Battling Eagles prove Patriots vulnerable

THE PHILADELPHIA Eagles gave the rest of the NFL a smidgen of hope on Sunday night: they showed the New England Patriots can be vulnerable.

Asante Samuel returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown and had a second pick to shut off a late Philadelphia drive as the Patriots beat the Eagles 31-28 to run their record to 11-0.

It was only the second truly competitive game of the season for New England, who trailed 28-24 midway through the fourth period. A 69-yard drive, capped by Laurence Maroney’s 4-yard run, put the Patriots ahead of the 22-point underdog.