Eagles find swagger, rip Lions

Manning passes Colts to 45-31 victory over Packers

? After falling a game short of the Super Bowl the past three years, the Philadelphia Eagles seem to have the swagger and talent they’ve been missing.

Donovan McNabb threw for 356 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score, Terrell Owens caught six passes for 107 yards and a TD, and Jevon Kearse had three sacks to lead Philadelphia to a 30-13 victory over the Detroit Lions.

In a game between unbeatens, the Eagles made a resounding statement.

And with a championship-or-bust mentality, Philadelphia is not satisfied with its first 3-0 start since 1993.

“We haven’t played our best — and that’s exciting,” McNabb said.

Rookie receiver Roy Williams had nine receptions for 135 yards and two TDs — for the second straight week — for the Lions, who had a chance to go 3-0 for the first time since 1980.

Other than games to avoid or end futility records, the Lions played in their biggest matchup since the 2000 finale, when they lost to Chicago and fell to 9-7 and out of the playoffs. That setback led to the hiring of president and general manager Matt Millen and coach Marty Mornhinweg, now Philadelphia’s assistant head coach.

“Now our guys can see what a championship-caliber team is like,” Lions coach Steve Mariucci said. “We’ve got a ways to go.”

Colts 45, Packers 31

Detroit running back Artose Pinner (21) is brought down by Philadelphia defenders Nate Wayne, left, Jevon Kearse (93) and linebacker Mark Simoneau. The Eagles won, 30-13, Sunday in Detroit.

Indianapolis — Peyton Manning threw for 393 yards and five first-half touchdowns, and Indianapolis beat Green Bay in a wild, high-scoring game. Brett Favre threw for 358 yards and four TDs, and the Packers rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to within a touchdown. But the play of the game was made by two defensive backs, Jason David and Nick Harper. They ended what could have been a game-tying drive by the Packers with 6:21 left. David stripped Javon Walker after he caught Favre’s pass just across midfield, and Harper returned it to the Green Bay 36. That set up Edgerrin James’ one-yard touchdown run with 1:49 left to seal the win. The wild start saw five touchdown passes in the first 11 minutes, three by Manning and two by Favre.

Jaguars 15, Titans 12

Nashville, Tenn. — Fred Taylor ran for a one-yard touchdown with nine seconds left, and the Jaguars beat Tennessee for their first victory ever at The Coliseum.

Saints 28, Rams 25, OT

St. Louis — Fill-in running back Aaron Stecker had his first career 100-yard day for New Orleans, Aaron Brooks calmly directed the winning drive, and John Carney kicked five field goals in a victory that ended the Rams’ 15-game regular-season winning streak at home.

Ravens 23, Bengals 9

Cincinnati — After two subpar efforts, Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis rushed for 186 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown sprint that clinched a victory over Cincinnati. Kyle Boller ran for a touchdown and threw for another, but had two costly fumbles that prevented the Ravens (2-1) from pulling away until Lewis’ fourth-quarter run.

Vikings 27, Bears 22

Minneapolis — Daunte Culpepper threw two touchdown passes to Randy Moss and ran for another score, helping Minnesota hold off Chicago. Onterrio Smith had 94 yards rushing and 104 yards receiving for Minnesota (2-1).

Falcons 6, Cardinals 3

Atlanta — Atlanta improved to 3-0 for the first time since 1986 by forcing Arizona quarterback Josh McCown into three fumbles and getting a pair of field goals by Jay Feely, beating the winless Cardinals in a downright ugly game. There were nine fumbles (seven resulting in turnovers), five calls that had to be reviewed by the referee (two were overturned) and not one touchdown.

Giants 27, Browns 10

East Rutherford, N.J. — Kurt Warner set up a touchdown run by Tiki Barber with a long pass, and the veteran quarterback capped another drive with his second career regular-season TD run in a win over Cleveland.

Broncos 23, Chargers 13

Denver — Ashley Lelie caught a momentum-shifting touchdown on a fourth-down play in the third quarter, and Denver beat San Diego. Lelie’s 33-yard touchdown gave the Broncos (2-1) a 10-point lead late in the third quarter.

Seahawks 34, 49ers 0

Seattle — Matt Hasselbeck threw for 254 yards with two touchdowns, Shaun Alexander scored three TDs, and Seattle’s defense was magnificent in a win over San Francisco. It was the first time San Francisco failed to score since a 7-0 loss to Atlanta at Candlestick Park on Oct. 9, 1977, breaking its league record spanning 420 regular-season and 36 playoff games.

Steelers 13, Dolphins 3

Miami — Unfazed by torrential rain in the first half from the remnants of Hurricane Jeanne, Pittsburgh forced four turnovers, made a key fourth-down stop and beat the hapless Dolphins. Miami fell to 0-3 for the first time since 1969.

Raiders 30, Buccaneers 20

Oakland, Calif. — Kerry Collins, the amiable backup quarterback who repeatedly has promised to be ready when needed, replaced injured starter Rich Gannon (back) and calmly directed the Raiders to an emotional victory.