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LANDOVER, Maryland (Ticker) -- Brett Conway and the Washington Redskins finally got it right on the third try. After missing a 28-yard field goal at the end of regulation, Conway kicked a 27-yard field goal 4:27 into overtime to lift the Redskins to a 20-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. "I think our guys are growing up. I think that no matter what happens they feel they have a chance to win the football game," said Washington coach Norv Turner. "A week ago we won a close game today we won a close game. At this time of year you are going to be in games like this and it is nice to find a way to win it. When we played them last time we were wide open and although we scored 28 points we also had five turnovers and today we only had one turnover." Conway had missed 7-of-12 field goals -- including his attempt that went wide right as time expired in the fourth quarter -- before splitting the uprights on fourth down to put Washington (7-4) one game ahead of the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the NFC East. On third down Conway lined up for a 19-yard field goal, but quarterback Brad Johnson fumbled the snap and fell on it. "I've been around some great kickers like Gary Anderson and I've seen these guys miss field goals," Johnson said. "They are strong people who have kicked a lot more field goals and made a lot more winning field goals and that's what's going to happen for Brett Conway. He is going to come up with other game-winning field goals." The Redskins were helped by big kickoff returns on their last two possessions. After the Eagles tied the score at 17 with 1:52 left in the fourth quarter Brian Mitchell took a short kickoff at his own 19 and broke through the middle for a 45-yard return. Mitchell had a 14-yard run on first down and, one play later, a 12-yard rush by Stephen Davis set up what looked to be an easy field goal. Davis, coming off a career-high 183 yards in last week's 23-13 win over the New York Giants, was held to 61 yards on 24 carries. "We didn't get the yards per carry that we'd like to get," Johnson said. "We didn't get the big plays like we usually do, the big explosive plays over 30 yards, but I felt we were very efficient passing the ball. We threw for a high percentage today and we kept moving the chains." Washington won the coin toss in overtime and James Thrash's 48-yard return put the ball on the Philadelphia 46. Brad Johnson found Albert Connell wide open over the middle for a 20-yard gain and receptions of eight and nine yards by Larry Centers and Mitchell gave Conway a chance for redemption. Johnson completed 25-of-36 passes for 218 yards with one touchdown and an interception. Centers caught nine passes for 71 yards. Irving Fryar, who spent three seasons with the Eagles, had his 800th career reception early in the fourth quarter. Rookie Donovan McNabb was 16-of-28 for 172 yards and two fourth-quarter TDs for Philadelphia (3-9), which had won 11 of the last 14 meetings with Washington including a 35-28 win two weeks ago. McNabb also led the Eagles with 71 yards on eight carries. Duce Staley had 44 yards on 19 rushes, leaving him 14 yards short of his second straight 1,000-yard season. "I never look at the individual aspect, I wanted to win and that didn't happen," said McNabb. "As a quarterback you are constantly challenged and we came together offensively in the second half to put points on the board. I have a lot to learn, but I'll take some things out of this game." McNabb directed two 91-yard scoring drives, the second one beginning with 6:10 left in the fourth quarter. He had a 26-yard scamper to the Washington 47 and a four-yard run that could have been more if he didn't run into umpire Scott Dawson. But three plays later McNabb fired a strike over the middle to Luther Broughton, who barreled over safety Leomont Evans on the way to a 26-yard score to make it 17-17. "His running ability is what Donovan brings to us. He did a great job and they'll be more to come because he's a great quarterback," Staley said. Broughton also had a three-yard TD that made it 17-10 just over three minutes into the fourth. Washington scored on its first possession of the game when Conway kicked a 43-yard field goal to make it 3-0 with 6:51 left in the opening quarter. Tight end Mike Sellers came down with a six-yard reception after Johnson's pass deflected off safety Brian Dawkins' hands and tight end Stephen Alexander's chest to give the Redskins took a 10-0 lead 6:58 into the second quarter. Norm Johnson kicked a 34-yard field goal to cut Washington's lead to 10-3 with 2:59 left in the first half. Davis' one-yard plunge capped a six-play, 72-yard drive and gave the Redskins a 17-3 advantage 3:28 into the third.
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