the play. With a linebacker on him, Jackson ran a shallow crossing route from left to right, caught McNabb's pass and headed up the right sideline for the big gain.

On a marvelous drive that ended the first half, the Eagles moved 70 yards in six plays and 45 seconds to set up David Akers for a field goal. On that drive, one that gave the Eagles a lead and some needed momentum going into the half, Westbrook started things off with a 20-yard run to move the offense from its 12-yard line to the 32-yard line. With some breathing room, McNabb found his rhythm, completing three straight passes before taking a stab into the end zone with the time winding down on the clock.

One thing is clear about the offense: The Eagles can't get too far away from the running game. While the passing game offers more explosion and big-play potential, the running game has to establish some confidence. The Eagles are having far too many problems on short-yardage situations, and their goal-to-go failures are reaching the alarming stage. The work in the red zone is far, far from being complete. This offense simply has too many troubles scoring touchdowns there, for whatever reason.

Certainly, there were encouraging signs on Sunday. Westbrook looked as great as ever after a rest seemed to have healed his aching ribs and ankle. Kevin Curtis caught three passes and was open down the field a few other times. Jackson continues to make big plays and needs to remain a large part of the offense. Tight ends L.J. Smith and Celek combined for 4 catches and 57 yards. McNabb was a dual threat, and his gains running the football opened other avenues for the offense.

But the Eagles aren't yet where they want to be. They need to start more quickly and put points on the board early. They need to finish drives. They have to score touchdowns in the red zone. They need to retain some balance throughout a game. The Eagles definitely need to deal with the blitz better, make the right calls and gash defenses when they pin back their ears. The Eagles have high hopes, but they sure need to play with more consistency and efficiency. The rest of the division won on Sunday. Carolina, New Orelans and Tampa Bay are winning in the NFC South. We're back to thinking that it is going to take at least 10 wins to make the playoffs. And to do so, the offense needs touchdowns. It needs a running game to mix with a passing attack. It needs to take things to the next level right now, and keep it there for the rest of the season.

Is this the best we can hope for? I don't think so, but we'll just have to wait and see if they can get everything to work all at once. I was glad to see McNabb use his legs, and I hope to see more of that in the comming games. The passing game is all that really needs to come togather now.