Eagles lead Giants 17-10 at halftime

Donte' Stallworth caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Garcia with 1 minute left in the second quarter to help the Philadelphia Eagles carry a 17-10 lead over the New York Giants into halftime of Sunday's NFC wild-card game.

Brian Westbrook broke off a 49-yard touchdown run for the Eagles earlier in the quarter, and both teams had to settle for short field goals after impressive defensive stands inside the 10-yard line.

Plaxico Burress had a 17-yard touchdown catch on New York's opening possession after making a spectacular 29-yard reception in double coverage on the game's first play.

Tiki Barber, in what may be his last game, carried 15 times for 95 yards in the first half.

The Giants had virtually been written off after losing six of their last eight games of the season. Their defense was awful down the stretch, their offense inconsistent and they've been a dysfunctional team.

A month ago, it would've been inconceivable to see the Eagles in this position. They were counted out after a knee injury ended Donovan McNabb's season in Week 11 and a 24-point loss in Indianapolis a week later left them at 5-6.

Led by Garcia and a rejuvenated defense, Philadelphia won five straight to capture its fifth NFC East title in six years and earn the No. 3 seed in the conference.

Both teams were 7-6 when they met at the Meadowlands just three weeks ago. A 36-22 victory validated Philadelphia's status as a legitimate threat in a mediocre NFC. The Eagles followed with a dominating 23-7 win at Dallas on Christmas Day, and got some much-needed rest when Detroit's win over the Cowboys assured them first place and allowed coach Andy Reid to rest his starters in the regular-season finale.

The Giants needed a career performance from the retirement-bound Barber just to beat Washington last Saturday and prolong a disappointing season. Barber had a franchise-record 234 yards rushing and three touchdowns against the Redskins. An outstanding effort in Philly could extend Barber's career at least one more game, and cement coach Tom Coughlin's return to New York next season.