Golden oldie Garcia keeps Eagles flying high

Jeff Garcia rolled back the years last night to keep the Philadelphia Eagles in the hunt for a place in the NFL play-offs.

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has endured some lean times with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions in recent years.

And he has only been thrust into the spotlight at Philly following season-ending surgery to first choice passer Donovan McNabb.

But the 36-year-old veteran led the Eagles to a 27-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers which lifts them to a 6-6 record for the season and puts them back in the hunt for a wild card ticket.

Garcia threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns to Brian Westbrook, Reggie Brown and Dante Stallworth and said: "It's been a while since I felt this well about a game, the way we played We never gave up, scratched and clawed for every inch out there.

"We have not lost focus of what our goal is - to be a playoff team. Nobody has been discouraged, nobody has hung their head, it's a really positive atmosphere in the locker room considering what we've gone through over the last two months. This is a great way to come together; I think we can put some things together."

Brian Dawkins' 38-yard interception return set up the decisive 25-yard field goal from David Ackers with 3:13 to go and Eagles coach Andy Reid added: "It's a crazy year. Anything's possible."

New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin is coming under increasing pressure after his side's 23-20 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys put their play-off chances in jeopardy.

They have lost four in a row after starting the season with a 6-2 record and face a tough trip to Carolina this Sunday for a must-win game for both ailing clubs.

Coughlin is trying to hold his team together and will be boosted by the return to fitness of key players.

But he admitted: "Our destiny is truly in our hands. We do have something to say about how this season finishes. We need to play our best football right now."

The Denver Broncos will be without fullback Cecil Sapp for the rest of the season after he suffered a break in his left leg.

But linebacker Al Wilson could return after injuring his neck in the Broncos' 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Sapp, one of denver's top special teams players, was hurt while returning a kick-off with about three minutes left in the week 13 defeat.

Wilson was carted off the field after spraining his neck going for a fumble and coach Mike Shanahan said: "I was obviously happy to hear the MRIs and X-rays were negative."