Why Philadelphia Eagles’ Biggest Week of the Season Is Week 15

They’ve swept two division rivals, made a pair of impressive fourth-quarter comebacks, and won with three different quarterbacks at the helm.

After 14 weeks, they’re in first place by a half-game, the virtual best team in the NFC East.

And at 4:15 today, the Philadelphia Eagles line up for the most important game of their 2009 season.

For one thing, a win over the 49ers today gives the Birds 10 victories and clinches a playoff spot. It also means that the finale in Dallas will be for the division title at worst and meaningless at best.

In that at-worst scenario, they could finish in a three-way tie with Dallas and New York at 10-6. For that to be the case, you’d need New York to win out, Dallas to lose to Washington, and Philly to lose out (against Denver and Dallas)

If that all happens, the Eagles would still win the division. Since all three teams went 2-2 against each other, second tiebreaker (division record) comes into play. At 3-3, Dallas is eliminated first, and then the Birds’ two wins over the Giants gives them the division.  

All that is great, and no matter what they know they’re in the postseason if they win today.

But more importantly, this will be the best chance their two biggest issues sorted out.

Thanks to the blizzard that dropped two feet of snow on the City of Brotherly Love this weekend, the field conditions will be snowy and frozen. Add in a pushed back 4:15 start time—meaning darkness for most of the game—and it’s only going to get worse.

But what the snowstorm also left in its wake is a major wind shear.

The winds swirl at Lincoln Financial Field as it is, but with winds still gusting to 25 or 30 miles per hour by game time, it will mean the aerial attack the Eagles have relied on so much will be slightly grounded.

If they’ve watched any of the Jets/Falcons game going on just 90 or so miles up the New Jersey Turnpike, then the Birds have a great idea of what they’re in for. Outside of one bomb from Mark Sanchez to Braylon Edwards, which wobbled like a duck, it’s been all running and short passes.

Jay Feely also missed a short field goal just before the half, as the wind spun it around like a boomerang.

So bombs and David Akers may not be able to bail the Birds out tonight. Instead, they’ll need to work screens and make the rushing game currently ranked No. 30 in the league carry the load.

The return of Kevin Curtis will help the former, but can they rely on the latter?

With a playoff berth on the line, I say yes.

If they can stop Frank Gore, the Birds have a good chance. Yes, the 4:15 start time helps the 49ers’ body clocks, but they’ve still had to come cross-country and are going to be dealing with bitterly cold temperatures, even worse wind chills, and blowing snow on the field.

For the record, it has been in the mid-to-high 50s all week in the Bay Area, while Philadelphia has barely been above freezing since Wednesday.

Even their two “cold-weather” games weren’t this bad. It was in the high-30s and cloudy with very light winds in Seattle last week, and their pre-Thanksgiving game against the Packers came on an abnormally warm 53-degree day in Wisconsin.

This is the Eagles’ domain. Knowing that they can secure a spot in the postseason with one more win, they will be ready.

It’s just going to take a little “gold rush” of their own to do so.

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Donovan McNabb’s Fourth Quarter Heroics Spurring Philadelphia Eagles’ Recent Run

There’s an old expression in sports that says, “it’s not how you start, but how you finish.”

Over the last month, the Philadelphia Eagles are finishing better than any team in the NFL. Enough so that they’ve got their own Christmas countdown going: Five weeks of football, four games with comebacks, three wins recorded, two division rivals vanquished…and an Eagle atop the NFC East.

What’s even more amazing is that the catalyst of this all is a man whose legacy in the NFL stems from choking in the final minutes of the biggest game of his career: Donovan McNabb.

The seeds of this resurgence were planted roughly 30 days ago, when the Eagles trailed the Chargers by 19 with 1:13 left in the third quarter. Taking advantage of a short field, McNabb led the Birds 54 yards in two minutes and hit Jeremy Maclin for a touchdown.

After a Chargers three-and-out, No. 5 led the Eagles 77 yards on nine plays to cut the lead to five and give Birds fans hope of pulling off the improbable comeback. McNabb went 9-for-10 on the drive (with another completion nullified by penalty), spreading the ball around with an accuracy that surprised even his receiving corps.

Unfortunately, the defense once failed, as the Bolts rallied for a long drive to set up a game-icing field goal and left only 30 seconds on the clock…but the seed was watered.

And in the last four weeks, that seed has blossomed into a trend even John Elway would probably applaud.

It started blooming in Chicago. After Antonio Dixon’s blocked field goal kept the Bears lead at three, McNabb led the troops 62 yards in 5:30 to take what would end up being an insurmountable 24-20 lead. Once again, McNabb was brilliant, going 5-for-6 on the drive and running for a crucial first-down on 3rd-and-1 at midfield.

The following week, the Eagles trailed Washington by eight with just under 12 minutes to go. McNabb marched the Birds 90 yards in four minutes for the score, got the tying two-point conversion on a shovel pass to LeSean McCoy, and then led a second 66-yard drive for the game winning field goal.

After a “week off” against Atlanta, the Birds entered the final frame against the Giants up 37-31 in a game that featured defense even Tecmo Bowl enthusiasts would be ashamed of. Already having blown a pair of two-touchdown leads, the Eagles knew they would need a third to ensure a victory.

What did you think was going to happen?

The defense came up huge on the Giants’ first possession of the quarter, and McNabb led the Birds on a 12-play, 91-yard drive that chewed up half the period and salted the game away. Yet again McNabb was brilliant, going 6-for-6 for 57 yards and hitting Jason Avant for a two-point conversion.

Yes, the running game has helped, but when they needed him most, McNabb lifted the team that ranks 30th in the league in rushing up on his shoulders and carried them to four straight wins.

He didn’t play the final frame in Atlanta, so going back to the Chargers game, McNabb’s numbers are Madden-esque in the fourth quarter: 28-for-36 (a 77.8 completion percentage) for 323 yards with three touchdowns, one pick and a pair of two-point conversions.

That’s one hell of a game—and one hell of a passer rating—on its own. But when you consider that those lines helped earn two victories, nailed down a third and nearly stole a fourth, there’s only one word you can use to describe them: Clutch.

For the last month-plus, McNabb has come up big when his team needed it most.

And now, thanks to their late heroics, the Birds are 9-4 and sit in first place in the NFC East with three weeks to go. A win over San Francisco this Sunday all but locks up a playoff berth, and that win combined with a Dallas loss will all but lock up the division.

With the way the Birds are playing, the longest-tenured Eagle may finally have another chance to vanquish that big spectre that hangs over his head.

He’s certainly had plenty of practice.

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Andy Reid’s Contract Extension Proves That Good Enough Is Good Enough

So Bleacher Report’s bi-weekly newsletter had an article that asked “Where do you stand on Andy Reid’s contract extension?”

My answer? I think the headline says it all, because at this point, it’s whatever.

As a journalist or a pundit or whatever, I can’t argue with numbers.

The Andy Reid era has been the most successful era of Eagles football. Since 1999, they’ve won 105 games—nine less than the Carolina Panthers have in franchise history, mind you—that have led to five division titles, seven playoff appearances (including five trips to the NFC Championship Game) and one Super Bowl appearance.

The Birds’ 100 wins this decade ranks third only to Indianapolis and New England. He’s by far the winningest coach in team history, his quarterback is the most prolific passer in team history, and he’s got the team on pace for another playoff berth (and possibly a division title).

If they weren’t to win another game this season, the Eagles would still be averaging more than nine wins a season under Reid.

So yeah, he’s done a lot, says the record book.

Great.

Because while journalists can spout numbers, the fans will spout the biggest one of all: ZERO.

The greatest era in team history, and the Eagles haven’t won the big one. Hell, they’ve only been there once. Out of five tries, mind you, which isn’t saying a lot considering those Panthers made the conference championship game in their second year of existence. So did the Jaguars, just for the record.

To use an analogy from another sport, the Philadelphia Eagles have just made Andy Reid the Bobby Cox of the NFL.

If you don’t follow baseball, Cox is the longtime manager of the Atlanta Braves who is retiring after the 2010 season. Since taking over for his second stint as Braves manager midway through the 1990 season, Cox has been one of the best managers in baseball.

The Braves won 14 consecutive division titles and five NL pennants between 1991 and 2005. Six times in that span the Braves won 100 or more games, and their total under Cox is just under 1800.

Yet despite being in the playoffs every year, and quite often going deep in those playoffs, the Braves only climbed the mountain once. In five tries, only once (1995) did Chief Nokahoma’s tribe hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy.

Sound familiar?

Exactly. It’s Andy Reid—well, minus actually winning it all.

He, too, has won about 60 percent of his games and made the playoffs almost every year, yet only won one championship in five tries—except that title was only the NFC crown, not the NFL’s.

In baseball, the Braves were the National League’s Team of the 1990s. In the NFL, the Eagles are the NFC’s team of the decade.

Difference: Cox is a legend, while Reid is a much-maligned whipping boy for the media no matter what he does.

While there’s really no way to change that because he’s in Philly, there is, metaphorically, only one way to change that.

But until Donovan McNabb, Brent Celek, or someone in a green jersey with a bird on it carries the Lombardi Trophy off the field, it won’t.

Reid’s had 11 years, seven tries and five really good cracks. Relatively speaking, that’s amazing. Overall, that’s settling for being good but not great.

By extending him for three more years, Jeffrey Lurie basically told his fan base that he’s okay with that, which means that we simply have three more years of having to accept it.

Until he wins it all. Then, it will be worth it.

Maybe Reggie Brown will even be there.

Vindicated, indeed.

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Philadelphia Eagles Third-Quarter Report: Offense

Remember how in the Eagles’ second-quarter report I said that “the more things change, the more they stay the same?”

If you compare the third quarter of the Birds’ 2009 season to the same time frame a year ago, that statement actually couldn’t be more wrong.

After a 5-3 start in 2008, the Eagles almost fell apart in the first half of the second half.

Following a tough home loss to the Giants, the embarrassing tie with Cincinnati and the infamous Baltimore loss that saw Donovan McNabb benched in the second half, the Birds were 5-5-1 and almost left for dead.

But things got better once the Eagles waxed Arizona on Thanksgiving night, and that began a 4-1 stretch run that got them into the playoffs.

This season…well, a 4-1 stretch run might win them the NFC East, and handily.

The Birds’ 2009 third quarter was much more fruitful. The Eagles have fought all quarter, and have won three gutty games in a row after a tough loss to San Diego.

They stand at 8-4, and if they continue to play the way they have (and should), a return to the playoffs is imminent.

So let’s see how their very successful third quarter of the season grades out position by position.

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Why The Philadelphia Eagles Want The Cowboys To Be Week 14 Winners

Consider the headline as blasphemous as you want, but it’s the truth.

Sometimes in battle, you need a little help from your enemies to eventually win in the end. See also Chris Webber’s phantom timeout or Grady Little’s non-pull of Pedro.

For the Philadelphia Eagles, a Dallas Cowboys win this week is exactly the help they need.

With the Birds winning big over Atlanta earlier today, they moved to 8-4…so yes, a Giants win over Dallas would put both the Eagles and Cowboys at the same mark.

But the ‘Boys would still be in first place via the tiebreaker of having beaten Philly weeks ago. And besides, who cares who is in first place on December 7?

That status can come and go, but a playoff berth can’t.

See, if the Cowboys win today, they’ll be 9-3, a game ahead of the Birds. But if that happens, then the Giants and Falcons will both be 6-6, as might the 49ers. And with games against the Giants and Niners in the next two weeks, the Eagles can seize control of their playoff destiny.

Defeating a 6-6 Giants team next week would put the Birds at 9-4 with three games left. They’d have a three-game lead over the Giants and at least a two-game lead over the Falcons and Niners, with a 3-0 record against those teams.

It would basically eliminate the Giants (and possibly the Falcons, if they lose to New Orleans in Week 14). Depending on how the Niners fare against Seattle later today and Arizona next week, it could lock up the berth for sure.

Besides, the Eagles realistically only need to match Dallas between now and January 3 to have a chance at the division title.

If the Birds beat the Giants next week and head into Dallas one game behind, a victory would give them the division title on the “division record” tiebreaker; Dallas would be 4-2, Philly 5-1 in the NFC East.

Even if they don’t, they have a good shot. The next tiebreakers they’d have to use would be record in common games and then conference record.

For the first one, if you take away the division (in which they’d be tied), that means games against the AFC West and NFC South.

Philly is 4-3 in those games, and right now Dallas is 5-1. The Birds still play Denver, while the ‘Boys play New Orleans and San Diego. Given the way the season is going, it’s VERY feasible Dallas loses both of those—so if the Eagles can beat the Broncos, that tiebreaker goes bye-bye.

That brings it down to conference record, and Philly only has two to Dallas’ three. Even if they lose to the Giants or Niners, the Birds can be saved if Dallas loses to New Orleans or Washington.

Either way, you have to learn to crawl before you learn to walk, so a playoff berth should be their top priority.

And for that to be made easier, they need the home team to be on the short end of the stick in a few hours.

So for today, the Cowboys are the Eagles’ biggest allies. And hey, if they lose, it still works out in the short-term at least.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, right?

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Is Brent Celek’s Contract Extension Too Much Too Soon?

“The Philadelphia Eagles have signed Brent Celek to a six-year contract extension that will keep him in Eagle green until 2016. The extension could be worth up to $33m and contains $10.5m in guaranteed money—quite a haul for a man making the league-minimum $460,000 this season.”

When I first saw the above news on Tuesday, I was happy. In only his third NFL season, Celek has exploded onto the scene and become the weapon everyone thought he could be. Following in a long line of excellent Eagle tight ends like LJ Smith, Chad Lewis, and Keith Jackson, that’s high praise.

But then I sat on it for a couple days, and something dawned on me.

Didn’t the Eagles do this a couple years ago with a guy named Reggie Brown?

Okay, before you scratch your head, yes, I think Celek has a lot more long-term value than Brown. And even though Celek had a really bad game against the Redskins last Sunday, this has surely been in the works for a long time.

But even if it had been working since his breakout game—a six-catch, 131-yard performance against Seattle last November—isn’t one year still too small of a sample size?

Apparently, Andy Reid doesn’t think so.

Let’s hope this one works out better than last time.

After all, when Reggie Brown signed his huge contract extension in November 2006, he looked like he would become the receiver the Eagles had been looking for since the Calvin Williams/Fred Barnett era.

Three years later he’s an afterthought, one that has 21 catches in the last two seasons combined.

Maybe the emergence of Kevin Curtis and then DeSean Jackson overshadowed him…but if they were that much better, what would the Eagles have seen in Brown in the first place?

Good question. But at least Celek can avoid that pitfall.

The Eagles only carry three tight ends at most, and right now they have only Celek and Alex Smith. Sure, Cornelius Ingram is on injured reserve, but after losing two straight years to torn ACLs, no one’s sure what the Florida product will bring to the table.

So Celek doesn’t have to worry about his spot…but will his production hold up?

Yes, he performed very well last season in LJ Smith’s absence, especially in the NFC Championship Game. And yes, he’s had a very solid season—hauling in 54 balls for 601 yards and five touchdowns.

But Celek is clearly Donovan McNabb’s third option at best, even lower when everyone is healthy.

As a disclaimer, I discount last weekend; the first Redskins game was Celek’s least productive by far, so it stands to reason that would happen again. Plus, he’s rumored to have torn thumb ligaments.

What I don’t discount, however, is that Celek’s two best games of the season came with Kevin Kolb at the helm. While McNabb looks to his receivers first and foremost, Kolb had no problem throwing to No. 87 over the middle.

The result? 16 catches, 208 yards, and a TD in two games—or roughly one third of his season total.

Maybe the Eagles are banking on the fact that Kevin Kolb is their quarterback of the future, and they wanted to lock up his favorite target before Celek fully emerged and priced himself out of their range.

Or maybe I’m overreacting, and I fail to see that Brent Celek is going to join the likes of Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten, and Antonio Gates in the very near future.

I hope it’s the latter, because if Celek fails to reach the level that has to be expected of someone who just received what amounts to be a seven-year contract, the only thing anyone can say is “I told you so.”

Keep in mind that this is a man who has played all of 43 regular-season NFL games. Sure, he’s done well, but his career numbers (97 catches, 1097 yards, 7 TD) are just barely better production-wise than what Gonzalez put up last season alone.

If it still doesn’t seem like a risk to give him that much money now, just remember the other albatross that’s already on the Eagles’ roster—one that was also sculpted from being given too much too soon.

And if that’s not enough of a deterrent, perhaps you can ask the man who coached Celek in his senior year of college. That would be Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly, a.k.a. the rumored top candidate to replace Charlie Weis at Notre Dame.

You know Weis, right? He’s the guy who was given a huge contract extension after having huge early success, only to run the most storied program in NCAA football straight into the ground and get fired within five years.

Let’s hope Celek’s wings don’t get clipped just as quickly.

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Are The Philadelphia Eagles Good or Just Good Enough?

After watching the Philadelphia Eagles squeak out another fourth-quarter victory—this one over a Washington Redskins team they beat handily in October—I’ve come to the perfect conclusion on how to describe the Birds.

It’s the same way Cyndi Lauper described The Goonies : Not necessarily good, but good enough.

Now, don’t take that as me saying “the Eagles suck” or some other possibly-vulgar variant. They don’t.

They’re just not particularly “good” overall.

Yes, they do things well; Donovan McNabb has had big days, the defense looks 1985 Bears-esque at times and David Akers is on a roll.

But all that is often countered by piss-poor play calling, questionable clock management and an offense that is so inept in the red zone they might need a government bailout.  

The result? Two straight fourth-quarter comebacks needed against mediocre teams, a third falling short against an actual “good” team and a loss to the gall-darned Raiders.

So despite what their 7-4 record says, they’re not good. But they are good enough…and this season, that level of ability should be enough to guide them handily into the NFC playoffs.

Why? Because the Eagles are the epitome of a paper champion: A team that beats opponents wins the games they should (no matter how bad they may look in the process), but also loses the same way.

Case in point: Their record against teams who are under .500 is 6-1, with that lone loss being the embarrassment against the Raiders.

So what, you might say, because every good team is due a bad loss, right? Maybe, but they should also have a signature win.

Unfortunately for the Birds, right now that’s their victory over the 6-5 Giants; otherwise, the Birds’ record against teams above the middle mark is a perfect 0-3.

Sure, they almost beat Dallas and nearly toppled the Chargers. They also almost lost to the 3-8 Redskins and 4-7 Bears. But as the saying goes, “close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.”

Luckily for the Eagles, this “problem” could lead them to another double-digit win season and a playoff berth. Why? Because of their remaining five games, only one is against a team who is “better” than them—and that’s the season-ending rematch against the Cowboys.

Between now and then, the Birds play the 6-5 Falcons, 6-5 Giants, 5-6 49ers and 7-4 Broncos.

The first two (and possibly first three) are all in contention with Philly and Green Bay for the two NFC Wild Card slots. If form holds true, the Eagles should finish 3-2 or perhaps 4-1, with a defeat of either the Broncos or Cowboys giving them their “signature win” that proves the rule.

If they win the first three as they “should,” they’ll have a big enough lead and the right tiebreakers to clinch a playoff berth. I say three because even though the 49ers are 5-6, they are surging and the rest of their remaining schedule besides the Birds and a home game with Detroit.

But if they hold true to form, the Eagles won’t have to win a game against a “better” team until the playoffs.

Know where it gets even weirder? In December, the division leading Cowboys play the Giants, San Diego, New Orleans and Washington.

If the Eagles go 3-1 this month—again, something they “should” do—then the only way that season-ender with the ‘Boys isn’t for the division title is if Dallas is perfect (either in winning or losing) in December.

Given the way they’ve played lately, does anyone even in the Lone Star State think that’s a remote possibility?

New Orleans in the running for home field, but still couldn’t clinch that honor until the week they play Dallas. Oh yeah, plus they’re still undefeated as of Monday.

San Diego is firing on all cylinders and has won six in a row since a dismal 2-3 start.

As for the division games, the Giants already beat Dallas and Washington should’ve two weeks ago. Both teams are drastically different, but in the NFC East, nothing is a sure thing.

They should at least win one of those games, but all four? Not likely.

Which means that the Birds would enter the finale knowing a win over Dallas would give them a home playoff game, something they didn’t have en route to the NFC Championship Game last season.

Amazing what being just good enough can do for a team. Sure, they would have to play New Orleans or Minnesota in the Divisional round. But hey, sometimes being just good enough and having a late run can spark a team all the way to the Super Bowl…just ask the 2008 Arizona Cardinals.

Full circle, indeed.

 

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Total Team Effort Earned Philadelphia Eagles’ D an A vs Chicago Bears

I posted last week that Eagles’ defensive coordinator Sean McDermott had a chance to earn his stripes last weekend. Working with a patchwork squad, he would truly have to coach them to victory.

Consider those stripes earned…and it was a total team effort.

From sack machine Trent Cole all the way down to the twenty-fourth man, everyone on the Eagles’ defense pitched in and made it happen.

But to borrow a page from the NHL, the Eagles’ three defensive stars of the game are guys whose names you almost never hear or see in the box score.

There would be several honorable mentions, of course. Jeremiah Trotter, for instance made his first start in three years and used his much-maligned cover skills to make a great open field tackle that stalled a drive.

But the third star would go collectively to the secondary, specifically the backups. First up are Ramzee Robinson and Jack Ikegwuonu, who didn’t see much defensive PT but made contributions on special teams.  This allowed Dimitri Patterson to focus on having to be the nickel corner.

That help was invaluable, as thanks to Sheldon Brown’s nagging hamstring and a neck burner that kept Asante Samuel on the sidelines for most of the second half, Patterson became the top corner by default. He responded with four tackles and a game almost no one would’ve expected at one corner.

Nor would they have expected the game Macho Harris played. With Quintin Demps out, he was the only depth at safety besides Quentin Mikell and Sean Jones; but because Ellis Hobbs is on IR, Harris has also become the top option for kick returns.

If that wasn’t enough, he ended up spending much of the second half playing his college position of cornerback. With all that on his plate, Macho had a swell game—four tackles, one defensed pass and a 25-yard average on returns.

All in all, a good night for guys who didn’t figure to see much action this season.

The second star would go to defensive tackle Antonio Dixon, who blocked a Robbie Gould field goal early in the fourth quarter. It was the only tally Dixon registered on the stat sheet, but it was perhaps the biggest play of the game.

His block prevented Chicago from taking a 23-17 lead and gave the ball to the Birds at their own 38. Free from the pressure of absolutely having to get in the end zone, the Eagles drove and scored what would end up being the winning touchdown less than six game minutes later.

But if that wasn’t the biggest play of the game, the one made by our top star with less than a minute left.

That would be linebacker Tracy White, another special teams ace who threw a joker into Jay Cutler’s deck on Chicago’s final offensive play.

White, who was in the game in lieu of Trotter, Joe Mays or Moise Fokou because of the zone coverage scheme, did something that the Eagles have had trouble doing all season—stop the tight end.

But he did more than that. On a second-and-10 play with 52 seconds remaining, White saw something. He read the route Greg Olsen was running and met the ball a split second before it got into Olson’s arms, tipping it away.

Sean Jones came down with it, and the rest is history.

It was the second good play White had made in that short drive, the first coming when he assisted Will Witherspoon on a tackle that stopped Olson from rumbling for 20 or 30 yards over the middle.

White has all of 15 tackles and two passes defensed this year, but none of them were as huge as the pair he flopped to seal the game for the Birds.

So, yes, it was a total team effort for the Eagles, and they got the job done. With even more roster flux on the defensive side—Ikegwuonu was waived and replaced with Bengals practice squad refugee Geoffrey Pope—it’s a good thing they face another struggling offense in the Washington Redskins this Sunday.

But if last weekend is any indication, Sean McDermott will have his gang up to the task.

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Battle With The Bears Is Sean McDermott’s Chance To Earn His Stripes

You know how analysts or pundits will say that “Player X at 80 percent is better than most players at 100 percent” or something like that to tap dance around an injured player suiting up out of necessity?

The Philadelphia Eagles do, and they’re going to need to believe that on Sunday night for the sake of their defense.

And if it doesn’t hold true…the season may just be over.

Right now, the Chicago Bears are a perfect tonic for a bad defense, and an even better one for a potentially potent offense.

They have no offensive identity, Jay Cutler averages two turnovers a game and Matt Forte—who had a breakout rookie season and looked ready to emerge as an elite back—is averaging yards per game and has been fairly pedestrian in seven of nine games.

Defensively, they’re down three starters and can’t stop anyone. Since a hot 3-1 start—which included a win over the Steelers—the Bears are 1-4 (with the win against the Browns) and have given up more than 40 points twice in that span.

And yet, this is the one game where the defense is going to have to have a monster game.

But outside of the front four, it’s a big ol’ mess on Sean McDermott’s side.

At linebacker, the Eagles will most likely trot out their fifth different combination of starters this season. Moving Chris Gocong to the middle didn’t really work out, so with Akeem Jordan still out, it appears as if Joe Mays will become the fourth different man to start at the MIKE.

Gocong moves back to the SAM spot, with usual MIKE Will Witherspoon making his second straight start at the WILL. It will be a patchwork lineup, but even a decent game will be a huge step in the development of Mays, whose stock fell faster and harder than just about anyone not named Reggie Brown.

As rough as the linebacker situation may seem, it’s worse in the secondary…and if it wasn’t for that “80 percent” player, it might be disastrous.

Sheldon Brown, who suffered a hamstring injury against the Chargers, has been limited in practice but is expected to start on Sunday.

That’s a good thing, because Brown at 80 percent probably is, in fact, better than 100 percent of any other active corner on the roster who could play alongside Asante Samuel.

Unfortunately, hamstring injuries are usually nagging and all it takes is one tweak to shoot his season to pieces. That’s a bad thing, because beyond him is Dmitri Patterson—a special teams ace who himself is coming off a pair of injuries—and the recently-signed duo of Ramzee Robinson and Jack Ikegewuonu.

And that’s the strong half.

While both starting safeties, Quentin Mikell and Sean Jones, are healthy and ready to go, the return of Macho Harris will be huge.

Quintin Demps’ ankle has kept him from practicing all week and he is out for Sunday, so Harris is the only depth behind the starters. But he missed practice Wednesday with an eye infection, and while the rookie returned on Thursday, he will have to play with a visor on his helmet.

He’ll also be returning kicks in the absence of Demps and Ellis Hobbs, so if there are any flare-ups of the infection, it could mean huge trouble in paradise.

Good thing the Bears are in flux.

Sean McDermott said when he took over as defensive coordinator that it would be a smooth transition and not much would change from Jim Johnson’s regime.

Surely he meant it, but this Sunday he’s going to have to work magic with his unit that would make even Johnson proud.

If he can manipulate the smoke and mirrors and hold it together, a win over the Bears would give the Birds a huge leg up in the playoff race—especially with games still left against both the Giants and Falcons.

If not, it could mean the season.

Welcome to Chicago.

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Memo to Andy Reid: Back Up Your Words, Place Westbrook On IR

There are a lot of things someone who covers the Eagles could write about today.

In the wake of Sunday’s loss to San Diego, the Birds have dropped two straight. Andy Reid’s play-calling continues to be questionable, the defense fell apart, and they’ve now been embarrassed twice on the West Coast.

But at 5-4, they’re still tied with the Giants, Falcons, and Packers for the two NFC Wild Card spots and have seven weeks to figure it out.

In the interim, there’s something much more pressing to figure out: Brian Westbrook.

Specifically his future, as No. 36 suffered his second concussion in a month in that loss to the Chargers.

After the game, Andy Reid said that “Football right now for Brian Westbrook is not the important thing.” If that’s truly the case, there’s one giant way the Eagles brass can back up their coach’s words:

Put Westbrook on injured reserve.

Yes, I know that might sound like a hypocritical statement on a number of levels, but for both his and the Eagles’ future, it’s the right move.

The biggest con about that move, besides the fact that he’s definitely lost for the season, is that the Eagles rushing game is anemic at best without him. The Birds racked up a whopping 29 yards on the ground, almost all of it by Westbrook before he left.

That speaks as much to the fact that they were down by 19 at one point, but still; the Chargers had more than that on just their second touchdown drive alone.

But what if Westbrook sits out three, four, or five weeks? The Eagles’ season could be over by then, and one more hit to the head could end Westbrook’s career. Is that worth the gamble?

The Eagles drafted LeSean McCoy to spell Westbrook and eventually replace him…and trotting out Westbrook, who hasn’t been 100 percent healthy period in years, can only make that eventually come a lot sooner than they want.

Putting him on IR and trusting the keys to McCoy, Leonard Weaver, and maybe Eldra Buckley or PJ Hill will give them a glimpse of that; it will serve as another reminder of how valuable Westbrook really is.

Plus, there would be the side effect of opening up a roster spot to help other ailing areas. Cornerback could use some help; with Ellis Hobbs on IR, Joselio Hanson suspended, and now both Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel hurting, the only truly healthy corner on the roster is newly-signed Jack Ikegwuonu.

Quintin Demps is hurt and the offensive line still has issues, as well. That fact alone is enough to know that the running game can’t be 100 percent effective—which means it can’t be 100 percent safe, either.

If there’s one light at the end of that tunnel, though, it’s this: The Eagles beat the Giants and almost toppled the Cowboys without Westbrook.

It’s within their best interest to try to do it again this season.

Because if they don’t, and something bad happens…they might just have to do it forever.

Injured reserve would give him eight or nine months to recover from the concussions and all the nagging injuries he’s dealt with in the last couple years.

At 30, time and the NFL average dictate Brian Westbrook’s career is on the downswing. The Eagles might as well do everything they can to make his final years fruitful ones.

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