Game day has arrived once again as the Eagles travel to Oakland to face the Raiders.

As usual, we kick off the day with our staff predictions and key matchups. Les Bowen will join the fray from the Oakland Coliseum and then we will have postgame coverage into the night here on Eagletarian.

STAFF PREDICTIONS

Les Bowen: Eagles, 30-9 (More on Les' pick, by clicking here)

Ed Barkowitz: Eagles, 27-6

Bill Conlin: Eagles, 27-10

Paul Domowitch: Eagles, 31-9

Marcus Hayes: Eagles, 35-20

John Smallwood: Eagles, 31-13

Vegas Vic: Eagles, 35-10 (To read Vic's full Week 6 selections, click here)

DOMO'S KEY MATCHUPS

1. Eagles WR DeSean Jackson vs. Raiders RCB Nnamdi Asomugha: Asomugha is a shutdown corner whom teams generally throw away from. Jackson already has two 100-yard receiving games. Advantage: Raiders

2. Eagles RDE Trent Cole vs. Raiders LT Mario Henderson: Henderson is an athletic left tackle who will have his hands full against the high-motor Cole, who has a team-high 3 1/2 sacks. Advantage: Eagles

3. Eagles TE Brent Celek vs. SLB Jon Alston: Celek leads the Eagles in receptions. Alston is an undersized SAM who could have problems with the much-stronger Celek. Advantage: Eagles
 

To read the complete scouting report, clickhere

DOMO'S RANKINGS

1. Giants 5-0

2. Vikings 5-0

3. Colts 5-0

4. Saints 4-0

5. Eagles 3-1

6. Falcons 3-1

7. Broncos 5-0

8. Patriots 3-2

9. Steelers 3-2

10. Bengals 4-1

11. Ravens 3-2

12. Packers 2-2

13. Bears 3-1

14. Chargers 2-2

15. Jets 3-2

16. Dolphins 2-3

17. Niners 3-2

18. Cowboys 3-2

19. Seahawks 2-3

20. Cardinals 2-2

21. Texans 2-3

22. Jaguars 2-3

23. Panthers 1-3

24. Titans 0-5

25. Lions 1-4

26. Redskins 2-3

27. Browns 1-4

28. Bills 1-4

29. Raiders 1-4

30. Chiefs 0-5

31. Bucs 0-5

32. Rams 0-5

The Eagles have finished a quarter of their schedule with a 3-1 record, heading into Sunday's game at Oakland.

After each game, we provide our report card here on Eagletarian and in Monday's Birdwatch coverage of the Daily News.

Taking the grades in each area from the first four games and averaging them out, here is where the Eagles stand on our season report card to this point:

Rushing offense: B-

Passing offense: B+

Rushing defense: B+

Passing defense: C+

Special teams: C+

Overall: B-

So, where are we too high? Where are we too low? Fire away ...

UPDATED: In case you are an Eagles fan in the Bay Area, you can't watch Sunday's game on local television. The game will be blacked out because the Oakland Coliseum was not sold out by the deadline. Just another sign of how the once might franchise has fallen ...

EARLIER:

As the Eagles continue to develop their offensive weapons, there will be a spreading of the wealth.

DeSean Jackson, whose star continues to rise, is coming off a game in which he made one reception for 1 yard. That is the second least productive day statistically of his short career. (In a Dec. 7 game against the Giants last season in which he did not catch a pass.)

In case you were wondering, Jackson bounced back from that performance with a five-catch, 77-yard game against Cleveland.

Eagles coach Andy Reid said he did not expect Jackson to do anything different or try to force things coming off that performance.

"He just goes and plays," Reid said. "He does the same thing in practice. He does the same thing in games. He just enjoys playing the game and he does it fast, whether it’s in practice or in games. I wouldn’t expect that to change.”

And expect the Raiders to play plenty of attention to Jackson.

“I’m sure they will," Reid said. "I’m sure most teams will do that, just [based] on the start that he’s had and coming off of last year.”

* Reid said middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter is progressing in his reacclimation to football, after nearly a 2-year layoff.

"He's able to key and read and then attack -- I think he's doing that faster than he did last week," Reid said of Trotter, who will play the second game of his third Eagles tenure Sunday at Oakland. "I would anticipate that continues on. As long as his legs stay healthy like they are, and the swelling stays out of them, it's just gettting that reaction time back and trusting his indicators, and those kinds of things."

* Reid called corner Sheldon Brown, who has never missed a game at any level of football, "a legitimate tough guy." Brown practiced fully Thursday and Friday after suffering an abdominal strain against the Bucs. He is probable for Oakland.

*Reid hinted that when left guard Todd Herremans returns -- possibly as soon as next week's game at Washington --Nick Cole could move over and start on the right side, ahead of Max Jean-Gilles and Stacy Andrews, who currently are alternating there. Herremans got in a little scout team work Friday after working out on his own Wednesday and Thursday. Herremans said he hopes a Tuesday bone scan will green-light him for practice next week. "I'll rest it this weekend, then it should be raring, ready to go," he said.

* WR Kevin Curtis, questionable for Sunday with a knee problem, was scheduled to make the trip with the team. Reid said he thinks he sees progress from Curtis.

* DE/DT Darren Howard appeared on the injury report with a toe contusion. Reid said he decided not to have Howard practice Friday because the Eagles were working indoors, on artificial turf, which could aggravate the injury. Howard is probable for Sunday.

* The Eagles haven't played at the Raiders since Sept. 24, 1995, a 48-17 loss. The Birds are 0-2 at Oakland Coliseum.

* On Donovan McNabb's condition after taking some hits against the Bucs, in his return from missing two games with a broken rib, Reid said: "He was a little sore, not necessarily in the rib area alone, but sore from playing, on Monday. He’s worked through that and he feels pretty good.”

* On where Michael Vick stands, Reid said: “Every week he seems to get a little better and I guess you’d say get back in the swing of things. It was good to get him a few snaps in the base offense at the end of the last game. We did throw the ball there which I normally wouldn’t do, but I gave Mike that. He needed that work. He took [reps] both under center and from the shotgun; I thought that was good for him. It looks like he’s getting his speed all the way back now and he’s moving better. I think that really comes from dropping the pounds he’d put on and it looks like he’s playing pretty fast right now.”

Each week, we provide a list of what we will be watching during the Eagles game:

1. The assault on JaMarcus. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott blitzed Bucs quarterback Josh Johnson on 60 percent of the Eagles’ defensive snaps (45 of 75) last week. That percentage might be even higher this week against Russell, who was sacked six times and lost three fumbles last week against the Giants.

2. Turnover time. The Eagles are second in the league in takeaways with 12, and should be able to add to that total this week against a Raiders team that has the third most giveaways (12). Seven of those 12 giveaways belong to quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who isn’t very adept at reading coverages and doesn’t protect the ball in the pocket.

3. The Jackson & Maclin Show. DeSean Jackson and rookie Jeremy Maclin already have combined for three 100-yard receiving performances and four touchdown catches in the first four games. The Bucs rolled their coverage toward Jackson last week and Maclin responded by catching six balls for 142 yards and two TDs.

4. Welcome back Trotter, Act II. Less than 2 weeks after re-signing with the Eagles, Jeremiah Trotter played 19 snaps last week against the Bucs, all of them on first down or in short-yardage situations. He wasn’t much of a factor, which was hardly surprising considering he hadn’t played football in almost 2 years. He’ll try to shake off some more rust Sunday against a Raiders team that is averaging the third fewest yards in the league on first down.

5. Plague of the yellow hankies. The Eagles committed a season-high 10 penalties against the Bucs last week and currently are seventh in the league in flags per game (7.25). Fewer penalties is very high on Andy Reid’s “things to do” list this week against the 1-4 Raiders.

*

Four our earlier report from practice, click here.

Asked what Brent Celek had to do to rank among the NFC's top tight ends, Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said he thnks Celek is already there. Mornhinweg said Celek began to elevate his play last season, with more tangible results this season. Celek leads the Eagles with 26 receptions, for 303 yards and 2 touchdowns. That figure ranks fourth among NFL tight ends -- more impressive when you factor in the Birds' early bye week.

Mornhinweg called Celek, a fifth-round draftee in 2007, "an excellent all-around tight end."

It might look like Celek is courting injury, the way he strains for extra yards -- last week he spectacularly hurdled a Tampa defensive back who tried to come in low -- but Mornhinweg said he isn't concerned.

"If you can jump over them, jump over them," Mornhinweg said.

Other highlights from Thursday's news conferences:

*When asked if Kevin Curtis will still be a starter when his knee is 100 percent, Mornhinweg said: "We'll come to that when it gets here."

*Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott discussed the way he seems to find a role for every player he has active each Sunday. "We're going to keep pushing the envelope, to take advantage of our personnel," he said. He added that having a role other than "backup" helps players "take ownership," to pay more attention during the week.

*Left guard Todd Herremans said he still hopes to play next week against Washington, pending a bone scan early in the week to make sure his repaired left foot is still OK.

"Hopefully, get in the swing next Thursday, or whenever we start practicing" for the Monday night game against the Redskins, Herremans said.

"When it first happened, I didn't think it was anything like this," said Herremans, who injured his foot in one of the Birds' final workouts at Lehigh, more than two months ago now. 

***

Finally, this nugget from a Q and A with Vikings coach Brad Childress, the Eagles' former offensive coordinator, from the Baltimore Ravens' Web site. Childress and he Vikes host his fellow former Eagles assistant John Harbaugh, and the Ravens this week.

Childress was asked what sort of reception former Vikings center Matt Birk could expect upon his return in a different purple uni.

 “I don’t know," Childress said.  "I don’t think they introduce visiting players on road games. Certainly not like if he would have left Philadelphia, where he might have gotten something thrown at him. I don’t think there will be any foreign objects or anything. I think Matt’s a native of here, and they have a great appreciation and respect for him here in Minnesota. We’re not quite as mean-spirited.”

Left guard Todd Herremans said he was "stoked" to get back on the field today for the first time since the preseason. Eagles coach Andy Reid cautioned that Herremans was only scheduled to work 15 or 20 minutes in individual drills, as he returns from stress fracture surgery on his left foot. Doesn't sound like Herremans will be playing this week at Oakland; he talked a little about that possibility last week, but previously had targeted the Oct. 26 game at Washington, which seems more realistic.

Herremans was not available to speak to reporters after practice. He and corner Dimitri Patterson (quad) were the only Eagles who didn't officially practice; corner Sheldon Brown (absdomen) was listed as a limited participant.

WR Kevin Curtis fully participated but said his sore knee didn't feel much better. "It's still not where I want it to be," he said.

Reid seems to be making an effort to be more quotable these days. Sunday we had the declaration that the Wildcat results against the Bucs weren't "blowing up my blouse."

Wednesday, asked about the league's crackdown on excessive celebrations, Reid said: 'I'm probably the wrong guy to ask that. I'm not really big into all of the celebrations. I've always said 'act like you've been there,' but at the same time, it is a little exciting. By the way, I have some guys that think they're gymnasts and do some pretty creative things. But I'm not here to give them a '10.' I'm not here to grade them on that."

Reid said practicing at a high tempo without mistakes will be an emphasis this week, given the Birds' continuing issues with taking too many penalties.

Reid indicated he will continue to rotate Brian Westbrook with rookie running back LeSean McCoy.

"I feel confident doing that. (McCoy) has been playing well," Reid said.

Westbrook was asked if he had been assured of more than last week's eight touches this week.

"Not really," he said. "You call plays for a lot of your playmakers," and at this point, he acknowledged, younger players such as McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek and Jeremy Maclin are making plays. "At some point, we're going to have to run the ball, at some point, they're going to have to put the ball in my hands," Westbrook said.

His ankle is OK, he said, but he is still "fine-tuning my game" after sitting out the preseason and the Kansas City game.

"Of course, as a playmaker and as a running back, I want the ball just as much as everybody else," Westbrook said. "Everybody on this team wants the ball ... Over the years here, we've fought and fought and tried to get more playmakers on this team, and now we have 'em. One of the drawbacks of having more playmakers is, you have to spread the ball out a little bit more."

Westbrook said this is the most talented Eagles offense he has seen.

The Eagles signed cornerback Stoney Woodson to the practice squad and released linebacker Jeremy Leman.

Woodson, 24, was originally drafted by the New York Giants in the seventh round in 2009 and saw action in two preseason games before being released on September 6. In those two games, he totaled five tackles and one interception.

Woodson (5-10, 198) played collegiately at South Carolina, where he amassed 109 tackles and seven interceptions during his four-year career.

Leman was signed during the first week of the season after he was cut by Carolina. The thinking at the time was that Leman might have been brought in because he was familiar with the Panthers, having spent the preseason with them, though the team denied this. The Eagles played the Panthers in Week 1. Last week, Leman, who preferred to go by "J," had to change locker stalls, so Jeremiah Trotter could reclaim his old spot. Turned out to be an omen.

*

The Eagles game against the New York Giants on Nov. 1 has been moved to a 1 p.m. start to avoid a conflict with a possible World Series game involving the Phillies.

Should the Phillies beat the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, the Phillies would host Game 4 with a likely start time of 8:07.

Eagles-Giants had been scheduled for 4:15. The NFL moved the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers to 4:15 to accomodate an earlier start at Lincoln Financial Field.

The World Series and both football games are scheduled to be shown on Fox.

“The game-time changes have been made prior to the outcome of the NLCS to give fans of all four NFL teams involved as much advance notice as possible,” the NFL said in a statement.

The NFL said the change “will help ease the burden on city service and law enforcement personnel who work at the two Philadelphia stadiums and staff the parking lots shared by the teams.”
 

Here is our Second Take on the Eagles' win over Tampa Bay:

* You probably noticed that the Eagles blitzed a lot in Sunday’s win. How much? According to my unofficial calculations, 46 times on 75 snaps. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott called blitzes on 23 of 43 snaps in the first half, but was just getting warmed up. In the second half, he called 22 blitzes on 32 plays, including nine plays in a row on one Tampa possession. All three of Josh Johnson’s interceptions came against blitzes. But so too, did both of his touchdown passes to Kellen Winslow.

* Andy Reid regularly rotated Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy. The Eagles ran just 48 offensive plays against the Bucs. McCoy was in for 23 of them and Westbrook for 20. They lined up in the same formation just once. That was early in the fourth quarter. Donovan McNabb completed a 5-yard pass to Jeremy Maclin on the play.

* The Bucs ran the spread-option on their first possession of the game, with Johnson pitching the ball to running back Cadillac Williams. But defensive end Juqua Parker, who lined up as a standup rusher, stayed in front of the play and prevented Williams from turning it upfield. Cornerback Asante Samuel got credit for the tackle on the 5-yard loss, but it was Parker who made the play.

* Defensive tackle Antonio Dixon got his most playing time of the season and played well, often lining up right over center Sean Mahan. Mahan was no match for Dixon’s strength. On a second-and-10 run by Williams on the Bucs’ second possession, Dixon had pushed Mahan 2 yards into the backfield before Williams got the handoff. He had to bounce it outside, where Omar Gaither tackled him for a 4-yard loss.

* Donovan McNabb played a practically perfect game. The only really poor pass he made was to Jason Avant on the Eagles’ second possession. Avant was open on a crossing route in front of strong safety Sabby Piscatelli for what would’ve been at least a 20-yard gain, but McNabb badly overshot him.

* The Bucs’ receivers had two costly drops early in the game. Johnson made a great throw to Antonio Bryant against a blitz on third-and-14 on their second possession that Bryant dropped. On their next possession, on a fourth-and-2 at the Philadelphia 26, Johnson hit Michael Clayton for what should’ve been a first down at the Philadelphia 19. But Clayton failed to hang on to the ball after getting hit by Sheldon Brown.

* The Eagles deserved most of the flags they drew Sunday. But the offensive pass interference call on DeSean Jackson late in the first quarter was lame. I think the official was fooled by Jackson’s stopping ability and figured he had to have pushed off cornerback Aqib Talib to create that much separation.

Just Wondering

* Why the Bucs’ nickel back, Elbert Mack, was covering Maclin on his 51-yard first quarter TD catch? The Eagles lined up in a three-wide receiver set, with Maclin wide left. To Mack’s credit, he managed to stay with Maclin until he turned to locate the ball, which enabled Maclin to get enough separation to make the catch.

* If we’ll see more of linebacker Chris Gocong as a blitzer? Gocong notched his first sack of the season Sunday. He was a pass-rushing defensive end at Cal-Poly that the Eagles converted to a strongside linebacker. Jim Johnson always talked about using him as a blitzer, but seldom did.

* Is it humanly possible for Asante Samuel to make a tackle without grabbing a facemask or hurting himself?

* What was Raheem Morris thinking passing on two field-goal opportunities in the first half. He went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Philadelphia 23 in the second quarter with the Bucs only trailing 7-0. A fumbled snap killed that drive. He also passed on a field goal with 6 seconds left in the first half when the Bucs had the ball at the Philadelphia 8. Johnson ended up throwing an interception on the final play of the half.

Eagles coach Andy Reid talked Monday at his day-after news conference about trying to spread the ball around among his sudden plethora of weapons, a tough task in a game such as Sunday's, when the Birds ran just 19 plays in the first half, 48 in the game, including garbage-time snaps.

Asked about DeSean Jackson, whose only catch was a 1-yarder from Michael Vick, Reid said: "He's a competitive little guy, man ... you're going to run into games like that every once in a while. You work through it. We'll get back at it on Wednesday, and keep trying to design ways to get him the football."

Reid and Donovan McNabb said after Sunday's 33-14 victory over Tampa that the Bucs rolled their coverage to Jackson, a big part of why rookie Jeremy Maclin always seemed open, to the tune of 6 catches for 142 yards and his first 2 NFL TDs.

"Those things happen," said Reid, who quoted slot receiver Jason Avant's assertion that "when one of the receivers makes a catch, they all make a catch -- it's all for one there."

Musketeer allusions aside, Jackson left the locker room Sunday before reporters were allowed in. Brian Westbrook made it clear in his postgame news conference that BWest expects more than 8 touches a game going forward, now that his ankle is healthy.

This is not a problem Reid has had to worry about very often in the past. In 2004, there were some games when Freddie Mitchell was grumbly over being ignored for Terrell Owens, but most observers just rolled their eyes at that. Freddie had no platform for complaint. Westbrook and Jackson kinda do. 

The Eagles might want to add a fulltime ego masseuse to their training staff.

Speaking of injuries, Reid said cornerback Sheldon Brown suffered an abdominal strain in Sunday's game and was day-to-day. Brown said afterward he expects to be fine for this week's game at Oakland. CB and special teams gunner Dimitri Patterson (quad) probably won't play, Reid said. 

For now, wideout Kevin Curtis remains sidelined with a kneee problem. Reid said LG Todd Herremans is "making progress" with his repaired foot. It will be interesting to see if Herremans practices this week.

Asante Samuel's calf problem apparently is no big deal, which is what Samuel said after the game.