Win the game that matters.
That's the mindset and focus as the team travels to Arlington, Texas later today for tonight's Wild Card showdown with the Cowboys.
"We're looking at it like we're going to go in and win the playoff game," wide receiver Reggie Brown said. "And hopefully that's what we'll do."
Brown, who for the third time in his five-year career finds himself in the postseason, said there has been no panic in the locker room this week. Rather, players are confident that they will get the job done.
"This team, as long as I've been here, has always gone into playoff games feeling relaxed and confident, and it feels the same," Brown said. "We have a lot of veteran players that have been in this type of situation and they lead younger players in the way they carry themselves and the way they go about their business. So I think everyone is feeling good, feeling confident ... taking it as a game that we have to win.
Win, or go home.
Brown, who posted 10 catches for 149 yards in two games during the 2006 playoffs, credited Dallas for its defensive scheme but said the offense needs to be patient.
"We just have to be patient on offense and take what they give us and use that to our advantage," he said.
An Eagles' attack that had 75 plays of 20 yards or more during the regular season has been held in check by the Cowboys. Dallas had eight sacks in two games against McNabb and the quarterback's longest pass completions in those games went for 45 and 32 yards, respectively.
"They didn't really let us get deep too often," Brown said. "When you have teams that know each other -- the way we know the Cowboys and the way they know us -- there's going to be plays made. There's going to be mistakes. It's just who makes the least amount of the mistakes."
Six of Brown's nine catches this season came over the last five weeks of the regular season. However, he did not record a reception last week.
Personal numbers aside, Brown is hoping Dallas may be a little overconfident entering tonight's game.
"Their swagger right now is pretty high," Brown said. "I'm pretty sure they're feeling pretty good about themselves, and when you've got that kind of confidence you usually play good. Hopefully we can play better."
-- Posted by Bob Kent, 3:40 p.m., January 9
