Eagles crush Jets, keep season alive

BOX SCORE

If you stopped paying attention, you better start again. Maybe just for a few days. Maybe more.

Its still a long shot. Its just not quite as extreme a long shot as it was a couple weeks ago.

Two weeks ago, this had to happen, this had to happen, this had to happen -- the one constant thing is that if we dont win, none of the other stuff matters, Eagles defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins said. So were going to go out and fighting and try to win our last two games, and if some of the other stuff doesnt fall into place, at least we went down fighting.

The Eagles won their second straight game Sunday, thumping the Jets 45-19 to keep alive their slim playoff hopes.

Playing a week after beating the Dolphins 26-10 in Miami, the Eagles have now won consecutive games by 16 or more points for only the second time since the 2004 Super Bowl season.

Theyre playing their best football of the year, but it might not matter because they still need some help to get into the playoffs.

Were finally starting to get it, safety Kurt Coleman said. Its a shame it took this long, and I hope its not too little too late, but Ill tell you one thing, were going to go down to Dallas and were going to keep battling and battling and battling. It doesnt matter what anybody else does, were going to ride it out into the sunset.

When the Redskins beat the Giants in an early game Sunday, the Eagles improbably remained alive in the NFC East championship hunt. They were eliminated later in the day from wild-card contention, but for them to win the division, only four things need to happen:
1) The Jets need to beat the Giants at the Meadowlands at 1 p.m. at Saturday.

2) The Eagles need to beat the Cowboys in Dallas at 4:15 p.m. on Saturday.
3) The Eagles need to beat the Redskins at the Linc at 1 p.m. Jan. 1.

4) The Giants need to beat the Cowboys at the Meadowlands at 1 p.m. on Jan. 1.

That would create a three-way tie at 8-8 between the Cowboys, Giants and Eagles. The Eagles would win the division based on a superior division record -- theyd be 5-1 vs. NFC East opponents.

Can it happen? The odds are against them, but its a heck of lot more manageable than it was two weeks ago

It feels good to still have a chance to even be considered in the playoff race, Michael Vick said. Weve been through a lot, and this team is very resilient. We have a great deal of resolve, and we just try to go out each and every week and get better.

Jason Babin led a rejuvenated defense with his second consecutive three-sack game (see blog), Brent Celek had a career-best 156 yards (see blog), LeSean McCoy scored three more touchdowns to break two of Steve Van Burens hallowed records (see blog) and the Eagles hammered an AFC East opponent for the second time in eight days.

The Eagles improved to 6-8 overall and 5-4 since their 1-4 start. The Jets, who had won three straight and six of their last eight, fell to 8-6.

Were here to win the Super Bowl, Celek said. And as long as were still alive, were going to fight for that.

The Eagles 45 points are the second-most the Jets have allowed in the last 16 years. The Chargers scored 48 in 2008.

I know wed play hard this week if we didnt have a chance to make the playoffs, linebacker Jamar Chaney said. But it feels a lot better going out there for another week knowing we do have a shot.

The Eagles raced out to a 28-0 lead early in the second quarter, gave up three scores during a sloppy last 6 12 minutes of the second quarter, then put away the Jets with 17 more points in a nine-minute span.

In wins over the Dolphins and Jets, the Eagles have allowed just three touchdowns and only one TD drive over 24 yards. Theyve allowed 204 and 241 yards, recorded 13 sacks and forced seven turnovers.

The playoff picture? All I know is were going to go down to Dallas next weekend, thats all Im thinking about, Coleman said. If we make it to the playoffs, anything can happen -- i.e., the Packers last year.

The last time the Eagles had consecutive games in which they allowed 250 or fewer yards and forced three or more turnovers?

Back in 1991.

I think a lot of it has to do with confidence, Jenkins said. And maybe not having all that pressure on us. When we got our eighth loss, a lot of people wrote us off, and all of a sudden we just started playing the game for pride or whatever little hope we had to make the playoffs that only we in this locker room believed in.

Youre seeing now what were made of. Nobodys stopped fighting.

The 45 points are the most the Eagles have scored against an AFC team since 1990, when they beat the Patriots 48-20 at the Linc.

The Eagles are now 9-0 all-time vs. the Jets, the most wins any NFL team has against another team without a loss.

Shocked, Jets coach Rex Ryan said. I never thought they would score six out of seven possessions on us at one point (actually six of 10). Thats ridiculous. Theyre a good offense and all that, but we made them look ... I mean, I dont know what to say.

McCoys 33-yard fourth-quarter touchdown nudged him over the 100-yard plateau for the sixth time this year. He now has five fourth-quarter TD runs of 30 yards or more in his career. Only Tony Dorsett and Fred Taylor, with six each, have more in NFL history.

McCoys three rushing TDs gave him 17 rushing touchdowns this year and 20 total TDs. He broke Van Burens franchise records of 15 and 18, both set in 1945.

McCoy also became the third running back in NFL history to score 20 or more touchdowns in a season before his 24th birthday. The others -- Gale Sayers (22 in 1965) and Eric Dickerson (23 in 1983) -- are both in the Hall of Fame.

Its awesome, hes a great running back, DeSean Jackson said. Ive watched him develop and seen him come in as a rookie to being a third-year veteran, and its unbelievable how fast he was able to catch on.

Babin recorded three sacks for the second straight week, becoming only the 10th player in NFL history and the first Eagle with three sacks in back-to-back weeks. He now has 18 sacks, just three off Hall of Famer Reggie Whites franchise record of 21, set during the strike-shortened 12-game 1987 season.

Babin is only the 15th player in NFL history with 18 sacks in a season. He needs 4 12 more to tie Michael Strahans NFL record of 22 12 sacks in a season, set in 2001.

Celeks 156 yards on five receptions are the most by an Eagles tight end in 46 years, since Pete Retzlaff had 204 yards against the Redskins in 1965.

Vick enjoyed one of his better performances of the year, completing 15 of 22 passes for 274 yards with a 26-yard TD pass to Celek.

Ive gone against Vick a few times, but hes never had that kind of day, not even close against our kind of defense Ryan said. But he had it today. Theyve done a great job with Vick. Hes a complete quarterback now.

After the Jets had trimmed 13 points off the Eagles lead just before halftime, Vick connected on a 73-yard gain with Celek down to the one-yard-line that set up McCoys second TD and extended the lead back to 22 points at 35-13.

Hes so slow, McCoy joked. I knew he wouldnt be able to get in.

Once again, the big story was the Eagles defense, which has given up just three touchdowns in the last two games -- only one of them coming on a drive longer than 24 yards.

Chaney and Asante Samuel each recorded their third interception of the season, and Parker returned a fumble 44 yards for a touchdown, his third career return of 40 yards or more.

The Dolphins and Jets have managed just three touchdowns on eight drives inside the Eagles 20.

Shonn Green ran four times for 33 yards on the Jets first drive but was just 14 for 40 the rest of the game, finishing 18 for 73.

Mark Sanchez threw 26 times for just 150 yards and was picked off twice.

The confidence level is high right now, Chaney said. Anytime you play the way we have the last two games, your confidence is going to be high. Now we have another great challenge down in Dallas, and weve got to keep it going.

E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com