Eagles are huge favorites, but refuse to overlook Packers

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Eagles are huge favorites, but refuse to overlook Packers
Bob Grotz , Journal Register News Service

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles are worried about one thing, and only one thing tonight when they take on the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field

That one is '4.'

Quarterback Brett Favre, No. 4 in your program, just happened to remember how much he loved football last week in sparking the Packers to a 31-24 road victory over the Detroit Lions.

Though that technically was a battle of win-less, going nowhere teams, the way the 36-year-old future Hall of Fame flame-thrower went about his business proved the pilot light still is burning.

"He's playing," Andy Reid remarked, "like he's a kid again."

The Eagles (2-1) nonetheless are overwhelming favorites to hand the Packers (1-2) their fifth straight loss in the series.

The Eagles have beaten the Packers (1-2) in every conceivable way in their last four meetings. There was the last minute Eagles comeback in Green Bay in 2003 and the fourth-and-26 success in the playoffs. The most humbling defeat came last November when Mike McMahon - subsequently released - beat Favre head-to-head at the Linc. Small wonder Favre seriously considered retirement.

"At that position, if you know you still have the skill level and things just aren't quite right around you, then that makes it even tougher," said Reid, who coached Favre during one of three MVP seasons in Green Bay. "You're relying on other people to protect you and then to catch the football. He always had the skill level. It was just a matter of them getting the people around him and it looks like they've done that. I think he is having fun again."

The Eagles and quarterback Donovan McNabb clearly are having fun again. Entering the weekend, they ranked second in the NFL in points, averaging 28.6 per game. With 16 sacks, the Birds were tied for the league lead.

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook has shown he can flourish with limited practice due to a sore knee, as he led the league with five touchdowns through three games and ranked among the statistical leaders in most categories.

The only thing the Eagles haven't done well is protect double-digit leads. By their standards, there's been far too much drama the past couple of weeks as they blew a 17-point bulge in losing to the Giants and most recently frittered away a chunk of a 28-point lead before outlasting the 49ers on the road.

"It's early in the season," said McNabb. "It's something that we've been focusing in on. We try to, each game, go out and play fast and finish strong.

"We haven't played our best game yet. The exciting thing about it is the things we've been able to do in previous games - making plays, making big plays, big runs - if we can continue that, hopefully things will take care of themselves."

The Eagles are counting on Westbrook and wide receiver Donté Stallworth (strained hamstring) to play against a porous Packers defense that ranked next-to-last in pass and overall defense through three weeks, and a whopping 28 points per start.

The Packers have little choice but to ride the arm of Favre, for their offensive line features two rookie starters and running back Ahman Green is nursing a strained hamstring.

Wide receivers Donald Driver and Greg Jennings, a rookie out of Western Michigan, have combined for 28 receptions with three touchdowns and a yards-per-catch average of 15.8 yards.

"I will take Green Bay's skills players and put them up against anybody's going off what I've seen on film," Eagles linebacker Shawn Barber said. "I don't know if I could name a better group of skills players. They're moving the ball on everybody. But they've had some turnovers. Fumbles and loose balls have kind of hurt them. We have to be aware of their skill players at all times. And Favre has the hair trigger, he's going to get rid of the ball quickly."

Eagles middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter hinted that the Eagles could make Favre's gunslinger ways work against him. Favre threw for 20 touchdowns the hard way last year, as he was picked off 29 times, the most in his 16-year career.

"He's a guy that can go out and put 400 yards and four touchdowns on you," Trotter said. "He's a guy with a lot of confidence - and sometimes that confidence can be his enemy."

The Eagles are counting on the pass rush fueled by Trent Cole (5 sacks) to blow up Favre, for they are hurting at cornerback. Starters Lito Sheppard (ankle sprain) and Rod Hood (heel strain) were doubtful on the injury report. Safety Brian Dawkins is coming off a concussion.

The Eagles also have concerns on special teams as kicker David Akers has missed half of his last four field goal attempts and the Packers have a certified kickoff returner in the newly added Koren Robinson (22.4-yard average), who also plays in multiple receiver sets. Charles Woodson, the Heisman Trophy winner at Michigan, is the punt returner.

"When you watch Robinson, he has had a couple of really good returns," Eagles special teams coach John Harbaugh said. "He has kind of created the return. He's made a bunch of people miss. He's a former Pro-Bowler. He is super dangerous.

"Charles Woodson, Michigan guy, he and my brother (Jim) used to have a golf tournament all the time so I know him pretty well. He's always going to be dangerous. He's elusive, always looking for the big play."

The bottom line is the Eagles don't want to think too much about the betting line - they're 11 1-2 point favorites.

"The line is the line. I don't hang too much on lines," Barber said. "I know by watching film they've got some guys that make plays. I look at this as a game that's going to come down to the end. It's going to come down who makes the most plays and the least amount of mistakes."