Mattie T’s In-game blog: (Divisional Playoffs: Eagles vs. Giants)

Weather conditions will be an issue all afternoon at the Meadowlands, as winds are expected to gust up to 15 miles an hour. We shall see how this will affect Donovan McNabb & Eli Manning’s deep balls today.

Giants won the toss & will receive.

1st quarter:

Great 65-yard opening kickoff return by Ahmad Bradshaw, as David Akers does just enough to slow him down. Still, the Giants start out with great field position at the Eagles’ 35-yard line.Replays show that Akers might’ve gotten away grabbing Bradshaw’s face mask, but no penalty flags are thrown.

Steve Smith just misses making a catch off his fingertips on 1st down. Looks like the wind coul play big havoc today on Eli Manning’s passing attack.

On 3rd & 3, Manning zips a short pass to Derrick Ward, who is 2 yards short of a 1st down.

On 4th & 2, looks like the Giants are going for it. They go with Brandon Jacobs, who gets 3 yards for a first down.

Manning is able to read Philadelphia’s pass & completes a 13-yard pass to backup tight end Darcy Johnson.

Jacobs is stopped for minimal gains on 1st & 2nd down, which brings up a key 3rd & 8 from the Eagles’ 9-yard line.

Manning is in shotgun & hits Ward, who only gets a 5-yard gain.

John Carney comes on for a 23-yard field goal attempt, which is good.

Giants strike first & lead 3-0 with 9:59 left in the 1st quarter.

On Brian Westbrook’s first carry of the day, he cutbacks left but is stopped by Terrell Thomas for a 3-yard loss.

Donovan McNabb tries to hit Correll Buckhalter on a screen, but the Giants read it perfectly as it goes for a 3-yard loss.

McNabb then overthrows Kevin Curtis on 3rd down, which forces an Eagles punt.

Chase Blackburn costs his team good starting field position, as he is called on a penalty for shoving Joselio Hanson out of bounds during the Giants’ kickoff return.

Eli Manning’s pass is picked off by Asante Samuel, who returns it all the way down to the 2-yard line.

Michael Johnson is called for defensive holding on 2nd & goal, which sets up the Eagles with an automatic 1st down.

Great tackle by Danny Clark, who denies a leaping Brian Westbrook from crossing the pylon, which would’ve been a Eagles touchdown.

McNabb then tries a quarterback sneak which works, as Philadelphia cashes in off Eli Manning’s turnover to take their 1st lead of the game.

David Akers’ extra point is good, as the Eagles lead 7-3 with 5:58 left in the 1st quarter.

Derrick Ward & Asante Samuel are jawing at each-other after Ward’s 2-yard run…it’s clear to see the hatred between these two teams.

On 3rd & 8, Manning connects with Steve Smith for a Giants 1st down.

Nice special teams coverage downfield, as DeSean Jackson is stopped for no return.

Sean Considine is called for an illegal block to the back, which will start Philadelphia’s next drive at their own 10-yard line.

Nice read by Michael Johnson, who brings down Westbrook for a 1-yard loss. So far, Westbrook has 4 carries for -4 yards.

L.J. Smith is called for a false start, which now backs the Eagles up at their own 4-yard line.

Buckhalter gets some breathing room back with a 5-yard run. Donovan McNabb ALMOST gets the ball stripped away on 3rd down by Terrell Thomas, but gets it off for an incomplete pass.

Domenik Hixon is hit hard on the punt return by Sean Considine, who made a nice play to slow down the speedy Hixon.

Brandon Jacobs makes a nice 11-yard run on 1st down, which will end the first quarter.

Philadelphia leads 7-3, but New York is looking to cut into their deficit as they will have 1st down near midfield.

2nd quarter:

Eli Manning avoids a 3rd down blitz & just misses completing a downfield pass to a diving Steve Smith, which would’ve set up 1st & Goal.

Terrell Thomas is having himself a nice game so far, as his great special teams play now sets up Philadelphia’s next possesion at their own 5-yard line.

Brian Westbrook loses the ball after his 1-yard gain on 1st down, but the officials rule it down.

Donovan McNabb just gets rid of the ball in the end zone, but is called for a safety since his throw wasn’t near an eliglible receiver. Giants get the safety & now trail 7-5, which is looking like a score you would see at a Mets/Phillies game.

Giants will now get the ball kick, as that safety might be the play that they need to fire themselves up.

A very well dressed Osi Umenyiora is cheering his team on from the sidelines.

On 2nd &6, Eli Manning connects with Kevin Boss, whose 8-yard catch is good enough for a Giants first down.

Quentin Mikell almost causes Eli Manning’s 2nd interception, but Stuart Bradley is penalized for illegal hands of the face of Shaun O’Hara.

Manning connects with Boss again, a 21-yard completion down to the Eagles’ 28-yard line.

Manning again fends off an Eagles blitz, but just misses a diving Domenik Hixon on a catch which would’ve set up 1st & Goal inside the Philadelphia 5-yard line.

John Carney’s 46-yard field goal attempt is no good, as the Eagles dodge a bullet & will now have good starting field position.

Philadelphia calls a timeout, which just avoids a delay of game call on 3rd & 5.

L.J. Smith with a nice 3rd down grab, as its’ good for a 1st down…the Eagles’ first successful third down conversion of today’s game.

The Giants have done a great job shutting down Brian Westbrook, who has 6 carries for -1 yard & no catches to this point.

Spoke too soon, as Westbrook cuts right & runs 7 yards for his biggest play of the game.

Buckhalter is able to convert the short 3rd & 1 play for another Eagles 1st down, as we approach the 5 minute mark to go before halftime.

McNabb stumbles, but does get it to Westbrook for just a 1-yard gain. Maybe Donovan should consider appearing on Dancing with the Stars in the near future after watching his celebratory dance after the Eagles’ win over the Vikings last week. 🙂

McNabb is hammered on a 3rd down blitz, which results with an interception to Kevin Dockery. Terrell Thomas has had an outstanding 1st half for the Giants, as he’s played a role in several key defensive plays.

Brandon Jacobs then breaks open a 24-yard run & is brought down on a touchdown-saving shoestring tackle by Sheldon Brown.

Jacobs so far has outgained Philadelphia’s entire offense in total yards, 49 to 39.

Eli Manning gets great protection & finds Kevin Boss downfield for a 25-yard reception. Boss has had a good 1st half so far, with 52 yards on 3 catches.

The Giants are now in the best offensive rhythm of the day, as we hit the two-minute warning.

The officials took away Jacobs’ 5-yard run right before the 2-minute warning, but it doesn’t mean much as the Eagles draw an offsides penalty to gain 5 yards back.

Eli Manning is taking one of Ben Roethlisberger’s tactics by wearing a glove on his hand…however, it’s on his non-throwing hand whereas Roethlisberger is known to wear a glove on his throwing hand.

Dangerous throw, as the ball is tipped & almost intercepted by Brian Dawkins.

Key 3rd & 5 from Philadelphia’s 21-yard line, as Manning tries a screeen to Derrick Ward, but Ward is just short of a 1st down.

Decision time for Tom Coughlin with his team trailing by 2. Decides to take the points, as John Carney comes on for a 35-yard field goal attempt.

Carlos Beltran hits a 3-run homer! Just kidding 🙂 Carney’s kick is good, which puts the Giants up 8-7. Here comes Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez to try & close out the game…whoops, kidding again!

Brent Celek’s pass is dropped on 1st down, as he tried to make his move downfield before catching the ball…that’s usually going to end up as an incompletion.

McNabb escapes pressure & hits Jason Avant for a 15-yard completion to the Giants’ 35-yard line. Andy Reid calls a timeout, which is the last of the 1st half with 40 seconds remaining.

Nice diving catch by DeSean Jackson, who holds onto the football going out of bounds AND stops the clock with 36 seconds left.

Incompletion by McNabb on 2nd down, which sets up a huge 3rd & 1 at the Giants’ 25.

Draw to Westbrook is good for a first down, but with no timeouts remaining, McNabb spikes it with 18 seconds left.

McNabb pump fakes, then takes off for a 9-yard run which puts it on the Giants’ 12-yard line. Antonio Pierce is called for illegal contact, which sets up 1st & Goal.

Corey Webster got away with a hold on Desean Jackson’s incomplete catch in the end zone, which now brings out David Akers for a 25-yard field goal try, which is good.

The first half ends with the Eagles holding a slim 10-8 lead. New York has outplayed Philadelphia in this game, but the Giants are just 1 for 7 on 3rd downs. This will definitely have to improve, or else the defending champs could very well be out of next week’s NFC Championship Game.

3rd quarter:

2nd half is about to begin with the Eagles to receive the football. Quentin Demps with a nice kick-off return, which goes for 46 yards & will put Philadelphia on their own 47-yard line for their 1st possesion of the 3rd quarter.

Giants force Donovan McNabb’s 2nd interception, as the ball is tipped off Chase Blackburn & winds up in the hands of 317 pound defensive tackle Fred Robbins, who chugs it 17 yards to the Eagles’ 33-yard line before being tackled by Kevin Curtis.

Brandon Jacobs with a good 11-yard run on 1st down. He can obviously break off a big run at any point in this game.

Big concern for Philadelphia, as Quentin Mikell is on the sidelines with a possible knee injury.

Manning’s 3rd down pass to Kevin Boss is incomplete, which brings out John Carney for a 35-yard field goal try.

It is good, which puts the Giants back up 11-10 with 12:33 left in the 3rd quarter.

Correll Buckhalter gets a 5 yard run on 2nd down, but its’ coming back due to a holding call on Ty Herremans.

Mikell is headed to the locker room & is limping. Not good news for the Philadelphia defense.

McNabb’s screen pass is incomplete, which now brings up 3rd & 20.

Great play by Donovan, as he escapes the Giants blitz & finds an open Jason Avant, who completes the catch for 21 yards & an Eagles 1st down.

McNabb now goes deep to a wide-open Kevin Curtis, who DROPS the ball. That’s 6 points if Curtis holds onto it. Big missed opportunity since the Giants’ Aaron Ross was called for illegal hands to the face.

Big hit by Antonio Pierce on Correll Buckhalter, but Pierce got hit by his own teammate Barry Cofield at the end of the play.

McNabb then pump fakes & targets Curtis again, who does hold onto the ball for a 15-yard catch, as the Eagles have now moved into Giants territory.

Bad news for the Giants, as Justin Tuck is hurt & is down on the field. Mathias Kiwanuka was seen holding his left arm on the sidelines during the Eagles’ current drive, so now injuries are starting to become a concern for Tom Coughlin’s team.

Another big 3rd down completion, as McNabb gets great protection from his offensive line & finds an open Correll Buckhalter for a 19-yard gain to the Giants’ 22-yard line.

The Eagles are 5 for 8 on 3rd down conversions so far today, while the Giants are just 1 for 8.

Looks like Justin Tuck is back in there, as he’s playing despite leg & knee injuries.

Good pressure by the Giants on 2nd down, as McNabb’s intended pass for Westbrook sails untouched in the end zone.

3rd & 5, as the Giants bring pressure which forces an incomplete pass. The kickers have dominated this game, as David Akers will now come on to try a 35-yard field goal attempt. It is good, so the Eagles are now back on top 13-11 with 7:53 left in the 3rd quarter.

Akers’ 2nd field goal is now the 5th different lead change in this game, with the Arizona Cardinals awaiting the winner in next Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.

Eli Manning makes a great read on the Eagles’ 3rd down blitz & strikes downfield with Domenik Hixon for a 34-yard catch down to Philadelphia’s 30-yard line.

Eagles send another 3rd down blitz, as Manning gets it off to Derrick Ward, who drops the ball for an incompletion.

John Carney is on for a 47-yard field goal attempt, which hooks wide left for his 2nd miss of the game.

Can the Eagles take advantage of the missed field goal? After Carney’s 1st miss, Philadelphia’s drive ended with a McNabb interception.

McNabb scrambles on 2nd down & throws it out of bounds to Quentin Mikell, who is back on the sidelines but has not yet re-entered the game.

Nice 3rd down grab by Kevin Curtis, which is good for 8 yards & a Philadelphia 1st down near midfield. Giants have been unable to get themselves off the field all day on third down, which the Eagles have explioted quite nicely.

Big penalty here, as Antonio Pierce is called for a personal foul by grabbing L.J. Smith’s facemask after a 6-yard catch.

Another huge catch by Kevin Curtis, who breaks a tackle from Chase Blackburn & gains 15 yards on the play. So far, the Giants defense has produced no sacks on McNabb which is stunning considering that this unit led the NFL in that category in the regular season.

Brian Westbrook converts another huge 3rd down conversion, which ends the third quarter with Philadelphia leading 13-11 & looking to make this a two-posession game.

4th quarter:

Eagles finally get their first offensive touchdown of the game, as Brent Celek gets the 1-yard touchdown catch from Donovan McNabb. Akers’ extra point is good, which makes it a 20-11 game & now will require two scores from the Giants to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Jacobs with a good 1st down run of 11 yards for a Giants’ first down.

Derrick Ward’s 3rd & 3 run is very close for a first down. It appears to be short, but Tom Coughlin has decided to challenge the spot as his team desperately needs some points out of this drive.

The call stands, which leaves New York with just 1 timeout remaining for the rest of the game.

Giants are going for it on 4th & inches with a 9-point deficit on a quarterback sneak, but it’s DENIED!!! Eagles with a fantastic defensive stop, so now Donovan McNabb can go for the knockout punch here & inch Philadelphia closer to the NFC Championship Game.

Huge 3rd & 5 coming up for the Giants’ defense, as Corey Webster makes a great open-field tackle on Brian Westbrook, which prevented Philadelphia from gaining yet another first down.

10:23 left, so the Giants will have to get something going very soon. The 1st quarter interception by Eli Manning is starting to look really big now.

Great 2nd effort by Derrick Ward, as he escapes several tackles & takes it 15 yards for a Giants 1st down.

Ward again with an 8-yard gain. Since Eli Manning hasn’t done much through the air today, New York is now going with their league-leading rush attack in hopes of cashing in their first offensive touchdown of the day.

Huge 3rd & 3 coming up for the Giants, as Derrick Ward gets the direct snap & cuts to his right. However, Philadelphia reads it perfectly & stops Ward for just 1 yard.

4th & 2, as it appears that Jacobs did not get enough for a first down. Second straight time that Philadelphia has dominated defensively on a fourth down stop, which now puts the Eagles in great position to win this game.

McNabb answers the call with a 48-yard strike to DeSean Jackson, which goes down to the Giants’ 1-yard line.

Westbrook is stopped on two straight goal line runs before McNabb’s end zone pass to Brent Celek is low. Giants do the job defensively, but David Akers’ 20 yard field goal now gives Philadelphia a 23-11 lead with 3:58 remaining in the game.

Good grab by Amani Toomer, who makes a 20 yard catch to midfield. Whatever chance the Giants had at coming back is killed, as Eli Manning throws an interception right into the hands of Quentin Mikell. It looks like both #1 seeded teams will be eliminated on the same weekend, which is absolutely stunning.

Surprising penalty by McNabb, who appeared to pick up a phone on the Giants’ sideline after his 9-yard run out of bounds. I’m sure Andy Reid will meet with McNabb privately on this matter after the game.

Eli Manning almost throws yet another pick, as it sails out the hands of Chris Clemons. 2 minutes left until the Giants’ chances of a 2-peat are offficially done.

Steve Smith coughs it up, as Philadelphia recovers & will now punch their ticket to next Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Congratulations to Andy Reid & the Eagles, who will now advance to their 5th NFC Championship Game in the last 8 seasons. During that timeframe, the Eagles have gone 1-3.

Game ball goes to the Eagles defense, who forced 3 turnovers & held the Giants out of the end zone.

Last time New York lost without scoring an offensive touchdown was in 2005, when they were held scoreless during their 23-0 Wild Card loss to the Carolina Panthers at Giants Stadium.