The Eagles rest, and the rest of the NFL plays. And there are games to pay attention to, and players to watch. The Colts are on television Monday night, with the Eagles' eyes upon them. So as the players return from their bye week on Sunday and prepare for practice on Monday morning, we're going to be in front of our televisions keeping track of the league.
Let's begin with Dallas, who plays Jacksonville in a game the Cowboys should win going away. If the Cowboys don't hand off to the running game 35 times against the Jaguars, well, then there are truly major, major problems in Big D. Prediction: The Cowboys will crush Jacksonville and the players and Owner Jerry Jones will again chirp about how the Cowboys are "back" and how the playoffs are still within reach with Jon Kitna playing quarterback.
Washington plays in Detroit, and the Lions are coming off a bye week and quarterback Matthew Stafford is back at the helm and, yeah, it's fair to say the Lions have a real chance to beat Washington. This is a critical game for the Redskins and for quarterback Donovan McNabb. Washington needs to win to keep pace in the NFC East.
The Sunday night game is a great one, too. New Orleans hosts the Steelers, so we will get an idea of just where the Saints are at this point in the season. The NFC is wide open, of course. The Packers play in New York against the Jets. The Vikings have the Patriots.
Who is winning this NFC?
Tomorrow night's game is an excellent one, with Houston hosting the Colts and the Eagles waiting for the Colts six days later.
So, the Eagles are off today. But there is football to be watched, and there is a conference to be sorted out.
*NEWS, NOTES AND A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND THAT *
The reports that suggest Sean McDermott is on the "hot seat" as the team's defensive coordinator are absolutely ridiculous. McDermott's scheme in Tennessee was, in fact, great. The players were there to make plays. The truth is, McDermott had a tremendous game and the Eagles just didn't play well in the fourth quarter. If there is a criticism, it is that the pass rush didn't get home in the second half.
- Mike Vick vows to hit the ground rather than take on defenders. He doesn't slide, which is remarkable for a player drafted by Major League baseball. Look for Vick to run out of bounds more. Look for him to simply go to the turf to avoid hits. Staying on the field is the important thing with Vick, not making all of the plays.
- Keeping an eye on Jerome Harrison. I've been saying it for a while. But he is ready to go. The Eagles are going to come out and, I'm taking a wild leap, run the football against the Colts.
- When will the Eagles play overseas? London is calling ...
- I'm calling for a 6-3 record the rest of the way for the Eagles and 7-2 isn't that out of the question. The second-half schedule isn't as daunting as it appeared prior to the season. But, hey, that perspective could change at any time. This truly is a week-to-week league, isn't it?
