Eagles Rout Giants To Lead NFC East With Dallas

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The Philadelphia Eagles moved to the top of the NFC East by overwhelming the New York Giants 40-17 on Sunday inspired by quarterback Donovan McNabb.

McNabb completed 17 of 23 passes for 240 yards and three scores to lead the rout of the mistake-prone Giants (5-3), who lost their third straight game to stumble out of first place.

The Eagles' passing success was complemented by a big-play ground game that included a 41-yard touchdown by Leonard Weaver 94 seconds into the game and a 66-yard score by LeSean McCoy.

Despite playing without the injured Brian Westbrook, the Eagles rushed for 180 yards, an average of 7.5 yards per carry. McCoy did the bulk of the damage with 82 yards on 11 carries.

"We were very balanced and had a way of attacking their defense, knowing that they like to blitz at times," McNabb told reporters. "They'll sit back in the zone to challenge you to see what you're doing.

"We were able to pick up big plays all throughout the drives."

Philadelphia (5-2) is tied for the division lead with the Dallas Cowboys, who routed the Seattle Seahawks 38-17 on Sunday. The Eagles host the Cowboys next Sunday.

"The sky is the limit for us but it comes back to being consistent," said McNabb. "When you have games like this, you have to have a better game next week.

"And that's something we're definitely trying to strive for."

The Giants looked like the top team in the NFC a month ago but are now struggling in all phases of the game. They trailed the Eagles 30-7 at intermission and fumbled away the opening kickoff of the second half.

"The story of the game is fundamentals," said Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. "We didn't tackle well. They created holes in our line of scrimmage. We didn't cover kicks well.

"We threw interceptions. That's not the kind of football we teach. We were 5-0. Now we're 5-3 and not doing much of anything right. I don't have the answer."

Giants quarterback Eli Manning misfired all day against the Eagles, completing just 20 of 39 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. He also had two interceptions.

"As a team we are really angry right now because we do not like to lose games," said Giants cornerback Corey Webster. "We need to get back on track and play the way we know how to.

"We have to get back to fighting to the end of the game."