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Brad Lidge Pitching Vick Scoring Salary Playoffs Blogs Series
Cowboys win, Eagles at #3 in NFC East until tomorrow
Published: October 25, 2009
The Eagles finally kick off their division competition tomorrow night against the Redskins. They get to play in front of a national audience. They get to play a team in disarray that, on paper, is far inferior to the Birds. It is uncertain if they will have a chance to win.
It depends on what team shows up Monday night. If it is the team that beat Carolina even after losing McNabb midway through, they will win. If it is the team that showed up against the Raiders last week, they have no shot.
The Eagles have long had a reputation to playing up or down to their competition. It seems every year they lose a game they absolutely should win, and win or challenge in a game no one expects them to have a chance in.
This Monday Night Football game is especially important because it marks the first time this year they play a team in their division. And they are now playing catchup with several teams within that division, needing a win to keep pace with the Cowboys and a win to keep from slipping potentially 2 1/2 games behind the New York Giants.
All in all they can consider themselves fortunate the Giants lost last week. If the Giants win their game tonight and the Eagles can’t dispatch the Redskins, they will be 2 1/2 games back in their division with 10 games to go with the momentum totally against them and the toughest part of their schedule in front of them. If the Giants lose tonight, they can recover from an abysmal showing against the Raiders and be right back in the thick of things in the always challenging NFC East.
Equally important is the fact that the first tiebreaker for playoff spots is division record and the Eagles have a chance to atone for previous poor showings by playing their best games within their own division.
Considering what they have been through, a 4-2 record at this point can be considered a moral victory. This team has all the required elements to make a 8 or 10 game run through the meat of their schedule, but equally worrisome is the fact that a 4-6 record in the next ten games is also a possibility.
I anticipate it will take a minimum of 10 wins to qualify for a wild card this year. I called the Eagles as an 11-5 team at the beginning of the year. I still believe this is do-able. However, if they lose to the Redskins on Monday night, it is probable this team will finish under .500 and the entire season will be a bust.
I believe the score tomorrow will be in the 21-17 range in a tight Eagles victory, but then, I predicted an Eagles blow out against the Oakland Raiders, so don’t run to your bookie on my say so. Instead, do what I am going to do. Settle down in front of the TV with a bottle of Tums, and perhaps another bottle of your own choosing, order a pepperoni pizza from Papa Johns, and hope these Eagles have recovered from last weeks embarassment and show up ready to go !
