The Hollywood script could not have been crafted any better.
Kevin Kolb comes off the bench, leads a 14-point comeback capped off by a Hail Mary touchdown pass as time expires to spoil Donovan McNabb's return to Philadelphia.
It almost happened.
On the final play of Sunday's 17-12 loss to the Redskins, Kolb launched the ball from the Redskins' 42-yard line into the back of the end zone. Jason Avant, the Eagle with the best hands on the team - if you took a poll of the team it would be close to unanimous - had perfect position behind Redskins safety LaRon Landry as he went up for the ball. Avant reached back and TV replays showed that the ball was clearly in his hands. But he wasn't able to bring the ball in.
"I'm going to be dreaming about it for a while. I gave great effort for it. I don't know how I let it jump out of my hands," Avant said after the game. "I jumped up and I guess someone knocked it out of my hands. I don't know, I haven't seen the film, but I tried my best for it. I was surprised I didn't get boxed out, so I knew if I could jump I would have a chance at it.
Avant had four catches for 31 yards with his typical third-and-long conversion, a 17-yard snare on a third-and-10 late in the first half, to set up a David Akers field goal. Avant also deftly lateraled the ball to LeSean McCoy like a point guard on the next-to-last play of the game to help give the Eagles a shot at the Hail Mary score. After Sunday's loss, the Eagles are 2-2 overall, but 0-1 in the NFC East and they don't have another division game before the bye week.
"It was a tough loss. We've got to get this team going so we can play better next game."
Avant said that the play was not designed to go to him. He said that typically Jeremy Maclin is the player who goes up in a jump ball-type of situation, but the defense didn't allow Maclin to get in position to have a chance at the ball.
"I think they quadruple-teamed him or something and that's what made it hard for him to get down the field," Avant said. "So it was just me and (Brent) Celek, so it was us versus them. We almost had it, but almost is not good enough."
-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 10:25 p.m., October 3
