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Posted at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, August 30, 2007

Ex-Warrior Ilaoa catches 2-point conversion for Eagles

By ROB MAADDI
AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA — All Marques Tuiasosopo can do now is wait for a call he doesn't want from coaches. A.J. Feeley hopes for good news from doctors.

In a game decided by third-stringers and guys who'll be looking for jobs in a few days, Tuiasosopo rallied the Jets and Mike Nugent kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired, lifting New York over the Philadelphia Eagles 13-11 on Thursday night.

Quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Chad Pennington didn't play and most starters for both teams sat out. Feeley, McNabb's backup, broke a bone in his left hand, but whether he will miss any action is uncertain.

"He has to see a hand specialist," coach Andy Reid said. "He might be OK."

If Feeley, a right-hander, is out, rookie Kevin Kolb becomes the No. 2 behind McNabb.

Meanwhile, Tuiasosopo hopes he earned the No. 3 job behind Pennington and Kellen Clemens. Tuiasosopo drove the Jets (3-1) 65 yards for the winning kick. He finished 9-for-16 for 78 yards.

"All I can do is go out there and play well," said Tuiasosopo, who spent six seasons with Oakland before joining New York. "I know I haven't been perfect, but I hope that I showed that I learned from my mistakes."

Jets coach Eric Mangini was pleased with the offense in the two-minute drill.

"We talk all the time that a lot of things can go wrong in a game and a lot of things can go right in a game, and the game can still go down to the final two minutes," he said. "I'm pretty sure that 10 of our games last year were affected by two-minute drives. The opportunity to win the game with a two-minute drive was a positive."

Coaches will have to scrutinize the tape to determine which players earned roster spots and who won't make the final cut.

Kolb threw a 31-yard TD pass to Zac Collie with 2:57 left to get the Eagles within one point. Instead of going for a tie in a meaningless game, Reid went for the lead. Kolb rolled right and tossed a pass to Nate Ilaoa to put Philadelphia ahead 11-10.

Kolb, a second-round pick and the team's first overall selection, completed 22 of 33 passes for 220 yards.

"I'm trying to stay mentally ready every day," Kolb said. "With what's happened in past years here, you have to be ready."

Ilaoa lost a fumble after catching a short pass to give New York the ball at Philadelphia's 36. On second-and-8 from the 11, Tuiasosopo ran up the middle for a score to give the Jets a 10-3 lead early in the fourth period.

The defending NFC East champion Eagles finished the preseason 1-3.

Feeley started for McNabb and Clemens filled in for Pennington. Both played one quarter. Feeley completed 6 of 9 passes for 79 yards and got clobbered on three sacks during the second series. He wasn't sure when he got injured, but he played at least one series with the pain.

Clemens was 2-for-2 for 12 yards.

Kolb played the last three quarters for the Eagles. He showed poised, threw several crisp passes and made smart decisions.

Brad Smith was 2-for-8 for 29 yards in the second quarter after replacing Clemens. Smith's versatility should keep him on the roster, though Tuiasosopo could be the No. 3 QB.

Nugent made a 48-yard field to give the Jets a 3-0 lead in the second quarter. David Akers kicked a 43-yarder to tie it late in the first half.

Punter Sav Rocca, competing with incumbent Dirk Johnson for the job and to be the holder, couldn't handle a bad snap and threw an incomplete pass when Akers lined up to try a 46-yarder on the opening possession.

Reid blamed one missed opportunity on the snapper and the other on the holder. The competition between Rocca and Johnson could be decided on which punter is the better holder.

"Holding is a factor," Reid said.

A pass interference penalty on wideout Michael Gasperson negated a 25-yard TD pass from Kolb to Collie before the 2-minute warning in the first half.

McNabb, returning from a serious knee injury, spent most of his time standing on the sideline, wearing a visor over his bald head. The five-time Pro Bowl QB looked sharp in two preseason games and will be under center when the Eagles open at Green Bay.

Pennington, who overcame a second torn rotator cuff in as many years to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award last season, sat on the bench and chatted with his backups.

Former U.S. Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom didn't have a standout performance in his bid to win a job as Philadelphia's return specialist. Bloom returned three punts for 29 yards and averaged 22.7 yards on three kick returns.