Fly Eagles Fly. With the wind and against it.
With Nick Foles engineering several long drives [url=[http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-charles-clay-jersey]Charles](http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-charles-clay-jersey\]Charles) Clay Jersey[/url] , Jake Elliott converting three field goals, and the defense getting stingy in the tightest spot, Philadelphia moved into the NFC championship game with a 15-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday. Foles directed brilliant marches of 74 and 80 yards in the second half – one into the whipping wind, the other with it – and Elliott atoned for missing an extra point by converting from 53 yards at the end of the second quarter, 37 and 21 in the second half. Then the Eagles (14-3) held when Atlanta (11-7) got to the 9-yard line with a first down, and to the 2 on fourth down. When Matt Ryan’s final pass sailed over Julio Jones’ head in the end zone , Philly could celebrate its first playoff victory since the 2008 season. Next Sunday, the Eagles will host either Minnesota or New Orleans for the conference crown. The Eagles last made the Super Bowl in the 2004 season, losing to New England. ”I mean, we just kept believing in each other,” said Foles, who became the starter when Carson Wentz, a leading MVP contender, injured his knee in December. ”That was it. Our team never wavered, defense did an amazing job, special teams – that’s just been the story this year is that we just all stuck together…” The Falcons, of course, memorably blew a 28-3 second-half lead to the Patriots in last year’s Super Bowl. They will not get the opportunity to atone for it [url=[http://www.ramscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-michael-brockers-jersey]Michael](http://www.ramscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-michael-brockers-jersey\]Michael) Brockers Jersey[/url] , though Ryan got them close at the end. Despite being underdogs as the No. 1 seed, the Eagles showed plenty of moxie. ”Just keep on disrespecting and we’re going to keep proving people wrong,” receiver Alshon Jeffery said. A masterful 74-yard, 12-play drive on which Foles threw for 70 yards led to Elliott’s 37-yard kick into the wind that made it 12-10. The Eagles then put together their best drive, an 80-yarder covering 14 plays, yet again faltered close to the end zone. Elliott added a 21-yarder with 6:02 remaining after coach Doug Pederson briefly considered going for it on fourth-and-1 at the Atlanta 3. ”It was tricky out there, really gusty,” Elliott said. Then, as the fans in the Linc held their breath, the Eagles held deep in their territory. ”Man, just stay calm,” said defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who was a force all day. ”We always talk about that. We’ve been in those situations during the regular season, so we kind of know how to handle those situations, not try to make a play but let the play come to us.” And the road to the Super Bowl remains through Philly. WINDY DECISIONS Falcons coach Dan Quinn could have opted to take the wind in the fourth quarter after deferring on the opening coin toss. Instead, he took the ball to start the second half, but it was the Eagles who got the only points of the third period. And in the end, Atlanta had to deal with the currents on that final drive [url=[http://www.cowboyscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-dak-prescott-jersey]Dak](http://www.cowboyscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-dak-prescott-jersey\]Dak) Prescott Jersey[/url] , which did include a 20-yard completion to Jones on fourth-and-6. ”It was a tough game for us tonight,” Quinn said, ”and as we go through, we will go back and assess everything we have done.” ERROR-FILLED HALF Mistakes hurt the Eagles in the opening half. Jay Ajayi’s fumble and a misplayed punt that bounced off Bryan Braman led to all 10 Atlanta points. Things began nicely for Philadelphia when safety Brian Poole was tagged with pass interference on a deep pass by Foles that was held up by the wind. But Ajayi fumbled on the next play with Keanu Neal recovering. Atlanta efficiently mixed runs and passes to drive to Matt Bryant’s 33-yard field goal for an early lead. Philadelphia got the run game going with Ajayi in the opening period. Then, with the wind in the next quarter, the Eagles kept the Falcons so off-balance Atlanta took two timeouts in three plays. Receiver Nelson Agholor’s 21-yard run got the ball to the 3, and Foles botched a handoff to Corey Clement. But the quarterback quickly dived on the loose ball and was ruled to have scored. Replay showed otherwise. Pederson showed no hesitation going for it, and Blount surged in from the 1. Elliott’s missed extra point left it 6-3. Soon after came Matt Bosher’s punt that took a wicked bounce and hit Braman while he was blocking. From the Philly 18, the Falcons benefited from two penalties before Ryan scrambled from pressure and found Devonta Freeman for a 6-yard TD and a 10-3 lead. With 46 seconds left in the half, the hosts got lucky. Foles’ errant pass ricocheted off Neal’s hands to Torrey Smith for 20 yards. Jeffery made a long stretch to haul in another throw with 1 second remaining, and Elliott’s 53-yard field goal just made it over the crossbar. ”It was great for momentum,” Foles said. ”Jake did an awesome job of kicking that for us.” QB NUMBERS Foles finished a very efficient outing by going 23 of 30 for 246 yards. Ryan was 22 of 36 for 210 yards on a difficult day to throw. Jones had nine receptions for 101 yards. UP NEXT Philadelphia will host either Minnesota or New Orleans next Sunday night for the NFC title. Atlanta’s season ends after a wild-card berth and a win at Los Angeles before Saturday’s defeat. — TORONTO — The Detroit Tigers will start a former Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Saturday afternoon for the second game in a row in another attempt to end a losing streak that has reached 10 games. Former Blue Jays left-hander Francisco Liriano could not do the job Friday night — allowing three runs in six innings — as the Blue Jays defeated the Tigers 3-2 in the opener of a four-game series at the Rogers Centre. This time, the former Blue Jay is Matt Boyd (4-6, 4.15 ERA), who will face Toronto right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-2, 3.98) in the second game of the series. The Tigers (36-47), who are 13-26 on the road, have lost 10 games in a row for the first time since Sept. 13-22 [url=[http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-josh-allen-jersey]Josh](http://www.billscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-josh-allen-jersey\]Josh) Allen Jersey[/url] , 2003, the season in which they lost 119 games. “We had some opportunities, but it’s the same story,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “You pitch really good and you don’t score, or you don’t pitch good enough and it just extends on. The guys are really trying, they’re bothered out there and they’re frustrated. They want to win, the guys are really pushing hard in the dugout, but it’s just not happening right now.” The Tigers have lost 11 of their past 13 games in Toronto. The Blue Jays (38-43), who were returning from a 3-4 road trip that easily could have been better, have won nine of their past 10 home games. They are 21-20 at home. Boyd took the loss Sunday at Cleveland when he allowed six runs, eight hits and two walks while striking out five in three innings. The start Saturday will be his 16th of the season. In four career starts against the Blue Jays, Boyd is 0-1 with a 4.24 ERA. He did not factor in the decision June 2 against Toronto at Comerica Park when he gave up four runs, six hits and two walks in seven innings. He struck out three. Boyd, who was sent to the Tigers July 30, 2015, as part of the trade that sent David Price to the Blue Jays, is 0-3 with an 8.66 ERA in four career starts at the Rogers Centre. Gaviglio will be making his 10th appearance and eighth start of the season. In his past three starts, he is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA and has pitched only 12 innings. 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The Blue Jays return to four outfielders with Teoscar Hernandez, Randal Grichuk, Kevin Pillar and Curtis Granderson. Espinal, 23, batted .313 with seven homers and 32 RBIs in 65 games with Class A Salem in the Red Sox organization. “Middle-of-the-diamond players, you can’t have enough of them,” Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Friday. “The athleticism, that’s where it all begins. If you can play in the middle, you can often play anywhere else, so that’s first and foremost. (Espinal) is an above-average runner and performing well at a decent level, so there’s plenty to like.” > [url=[http://www.basketballofficialauthentic.com/nba-jerseys/houston-rockets/vincent-edwards-jersey]Vincent](http://www.basketballofficialauthentic.com/nba-jerseys/houston-rockets/vincent-edwards-jersey\]Vincent) > Edwards Jersey[/url] ,
