PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Duce Staley rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown and also had a big day receiving Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles pounded the Minnesota Vikings, 48-17.
An integral part of the Eagles' West Coast offense, Staley missed the final 11 games in 2000 with a foot injury and has battled through a shoulder problem this season that forced him to miss two games.
Staley has been splitting time with rookie Correll Buckhalter in recent weeks, but was the featured back on Sunday and responded in a big way. He carried 17 times, including a 44-yard touchdown run and added six receptions for 85 yards.
"(Eagles coach Andy Reid) does a great job as far as monitoring the situation as far as injuries," Staley said. "The trainers and Andy talked back and forth. The last couple of weeks and the game against the Giants I was kind of feeling my way back and trying to get back. Slowly but surely, I worked my way back."
Staley said he was not surprised he was called on Sunday.
"It was part of the game plan," he said. "Andy did a great job during the week preparing us. Watching film we saw a lot of holes in their defense."
"I think it is good to have Duce back," Reid said. "It is a tribute to him, his toughness and resilience coming off the (shoulder) injury."
It also was a huge day for Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who outplayed Minnesota's Daunte Culpepper. The duo was part of the 1999 draft class that featured five quarterbacks selected in the first round.
McNabb threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score. Two of his touchdown throws and his scoring run came in the first half, during which the Eagles built a 31-10 advantage.
McNabb finished 19 of 29 for 223 yards and rushed for 37 yards on three attempts.
"The running game opens up a lot of different things," McNabb said. "With Duce coming in and running the way he did, and also Buckhalter coming in and running the ball as well. It definitely opens up a lof of holes in the pass game, and for us to move the ball around a bit. It was definitely a key part in everything we were able to get done."
It was the Eagles' most points in a game since a 48-20 victory over New England in 1990.
Culpepper, who was the 11th overall pick in the 1999 draft, nine selections after McNabb, had a forgettable afternoon. He completed 21 of 35 passes for 285 yards with two touchdowns. But he threw an interception, lost two fumbles and was sacked six times.
"We just didn't make plays," Culpepper said. "We made too many mistakes, turned the ball over. Things like that always get you beat."
In addition to the sacks, the Eagles (5-3) forced five turnovers as they won for just the second time in five home games while remaining a half game ahead of the second-place New York Giants in the NFC East.
Coming off their bye week, the Vikings were outplayed from the start and suffered another embarrassing road loss. They were coming off a 41-14 loss at Tampa Bay and have dropped seven straight games away from the Metrodome dating to last season.
"Our inability on the road continues," Vikings coach Dennis Green said. "Over the nine years that we've been here, we've never been 0-4 on the road and in fact, we've held our own on the road."
Minnesota (3-5), which has made the playoffs in each of the last nine seasons, fell into fourth place in the NFC Central.
After stopping the Eagles on the game's initial drive, it was all downhill for the Vikings, who were throughly embarrassed by the NFL's 20th-rated offense which rolled up 487 total yards.
Philadelphia went 45 yards in five plays for the game's first score in the opening quarter. Staley had a 24-yard run to the Minnesota 24 and McNabb kept the drive alive with a six-yard completion to James Thrash on third and six. McNabb capped the drive by finding Thrash wide open in the end zone for a 14-yard score with 9:38 left in the quarter.
Later in the first quarter, the Eagles embarked on 10-play, 91-yard drive that lasted into the second period. McNabb culminated that drive on the first play of the second quarter by scrambling and dodging a numerous defenders along the way before reaching the end zone from 12 yards.
On their next possession, the Eagles had one of their few offensive miscues when Thrash fumbled and linebacker Lemanski Hall recovered for the Vikings at the Philadelphia 23.
But the Vikings were unable to move the ball and settled for Gary Anderson's 43-yard field goal.
After David Akers kicked a field goal to make it 17-3, the Eagles began to pour it on with their defense setting up the offense.
Defensive end Hugh Douglas, who had two sacks, smashed Culpepper in the backfield and cornerback Bobby Taylor recovered the fumble for the Eagles at the Minnesota 18.
Two plays after the misuce, McNabb found Thrash over the middle for a 17-yard touchdown and a 24-3 lead with 4:28 left in the half.
Culpepper had another blunder on his next offensive play, when his pass intended for Randy Moss along the right sideline was intercepted by cornerback Troy Vincent at the Minnesota 49.
McNabb and the Eagles needed four plays to turn that turnover into seven more points. McNabb had completions of 15 and 16 yards to Staley before Buckhalter ran 12 yards to the one.
Buckhalter powered over on the next play, making 31-3 with 2:20 left in the half.
Culpepper found some success on his last drive of the half, hitting former Eagle Cris Carter with a five-yard touchdown pass.
Carter, widely considered as the Vikings' team leader, had no answers for his team's struggles.
"I don't know what to tell you," he said. "I wish I could sit up here and say something that made some sense but I can't make sense of it. I don't know what's going on. I really don't."
Philadelphia held a 269-115 advantage in yards in the half.
The Vikings showed little fight in the second half as Philadelphia extended the lead just 1:56 into the third quarter on Staley's 44-yard touchdown run down the right sideline.
