When Philadelphia wide receiver Todd Pinkston and Washington Redskins rookie cornerback Fred Smoot both played college football in Mississippi, the two established a bit of a friendship, working out together on several occasions. That familiarity produced some potent trash-talking yesterday at FedEx Field.
Pinkston, who attended Southern Mississippi, got the last word in the Eagles' 20-6 win: He caught a 62-yard touchdown pass -- his longest reception of the season -- with 8 minutes 37 seconds left in the third quarter that gave first-place Philadelphia a 17-6 lead. Pinkston's grab was the second longest gain the Redskins have given up this season.
"I'm telling him he's not getting anything today and he got the long catch and came back in my face and said it ain't over," said Smoot, who played a half-hour from Pinkston at Mississippi State.
On first and 10 from the Philadelphia 38-yard line, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb faked two handoffs and then pumped right. Smoot took the bait, which gave Pinkston, running a post pattern from the left side, time to get open. McNabb connected with Pinkston, who dodged safety David Terrell and evaded Smoot to find the end zone.
"I think that set the tone for the game," Pinkston said. "I just got behind the defense, Donovan had a good throw and the [offensive] line gave him some time."
Said Smoot: "You could say it was directed at me, you could say it was directed at somebody else, but point blank they tricked us. That was a mental mistake.
"Any time the quarterback gets that much time -- the receiver ran like a 40-yard route -- he's going to run away from you, point blank," Smoot said. "I went down and left the lane open, and once I saw what they were doing, I got there late."
It was about the only time Smoot's coverage broke down. In the second quarter, he broke up two consecutive passes in the end zone. But the Eagles' offense eventually got the best of him.
McNabb's command was far better yesterday than in the teams' last meeting on Nov. 25 when the Redskins won 13-3 by containing McNabb. But yesterday, McNabb went 16 of 34 for 235 yards and two touchdowns.
"We hit them with a fake reverse and were able to have them sit and watch and try to guess," McNabb said. "Todd ran the post, and I was able to get the ball to him. He did an excellent job of avoiding tacklers and walking in the end zone."
Pinkston has not been the Eagles' main go-to receiver this season; he ranks third on the team in receptions behind former Redskin James Thrash and Duce Staley with 35 receptions for 435 yards. But that didn't matter against his friend Smoot, whom Pinkston burned for 77 yards and the game's defining play.
"It was the back-breaker," Pinkston said. "We know their safeties are aggressive, but once I got behind their defense, everything just fell into place."