PHILADELPHIA -- For one day in late September, A.J. "Ace" Feeley was a man without a team.

After serving as the Eagles' third-string quarterback last season, and for the first three games this season, Feeley was released when injuries forced the team to make some roster rearrangements.

After one day, the Eagles re-signed him to their practice squad, and soon "elevated" him back to third-string status. But do you really think he spent that day dreaming he'd be starting against the St. Louis Rams two months later?

	Feeley didn't throw any picks in the win over St. Louis.

After all, Feeley didn't even start during his senior year of college at Oregon -- he lost his job to Joey Harrington, currently of the Lions. But with the injuries to Donovan McNabb and Koy Detmer, it's Feeley's job now to lead Philadelphia to the postseason.

The Eagles' fifth-round pick in 2001 had a small taste of NFL success before Sunday's game against St. Louis. He completed 10-of-14 for 143 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay in a meaningless regular season finale last year. And when Detmer went down in the third quarter last week against San Francisco, Feeley was 3-for-3 -- his first pass a touchdown toss to tight end Chad Lewis.

But this Sunday was something different. Feeley was The Man, the only man of the original trio Philadelphia has left. He wasn't asked to do too much -- just don't make many mistakes, and let the defense win the game.

And that's exactly what Ace did.

Feeley was 14-for-30 for 181 yards with zero interceptions. If not for one fumble, Feeley played mistake-free. And cornerback Bobby Taylor provided all the points necessary with a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown.

"He was composed and wanted to know what he could do better when he came off the field," said Eagles coach Andy Reid afterward. "He did a nice job."

To find Feeley after the game, you had to pass by the empty locker first. The one with six empty pairs of high tops, and an empty stool. The one with the No. 5 towel hanging in it. The one that won't be empty for long.

But this Sunday, Feeley's locker drew the crowd. Team media attendants hovered around it, waiting to escort him to the interview room. He wore a pink pinstriped shirt, to match the pink glow of his cheeks. And he took it all in stride.

"I wasn't really nervous at all," Feeley said.

That showed throughout the day, despite the fact this was his big NFL break. Look what Tom Brady, a former sixth-round draft pick, did with his last season? Feeley's got potential -- he's 6-foot-3, with a very strong arm. But he impressed his teammates even more in other ways.

"He's a real leader in the huddle," said Chad Lewis. "If something went wrong, he wouldn't clam up. He just kept smiling."

He did a lot of that after the game too, but not because of all the attention he was getting. "I've been in my own little zone all week," he said. "I'm not a big TV guy. I don't even get a newspaper."

But Ace is the news now. He's got a team, and a city, behind him.

Welcome to Feeley-delphia.

Kieran Darcy covers the NFL for ESPN The Magazine.