ATLANTA (AP) – Donovan McNabb finally resembled that guy who’s been to three Pro Bowls. All it took was playing the hapless Atlanta Falcons.

McNabb took advantage of an entirely revamped Atlanta secondary to throw for a season-high 312 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown pass to Freddie Mitchell, and the Eagles won 23-16 Sunday for their fifth victory in six games.

Atlanta (1-7) lost its seventh in a row, taking on the look of an increasingly desperate team. Embattled coach Dan Reeves tried to shake things up by starting four new defensive backs, but it didn’t do much to slow McNabb.

The lowest-rated regular quarterback in the league coming in, McNabb completed 21 of 33 passes to go over 300 yards for the fourth time in his five-year career. His highest total this season had been 186 yards in Week 2.

The Eagles (5-3) have bounced back from an 0-2 start, putting themselves in the thick of the NFC playoff race. This one wasn’t pretty – Philadelphia had a field goal blocked and was penalized 11 times – but it was enough to get out of Atlanta with a victory.

The Falcons also pulled starting quarterback Kurt Kittner, inserting Doug Johnson early in the fourth quarter. Johnson directed Atlanta to a field goal that made it 23-16, then went three-and-out on his final chance to tie it up.

Philadelphia ran out all but the last 14 seconds.

Kittner was 11-of-18 for just 78 yards, and he also squandered a scoring chance with an ugly interception.

The Falcons haven’t won since beating Dallas in Week 1. Reeves has gone 0-for-7 while trying to become the seventh coach in NFL history with 200 career victories.

The only solace for the Falcons: At least this one was respectable. Their previous two losses were by a combined score of 81-17.

Then again, this game brought more bad news. Offensive tackle Bob Whitfield went out in the third quarter with a fractured right fibula and ligament damage, probably ending his season.

The Eagles jumped to a quick 10-0 lead. David Akers kicked a 21-yard field goal, and McNabb threw the touchdown pass to Mitchell, the first scoring pass involving a Philadelphia wide receiver this season.

Atlanta scored 13 second-quarter points to take a lead at halftime, but it didn’t last. Philadelphia thoroughly dominated the third quarter, outgaining the Falcons 171-28 and going ahead for good on the second play of the final period.

McNabb completed passes of 36 and 28 yards to L.J. Smith, setting up Duce Staley’s 4-yard scoring run that put Philadelphia ahead 20-13. Akers added his third field goal, a 40-yarder with 7:50 left that gave the Eagles a 10-point cushion.

AP-ES-11-02-03 1943EST