Eagles prepare for Christmas showdown

Football Betting Lines

12/20/2006 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time Philadelphia and Dallas met on a holiday was almost 20 years ago, on Thanksgiving.

The Eagles were donning their popular Kelly green uniforms on November 23, 1989, and smacked the Cowboys around to the tune of a 27-0 beating at Texas Stadium.

Even the network's introduction displayed clips of the bitter history between the division rivals as Ugly Kid Joe's "Everything About You" played in the background. Eagles defensive tackle Mike Pitts was ejected for brawling in the end zone that day, setting the tone for his teammates.

Philadelphia's play certainly ticked off Dallas head coach Jimmy Johnson, who vehemently vented his frustrations after he thought Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan put a bounty on quarterback Troy Aikman and kicker Luis Zendejas.

"I have absolutely no respect for the way they played the game," Johnson said. "I would have said something to (Eagles head coach) Buddy (Ryan), but he wouldn't stand on the field long enough. He put his big, fat rear end into the dressing room."

I can assure you words like that will not be coming from either head coach on Monday. But that doesn't mean the players will necessarily be professional in their between-plays interaction. These two teams hate each other, and the fact that the Eagles will again be squaring off against former teammate Terrell Owens only ratchets up the intensity.

In the first matchup between the rivals, on October 8 at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles spoiled Owens' return to Philadelphia with a 38-24 victory. Owens had just three catches for 45 yards that day, while Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard sealed the win with a 102-yard interception return for a touchdown with 16 seconds left.

Now it's Round II, and both teams are coming off big wins.

Philadelphia posted its third straight victory with quarterback Jeff Garcia at the helm this past Sunday, posting a 36-22 triumph over the division-rival New York Giants on the road. The victory gave the Eagles an 8-6 record and moved them a game behind Dallas in the NFC East standings. Philadelphia will play its third straight division game on the road on Monday at Dallas, which defeated Atlanta on Saturday and clinched a playoff berth.

The Eagles have been the hottest team in the NFC playoff hunt, and owe it all to Garcia, who has quieted the critics with a 3-1 record as a starter. Against the Giants, he spread the ball around to eight different receivers and finished with 237 yards and a touchdown on 19-of-28 passing. After his interception led to a 22-21 New York lead, the 36-year-old Garcia orchestrated an eight-play, 80-yard drive culminated by his 19-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Brown.

"It has been a lot of fun," Garcia said. "A year ago I really was not thinking that this could happen for me."

The Eagles are one win from a playoff berth and two wins shy of clinching their fifth NFC East title in six years. A win over Dallas would put the Eagles back in the driver's seat in the division.

Garcia, though, is not the only bright spot on Philly's offense right now. Running back Brian Westbrook takes a load off Garcia's shoulders with what he brings to the field on gameday. Westbrook ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns and caught five balls for 40 more yards at Giants Stadium, becoming the first running back in Eagles' history to rush for 1,000 yards and have 600 yards receiving in the same season.

Westbrook, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing for the first time in his career, scored from a yard out on fourth-down early in the game, and later busted through the Giants' defensive line for a 28-yard touchdown run. He has rushed for 479 yards and three touchdowns in the past five games, with an additional 226 receiving yards.

In the first meeting against Dallas, Westbrook ran for 33 yards and a touchdown and hauled in five passes from McNabb for an additional 53 yards. Head coach Andy Reid will certainly feed Westbrook the ball on Christmas Day, with backup Correll Buckhalter getting some carries as well. Buckhalter had 48 yards and a touchdown in last week's win.

B-DAWK COMES THROUGH AGAIN

Like fine wine, Eagles safety Brian Dawkins seemingly gets better with age. Dawkins put forth another solid effort on Sunday against New York and posted 12 total tackles, an interception and two forced fumbles.

Dawkins is an emotional leader on Philly's defense, and it shows with his energy and fire on the field. During the Eagles' three-game winning streak, Dawkins has amassed 33 tackles, two interceptions and a sack in victories over Carolina, Washington and the Giants.

After straining a calf muscle in pre-game workouts at Giants Stadium, Dawkins headed back to the locker room before becoming the defense's vocal leader for 60 minutes.

"I look forward to this," Dawkins said. "I'm having a ball. Having to make plays or standing up in these times, I'm happy that I'm making those plays. I'm blessed to play this game, and I do what I do on that field because of that."

Before the season, many questions surfaced in regard to whether Dawkins has lost a step in the secondary. After 15 weeks of football, Dawkins is still making plays and continues to stamp a big NO on the loss of his speed.

UP NEXT: T.O. UNDER THE MISTLETOE

Eagles fans hope to have something other than chestnuts roasting on an open fire this Christmas day. But before anything like that can happen, the Eagles' defensive backfield must make sure Owens doesn't roast them.

Owens didn't have the type of return to Philadelphia he wanted in October, so now he gets another chance with the Dallas faithful in his corner. Owens is having a fine season, but so are Philadelphia corners Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown. Add in Brian Dawkins and Sean Considine, and the Eagles are in good shape defending the pass.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will get a first-hand glimpse of the Philadelphia/Dallas rivalry which dates back decades. Dallas head coach Bill Parcells will try to pound the run before he unleashes Romo and the aerial assault, even though the Eagles handled the run against the Giants last week. After shutting down Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs, the Eagles have another dynamic duo to stop in Julius Jones and Marion Barber this week.

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MySportsbook.com: NFL draft - The NFC South


In part two of MySportsbook.com’s draft preview, we’ll take a look at a division that was extremely disappointing last season: the NFC South.  Many “experts” predicted the Panthers to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, of course they could not even make the playoffs in an extremely weak NFC.  The Saints definitely made up for the disappointing seasons of their NFC South brethren by exploding out of no where en route to the NFC Championship game.  For the avid NFL gambler, it is imperative to pay attention to the NFL draft.  Although free agency gets a ton of publicity, the successful franchises build their teams around the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints
Who would have thought this time last year that the Saints would be the favorites to win the NFC South for the 2007 campaign?  New Orleans is loaded with firepower on the offensive side of the ball but with the exodus of Joe Horn they will most likely look to draft a WR on Day 1.  Despite having the NFL’s 3rd ranked pass defense last season, the Saints will most likely upgrade their CB’s with one of their first two picks. Other possibilities for the Saints will be TE and DT.  Because of where they will be selecting (27th), the Saints could go the “best available player” route which could net a LB.

Key additions: Eric Johnson TE, Troy Evans LB, David Patten WR
Key loses: Joe Horn WR,
Team needs: CB, WR, TE, LB, DT
Possible draftees: Aaron Ross CB Texas, Darrelle Revis CB Pitt, Ted Ginn Jr. WR OSU, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Chris Houston CB Arkansas, Greg Olsen TE Miami

2. Carolina Panthers
Carolina was one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season.  With the signing of David Carr, expect the very first quarterback controversy to come out of Carolina if Jake Delhomme doesn’t rebound quickly from an average 2007 season. With veteran safety Mike Minter getting up there in age, they will look to draft a safety on Day 1 but probably not in the first round.  LB is another need with the loss of Chris Draft to go along with Dan Morgan’s concussion problems.  If TE Greg Olsen is still on the board, he might be too good to pass up despite their needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Key additions: David Carr QB
Key loses: Chris Draft LB
Team needs: LB, TE, S, OT
Possible draftees: Greg Olsen TE Miami, Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss, Paul Posluszny LB PSU, Levi Brown OT PSU

3. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were another NFC South team to have a disappointing 2007 season.  The Falcons have been plenty busy during the off season with plenty of players coming and going including a new head coach.  The Falcons were able to improve their draft position with the trade of coveted backup QB Matt Schaub.  High on the list of Day 1 needs will be a defensive end to replace Patrick Kerney and a hard hitting safety since Lawyer Milloy is nearing the end of his career.  With an additional 2nd round pick, the Falcons could attempt to trade up to acquire local product WR Calvin Johnson. 

Key additions: Joey Harrington QB, Toniu Fonoti OG, Joe Horn WR
Key loses: Justin Griffen RB, Patrick Kerney DE, Matt Lehr OG, Ashley Lelie WR, Matt Schaub QB
Team needs: DE, S, OT, WR, DT
Possible draftees: LaRon Landry S LSU, Amobi Okoye DT Louisville, Levi Brown OT PSU, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas, Alan Branch DT Michigan

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Age really caught up to the Bucs last season.  The Bucs still have plenty of household names on defense in Ronde Barber, Simeon Rice and Derrick Brooks but the one thing those three have in common is unfortunately age.  It is imperative for the Bucs to get much younger, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Despite having bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball, WR Calvin Johnson is the most likely pick if he is still available when the Bucs pick at the four spot.  This would suit Bucs’ faithful just fine as Johnson is widely considered the top talent in the draft and it is a position of need for the Bucs.

Key additions: Jeff Garcia QB, Kevin Carter DE, Torrie Cox CB, Cato June LB
Key loses: Dewayne White DE, Sean Mahan OG
Team needs: WR, LB, DE, CB (Youth on defense!)
Possible draftees: Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech, Gains Adams DE Clemson, Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas

It is never too early to start betting on the NFL. Log on to MySportsbook.com to checkout all of the NFL futures for the upcoming season.  On the clock: the NFC North

Odds to win the NFC South:
New Orleans Saints 8-5
Carolina Panthers 2-1
Atlanta Falcons 12-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-2    

Odds to win the NFC:
New Orleans Saints 13-2
Carolina Panthers 7-1
Atlanta Falcons 20-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-1

Odds to win the Super Bowl:
New Orleans Saints 18-1
Carolina Panthers 20-1
Atlanta Falcons 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75-1

To visit this sportsbook get to MySportsbook.com for all your online sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.