Beating Seattle means something for the Eagles, who cling to their remote playoff hopes in an NFC East that seemingly no team wants to go out and claim. The Eagles have had a couple of days of workouts, some film study and, hopefully, they have their minds right for the long trip to Seattle and the nationally televised game.

What is the matchup all about? A pair of 4-7 teams, both of whom made the playoffs a season ago, are playing to salvage some pride and generate some momentum. Seattle's offense has quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, some good receivers and a punishing running game. The Seahawks have been troubled all season up front, and the Eagles hope to win the battle at the line of scrimmage.

Defensively, the Seahawks play good football. They're fast and they fly to the ball. End Chris Clemons, a disappointment here, has been a sack machine with the Seahawks. Different team, different scheme, different player. It happens all too often in this league.

But the game, from our perspective, is about the Eagles. Vince Young is in line to get his another start after throwing for 400 up-and-down yards against New England. The Eagles have been able to get their receivers open; Young has to find his rhythm and keep it and deliver the football accurately.

I think by now you know the Eagles on both sides of the ball. They have been far too inconsistent and the record reflects the swings from good team to not-so-good team. Four wins and seven losses is not where anyone expected the Eagles to be.

So let's see what the team has in this difficult spot. Seattle has been home, at least, and doesn't have the burden of travel. The Eagles played late in the afternoon on Sunday and, well, here they are. It's time to get a win.

A lot can be made from these final five games. Not enough to heal the hurt, I know, but the Eagles have jobs on the line. Let's see how they handle the tough spot and the emotional void of playing this game. It will tell something about the players and the coaches and how fast the focus can move from one game to the next.

NEWS, NOTES AND A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND THAT

• How will the Eagles use rookie Greg Lloyd, who was promoted to the 53-man roster on Tuesday? He will play on special teams as the Eagles look to fill the loss of Moise Fokou, who is on Injured Reserve. Fokou, a starter earlier in the year on the strong side, had been replaced by Akeem Jordan but was still contributing on special teams. Lloyd will get his first look there.
• The temperature at kickoff should be in the 30s, so this will be the coldest weather the Eagles have seen in 2011.
• The Eagles have a decided advantage, on paper, at the line of scrimmage with their defensive front. Juan Castillo has to make sure his defense stays in the face of Jackson, who is prone to mistakes. Wide receiver Sidney Rice has a concussion and isn't likely to play, so I expect the defense to play downhill and try to take away the running game.
• I really like the improvement of Riley Cooper, who has come a long way in his two starts. He is getting open, catching every ball thrown his way and showing some separation down the field. He needs to continue to learn to use his body to create some space. He can help this team in the future, no question about it.
• What kind of adjustments can the Eagles make in the red zone to become more efficient? It's a question we've asked for a few years now. Too many turnovers and too many field goals. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I would like to see a more effective running game inside the 20-yard line with LeSean McCoy getting his touches there.
• Defensively in the red zone, the Eagles have to find a way to get some stops. More blitzing? Better tackling? Overhauling the approach? It's worth taking some chances, because what the Eagles are doing to date isn't working well at all.
• Safety Colt Anderson will have about 200 friends and family at the game from his hometown. This is a big deal for the Anderson family. You are going to see a fired up No. 30 on Thursday night.