Quintin Mikell admitted that this Sunday's game with the Broncos is one that he's "been looking forward to" all season.

That's certainly strange because the Eagles and the Broncos have no history as rivals. The last time they played was a forgettable game in the 2005 season.

Of course, Mikell's mentor, Brian Dawkins, is making his return to Philadelphia in a different team's uniform.

"I know it's going to be crazy out there, but I'm excited about it," Mikell said. "It'll be a chance for him to see what I've been able to do and what he's helped build here with me."

Mikell leads the NFC East's best team with 109 tackles and eight pass knockdowns. He has two sacks and has forced a pair of fumbles. And this is coming off of a year where Mikell was named second-team All-Pro. Quite a far climb from when he entered the league as a rookie free agent in 2003. Mikell believes that he would be as successful as he is even without Dawkins' guidance.

"I would like to think yes," Mikell said. "Obviously, I learned a lot from him over the years but I have a lot of confidence in my abilities and I feel that I just needed time to grow into the role that I'm in right now."

Mikell admits there will be plenty of emotions before the game, but once the "pads start popping all of that goes out the window." The Eagles are battling to improve their playoff positioning. The Broncos are still fighting for a playoff berth.

"The bottom line is whoever is across from me is going to try and kick my butt," Mikell said. "I'm going to try and kick their butt."

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 3:03 p.m., December 23