Bills Lose Season Finale In Philly

Donovan McNabb completed 29-of-41 passes for 345 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and Brian Westbrook broke a pair of franchise records, as the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Buffalo Bills, 17-9, at Lincoln Financial Field. Westbrook gained 42 yards on seven carries and caught four passes for 57 yards for the Eagles (8-8), who wrapped up the season on a three-game winning streak. Reggie Brown finished the game with 83 yards on five receptions and Kevin Curtis made seven grabs for 62 yards. Trent Edwards threw for only 133 yards on 16-of-30 attempts, as the Bills (7-9) concluded the season with three straight losses. Marshawn Lynch rushed for 105 yards on 22 carries and Rian Lindells three field goals provided all the offense for Buffalo. Westbrook entered the game needing only two yards to break Wilbert Montgomerys (2,006) franchise record for most yards from scrimmage in a season. On the second play of the Eagles opening possession, Westbrook eclipsed the mark with a 10-yard run. However, right tackle Jon Runyan suffered a concussion on the play when tight end Brent Celek inadvertently kneed him in the head. Runyan did not return. McNabb put the Eagles ahead 7-0 with a two-yard touchdown pass to Celek in the late stages of the opening quarter, capping a 12-play, 72-yard drive that ate up nearly six minutes of the clock. On the first play of the second quarter, McNabb completed a 21-yard pass to Westbrook. It was Westbrooks 88th catch of the season, tying the franchise single-season record for receptions set by wide receiver Irving Fryar in 1996. Later on the drive, Westbrook hauled in a 30-yard pass to break the mark. McNabb marched the Eagles into the red zone, but on 3rd-and-three from the 10- yard line, McNabbs intended pass to Greg Lewis was intercepted by Ashton Youboty, who returned it to the 24. Buffalo turned the turnover into three points, as Lindell kicked a 29-yard field goal with 1:57 left in the second. David Akers 38-yard field goal split the uprights and gave the Eagles a 10-3 lead with 20 seconds remaining before halftime. On the Bills first possession of the second half, Edwards connected with Lynch for a 22-yard catch-and-run, spotting the ball at the Eagles 34. On 2nd-and- six from the 30, Edwards threw a short pass over the middle to tight end Robert Royal for a 13-yard gain. Then, facing a 4th-and-one from the eight, Edwards burrowed his way for the first down, but the drive stalled at the five and Lindells 23-yarder cut the deficit to 10-6 with 5:52 remaining. Philadelphia answered on its next series when McNabb completed a pass to Brown, but strong safety Bryan Scott laid a vicious hit on Brown, jarring the ball loose at the one. Curtis recovered the fumble in the end zone to give the Eagles a 17-6 lead. On the ensuing drive, Lynch busted through the middle for 56 yards before being shoved out of bounds by cornerback Joselio Hanson at the Eagles 10. Lindell came on to boot his third field goal of the day, a 22-yarder, which made it a 17-9 game with 1:33 left in the third. In the early moments of the fourth, the Bills failed to capitalize after recovering a botched exchange between McNabb and center Jamaal Jackson when Lynch got stuffed at the Eagles 19 for no gain, turning the ball over on downs. Buffalo head coach Dick Jauron challenged the spot of the ball, but the play was upheld. Buffalo got the ball back with 5:53 remaining in regulation and marched into Eagles territory after a 24-yard grab by Josh Reed. Then, on 3rd-and-10 from the 45, Edwards was under heavy pressure and dumped the ball to Fred Jackson, who was tackled for a seven-yard loss. Brian Moorman punted the ball away and the Eagles were able to bleed most of the remaining time on the clock. Game Notes The Eagles finished the season with a 3-5 record at home, while the Bills were 3-5 on the road...Westbrook finished the season with 2,104 total yards from scrimmage and 90 receptions...Edwards and Lynch are first rookie quarterback-running back tandem since Detroits Rodney Peete and Barry Sanders in 1989 to gain 900 rush yards and 1,200 passing yards in a season...McNabb is 12-4 in past 16 starts versus the AFC...Philadelphia avoided its third losing season under head coach Andy Reid (1999: 5-11 record, 2005: 6-10)...Buffalos last winning season occurred in 2004 (9-7)...Buffalo had won four of the last five meetings...Quarterback Kevin Kolb was listed as the backup for the Eagles, with A.J. Feeley the emergency quarterback.