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Forget about those two hideous losses that opened Lincoln Financial Field, the quarterback's early-season slump, the ESPN commentator's silly remarks, and the incredible nine-game winning streak that tied a franchise record.
All that matters now is tonight.
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If the Eagles beat the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field to finish their season, the dream of a Super Bowl will remain a distinct possibility.
Lose and the road to Houston could be filled with more potholes than a city
street after a long bout with winter.
"This is an opportunity for us to get a bye week, get us in a better position
in the playoffs, and win the [NFC] East," quarterback Donovan McNabb said.
"There's a lot of importance to this game for us. From now on, there's
nothing but big games ahead for us."
All sorts of playoff scenarios still exist for the Eagles. All they know for
sure is that if they win, they are guaranteed a third straight NFC East title,
a first-round bye in the playoffs, and at least one game on their home field.
If they win and the Detroit Lions beat the St. Louis Rams tomorrow, the Eagles
will have the home-field advantage over the entire NFC. An Eagles victory prevents
the Rams from having two straight weeks to rest their starters before beginning
the playoffs.
Should the Eagles lose, they will become fans of the New Orleans Saints, who
play host to the Dallas Cowboys tomorrow at the Superdome. An Eagles loss followed
by a Cowboys loss would still leave the Eagles as the second seed. An Eagles
loss followed by a Cowboys win would give Dallas its first NFC East title since
1998 and make the Birds the fifth seed in the NFC.
Though Carolina can finish 11-5 with a win over the New York Giants tomorrow,
the Panthers cannot be higher than a third seed because they lost to both the
Eagles and Cowboys.
"This is why you play," McNabb said. "You come to Washington...
and they're trying to end their season on a good note. We're trying to end our
regular season on a good note and also play for a bye week. It's going to be
a challenge for us. We have to attack it as a playoff atmosphere and continue
to go out and make big plays."
This, of course, isn't the playoffs for the Eagles. Win or lose, they will play
again.
History, however, tells us that the outcome of this game could determine how
long the Eagles remain in the playoffs and how good a chance they have to advance
to the Super Bowl.
If the Eagles lose, they will have finished their season with consecutive defeats.
Only one team in the history of the NFL - the 1967 Green Bay Packers - has won
the Super Bowl after losing its final two regular-season games.
Only one other team - the 1972 Washington Redskins - even made it to the Super
Bowl after losing its final two games. The Redskins, who lost to the Miami Dolphins
team that went 17-0, had nothing to play for in their final two games because
they had already clinched home-field advantage.
Should the Eagles fall to the fifth seed in the NFC, they would likely find
themselves playing at either Minnesota or Green Bay on wild-card weekend.
Only seven wild-card teams have advanced to the Super Bowl and only three -
the 1980 Oakland Raiders, the 1997 Denver Broncos and the 2000 Baltimore Ravens
- have won the championship.
As a wild card, the Eagles would likely have to win three games on the road
to reach the Super Bowl. The 1985 New England Patriots are the only team to
achieve that daunting task.
So even though tonight's game doesn't have "win-or-go-home" consequences
for the Eagles, it is still the most important game they will play in the regular
season.
"A big game is when a lot of situations are on the line," McNabb said.
"The season is Saturday."
The Eagles are playing tonight for a realistic chance to reach the Super Bowl.