PHILADELPHIA — Without Donovan McNabb, the Philadelphia Eagles tried everything they could on offense. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints stuck to what they do best.Brees tossed three more touchdown passes Sunday, helping the Saints beat Philadelphia 48-22.Brees had six TD passes last week as the Saints (2-0) routed Detroit 45-27. He picked up where he left off, picking apart Philadelphia’s secondary and completing 25 of 34 passes for 311 yards and one interception.”If you look at our skill group, each game no guy ever knows who’s day it’s gonna be,” Brees said. “Each guy knows it’s their job to open things up for everyone else.”Making his first NFL start for an injured McNabb, Kevin Kolb threw for 391 yards and two TDs, including a 71-yard scoring pass to DeSean Jackson. Kolb also threw three interceptions, though, including one returned 97 yards for a TD by Darren Sharper in the final minute.”I’ve got to cut those turnovers out,” Kolb said. “I know better than that. I will do it.”McNabb sat out with a cracked rib. With the five-time Pro Bowl QB in street clothes, the Eagles (1-1) showed off their creativity on offense.Coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg used several variations of the wildcat formation with three different players taking snaps. Both tackles were split wide one time with only three linemen blocking. Kolb threw an incomplete pass on a reverse flea flicker and Brian Westbrook had an incompletion.It could get even wackier next week when Michael Vick is expected to play his first regular-season game since Dec. 31, 2006.The Saints took advantage of a fumble recovery and interception to turn a four-point halftime lead into a 31-13 advantage in the first 3½ minutes of the third quarter.Ellis Hobbs fumbled the second-half kickoff and Chris Reis recovered at the Eagles 22. Two plays later, Brees tossed an 11-yard TD pass to fullback Heath Evans, who broke a couple tackles, tiptoed along the sideline and dove over the orange pylon.On Philadelphia’s next possession, Scott Shanle stepped in front of Kolb’s ill-advised pass to a well-covered Jackson for an easy pick. Mike Bell ran in from the 7 to make it 31-13.Jason Avant made a diving catch on fourth-and-goal from the 3 to cut it to 34-20 late in the third. But Reggie Bush, filling in for an injured Bell, had a 19-yard TD run to put the Saints ahead 41-20.New Orleans needed just two plays to go 54 yards after getting the ball with 1:20 left in the first half. Bush turned a short pass into a 29-yard gain, and Brees fired a 25-yard strike to Marques Colston to give the Saints a 17-10 lead.Kolb drove Philadelphia 63 yards in 43 seconds, setting up David Akers’ 32-yard field goal before halftime.The Saints racked up 421 yards against a defense that dominated the Carolina Panthers in a 38-10 win last week.”You like starting 2-0, but it doesn’t promise you anything,” Saints coach Sean Payton said.McNabb got hurt when he was hit hard in the end zone after scoring on a 3-yard TD run last week against Carolina. He didn’t practice this week and was ruled out 90 minutes before kickoff.—-Contact The Daiy Revelle’s sports staff at [email protected]
NFL: Saints take an easy win against Eagles, 48-22
September 19, 2009