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Carson Wentz's late heroics keep Eagles in control of postseason fate

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz sprang to life at the last possible moment and saved a season on the verge of plummeting into the abyss.

He orchestrated a pair of second-half touchdown drives to erase a 14-point halftime deficit and then found tight end Zach Ertz in the back of the end zone in overtime to lift Philadelphia over the New York Giants 23-17 on Monday night.

Already missing three starters on offense, the Eagles lost wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and right tackle Lane Johnson after the first half because of injuries. Wentz was down to two receivers, Greg Ward Jr. and JJ Arcega-Whiteside.

With the win, the Eagles (6-7) move into a first-place tie with the Dallas Cowboys (6-7), with a rematch between the two clubs slated for Week 16 in Philadelphia. The Eagles have a 35% chance to win the NFC East, according to ESPN's Football Power Index.

Philadelphia had not won a game after facing a 14-point halftime deficit since Week 1 of 2014 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coach Doug Pederson's team was facing a fourth straight defeat and another week of scrutiny.

But Wentz (33-of-50, 325 yards, two TDs) and the Eagles scored 20 unanswered points to pull off a win, and as a result, they remain in control of their postseason fate in a down NFC East. A trip to Washington to take on the Redskins (3-10) is next.

Buy a breakout performance: Second-year running back Boston Scott, thrust into action with Jordan Howard sidelined and Miles Sanders working through an apparent leg injury, made the most of his opportunity, finishing with 156 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. Showing burst and power, he proved that he deserves a role over a laboring Jay Ajayi as the Eagles enter the season's home stretch with three games remaining.

"That's a bad man right there," Sanders said of Wentz. "He played a hell of a game, especially when it counted. It just shows the type of team we are -- we all rallied together and got the job done."

Eye-popping stat: The Eagles have won six straight games against the Giants, their longest win streak in the series since they won 12 straight from 1975 through 1981. The Eagles improved to 9-2 in their past 11 games on Monday Night Football, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most wins on MNF since the 2013 season.

Troubling trend: Cornerback Ronald Darby had a night to forget, yielding multiple big plays to rookie receiver Darius Slayton, who finished with five catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns. After a four-game stretch in which they played buttoned-up defense, the Eagles' secondary has once again become susceptible to the big play, though it did put the clamps on Giants quarterback Eli Manning in the second half.