Garber: G-Men still giant question mark
 
Garber: Two giant plays
 
Giant achievement: N.Y. beats Eagles a third time
 
Defense thrusts Giants into NFC title game
 


McNabb felt Giants eyes on him


EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- The New York Giants compared Donovan McNabb to Michael Jordan. On Sunday, the star quarterback looked more like the second-string basketball guard he was at Syracuse.

For the third time this season, the Giants completely shut down McNabb as New York advanced to the NFC championship game with a 20-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I wasn't aware who was spying me. At times, it looked like the whole team was spying me," McNabb said.

McNabb, the runner-up to Marshall Faulk for NFL MVP, couldn't generate anything against a swarming defense. He was 20-of-41 for 181 yards and one touchdown, lost a fumble, was sacked six times and had one interception that was returned for a touchdown.

Philadelphia failed to register a first down on six of its nine possessions in the first half and eight of its first 11. When the Eagles finally got a first down, receiver Torrance Small fumbled, setting up a 37-yard field goal by Brad Daluiso that gave the Giants a 10-0 lead in the second quarter.

"The supporting cast needed to make plays when they had the opportunity," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "They did it throughout the season. The opportunities were there and guys needed to catch the ball."

It was a disappointing ending to a surprising season in which the Eagles went 12-6 after going 8-24 in the previous two seasons.

Philadelphia was not in the lead or within range in the final minutes of just three games this season -- all losses to the Giants.

McNabb was 29-of-64 for 343 yards, two TDs, and one interception against the Giants in the regular season. His worst game came when he was 10-of-31 for 129 yards, one TD and one interception in a 24-7 loss to New York at the Meadowlands on Oct. 29.

It was much of the same in the playoffs.

McNabb, who led the league's quarterbacks with 629 yards rushing, had nowhere to scramble on Sunday. The Giants took away McNabb's running lanes, forced him to stay in the pocket or run up the middle and made the tackles when he tried to escape.

"They have marquee guys all over the place and they made plays," said Chad Lewis, a Pro Bowl tight end who had just three catches for 27 yards. "Once (McNabb) started to run, they were effective popping in there, stopping him and making tackles."

McNabb didn't get much help from his receivers. Na Brown dropped what would've been a first-down reception on third-and-15 midway through the first quarter. Brown dropped another potential first-down pass on third-and-11 on the first series of the third quarter.

By the time McNabb hit Small for a 10-yard TD pass late in the game, the Giants had built a 17-point lead.

"It wasn't them. We just didn't do anything offensively," Small said. "We have to look at ourselves."

It wasn't any consolation that the Eagles' offense outscored New York's 10-6 -- the Giants scored touchdowns on special teams and defense.

McNabb threw for 3,365 yards and 21 touchdowns, and added six TDs on the ground in his first full season as a starter.

In last week's 21-3 wild-card victory over Tampa Bay, he went 24-of-33 for 161 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for 32 yards and one TD.

"I don't look at it like I am the offense," said McNabb, who accounted for 75 percent of the team's total yards this season. "I look at it like I am the leader. I have to get the guys in the right position. I have to get the guys going and it's my job to get it to the guys who are open."


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