The Show.

The Eagles offense is notoriously dangerous, finishing the season second in the league in total offense, averaging 390 yards a game. Michael Vick has added a completely new element to the offense that makes it much more dynamic and much tougher to defend. Where the Packers are dangerous is their passing game - they average nearly 260 yards a game in the air, which is good for fifth in the NFL.
The danger of the Eagles offense is evident but their defense is quite the contrary. Only 10 teams gave up more points than the Eagles this season - 30 teams gave up more than the Packers. On paper The Packers are a more complete team so it'll be a question of whether the Eagles offense can make up for their defensive struggles - to do so, they're going to have to put up a lot of points. And although well-rounded, the Packers have a weak running game. Running back Brandon Jackson only has 3 touchdowns this year in 16 games played, so the Packers are certainly going to look to do damage through their passing game. The Eagles defense knows - Dimitri Patterson in particular - that they'll have to withstand the attacks of a pass-heavy offense. Knowing that Asante Samuel is a big time corner, especially come playoff time, the Packers will likely target Patterson and try to exploit him as much as possible.

All that being said, perhaps the most significant aspect of this game for Eagles fans is the fact that it's our first McNabb-less playoff game in 10 years. McNabb's likability got low towards the end of his stint in Philadelphia because he became known as the quarterback who couldn't quite get it done in the playoffs. He led Philadelphia to five conference championships games, winning only one. It was frustrating because he was good enough to get the Eagles into the playoffs on a consistent basis, but he wasn't able to get Eagles fans what they really wanted. Of course, you can't blame such losses on a single player, but the cornerstone of a successful playoff team is the quarterback. At this point, as for most of this season, Philadelphia has been ecstatic about Michael Vick. It's safe to say that the expectations for this team, as well as Michael Vick, at the beginning of the season were low. Yet here we sit at 10-6 preparing for the playoffs. The thing to watch for now will be whether Philadelphia fans will experience more of the "oh-so-close" result we've been subjected to and become accustomed to over past decade, or if we'll finally break through the barrier between almost winning and winning. We may not know the answer to this question for years to come, but Sunday we'll have an idea as to whether Michael Vick - the supposed savior of our team - will be able to do what Donovan never could.

To quickly review this week: the Eagles beat the Cowboys, the Phillies signed Cliff Lee, the Flyers beat the Penguins and the Sixers won more than one game. All in one week!!! If gods of the sporting world exist, they really like Philly right now, for whatever reason. Philly fans need to recognize how significant this is and understand that Philly is one of the few premier sports towns in the whole country right now, along with Boston and maybe Chicago. When you have three out of four teams that are legitimate contenders it's extremely special because these times don't come around often. It's inevitable that this time will eventually pass, so savoring it is important.

Of course having good teams is always exciting, but Philly fans are bred to ask for more, and if you're like me you'd rather have one good team in your city win a championship than have three good teams that don't quite get it done. But I think Philly fans should be as hopeful as ever right now in the potential our teams have in winning us a championship. We saw the Flyers come extremely close to winning a Stanley Cup last year, and this year they look even better. The Phillies had a disappointing end to a great season but with the great offseason they've had they have our hopes up for another World Series title. The Eagles have proven that they're one of, if not the, team to beat in the NFC, which is extremely exciting for fans considering the expectations for this team weren't nearly that high at the beginning of the year. Philly fans love good teams, but they love championship teams more. I have confidence that at least one of these teams can get a parade back to Broad Street within the next three years. We had one in '08 but having more than one within a five year span would be amazing for the city and its fans.

So for the Philly fans out there, stay hopeful but also remember that what this city has right now is pretty special, and not many places can relate.

After replacing an injured Kevin Kolb in Week 1 and showing that he can do some damage, Vick got the nod for the Eagles' week 2 matchup against the Detroit Lions. A lot of speculation was buzzing about what was to become of Vick's career, but after his performance in week 2 one thing is clear: Michael Vick is still capable of being a legitimate starting quarterback in the NFL.

Some people may be unwilling to accept this apparent reality because of who he was, but there seems to be a new side of Michael Vick, and this new side makes him someone to root for. To put this idea in perspective a bit, think about this: Vick was possibly the most hated person in all of sports. People wanted him to suffer. He was arrested, and after having everything he ever earned stripped from him (and rightfully so) he was forced to start from scratch and prove himself once again. The Eagles, who were the only team willing to give him another chance, put him under the wing of Donovan McNabb for a year, in which he played well during limited action. The Eagles then parted ways with Donovan, and with McNabb gone, the Eagles decided to overlook Vick as a starter and give the job to Kevin Kolb, which was understandable considering Vick was still unproven since his return to the NFL. Fast forward to week 1 of the season where Michael Vick was thrown into the fire after Kolb went down with a concussion, and Vick's performance in that game surprised just about everyone. Come week 2, all eyes turned to Vick. All these things considered, that's a lot of adversity to overcome. This is the side of Michael Vick that I like. He started over, took the one chance he was given and he's now making the best of it. Does this excuse his actions that got him arrested and put him out of football? Of course not. But it does, however, warrant a second look at the man no one wanted to look at - the man that everyone thought was better off suffering. I'm not saying I didn't want Vick to suffer, but I am realizing that I have a new respect for Vick as a player and a person. I can't imagine it'd be easy to come back after all he's been through, and it takes a strong football player and a strong person to do what he's been able to do since returning. And with the pressure continually mounting and the questions perpetually swirling - Can he start as a quarterback? Is he as good as the Michael Vick of old? Could the Eagles have a difficult decision to make about who their starting quarterback is going to be? Should he even be given a second chance? - he has responded. In his week 2 start he had 284 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions while also helping the Eagles get their first win of the season.

So now in Philadelphia a decision will have to be made regarding their starting quarterback situation, but perhaps more surprising than what the answer to this question might be is the fact that the question is even being asked - the fact that Michael Vick is being considered as a starting quarterback. When he was arrested, who thought he'd make it here?

Nothing he ever does on the football field will excuse certain actions he took off the field, but what his actions on the field can do is restore some faith in those who gave up on him as a person and a football player, because what he's doing wouldn't be easy for anyone.