A Redskins team that entered the game ranked 20th in the league in total offense and was without its best wide receiver (Santana Moss), pushed Johnson's defense around for the better part of 55 minutes.
Clinton Portis rushed for 137 yards. Jason Campbell, who hadn't thrown a touchdown pass to a wide receiver all season, threw three. The Eagles were gashed for a season-high 25 first downs.
When the Redskins recovered a Donovan McNabb fumble with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter and quickly drove to the Philadelphia 7 on a pair of 9- and 8-yard runs by Portis, the Eagles had no margin for error.
Trailing by two, 22-20, they couldn't afford to let the Redskins get into the end zone. And they didn't. With the help of a costly false-start penalty on tight end Chris Cooley, they held them to a Shaun Suisham field goal. On the Eagles' next possession, Brian Westbrook took a McNabb screen pass 57 yards for a touchdown that gave the Eagles a lead they would never relinquish.
"It's all about making plays when you need to," middle linebacker Omar Gaither said. "We did that. It was just a matter of digging deep and having heart. It seemed grim down there. But we took on the challenge to keep them out of the end zone. We just got off the ball and made stops."
After the Eagles held Portis to a pair of 1-yard gains on first- and second down during the crucial stand, Redskins tight end Todd Yoder caught a pass but was stopped just short of the goal line. But a defensive holding penalty on an unidentified Eagle gave Washington a first down at the 3.
