New Orleans Saints free safety Darren Sharper is quite relieved that the Eagles didn't win the Super Bowl in the 2003 season. He knows that if they had won, "4th-and-26" would be one of the most enduring plays in NFL history - not just Eagles' lore.

"That 4th-and-26, it definitely hurt because we thought we had a team that could have went to the Super Bowl that year," Sharper said.

Then a member of the Green Bay Packers, Sharper was the safety who put the hit on wide receiver Freddie Mitchell, but not until Mitchell was able to get 28 yards and the first down. That play kept the fourth quarter drive alive as the Eagles tied the Divisional Round matchup in the closing seconds on a David Akers field goal before winning the game in overtime.

"The thing about that play is I didn't realize how long that was until I was watching a college football game and it was like third-and-23 and I was like, 'There's no way a team is going to get a third-and-23.' Then, I thought to myself, I was part of a team that let a team get a fourth-and-26," Sharper said. "You never know, but that play does bring back memories. We would have liked to have not had that happen. We still had a chance after that play, but not too many members of those teams are still out there playing now. The guy who caught the ball is way out of the league."

While Sharper took his shots at Mitchell, adding that 4th-and-26 was "the only play he made in his career," he knows that the current version of the Eagles offense is set to take aim at a Saints defense that ranked 26th in points allowed last season. Sharper was part of a defensive overhaul in the off-season that included the addition of new coordinator Gregg Williams. Sharper is insulted at the thought that this Sunday's game is expected to be a shootout because these two teams put up a combined 83 points last week.

"You know what they say about that fantasy league? It's a fantasy, exactly!" Sharper said.

But Sharper concedes that the Eagles have just "as many weapons" as the lethal Saints offense. In fact, he ran down the list of wide receivers and tight ends and forgot that "guy that drives the ship."

"In all that, I haven't mentioned Brian Westbrook," Sharper said. "Whenever you have a guy that accounted for 40 percent of your offense, you have to make sure you're aware of where he is at all times."

And should Kevin Kolb start at quarterback due to Donovan McNabb's injury, the Saints have done their homework.

"He's a guy that has a strong arm who can make all of the throws necessary for that office," Sharper said. "He's not as mobile in the pocket as McNabb, but there aren't too many quarterbacks in the NFL that are. I know he can utilize his feet if necessary."

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 2:34 p.m., September 19