PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Sparked by a dominant defensive performance and the running of Stephen Davis and Ki-Jana Carter, the Washington Redskins made NFL history Sunday by downing the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles, 13-3.
Washington became the first team ever to lose its first five games and then win its next five. The Redskins, whose five losses under new coach Marty Schottenheimer came by the combined score of 144-32, moved within one game of Philadelphia (6-4) for the lead in the NFC East.
"People get tired of hearing me say this but I never looked beyond the next game," Schottenheimer said. "It was one game at a time and I know that's boring, but that's the way we do it."
Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington said he is not surprised at the turnaround.
"We are not doing anything that I did not expect we would do in the first place," he said. "We are just going to keep marching and we are marching with a grudge. We have a chip on our shoulders because six weeks ago people were up in my face and everyone's face around here saying that we were going to have new coaching staff and people were asking why we could not win."
It was a huge day on defense for the Redskins, who held Philadelphia to just 186 total yards and seven first downs. Washington also had two big fourth-down stands in its own territory in the fourth quarter.
Davis and Carter did the job against the NFC's stingiest defense, rushing for a combined 135 yards.
Davis carried 22 times for 79 yards and Carter had 18 attempts for 56 yards, including a five-yard touchdown run in the first quarter for the opening score of the game.
Behind the running of Davis and Carter, the Redskins held the ball for more than 8 1/2 minutes after stopping Philadelphia on a fourth and one play from the Washington 36 with 9:25 left.
That drive resulted in a 32-yard field goal by Brett Conway with 30 seconds remaining that gave Washington a 13-3 advantage.
Washington quarterback Tony Banks, who suffered a concussion in last Sunday's win at Denver, returned to action and went 12 of 18 for 96 yards.
Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb, had a forgetable 25th birthday, going 15 of 27 for just 92 yards.
Eagles coach Andy Reid blamed himself for his club's offensive struggles.
"I have to to go back and analyze my calls and the way I put Donovan (McNabb) in situations," Reid said. "Really, it is my responsibility to get that done. I am very disappointed in myself and the effort that took place on the field. I did not call a good enough game."
McNabb defended his coach.
"As a quarterback, whatever play is called, you're entitled to make the play," McNabb said. "I put all the pressure on myself to make plays and just didn't make them. I lot of people are going to take the blame and I'm one of them. I put a lot of pressure on myself because I know I didn't play as well as I'm capable of."
On Sunday, the Redskins used Arrington to shadow McNabb, who endured his worst game of the season. McNabb rushed for 39 yards but 33 of them came on the game's final play.
"I think it was more their game plan to keep McNabb in the pocket," Arrington said. "I think McNabb was trying to stay in the pocket and pick us apart. I don't think it's anything we did."
"Everyone did what they have to do," Redskins defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson said. "Guys stayed with their coverage and guys stayed in their lanes. Knowing the type of quarterback McNabb is, you have to be disciplined with everything."
David Akers kicked a 49-yard field goal late in the third quater for Philadelphia, which lost for the fourth time in six games at Veterans Stadium this season.
Looking to once again prove their critics wrong, the Redskins dominated virtually the entire way. In the first quarter, the Redskins managed a 103-16 advantage in total yards, but the game was scoreless as Conway missed a 37-yard field goal attempt to the left.
Davis also left the contest in the first quarter, but Carter, the first overall pick of the 1995 draft by Cincinnati, more than picked up the slack in his brief absence.
Late in the opening quarter, the Redskins embarked on a six-play, 59-yard drive in which Carter had runs of six and 13 yards into Philadelphia territory.
Banks also had 23-yard completion to tight end Zeron Flemister, moving the ball to the Philadelphia seven. Two plays later, Carter broke a tackle from defensive tackle Hollis Thomas in the backfield and scored on a five-yard run to give Washington a 7-0 with 13:57 left before halftime. Davis returned two possessions later.
A 30-yard punt return by Eric Metcalf later in the second quarter into Philadelphia territory, helped set up the Redskins' second score.
Working with a short field, Banks directed a six-play, 20-yard drive. The drive was kept alive on an offsides penalty by defensive end Hugh Douglas on third and four that gave Washington a first down at the 39.
The Redskins' drive stalled and Conway booted a 43-yard field goal with eight seconds left before intermission for a 10-0 lead.
The run by Davis and Conway's field goal were more than enough for the Redskins, who held Philadelphia without a first down until McNabb completed a short pass to running back Duce Staley at the two-minute warning.
In the half, Washington held a 175-69 advantage in total yards. The Redskins also managed 11 first downs, compared with one for Philadelphia, and had the ball for more than 20 minutes in the half.
The Eagles finally manged to move the ball in the second half.
Late in the third quarter, Philadelphia drove 42 yards in nine plays. They picked up 15 yards on the drive on a roughing penalty on Arrington that kept the march alive.
Akers put the Eagles' only points of the day on the scoreboard with 4:05 left in the period, drilling a 49-yard field goal.
In the fourth quarter, Washington's defense stiffened at the right times.
Facing a fourth and three from the Washington 35, the Eagles were stopped on the first play of the fourth quarter when McNabb's pass for rookie Freddie Mitchell fell incomplete. Mitchell was covered tightly by veteran Darrell Green.
Green and fellow corners, rookie Fred Smoot and Champ Bailey, bottled up the Eagles' receiving corps by jamming them at the line of scrimmage.
Staley was the Eagles' leading receiver with seven catches for 40 yards. Former Redskin James Thrash, who signed in the offseason with Philadelphia, had four catches for 32 yards.
Staley, who was coming off consecutive 100-yard games, was held to 50 on 15 carries by a Washington defense that came in ranked 23rd in the NFL against the run.
The Eagles also moved into Washington territory on their next possession. But on fourth and one from the 36, rookie Correll Buckhalter was tripped up in the backfield by linebacker Keith Mitchell and Arrington stopped him short of the first down, giving Washington possession with 9:25 remaining.
"The stops were everything because there were two plays and they were on our side of the field and they (Eagles) turned the ball over," Smoot said. "We stopped them twice on fourth and one and that was the difference in the game."
Sparked by that big play, the Redskins' offense went to work, moving 50 yards in 15 plays. Davis and Carter combined to run 12 times on the drive that Conway capped with his 32-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining.
