OVERTIME Rams 20 Eagles 17

PHILADELPHIA – A 26-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins in overtime gave the Rams a 20-17 win over the Eagles yesterday at the Vet, saving St. Louis from an embarrassing defeat and saving the replacements refs from a week of second-guessing.

Wilkins’ field goal eight minutes into the overtime, salvaged a season-opening win for the Rams after they blew a 17-3 third-quarter lead. The Rams should blame themselves for blowing a game in which they were in total control. Their explosive offense went silent for the remainder of regulation overpowered by a swarming Eagles defense.

And as for St. Louis’ revamped defense, it played the second half much like its old defense, helpless to contain an inspired Eagles offense that responded to the boos of its own crowd and scored 14 unanswered points to force the overtime.

Indeed, the Rams have no one to blame for their collapse but themselves, but they would have blamed the replacement refs who overturned an on-the-field call after reviewing instant replay. It helped fuel the Eagles comeback from their 17-3 deficit to send the game into overtime tied 17-17.

The controversial call came when the Eagles were trailing 17-3 and faced a fourth-and-goal at the Rams 1 with a little more than 10 minutes remaining in the game. Philly didn’t need a field goal. It needed a touchdown. So the Eagles went for it.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb hit fullback Cecil Martin with a short pass at the goal-line just as safety Adam Archuleta made a jarring hit, driving Martin back the other way for the tackle. Had Martin crossed the goal? Or had Archuleta stopped him short? Initially, the replacement refs ruled Martin had not scored, but after a lengthy review of the replay, referee Al Hynes, normally a supervisor of the regular NFL officials, called it a touchdown, giving the Eagles life and a sellout crowd energy.

It trimmed the Rams lead to 17-10 and after forcing a punt, the Eagles tied the game on their next possession. McNabb capped a 69-yard drive by a throwing an 8-yard TD pass to Martin, tying the game with 7:05 remaining. Neither team would score the remainder of the half, forcing overtime.

The Eagles had the ball first in the overtime period, but were forced to punt. The Rams then moved 56 yards in seven plays to set up Wilkins’ kick. Kurt Warner had completions of 20 and 27 yards to Isaac Bruce to set up the winning kick.

The Eagles play in the second half was a contrast to their performance during a mistake-prone first half. Trouble began on their first play from scrimmage when McNabb failed to get the snap from center Hank Fraley and the fumbled ball was quickly recovered by Rams defensive tackle Jeff Zgonina at the Eagles 12.

It took just two plays for Marshall Faulk, who scored an NFL record 26 TDs last year, to reach the endzone. He crossed from 7 yards out to put the Rams ahead 7-0 just 51 seconds into the game.

A 50-yard field goal by Eagles kicker David Akers with 1:10 left in the opening quarter cut the Rams lead to 7-3, but two more Philly turnovers in the second quarter helped St. Louis regain a comfortable lead.

First, a promising Eagles drive ended when Rams cornerback Dre’ Bly dove in front of wide receiver Todd Pinkston and intercepted a McNabb pass at the Rams 21.

Then with four minutes left, McNabb connected with tight end Chad Lewis for what looked to be a good gain inside Rams territory. But Lewis fumbled the ball while running and Archuleta scooped it up off a bounce and returned it 24 yards. Archuleta would fumble the ball as he was tackled at the Eagles 30, but Rams cornerback Aeneas Williams was there to save it for St. Louis.

Warner, who was sacked four times and pressured by a blitzing Eagles defense for much of the half, moved his team the remaining distance to get their 14-3 lead. On the eighth play of the short drive he earned his first TD pass of the season with a 2-yard toss to Ernie Conwell.