NOTES FROM THE NOSEBLEEDS: Vick's mighty return

Eagles defense terrorizes Miami Dolphins | Flyers Increase their winning streak to five games | Phillies trade outfielder Ben Francisco for a minor leaguer

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NOTES FROM THE NOSEBLEEDS: Vick's mighty return

POSTED: Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 3:00 PM

Sports nut Massimo Pulcini rounds up a week of everything Philly sports. Yardage!

EAGLES DEFENSE TERRORIZES MIAMI DOLPHINS

After three straight weeks of having Vince Young under center, Eagles quarterback Mike Vick made his return to the field and, in a gusty effort, helped lead the Birds to a 26-10 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Vick, who had missed the previous three games with broken ribs, made his first start since the Birds’ week ten loss to Arizona. While he looked rusty and admitted to not being 100-percent healthy, Vick stood tall in the pocket and took a number of hits from a Dolphins pass rush that accumulated four sacks on the day.

Despite the abuse he took, Vick was efficient when it mattered — especially in the second quarter when the Eagles scored 24 points, including 10 points off turnovers caused by the Philly defense. Vick made it through the whole 60 minutes, finishing with 208 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His lone touchdown was to DeSean Jackson, who caught the beautifully thrown 34-yard score in the corner of the endzone. Jackson would finish with four catches, including the touchdown, for 59 yards. While he was held to a season-low 38 yards on a whopping 27 carries, leading rusher LeSean McCoy scored his 16th and 17th touchdowns of the season, breaking an Eagles-franchise record for touchdowns in a season formerly held by Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren.

The defense was actually the story of the game, as Juan Castillo’s group of underachievers lived up to the hype that had initially surrounded them. After giving up a passing touchdown to Brandon Marshall that was set up by a blocked punt in the first, the Birds were nearly flawless on defense, intercepting the ‘Fins once and sacking their quarterbacks a total of nine times. Three of those sacks were recorded by Jason Babin (pictured), who now has 15 on the season. Trent Cole added another three sacks to his total as well, giving him nine on the year. The pressure-heavy rush actually knocked out Miami’s starter Matt Moore and prompted J.P. Losman to take the field in relief. Once he took to the turf, the only points Losman would produce was for the Eagles — he would take a sack in his own endzone, resulting in a safety and two points for the Birds, making it 26-10.

After the game, Jason Babin said this about the win and the season:

"We played like men today. Do we have a chance for the playoffs? Maybe. We were kind of out of it, but guys in this locker room decided, 'We're going to play and have fun and show you guys we love the game.' I think that really rang true the whole day."

The Eagles play the hot New York Jets this Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. While the Eagles need a miracle lot of help to have a chance at post-season play, they can play the role of spoiler and help end the Jets’ playoff dreams in a very competitive AFC.

FLYERS INCREASE THEIR WINNING STREAK TO FIVE GAMES

After falling behind by three goals to the Buffalo Sabres in the first period last Wednesday, the Flyers and their No. 1-ranked scoring offense reeled in four goals off 10 shots across the first and second periods. After Philly gained the lead, Buffalo would tie the match at four goals apiece and sent the game into overtime with a goal scored with 1:35 left in regulation.

In overtime, it was business as usual for Flyers forward Claude Giroux (pictured), who, just like he did against Anaheim two games earlier, scored 2:27 into overtime, allowing the Flyers to skate away with a 5-4 victory.

The following night, the Flyers played bitter, cross-state rival Pittsburg at home with first place in the Eastern Conference at stake.

Unlike the night before, it was the Flyers who jumped out on top early with goals by Danny Briere, Wayne Simmonds and Scott Hartnell in the first period. However, the Flyers and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov would see the Penguins fight back and score two goals to make it close. But Bryzgalov, who struggled against the Sabres, held on the rest of the way, stopping a strong shot by Evgeni Malkin in the final minute to avoid overtime.

The victory gave the Flyers 37 points, allowing them to leapfrog Florida and the Penguins to the top the Eastern Conference standings, proving that the squad’s major off-season overhaul has been paying off.

The Flyers kept rolling on Saturday, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2, extending their winning streak to a season-high five games.

Tampa Bay controlled much of the opening period, and Ryan Shannon scored for the Lightning half way into the first, but three straight second-period goals by Briere, Jaromir Jagr, and Simmonds made it 3-1, Flyers.

Tampa Bay's Vincent Lecavalier scored a power-play goal to pull the Lightning within 3-2 as of the third period began, but Matt Carle of the Flyers responded a few minutes later to make it a two-goal game again. Hartnell would add an empty-net goal to cap the scoring. Hartnell has had a goal in each of the games of the Flyers current five-game streak.

While the Flyers won the match, they lost Giroux after he took an inadvertent knee to the head by Simmonds at center ice in the last minute of the second period. While Giroux was held out of the third for what Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren called “precautionary reasons,” the Flyers point-leader will not play in Tuesday night’s game against the Capitals.

IN OTHER PHILLY SPORTS NEWS

The Phillies continued their off-season goal to overhaul their bench this week, trading outfielder Ben Francisco to Toronto for a minor-league prospect, as well as signing relief pitcher Dontrelle Willis (pictured). Francisco, who will be remembered for his heart-stopping, pinch-hit home run in game three of the 2011 National League Division Series against the Cardinals, leaves the team after a stint that could be considered disappointing — he entered 2011 as the starting right fielder but was supplanted by May due to young players like Dom Brown and John Mayberry Jr. Willis, a former Rookie of the Year and player who once finished second in Cy Young voting, will assume a new role with the Phillies — that of a relief pitcher who could possibly enter the starting rotation if injuries would require that.

(massimo.pulcini@citypaper.net) (@massimopulcini)

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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