ST. LOUIS – On a rare day when neither quarterback threw for 100 yards, Mike McMahon did the bare minimum to win.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ backup threw three interceptions but also tossed the game-winning touchdown pass to long snapper Mike Bartrum on the first play of the fourth quarter in a lackluster 17-16 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

The game matched two of the NFC’s biggest disappointments, and lived up to that billing. The Eagles (6-8) won for the second time in eight games, a far cry from their Super Bowl appearance last year, and sent the Rams (5-9) to their fifth loss in six games.

The most electrifying play came early, a 59-yard touchdown sprint by Ryan Moats, who squirted through a pileup at the line and broke three tackles for the Eagles’ first score. Bartrum made the decisive play when he caught a 3-yard touchdown pass after McMahon rolled out. Bartrum has two catches all season, both for 3-yard scores.

Brian Dawkins’ interception and 24-yard return to the 28 set up the winning score.

McMahon, starting for injured Donovan McNabb, was 15-for-28 for 97 yards. That was enough to trump Rams rookie Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was 10-for-24 for 69 yards with one touchdown and an interception.

Fitzpatrick, who threw three touchdown passes in his NFL debut after subbing for an injured Jamie Martin a month ago at Houston, threw for his first score in three starts. But he was so ineffective the 35-year-old Martin replaced him with 6:40 remaining.

Steven Jackson reached 1,000 yards for the first time for the Rams and Marshall Faulk had his best game of the year in a reserve role, the pair combining for 169 yards on 32 carries. But Faulk, who got more playing time because of Jackson’s minor hip pointer, was thrown for a 2-yard loss on his biggest carry, a fourth-and-1 at the Eagles 36 with 3:14 to go.

The Rams capitalized on a lost fumble by Lamar Gordon to take a 16-7 lead on Jeff Wilkins’ third field goal of the game, a 28-yarder. The Eagles made it a one-score game again with David Akers’ 31-yard field goal.

Jackson had 62 yards on seven carries on the Rams’ opening drive, setting up a 26-yard field goal by Wilkins. Moats got almost as many yards on one attempt, squirting free at the line and breaking three tackles for his big run to put the Eagles ahead.

Pisa Tinoisamoa’s interception of an underthrown pass by McMahon and 20-yard return to the 5 led to the Rams’ go-ahead score. On the next play, Fitzpatrick hit Torry Holt on a 5-yard score for his first touchdown pass in three weeks.

Wilkins added a 53-yard field goal, his longest of the season, to put the Rams ahead 13-7 at the half.

AP-ES-12-18-05 1628EST