PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Donovan McNabb has the Philadelphia Eagles on the verge of another division title.
McNabb threw three touchdown passes as the Eagles ran their winning streak to eight games and clinched a playoff berth with a 36-10 rout of the Dallas Cowboys.
Sparked by McNabb, the Eagles (10-3) returned to the playoffs for the fourth straight season and moved two games ahead of the Cowboys (8-5) in the NFC East with three games left.
"Everything that we've been through early in the year and up until this point, has been a little different," said McNabb, who completed 19-of-35 passes for 248 yards. "But it's always promising to know that we stayed together, stayed confident amongst each other."
The Eagles' winning streak is their longest single-season run since 1980, the last time they reached the Super Bowl.
McNabb, who came under criticism earlier this season when the Eagles started 0-2, again made all the huge plays for his team. He had a 16-yard touchdown pass to running back Brian Westbrook in the second quarter, then saved his best for the second half when the Eagles outscored the Cowboys, 26-0.
McNabb tossed a five-yard TD pass to running back Duce Staley in the third quarter, snapping a 10-10 tie. He also found rookie tight end L.J. Smith from six yards early in the fourth, extending the margin to 26-10.
Correll Buckhalter added 115 yards rushing, including a 64-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter for the Eagles, who beat the Cowboys for the fifth straight time at home. They have won the last three meetings here by a combined 120-41.
Meanwhile, it was a struggle for Quincy Carter, who threw two second-half interceptions. He also had a snap go through his hands in the third quarter, resulting in a safety.
Carter completed 15-of-24 passes for just 93 yards and one touchdown. He failed to complete a pass to his talented receiving trio of Joey Galloway, Terry Glenn and Antonio Bryant.
Cowboys coach Bill Parcells attempted to take some pressure of his young quarterback by featuring the run against an Eagles defense that had allowed four straight 100-yard rushers.
In the first half, it appeared Parcells' strategy was the right one as the Cowboys rushed for 106 yards. But they managed just 44 yards on the ground after intermission.
"I was happy about the way the first half went," Parcells said. "I thought we had a chance if we could do something in the second half. We didn't do anything, except self destruct. The second half was just awful. There was nothing but penalties and turnovers."
On the first possession of the second half, the Cowboys were faced with a 3rd-and-5 at their own 33 when Carter threw an ill-advised pass to his right that was intercepted by cornerback Sheldon Brown.
"I should have thrown the ball away and did not," Carter said. "It is something that I have to learn from and that is not to throw the ball into tight coverage. I should of thrown the ball away on their side of the field and it went downhill for me after that."
The Eagles converted the turnover into the go-ahead score when McNabb shoveled a pass to Staley on 3rd-and-goal from the 5. The TD was set up on a pass interference penalty on cornerback Mario Edwards on 3rd-and-10 from the 27.
The Cowboys have surrendered 76 points in losing their last two games. They were coming off a 40-21 loss to Miami on Thanksgiving.
