PHILADELPHIA (AP) ó A winter storm couldn’t slow down the Philadelphia Eagles. They’re plowing their way to the playoffs.
Donovan McNabb threw for one touchdown and ran for another, DeSean Jackson had 140 yards receiving and the Eagles beat the San Francisco 49ers 27-13 Sunday to clinch a playoff berth for the eighth time this decade.
With San Francisco’s loss, the Arizona Cardinals clinched their second straight NFC West title.
The Eagles (10-4) have won five straight games and have a one-game lead over Dallas in the NFC East. Philadelphia visits the Cowboys in two weeks.
The start of the game was pushed back three hours because the city was still recovering from the second-largest snowfall it has seen since records began in 1884. A total of 23.2 inches of snow fell in Philadelphia on Saturday.
It didn’t seem that bad inside Lincoln Financial Field until some fans started throwing snow in the fourth quarter. Once LeSean McCoy scored on a 2-yard TD run to put the Eagles ahead 27-13, a few of the frozen die-hards celebrated by tossing snow up in the air. Some fans mixed in snowballs aimed at 49ers fans, but they quickly stopped when a warning was flashed on the video screen.
Frank Gore ran for 107 yards, becoming the first player to surpass 100 yards against the Eagles in 24 games. But the 49ers (6-8) couldn’t overcome Alex Smith’s three interceptions.
McNabb finished 21 of 36 for 306 yards. He threw two interceptions for just the second time this season.
Down 20-3 at halftime, the 49ers scored 10 quick points. Josh Morgan returned the second-half kickoff 52 yards, but the offense settled for a Joe Nedney field goal.