Four games in, Eagles already in tough spot

Published: Oct 09, 2007 at 09:18 AM

PHILADELPHIA -- While the Eagles rested, the rest of the division won. Another NFC East title won't come easy for Philadelphia.

Buried in last place following a poor start, the Eagles (1-3) could win their last 12 games and still not catch Dallas (5-0). Before they start thinking wild card, they need to get a win. Then another just to get to .500.

The Eagles had last week off following their 16-3 loss to the New York Giants. The Redskins, 3-1, and the Giants, 3-2, won on Sunday, and the Cowboys stayed unbeaten with a comeback win at Buffalo on Monday night.

So, with a quarter of their season finished, the Eagles are in an unfamiliar position. Having won five division championships in the past six years, they're not used to chasing teams.

"We don't care about anybody else," running back Brian Westbrook said. "Our goal is to win games. Anything else is unacceptable around here. We can win however many games we have left and it'll be a great season; a slow start, but a great season."

Players are confident they can get back on the winning track. This isn't a young team in a rebuilding mode. The Eagles were considered Super Bowl contenders in the preseason, but haven't lived up to expectations for several reasons.

Poor coaching decisions, a lackluster offense and injuries plagued Philly in September. The key to turning things around could be as simple as getting some of those injured starters healthy.

Westbrook, left tackle William Thomas, All-Pro safety Brian Dawkins, Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard and tight end L.J. Smith didn't play against the Giants. Left guard Todd Herremans had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last week.

Their status for Sunday's game at the New York Jets won't be known until later this week, though a few, including Westbrook, participated in a light practice Monday.

"We need to get all our weapons out there and start playing at a high level," Smith said.

The Eagles aren't the only underachievers in the NFL. Half the teams that went to the playoffs last year have losing records this season, three in each conference. New Orleans (0-4) and Chicago (2-3) are struggling after playing in the NFC championship game last January. The Jets (1-4), San Diego (2-3) and Kansas City (2-3) hardly look like postseason contenders in the AFC.

"Some good teams are not playing good football right now," Westbrook said. "The really good teams will come back from a slow start and make it up. That's what our plan is. After the bye, it's our second start to the season and that's our goal to play good football."

The odds certainly favor Philadelphia this week. Under coach Andy Reid, the Eagles are 8-0 in games following a bye.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.