Eagles not distracted by legendary trophy

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It was kind of hard not to be caught up in the moment Wednesday morning, what with the striking Halas Trophy on display at the NovaCare Complex.

The Halas Trophy, named after legendary Chicago Bears founder and head coach and Navy war hero George Halas, is awarded annually to the NFC champion.

The Eagles are one home win from receiving that trophy and advancing to the Super Bowl, and on Wednesday, with the trophy resting on a table alongside Eagles and Vikings helmets, much of the focus of the NFL world was on the Eagles.

And a few feet from that trophy, Doug Pederson spoke about how this is just another week.

It's not, of course.

But his goal is to convince his players it is. No matter how much hype, no matter how much media, no matter how much attention.

"I think you just have to continue doing what you're doing," Pederson said. "The guys are going to prepare themselves the way they have all season long. It's obviously a great opportunity, a great honor faced in front of us, and we just attack each day the same."

The Eagles have done a remarkable job staying focused this year and really the last two years under Pederson.

This team has lost just twice this season when playing its starters — at Kansas City in September and at Seattle the first week of December — and has stared down every challenge that's come its way.

On 6:40 p.m. Sunday at the Linc, the Eagles face the Vikings with a berth in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis at stake.

"You've just got to stay grounded [and] in the moment," Pederson said. "You have to block out the clutter, block out the noise and focus on today. Focus on Wednesday and get yourself prepared like it's any other Wednesday."

Out in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where the Vikings practice, coach Mike Zimmer may have a tougher task than Pederson getting his team to focus after its wild last-second win over the Saints.

Plus, the Vikings essentially have two fewer days to prepare for Sunday, since they played this past Sunday and they also have to travel one day.

Zimmer told reporters in Philadelphia Wednesday morning that once the Vikings took a look at the Eagles, they were able to move past the Saints game and focus on the task at hand.

"I think they watched the film of the Eagles and I think it gets them focused pretty quick," he said.

"That game was Sunday, today is Wednesday. We're over that. We've got a big task in front of us. This is a heck of an Eagles team, outstanding defense, top in the league in red-zone touchdown percentage.

"I can go on and on about this team. I think they understand the task that we have at hand and the opportunity that we may have as well."

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