PHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook and Kevin Curtis treated Detroit's defense like a scout team.
Donovan McNabb threw for 381 yards and four touchdown passes, Kevin Curtis had 221 yards receiving and three scores and the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Lions 56-21 on Sunday for their first win.
Eagles QB Donovan McNabb was off to a slow start in the first two games of the season, but that turned around against the Detroit Lions.
Jon Kitna threw for a franchise-record 446 yards and two TDs and Roy Williams had nine catches for 204 yards, including a 91-yard TD for Detroit (2-1).
Just six days ago, the Eagles were booed off the field after losing 20-12 to Washington on Monday night. A day later, it got uglier when Donovan McNabb said on HBO that black quarterbacks face greater scrutiny than their white counterparts.
Donovan McNabb spent a lot of time this week answering questions about his comment he made in August that aired Tuesday. He came under heavy criticism for his statement and heard a mixture of boos in pregame introductions.
It didn't help that the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback played poorly in his first two games since tearing a knee ligament in Week 11 last year. Some were calling for rookie Kevin Kolb or backup A.J. Feeley to replace him.
Kolb made his NFL debut in the fourth quarter, while Donovan McNabb rested after an outstanding performance. Donovan McNabb completed 18 consecutive passes at one point, and finished 21-for-26.
"That wasn't part of my mind-set," Donovan McNabb said of his tumultuous week. "With everything that happened, we still have to play football."
The Lions came in looking for their first 3-0 start in 27 years, but they played like the hapless bunch that hasn't had a winning record since 2000.
"They outplayed us as a coaching staff," Detroit coach Rod Marinelli said. "They outplayed us on offense, defense, and special teams in all areas."
Desperate to avoid their first 0-3 start in nine years, the Eagles were fired up from the outset.
Despite missing All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins (neck) and Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard, the defense forced the Lions to go three-and out on four of their first five possessions.
Meanwhile, Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook and Kevin Curtis were unstoppable. The Eagles led 35-7 less than 19 minutes in.
Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg did a great job of calling plays to get the ball to running back Brian Westbrook and establish the run game early. Brian Westbrook took advantage of the outside zone running tracks the the Philly offensive line made for him as the Eagles easily handled the Lions defensive front 7. The Eagles' running game featured a steady dose of the zone scheme along with the occasional flip play, where the offensive line blocked in one direction to make the defense react and Brian Westbrook getting the ball and heading the other direction to get to the opposite edge running the ball. Once Philadelphia got Brian Westbrook and the ground game going, it opened up the play-action pass game for QB Donovan McNabb to get the ball to Kevin Curtis and the rest of the Eagles' wideouts.
They were driving for a sixth consecutive score, but Donovan McNabb fumbled at Detroit's 4 after getting sacked.
Wearing powder blue and yellow uniforms to commemorate their 75-year anniversary, the Eagles looked more like the St. Louis Rams and played like "The Greatest Show on Turf."
"It was definitely needed," Donovan McNabb said. "Coming out and not playing like ourselves, we had to make an explosion."
Brian Westbrook scampered 25 yards off left end, breaking one arm tackle to give Philly a 7-0 lead. Kevin Jones scored from the 2 on his first carry since injuring his foot last December to tie it at 7.
Brian Westbrook ran in from the 5 to make it 14-7, and Philly needed just one play to find the end zone again after a punt. Donovan McNabb hit Kevin Curtis perfectly in stride down the middle for a 68-yard TD.
The Eagles hadn't scored three touchdowns in the first quarter since Andy Reid's first game as coach in 1999 against Arizona. The Cardinals rallied to win 25-24.
On the next drive, Kevin Curtis was alone in the corner of the end zone for a 12-yard TD pass. Donovan McNabb briefly went down, clutching his back after taking a shot from Dewayne White after the pass.
On his next play, Donovan McNabb connected with a wide-open Kevin Curtis for a 43-yard TD.
"It seemed like we couldn't do no wrong," Kevin Curtis said. "Everything was going right. It doesn't take much sometimes to have that little difference."
The Lions finally got going and Kitna's 11-yard TD pass to Shaun McDonald made it 35-14. After Corey Smith forced Donovan McNabb's fumble, Williams split the defense on a slant route and outraced the secondary for a 91-yard TD to cut it to 35-21.
Brian Westbrook turned a short screen pass into a 43-yard TD by breaking a couple tackles to put the Eagles ahead 42-21 late in the second quarter.
Correll Buckhalter and Tony Hunt each had 1-yard TD runs in the second half.
Philly's defense finished with nine sacks.
"Their defense is predicated on putting pressure on the quarterback and they do a lot of different blitzes and things," Kitna said. "What was surprising is for us to fall behind like we did early.
Kevin Curtis surpassed his career-best 105 yards receiving in just the first quarter, getting 132. ... The teams had 63 points and 763 total yards in the first half. Lions WR Calvin Johnson has a bruised lower back. ... Eagles LT William Thomas has a mild knee strain and All-Pro G Shawn Andrews briefly left after getting poked in the eye. ... Trent Cole had three of Philly's sacks.
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