Your announcers for Fox's Sunday 4 p.m. broadcast of Eagles-Seahawks are Dick Stockton and Brian Baldinger.

Stockton has been manning Fox's No. 1 team with Troy Aikman while Joe Buck has been doing baseball. However, with the World Series scheduled to be over by this weekend (I know, we should not assume this), Buck and Aikman will be reunited to call Giants-Cowboys at 4 p.m.

Most of the northeast, including Pennsylvania, gets a solid 1 p.m. game on Fox -- Packers at Titans. Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston will have the call.

On CBS, it'll be Jets-Bills at 1 p.m. announced by Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. No 4 o'clock game on CBS.

On Sunday night, it's Patriots at Colts (doesn't have the same hoopla it once did, huh?). And the Monday night matchup is Pittsburgh at Washington, which should be a good one.

Here at the office watching Game 5 of the World Series, and who pops on the screen?

Donovan McNabb.

That's right. No. 5 introduced the Phillies lineup, adding his own comments after each player, including "The Lady's Man" for Pat Burrell.

McNabb was at Game 4 also. When I watched Comcast for post-game coverage, they tried to get him for an interview, but McNabb declined.

IF the Phillies somehow lose tonight, please don't call WIP and blame McNabb.

Many thanks.

By the way, don't forget about my Eagles-Falcons observations.

As always, here are 10 observations from the Eagles' 27-14 win over the Falcons:

1. What should we make of this run defense? The Eagles held Michael Turner to 58 yards on 17 carries. He entered the game with 597 yards in six games. But when looking at his game log, this wasn't the first time he was bottled up this season. In Week 2, he managed just 42 yards against the Bucs. In Week 4, he had 56 yards. And in Week 6, he had 54 yards. As for the Eagles' run defense, it was very good the first four games of the season before allowing 145 yards to Clinton Portis in Week 5 and 101 yards to Frank Gore in Week 6.

2. Let's get the awful call out of the way. Falcons return man Adam Jennings did not touch the ball. And the call was made at a crucial time in the game. With 2:28 left in the fourth quarter, the refs blew the call. The Falcons would have had the ball at their own 37-yard line, and a touchdown (plus extra point) would have tied it. And don't forget, on their previous drive, the Falcons went 82 yards for a score. Not saying they would have definitely taken the lead, but they would have had a chance. Had the scenario been reversed and the bad call been made against the Eagles, this blog would be flooded with comments about how the refs blew the game. Let's just remember that the next time a call doesn't go the Eagles' way.

3. I was encouraged by the Eagles' score before halftime. The Birds' offense took over at its own 12-yard line with 45 seconds left. I'm not so sure Andy Reid's plan wasn't to just run the clock out, but Brian Westbrook picked up 20 yards on first down. The Eagles went 70 yards on the drive, which culminated with a 36-yard David Akers field goal. To say that the Eagles have struggled before halftime in previous weeks would be an understatement. Against the 49ers, Akers' field-goal attempt before halftime was blocked and returned for a touchdown. Against the Redskins, the Eagles' offense took over on its own 40 with 1:56 left in the second and went three-and-out. Against the Bears, the Birds took over at their own 23 with 1:16 left and went three-and-out. And against the Steelers, they had the ball at their own 23 with 1:51 left and Donovan McNabb threw an interception. Yikes.

4. I'm discouraged by another failed opportunity near the goal line. This time the Eagles had second-and-goal from the 2-yard line in the fourth quarter. Westbrook was stuffed for no gain, but a Falcons penalty gave the Eagles second-and-goal from the 1. McNabb tried a shovel pass to Westbrook, but it was sniffed out. You get the feeling that any team that has watched any film on the Birds over the years would know to look for this play. Then on third down, it was McNabb being stopped on a QB sneak. Not sure where the Birds go from here.

5. Time for our weekly update on how opposing kickers perform against the Eagles. Jason Elam did not attempt a field goal so the numbers remain the same as a couple weeks ago. Opposing kickers are 13-for-13 on the season against the Eagles. Four of those kicks are from 50 yards or more and seven are from 45 yards or more.

6. The optimist says...

People underestimated this Falcons team. They were 4-2 coming in with a savvy quarterback, a playmaking receiver and a very good running back. The Eagles' defense shut down Turner, and the offense showed it's dangerous as long as Westbrook is in the lineup. McNabb even showed he still can use the wheels when he needs to. The Cowboys are ready to implode, and while the Giants and Redskins look tough, don't forget that the Eagles still have three games against those two teams. They'll have a chance to take control of this division before all is said and done.

7. The pessimist says...

Whoop-de-doo. The Eagles need a blown call by the ref to hold on at home against an inferior opponent. Super Bowl, here we come. Did you watch McNabb in the first half? That's as bad as he's looked all season. They have to rely so much on Westbrook that there's no way he stays healthy the rest of the season. As for the defense, big-play free agent Asante Samuel got straight up burned by Roddy White on multiple occasions. The ceiling for this team is a wild-card berth and a first-round playoff loss. Tough to get excited about that.

8. All season, fans have been calling for the Eagles to run the fade to Hank Baskett down near the goal line. The Falcons showed why I'm not a huge fan of this play. Down near the 1-yard line, Matt Ryan threw the fade to White, but Lito Sheppard came up with an interception. It's too risky to run a play that's basically a jump ball when you're just 1 yard away from the end zone. Now sure, you can say White is only 6 foot, so it's the Falcons' fault for calling the play with an average-sized receiver. And I agree with that. But I'm not a huge fan of the play even with bigger receivers.

9. I was very impressed with Matt Ryan. He has a big-time arm and seemed to have a ton of confidence despite being a rookie. I remember watching Ryan in college and thinking he made too many mistakes, but now it appears that may have had more to do with the talent around him. The final numbers won't blow you away: 23-for-44 for 277 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. But I'd be pretty excited if I was a Falcons fan (those do exist, right?).

10. And an NFL note on the last one. Very entertained by Mike Singletary's first post-game press conference as 49ers coach and very excited for this era. If you missed it, I included the video link at the bottom here. Singletary explains why he told tight end Vernon Davis to hit the showers after Davis drew a 15-yard penalty and then acted "non-chalant" about it on the sideline. Quote I enjoyed: "Cannot play with 'em, cannot win with 'em, cannot coach with 'em...can't do it." I feel like if I had Singletary around to motivate me, this would be the most-read blog on philly.com. Enjoy:

Last week: 7-6
Overall: 56-42-3

Raiders at Ravens: I'm guessing Tom Cable won't be freezing Matt Stover if this one comes down to a last-second field goal. No word on whether the Ravens have a bounty on Sebastian Janikowski.

The pick: Raiders (+7)

Chargers at Saints: What do Julius Jones, Matt Forte and Earnest Graham have in common? They all have more rushing yards this season than LaDainian Tomlinson. And that, my friends, is why I hate fantasy football.

The pick: Chargers (-3)

Chiefs at Jets: Why do people insist on continuing to lie to Peter King? Last year, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti told King Brian Billick's job was safe. On New Year's Eve, he was fired. Earlier this season, Jerry Jones told King the Cowboys were not interested in Roy Williams. A week later? Williams was in Dallas. And this week, Brett Favre denied that he talked to Matt Millen about his little secrets via text. Days later? Favre holds a press conference admitting he talked to Millen. I think King needs a new section in his MMQB column: Player I'll never trust again. You're telling me you wouldn't want to read this instead of the coffee tidbit?

The pick: Chiefs (+14)

Bills at Dolphins: Number of times the Dolphins have been talked about on pre-game shows without mention of the Wildcat offense: 0.

The pick: Bills (-1.5)

Bucs at Cowboys: It's tough to imagine things getting worse for th Cowboys, but if I were to try really hard, here's what I'd see in my crystal ball: Marion Barber violating the league's substance abuse policy and Terrell Owens and Roy Williams beating up Brad Johnson at halftime after he completes just two passes in the first half.

The pick: Cowboys (-1.5)

Falcons at Eagles: It seems like the Birds haven't played in a month. I'll be here for a live chat during the game Sunday, but I'm not promising I'll be making any sense. I'll be coming off a shift that ends 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning, so if I start typing jibberish, please let me know.

The pick: Falcons (+9)

Rams at Patriots: Time for MC's pick of the week. His record: 3-4. MC goes with the Patriots here. "The Rams' streak of upsets will end this week."

The pick: Patriots (-7.5)

Cardinals at Panthers: Watching coaches perform damage control is always entertaining, if nothing else. For example, Edgerrin James complained this week about not getting enough touches (yes, the Cardinals are 4-2, have won two straight and currently sit atop the NFC West, but what does that matter?). Said coach Ken Whisenhunt: "I'm glad that (James) wants more carries. I think that's a good sign for all competitive players; they want the ball." Riiiiight. And I'm glad to be working during Game 2 of the World Series. Whoops -- did I just write that?

The pick: Panthers (-4)

Redskins at Lions: DC native and co-worker Jonathan Tannenwald (he says he hates the Giants and Cowboys as much as you do so be nice to him) makes a guest pick here and says go with Detroit. The line is too big for the home team.

The pick: Lions (+7.5)

Browns at Jaguars: How come none of you have commented yet on MTC that the Eagles need to make a play for Kellen Winslow Jr.? Things got ugly this week when Winslow ripped Phil Savage for not calling him in the hospital. The Browns in turn suspended Winslow, and now Winslow has filed a grievance which will be heard Tuesday. Sounds like a healthy franchise to me.

The pick: Jaguars (-7)

Giants at Steelers: I've never heard a game billed a Super Bowl preview with less enthusiasm. I don't think anyone knows who is good or awful and we're entering Week 8. I guess you'd have to say the Titans and Steelers are the favorites in the AFC, but would you be surprised if we were talking about two completely different teams a month from now? I say no.

The pick: Steelers (-3)

Seahawks at 49ers: So much for Mike Holmgren's farewell tour. The Seahawks are in last place in the NFC West at 1-5, and the rumors of Holmgren heading to San Fran to take over the Niners have already begun.

The pick: 49ers (-5)

Bengals at Texans

Time for C-Nast's weekly Office episode recap. I haven't watched yet so basically had to paste this in without reading it over. If he used abusive language, I apologize. If you haven't watched either, close your browser immediately.

What happened: Relationship drama ruled. Michael and Holly took their romance public, but they were soon discovered by Dunder Mifflin CFO David Wallace. On Phyllis’ advice, Dwight issued Angela an ultimatum to choose him or Andy, but she appeared to side with her fiancé. Jim, worried Pam was straying in NYC, made a surprise trek to the Big Apple, but he thought twice and oddly turned his car back toward Scranton.

Grade: B – If you grew too frustrated to watch the Phils strand runners inning after inning last night, this episode was a nice break. There was even a Huey Lewis and the News shout-out, and, if you paid close attention, a “McNabb” reference.

Quote of the Week, from Dwight: “She introduced me to so many things. Pasteurized milk, sheets, monotheism, presents on your birthday, preventative medicine.”

The pick: Texans (-9)

Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from sportsbook.com.

SI.com's Dr. Z has the Eagles 10th in his power rankings:

Found money. A bye then a hi-yup into the exalted tenski spot. Damn right I'm proud of the city of my birth. Step softly, though. Unpredictable Atlanta ahead.

ESPN.com has the Eagles 11th in its power rankings:

The Eagles had a very productive bye. Brian Westbrook was able to recover from a couple of injuries, and the Cowboys lost again.

SI.com's Peter King has the Eagles ninth in his power rankings:

Brian Westbrook's ribs really needed the bye week.

ESPN.com's Jeffri Chadiha writes about teams turning to smaller receivers, like the Eagles' DeSean Jackson:

When Philadelphia selected the 5-10, 175-pound Jackson in the second round of the 2008 draft, Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg spent hours watching film of Welker to see how a player of that stature might be used in the Eagles' offense. But then the former Cal star surprised the team during training camp when injuries sidelined starters Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis. Along with possessing breathtaking speed and blinding quickness, Jackson had the toughness to beat press coverage despite his slight frame.

CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco has the Eagles 17th:

They needed the bye to try and get back some of their key people, including Brian Westbrook.

Adrian Hasenmayer of FoxSports.com has the Eagles 13th in his power rankings:

The week of rest seems to have helped Brian Westbrook heal well enough to return to the field this week against Atlanta, a game that originally looked like a second bye week over the summer.

USA Today has the Eagles 11th.

ProFootballTalk.com has the Eagles 18th in its power rankings.

I'll start giving you the announcers for the Eagles game every week.

This week, it's Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan on the Fox broadcast at 1 p.m. Sunday. I believe these two called the Eagles-49ers game before the bye.

In Philadelphia, most of us will get the Steelers-Giants game on Fox at 4 p.m. after the Birds. That should be enough to hold us over until Game 4 between the Phillies and Rays.

I do not see the CBS game(s) listed yet.

I'll likely be groggy from a week of no sleep, but I'll be here live chatting the Birds game. Be sure to join me.

From now on, the Eagles links will be compiled through a series of short posts during the week. Here's the first link...

I'm told by several people that The National Football Post is a must-read site for every NFL fan/blogger.

Interesting post on there by Michael Lombardi, who studied the Eagles' drafting since 1999 when Andy Reid took over. Lombardi notes that seven of the Eagles' 24 second- and third-round picks have been a complete wash out. Of those 24, six picks have been used on offensive or defensive linemen, and none of those six currently start for the team.

Lombardi's conclusion:

When you look at the names, what is most alarming is for all the talk about being cap sound and adding youth to the team, the names are not impressive, even if they do start. The Eagles are not a talent rich team—maybe that is why I defend McNabb so strongly. As John Madden used to say, “having a great quarterback is a great deodorant”.

Finding talent is a talent—- and the Eagles have the right plan in theory, but not in practice.

What Lombardi didn't do is compare the Eagles' drafting to other NFL teams. For instance, when he says the Eagles have had seven complete busts out of 24 second- and third-round picks, is that the worst percentage in the league over the span being discussed?

Maybe this comparison is something I can put together in the offseason.

By the way, it's officially the right move to start picking the opposite of me on Monday night games. We can call it the "George Costanza Corollary."

Rumors have been swirling in regards to what exactly has sidelined Browns tight end Kellen Winslow. His name was even brought up in trade rumors before the deadline.

Sunday night, Winslow explained that he had been in the hospital because of a staph infection. He told Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer that he feels like he's been treated like a "piece of meat" and was not happy that Browns GM Phil Savage didn't call while he was being treated at the Cleveland Clinic.

"Sometimes I don't even feel a part of this team," Winslow said.

The Browns, meanwhile, said today they'll decide whether or not to fine or punish Winslow for his comments.

Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer says Winslow's complaints have more to do with money than anything else. He's wanted a new contract since the spring.

Broncos at Patriots
Monday night record: 4-3

The pick: Broncos (+3)