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| Andrew Perna. 24th November, 2010 - 12:54 am
 The Philadelphia Eagles (7-3) cemented their place amongst the NFC?s top teams with a gritty win over the New York Giants on Sunday night. They didn?t need six touchdowns from Michael Vick to win this one and whether it is Football Outsiders or simply the talking heads, the Eagles are now the team du jour in the conference, if not the entire NFL.
Confidence and momentum change drastically, however, and a loss here or an injury there could certainly derail Philadelphia?s current surge. Still, the question remains: the Eagles are a very good team, but can they be great and perhaps do what they couldn?t during Donovan McNabb?s lengthy tenure?
The Deciding Six
The Eagles have a one-game lead over the Giants in the NFC East with six games left. More so than usual, when the division has sent multiple teams to the postseason, winning the NFC East and earning its automatic berth is vital.
There are five other teams in the NFC with records of 7-3 or better and three clubs within two games of the Eagles with plenty of time to make a charge. In many ways, Philadelphia will be able to control their own destiny, with games left against the Bears (Sunday) and the Giants (Dec. 19).
In addition to those contests, they?ll face the Texans, Vikings and Cowboys (twice). Of course, running the table would be nice, but in reality a target of four wins (including one over New York) would be good enough to win the NFC East.
Sunday?s game against Chicago is huge as well. The two teams share the same record and if New York were to surpass Philadelphia they?d be in a dogfight with the Bears (and others) for one of two Wild Card spots.
The Real McCoy
Vick has garnered almost all of the attention surrounding Philadelphia?s success, but second-year running back LeSean McCoy will perhaps have the most important role in the team?s offense down the stretch.
McCoy had his second 100-yard game of the season on Sunday night against the Giants and he?s been more productive with Vick behind center than former starter Kevin Kolb. In Kolb?s four starts, McCoy is averaging 59.8 yards per game, 3.9 yards per carry and has two rushing touchdowns. In Vick?s six starts, McCoy has posted 81.2 yards per game, 5.8 yards per attempt and has scored four rushing touchdowns.
Admittedly, he hasn?t been as big a part of the passing game with Vick as Kolb. He?s averaging 42 receiving yards per game and 8.4 yards per reception with Kolb, but just 35.6 yards per game and 6.9 yards per receptions and a touchdown with Vick as the starter.
It?s his rushing, and not just because he?s a running back, that matters most. The Eagles like to run a few screen plays for McCoy each game, but the Eagles have plenty of targets in the passing game and not a whole lot behind McCoy in the backfield (aside from Jerome Harrison).
McCoy will have his plate full over the next six weeks with the rushing defenses of Chicago (second), New York (fourth) and Minnesota (seventh) on the horizon.
The Other Side
There has been a ton of talk about the Eagles? offense, but their defense has been the deciding factor on many occasions. Philadelphia is allowing 313.3 yards per game (ninth), but 22.6 points per game (tied for 19th). In the coming weeks expect those two numbers to converge. Either the Eagles will start giving up more total yards, or they?ll start doing a better job of limiting teams to field goals and forcing turnovers in the red zone.
They?ve been better against the run than the pass, which should be expected given all the injuries they have endured in their secondary. The loss of Ellis Hobbs (neck) isn?t going to help them any in November and December.
Starting linebacker Stewart Bradley is finally rounding back into form after losing the entire 2009 season to injury and his interception of Eli Manning near the end of Sunday?s game showcases just how much he?s come along physically since last year?s training camp injury.
Philadelphia greatly missed Bradley?s physicality and leadership in 2009 and after a scare in Week 1 (concussion), he appears to have finally be completely healthy.
Hit Or Miss
Even throwing aside last Monday?s thrashing of the Washington Redskins, the Eagles have featured an offense that has been both explosive and unpredictable. They have the second-highest scoring offense in the NFL (28.4, behind only New England?s 28.9 points per game), but all too often their touchdowns have come on a single huge play.
Their last two games are a perfect example.
Against Washington, they had three lengthy touchdowns (48, 50 and 88 yards) among their seven offensive scores. On Sunday night, they got a 50-yard scoring run from McCoy on a fourth and short, but where otherwise limited to a four-yard dash by Vick. While it?s true New York?s defense is far better than Washington?s, a deep playoff run will be much harder if they are hoping to catch lightning on the field rather than sustaining lengthy drives.
Speaking of scoring drives, the Eagles could very well have put the Giants away in the second quarter had they capitalized on New York?s miscues. Instead, they settled for three field goals from David Akers and saw one get blocked near the end of the first half. Vick?s receivers, namely Jason Avant, who dropped a touchdown pass that my nephew could have caught, deserve most of the blame for that.
The Future
The Eagles appear primed for a playoff run and have the talent to represent the NFC in Dallas in early February, but baring a few extension agreements this coming offseason will be a significant one in Philadelphia.
McNabb was traded to the Redskins on Easter of this year and in the spring of 2011 the quarterback position will be decided once again. Vick will be a free agent and his play (although I?d contend he?s being inflated a bit too much) has increased his value significantly.
It would be smart for the Eagles to retain Vick, even if it?s with their franchise tag, as they could use him as a trade chip early in the 2011 season if Kolb begins to eclipse him on the depth chart. The relationship between the two, which people around the team insist is a great one, makes a two-headed quarterback for another season both possible and even advantageous.
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. You can also follow Andrew on Twitter: APerna7.
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