PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Brett Favre put one up for grabs. Donovan McNabb put his team in the NFC championship game for the third straight season.
Safety Brian Dawkins intercepted a pass that Favre inexplicably heaved and returned it 35 yards to set up a 31-yard field goal by David Akers 4:48 into overtime as the Philadelphia Eagles rallied for a 20-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers in a divisional playoff game.
The Eagles (13-4) will host the Carolina Panthers in the NFC championship game on January 18. They lost the last two conference title games - at home to Tampa Bay last season and at St. Louis in 2002.
"This game was a testament to how we've battled all season," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "We got into a 14-point hole, battled back and made the plays we needed to make to win this game."
McNabb made it all possible, leading the Eagles with his arm and legs. With Philadelphia trailing 17-14 and facing a 4th-and-26 play in the final minute, McNabb fired a 28-yard pass over the middle to Freddie Mitchell to the Green Bay 32.
"We knew they were going to drop deep, so rather than just throwing it up, I gave Freddie a chance to make a play," McNabb said. "Give Freddie credit for getting to where he needed to go for a first down."
"You think we would win with them facing a 4th-and-26, but we didn't get it done," Packers coach Mike Sherman said.
Three plays later, McNabb hit Todd Pinkston with a 10-yard pass to set up Akers' tying 37-yard field goal with five seconds left. Pinkston also caught a 12-yard touchdown pass 12 seconds into the fourth quarter.
In the battle of Pro Bowl quarterbacks, McNabb clearly got the better of Favre, a three-time Most Valuable Player who has been playing with a broken thumb. McNabb threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns and set a playoff record for quarterbacks with 107 yards rushing.
"When they were in their drop deep zones, the running lanes were there for me to take, and I took them," said McNabb, who broke the playoff record of 98 yards by Cleveland quarterback Otto Graham on December 24, 1950 against Los Angeles.
Favre connected with Robert Ferguson on touchdown passes of 40 and 17 yards in the first quarter but made just one big play the rest of the way - a 44-yard pass to Javon Walker in the fourth quarter that set up a 21-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell with 10:22 left.
And Favre's ill-advised throw in overtime decided the outcome. Looking to hit Walker, Favre lofted a deep pass to the right, but two defenders were in the area and Dawkins resembled a kick returner making a fair catch as he picked off the ball and raced to the Green Bay 35.
"We were saying (Favre) was going to throw one up for a receiver in the overtime like he did in the fourth quarter with Walker, so we were ready," Dawkins said.
Favre, who was 15-of-28 for 180 yards, received treatment on his thumb after the game and did not appear in the media room.
Ahman Green rushed for 156 yards on 25 carries for the Packers but was stuffed for no gain on 4th-and-goal from the Philadelphia 1 late in the first half with Green Bay nursing a 14-7 lead.
The Packers were the last team to reach three straight conference title games, doing it from 1995-97 with Favre at quarterback.
