As usual, trusting Westbrook pays off for Eagles
January 5 Philadelphia Daily News Columnist John Smallwood
"To be honest, this was a point in the game when I wouldn't have blamed Andy Reid if he had looked in another direction over Brian Westbrook.It wasn't as if Reid had forgotten about Westbrook.The Eagles had run 48 total plays on offense, with Westbrook accounting for one third of them.He had netted just 30 total yards on 16 touches.So really, with the Eagles clinging to a two-point lead on first-and-10 on their 29 with just under 7 minutes left in the game, you couldn't have faulted Reid or offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg if they'd gone with another option.But Westbrook isn't considered one of the most dangerous players in the National Football League because he gets it done on every play.He is feared because the opposition knows that no matter what has happened before, no matter how well you have played against him, Westbrook's next touch always has the potential to bust the game open.Yesterday, it happened in one incredible play that covered an amazing 71 yards in 16 glorious seconds.Westbrook's touchdown on a screen pass from Donovan McNabb eased the suspense and sent the Eagles to a 26-14 wild-card victory over the Minnesota Vikings."It's just positive thinking," Westbrook said. "I just continue to have faith it's going to open up somewhere; somehow I'm going to make someone miss."The offensive line does a great job, and for me, I just have to find some wiggle room to try to make a play."Kids who are Eagles fans won't mind if a "Midnight Green Wiggle" is added to the roster.I don't know if Westbrook can sing, but ever since 2003, when he returned that game-winning punt 84 yards against the New York Giants - who coincidently are the Eagles' next playoff opponent next Sunday - his game-breaking ability on the football field has been front-and-center. And another point worth mentioning: Westbrook had 131 yards rushing and 72 receiving (two touchdowns) against the Giants on Dec. 7."[Westbrook] can do so many different things," Reid said. "It's hard to stop him with all the different parts of his game."The irony is that this game-busting screen pass was a facet of Westbrook's arsenal that the Eagles had gotten away from."I think a lot of teams have focused on trying to take our screen-game away," Westbrook said. "We kind of lulled [the Vikings] to sleep, I think."For the most part, they had been pressuring us the whole game with their linebackers and defensive linemen. We called that play at exactly the right time."Everything about this was a moment of perfection.McNabb took the snap from center and dumped the ball to Westbrook in the right flat just as he had done hundreds of times in games and practices.Right guard Nick Cole made the block that allowed Westbrook to pop the play outside and turn downfield.Westbrook then wiggled down the sideline, past Minnesota defenders who couldn't fight through the convoy of Eagle blockers who were determined to plow a path of open field for their big-play back to operate.At about the 25-yard-line, We
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