JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Many are wondering Monday what they wondered Sunday: why didn't the Philadelphia Eagles go to a no-huddle, hurry-up offense when they were down by 10 points with less than six minutes to play in their eventual Super Bowl XXXIX defeat to the New England Patriots?

With the Patriots leading 24-14 with 5:40 remaining in the game, the Eagles took possession and did negotiate a 79-yard touchdown drive — but it consumed nearly four minutes, ending with Donovan McNabb's 30-yard pass to Greg Lewis.

By that time, only 1:48 remained, and after recovering an onside kick, the Patriots ate up enough time so that by the time the Eagles got the ball back for one final drive, they had 46 seconds left and had to start at their own 4-yard line.

"I don't know what happened," Eagles tight end L.J. Smith told ESPN.

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"Well, we were trying to hurry up," Eagles coach Andy Reid also told ESPN. "It was the way things worked out."

Reid also took heat for how he handled the clock toward the end of the first half. With the score tied at 7-7, the Eagles had the ball at their 19 with 1:10 left. McNabb threw to Todd Pinkston for 10 yards, but Reid didn't call a timeout and the clock wound down to 17 seconds.

McNabb then hit Pinkston for another 15 yards to the Eagles 41, and Reid then called his first timeout of the half.

So, instead of being able to move into position for a David Akers field goal attempt, the Eagles had to settle for entering intermission with a tie.