NEW ORLEANS -- Given the day's earlier developments in the NFL, Philadelphia Coach Rich Kotite could almost relax with the Eagles trailing.
Philadelphia overcame a 13-point lead Sunday to defeat the New Orleans Saints 36-20 in the NFC wild-card game. The comeback, however, looked less monumental in the face of the Buffalo Bills' record-setting 32-point rally against Houston in the AFC wild-card game earlier in the day.
'They were down 35-3,' Kotite referred to the Bills' plight. 'We were down by 10 at the half. What's the big deal?'
If the deficit wasn't daunting, it was sobering that New Orleans had totally dominated the first half, limiting Philadelphia to four first downs en route to a 17-7 halftime lead.
The Saints, who after four tries remain the only NFL team to never have won a playoff game, even expanded their lead to 20-7 early in the third quarter.
The Eagles, though, produced three interceptions and a safety during the second half and reeled off 19 straight points to set up a divisional round meeting next Sunday against NFC East rival Dallas. The triumph over New Orleans was Philadelphia's first in the postseason since beating Dallas to reaching the Super Bowl at the end of the 1980 season.
The Eagles defense scored twice in the second half, on an 18-yard interception return by Eric Allen and a safety by Reggie White.
'It took us five (playoff) tries to do it,' said White, who broke through for a sack of Bobby Hebert after the Saints offensive line gave up none until that point and the surrendered the fewest in the NFL over the regular sason. 'In the second half, everybody played their tails off.
'The adjustment we needed (at halftime) was an attitude adjustment,' White said. 'I chatted with Eric Allen in the lockerroom at the half and told him something big was going to happen.'
New Orleans' second half apalled Pro Bowl linebacker Sam Mills, whose team has to confront the same knocks Houston will be hearing.
'This team played a horrible second half,' he said. 'I don't like to think of this team as a team that chokes but we played a horrible second half and that's why we didn't win.'
Fred Barnett caught two long touchdown passes from Randall Cunningham to key the Eagles' offense. Cunningham finished 19 of 35 for 219 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions. Barnett caught four passes for 102 yards.
Hebert went 23 of 39 for 291 yards and 1 TD with three interceptions. Quinn Early made seven catches, including a 7-yard TD, for 93 yards
'Coming out of the half, things just went backwards, and we really don't have any reason for it,' said Saints cornerback Toi Cook, who was burned on one of Barnett's TD catches. 'They just came out and out- executed us in the second half.'
Morten Andersen kicked a 42-yard field goal for New Orleans early in the third quarter to expand the Saints' 10-point halftime lead to 20-7. The Saints then collapsed, just as they did a year ago when they let a 10-point advantage disappear in losing a playoff game to the Atlanta Falcons.
Roger Ruzek kicked a 40-yard field goal late in the third period to bring the Eagles within 20-10.
Then, on Philadelphia's first drive of the fourth quarter, Cunningham marched the Eagles to the New Orleans 35, from where he avoided a Saints pass rush to hit Barnett with a 35-yard touchdown throw.
Barnett leaped over Reginald Jones to make a spectacular catch and give the Eagles the momentum they needed to take over the game.
Seth Joyner intercepted a pass by Hebert on the first play after the score, giving the Eagles the ball at the Saints' 26. Five plays later, Heath Sherman scored on a 6-yard run to give the Eagles their first lead of the day at 24-20. Sherman finished with 105 yards on 21 carries.
New Orleans' next drive went backward and was ended on third down by Reggie White for a safety. After the free kick, Philadelphia drove to a 39-yard field goal by Ruzek to put the Eagles in front by eight and one play after the kickoff, Hebert was intercepted by Eric Allen and returned 20 yards for another score.
The Eagles produced 26 points in the fourth quarter, giving them a 12-5 record going into their meeting with Dallas and marking Cunningham's first playoff victory in four tries. The Saints' finished the season at 12-5.
New Orleans appeared ready for an easy victory in the first half, taking the opening kickoff and taking 5:40 off the clock.
Hebert hit Craig 'Ironhead' Heyward on a 25-yard screen pass on third down that took the ball to the Philadelphia 47, but the big play on the drive was a pass interference call that gave New Orleans the ball on the 1-yard line, from where Heyward scored the game's first touchdown.
Philadelphia tied the score late in the first period on Barnett's first touchdown catch, a 43-yard pass that was the longest against New Orleans' defense this year.
New Orleans then drove 71 yards in 13 plays to take the lead on a 35- yard field goal by Andersen and later in the period the Saints marched 53 yards injust four plays -- scoring on a 9-yard pass from Hebert to Early.
New Orleans picked up 14 first downs to only four for Philadelphia in the first half, but as the game turned in the third period, the Eagles had seven first downs to only one for the Saints.
