Ravens defeat helped kickstart Eagles season, says Reid

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Reuters) - Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said Wednesday that a mid-season defeat and his benching of quarterback Donovan McNabb helped the Eagles soar into Sunday's playoff clash against the New York Giants.

The Eagles (10-6-1) bounced back from the 36-7 drubbing by the Baltimore Ravens to win five of their next six, including last week's 26-14 playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings to reach the divisional round against Super Bowl champion Giants.

"I think it had a positive effect on everybody, coaches and players," Reid said about the Ravens game in a conference call to reporters at Giants Stadium.

"I think everybody stepped their game up an inch and I put myself in that hopper. I was stinking it up. Everybody picked their game up and did a little bit better."

McNabb, a five-times Pro Bowler in his 10 seasons as Eagles quarterback, was benched in favor of second-year player Kevin Kolb after a poor first half against the Ravens, one week after a disappointing 13-13 tie against the lowly Cincinnati Bengals.

After the game, Reid told him he was still his starting quarterback and McNabb bounced back to lead the Eagles to a 48-20 win over playoff-bound Arizona and a 20-14 victory on the road against the Giants in the next two games.

The Eagles clinched their playoff berth with a 44-6 demolition of the Dallas Cowboys to close the regular season.

McNabb, 32, insisted being benched had not motivated him.

"The benching is over," he said. "As a team we've all moved on and challenged ourselves to do better each week."

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he thought the Ravens game was a turning point for McNabb and the Eagles.

"There's tremendous pride in the athlete," Coughlin said. He didn't especially like the way the game was going in Baltimore either when he came out. The whole team started playing really well starting with the Arizona game."

New York Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck, who helped the Giants stop the Eagles in the teams' first encounter early in the season, said McNabb was at the top of his game.

"He's definitely playing great football right now," he said.

(Editing by Justin Palmer)