Update: Dallas predictably steamrolled hapless Tampa Bay last night, but Washington is currently taking care of business against the Giants, which would leave the window cracked for the Eagles in the NFC East. Woo? Now they need the Giants to lose to the Jets on Christmas Eve, then beat the Cowboys Week 17, while Philadelphia must win out.
Alternate headline: Eagles-Jets -- Hope You Just Love Football, or Have Fantasy Interests.
Face it. If you're still watching, you're either a hopeless optomist who believes the Birds can sneak another miracle post-season berth (or merely counting on the inevitable collapses of Tony Romo and Eli Manning), or you love the NFL. Nothing wrong with that, and since the Eagles are mathematically still in the running, you should be treated to a competitive football game against a strong New York Jets team either way you approach this afternoon.
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A breakdown of some of the key story lines after the jump.
Welcome Home?
The last time the Eagles played in front of a Lincoln Financial Field crowd, the fans started chanting "Fire Andy" in the third quarter, then flooded out the gates in the middle of a game that was not quite out of hand. Who could blame them? The Eagles have only won one game at home all season, racking up an impressive 1-5 record in Philadelphia. Home field advantage, indeed.
How or why they can't win at home is almost beyond explanation, but we're curious to see what kind of atmosphere the Linc provides today. With those slim playoff hopes still out there, there's a good chance 69,000 people will start the afternoon fully behind their Eagles.
But how quickly will they turn on their Birds? How early will the sea of humanity transform into large expanses of empty seats? After the old fashioned walkout, will some ticket holders choose to send a message and never show up at all? Lots of intrigue in the stands, as well as on the field.
News
Eagles Receivers v. Jets Secondary
Will DeSean Jackson visit Revis Island?
Back in August, we hoped the Birds' secondary would be one of the best in the league, only rivaled by the group in New York. But while Nnamdi Asomugha appears to have been vastly overrated, and Asante Samuel plays a fairly one-dimensional role, Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie are the real deal. Revis is a shutdown corner who expertly uses his body and the boundaries to disappear receivers, Cromartie a freak who can match size and athletic ability with practically any receiver in the league.
Yet as we all know, Jackson is a unique talent capable of blowing by any defensive back out there. Rarely if ever do you see any team attempt to cover him one-on-one, so even though it is Revis -- the consensus best corner in the league -- I would expect to see a scheme that provides at least some help over the top.
And on that front, the Jets lost safety Jim Leonhard for the season to injury last week, which could come as good news for the Birds. Leonhard is their best safety, the quarterback of their defense, and when he went down last year, New York's defense took a step back. We'll see if Mike Vick and the Eagles can take advantage.
Eagles Defense v. Jets Running Game
Juan Castillo's unit will have their hands full today with running back Shonn Greene, who has really turned up the noise in recent weeks.
The Eagles enter the game with the NFL's 18th ranked run defense, allowing 115 yards per game, and 4.4 yards per carry. New York's ground attack is only 22nd overall, but they are strong up front, and Greene is on a roll. After getting out to a slow start, the Iowa product is beginning to reach his potential, gaining 711 yards on 4.6 per carry, and punching in five scores over his last nine games.
With playmaking wide receivers Santonio Holmes and Plaxico Burress, and athletic tight end Dustin Keller to test them vertically, the Eagles will not easily be able to over-commit to stopping the run. That means a pair of Pro-Bowl offensive linemen -- D'Brickashaw Ferguson and and Nick Mangold -- could have multiple opportunities to tee off the Birds' beleaguered linebackers.
Meaningless Trivia
The Eagles have never lost to the Jets in eight games. That means they never will lose to the Jets, right?