TAMPA, Fla. -- With time running out on the Philadelphia Eagles, Nick Foles had all the answers for ending the team's longest losing streak in 42 years. Photos
Foles threw a pair of touchdown passes in the final four minutes, including a 1-yarder to Jeremy Maclin with no time remaining Sunday to give the Eagles a 23-21 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-21 and end an eight-game skid that may have placed coach Andy Reid's job in jeopardy.
The rookie completed 32 of 51 passes for 381 yards in his fourth start in place of the injured Michael Vick. He threw an 11-yard TD pass to Clay Harbor with 3:55 remaining, then led the Eagles on a 64-yard game-winning drive after the Philadelphia defense forced a punt by Tampa Bay.
He set up the winning touchdown with a 22-yard completion to Jason Avant on fourth-and-5 to the Bucs 1. The Eagles scrambled up to the line and Foles spiked the ball, stopping the clock with 2 seconds left and giving Foles a chance for one more play.
The 6-foot-6, third-round draft pick rolled to his right and found Maclin opened in the side on the end zone, when the receiver made the catch going to his knees.
Rookie Doug Martin rushed for 128 yards and Josh Freeman shrugged off a slow start to throw for two second-half touchdowns to help Tampa Bay overcome a 10-0 halftime
That's when Foles, who also scored on a 10-yard run in the first half, took over.
The Eagles drove 72 yards in eight plays to cut into their deficit on Harbor's TD. Foles threw incomplete on a 2-point conversion that would have enabled his team to pull within 3 points, meaning Philadelphia needed a TD when the offense got the ball back with less than three minutes to go.
Foles kept the final drive alive with a 3-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the Tampa Bay 31. It looked as though the Bucs might hang on before the rookie moved around to buy some time and threw 22 yards to Avant cutting across the middle to keep the Eagles' hopes live.
Martin put together the fourth 100-yard game of his career on 28 carries. Freeman threw TD passes of 1 yard and 13 yards.
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