Adhesive tape.

His hamstring was held together by adhesive tape.

In a sport where a kicker is typically viewed as one step above a waterboy, David Akers proved yesterday why he is a fan favorite in a blue-collar city like Philadelphia, where they like their athletes big on talent and even bigger on heart. After collapsing to the ground after the opening kickoff, Akers appeared to be in pain all day. After botching a couple of kickoffs and skipping an extra point kick, Akers hobbled onto the field with the game on the line. Tied with the Raiders at 20, the Eagles gave Akers the chance to win the game with a 23-yard field goal. Any other year and fans would have been celebrating the win before Akers even made it onto the field. This time, nothing was certain, so breath was held and fingers were crossed.

As the ball sailed between the uprights, Akers dropped to his knees and shed tears that, according to post-game interviews, were more a result of physical pain than relief.

Not to be outdone, Donovan McNabb threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns, completing 19 of 28, in the second half despite a nagging groin injury suffered the week prior. A groin injury, it should be noted, that is now rumored to be a sports hernia, an injury that requires surgery. In the first half, McNabb had tried to quell the pain by throwing only with his upper body, but after going 11 of 24 for 99 yards, no TDs and an interception, he realized he'd have to deal with the pain for a chance to win. And deal with the pain he did as he led the Eagles on a 10-play, 75-yard drive to set up Akers' game winner field goal.

Former Eagles defensive end Derrick Burgess, who now plays for the Raiders, said after the game that McNabb "pulled a Superman." McNabb, always down to earth and overly humble, would surely laugh at such comparisons before explaining that his job is to lead the team to their goal of winning a SuperBowl and until he is physically unable to walk onto the field, that's what he'll do. "But I just love the game. I love being out there with those guys. We've battled through thick and thin. You just want to make sure you lead the team to where you want to go," McNabb said in his post-game press conference.

McNabb could have come out healthy and thrown for 600 yards. Akers could have set an NFL record for successful field goals on two healthy legs. Yet, Eagles fans would not have loved those performances as much as they did the two they witnessed this past weekend. Philadelphians love heart and grit and guts, and it's clear they've got those in abundance in Akers and McNabb.