Stayin Alive

Last night, the Eagles took care of business. They easily dispatched the Cleveland Browns, winning 30-10, but it was not a dominant performance. It just looked that way because they were playing the Browns.

They had two interceptions in the red zone, one by Donovan McNabb and the other by DeSean Jackson. Asante Samuel nearly threw away a touchdown, ala Jackson vs the Cowboys in week 2. So it wasn't the cleaniest performance, but after what we saw vs the Bengals earlier in the year, the fact the Eagles came out and beat an inferior opponent is a good sign to the growth this team is showing.

Now, with 2 weeks to go, the playoff picture is becoming more clear. The Eagles stand at 8-5-1, trailing Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and Dallas by 1 game. If the Eagles win out, and the Falcons or Bucs loose 1 game, that means the Eagles will be in the playoffs.

The Falcons face the Vikings this week, who demolished the Cardinals behind 4 touchdown passes from Tavaris Jackson this past weekend. The game is in Minnesota, which helps the Vikings. They are 5-1 at home, and the Falcons are a subpar 3-4 on the road. If the Falcons don't lose this game, they are virtually guarenteed a playoff spot, with a game vs the Rams the following week.

The Bucs lost to the Falcons this weekend, and have a visit from San Diego this weekend. The Chargers stand at 6-8, but are still alive for the playoffs. They have everything to play for this week. The Chargers have been competitive all year long, with close loses to the Steelers, Colts and Falcons. They are much better then there record indicates. The Bucs have lost two in a row, so they need to get back on track. They have gone from a lock to go to the playoffs to a team that might be left out. If they win this game, they face the Raiders the last game of the season, so they would be almost a lock then.

For the Cowboys, it is simple: beat the Eagles, and they are in. However, they have a huge road block in the way, with the Baltimore Ravens coming into town this weekend. The Ravens are going to be hungry after a crushing, controversial lost to the Steelers this past weekend.

Of course, this all hinges upon the Ealges winning this weekend in DC. So while everybody looks to the week 17 matchup vs the Cowboys as the decider, the Eagles will know alot more about their playoff chances this coming up weekend.