The Eagles step to the line on first down with a bit under 7-minutes left in the game and bust out this play:
Sorry for the poor video quality. It's the best I could do.
Why was this play so successful?
1. It starts with the Vikings game plan. The Vikings had been very aggressive up to this point and they didn't disappoint on this play. Eagles' RG Nick Cole and C Jamal Jackson pass block for about one second and then slip out into the flat to block, followed closely by LG Todd Heremans. The Tackles, Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan remain in to pass block. The D-line bites and they all rush the QB leaving a lot of room for Westbrook and his blockers.
2. Meanwhile, Vikings LB Ben Leber has the best shot at blowing this screen up, but he is taken out of the play by Correl Buckhalter. Buckhalter is lined up as the FB thanks to injury. When McNabb drops back and fakes a hand-off Leber steps up, but when he realizes it's a pass he backs into coverage, covering Buckhalter. Buckhalter knows it's a screen, so he charges Leber and takes him out of the play.
3. McNabb drops back and releases the pass to Westbrook. The play almost falls apart here as RG Nick Cole hasn't gotten out in front yet. In fact, he almost runs into Westbrook as he's catching the pass. Westbrook, though, has the presence to wait for his lineman to get in position. Jamal Jackson throws a block knocking his man back, and Cole picks up that man, taking him out and sealing the sideline. Westbrook takes it, and before you know it he's 20 yards downfield with the linemen still opening holes for him.
4. The Wide Receivers are what turns this from a 20-yard gain into a touchdown. DeSean Jackson blocks his man on the right side, but has the presence of mind to release him when his man turns (so as to avoid a holding penalty or an illegal block in the back.) Westbrook runs bye, but Jackson's not done yet, he sprints ahead of his man and screens him from making a play on Westbrook as the running back crosses the goal line. Meanwhile, Kevin Curtis makes one of the biggest blocks on the play, knocking the Viking's last line of defense to the turf and allowing Westbrook to run in for the score. Props to Avant for blocking well, too.
This was the perfect play, called at the perfect time. The Eagles have used the short screen almost as a running play for years now, and this was no different. Westbrook had been bottled up all game, but they gave him the ball in space, with blockers out front. He followed his linemen and receivers, slipped a couple tackles and it was all gravy after that.
The eagles took advantage of the aggressiveness of the Viking's d-line and also the fact that they had to treat Buckhalter as a legitimate receiving threat, so Ben Leber couldn't abandon him and blow up the screen.
The offensive linemen did a good job turning this into a 20-yard play, but the blocking downfield by receivers turned into a gamebreaking TD.
Every player on this offense executed it to perfection, and that's why it turned out so well.
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