IS GLAD SPRING TRAINING IS FINALLY HERE
It's "must win" Sunday for the Eagles as they head to Chicago to face the Bears in another prime-time game.
Les Bowen will be blogging from the stadium throughout tonight, but we get your Sunday going with the staff predictions and key matchups.
DAILY NEWS STAFF PREDICTIONS
Les Bowen: Eagles, 23-17
Ed Barkowitz: Eagles, 24-9
Bill Conlin: Bears, 24-20
Paul Domowitch: Bears, 24-20
Marcus Hayes: Eagles, 24-20
Mike Kern: Eagles, 23-17
Vegas Vic: Eagles, 27-17
CHICAGO TRIBUNE STAFF PREDICTIONS
David Haugh: Eagles 27-24
Fred Mitchell: Eagles 27-20
Vaughn McClure: Eagles 28-21
Rick Morrissey: Bears 20-17
Dan Pompei: Bears 28-27
More analysis from Tribune writers, by clicking here
DOMO'S KEY MATCHUPS
1. Eagles WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin vs. Bears CBs Charles Tillman and Zack Bowman. Jackson and Maclin have combined for eight TD catches. Tillman and Bowman are bigger corners, who will try to jam Eagles wideouts at the line. Advantage: Eagles
2. Eagles RDE Trent Cole vs. Bears LT Orlando Pace. Pace once was one of the top left tackles in the game, but at 35, he's lost a yard off his fastball. Cole has developed into an outstanding every-down end. Advantage: Eagles
3. Eagles LCB Asante Samuel vs. Bears WR Devin Hester. Samuel has a team-high five interceptions. Hester has 48 receptions, but just one TD in the last six games. Advantage: Eagles
For Domo's complete scouting report, click here
Al Michaels: "The Eagles are what the NFL has become: very unpredictable. They were playing pretty well, then inexplicably lost to Oakland -- how did that happen? -- come back and kill the Giants, close game against Dallas but can't deliver, fall way behind in San Diego and rally but lose again. The one thing about the Eagles that people should know by now -- the last few years this has happened -- is they'll look like they're dead, and all of a sudden they play extremely well down the stretch."
Cris Collinsworth: "Jay Cutler really needs a 'moment' with these Bears fans where they embrace him. I can't think of a better moment than against Donovan McNabb. There have always been backdoor rumors about 'Would Donovan ever go home to play in Chicago?' Now he comes in against the Bears, who have not done well in prime-time games. Cutler has not done well in prime-time games. But now for the first time on Sunday night, they're playing at home, and they need a good game. They need it for everybody, and not just Jay Cutler."
Les
Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News
since 2002.
Before that, he spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers. It took Les
only a few seasons after the switch to figure out that there was no
penalty box at the Linc, and that the time really wasn't his, despite
what Andy Reid kept saying. Les came to Philadelphia and the Daily News
from Charlotte in 1983. In the intervening years, he has pretty much
lost track of NASCAR, and his accent. He, his wife Barbara, and their
two sons live in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
E-mail Les at bowenl@phillynews.com
and follow
him on Twitter.
Paul
Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982.
He has spent most of his nearly 3 decades with the paper covering the
Eagles and pro football. For the last 10 years, he’s been a
selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A native of Wilkes-Barre
and a graduate of Wilkes University, Domo started his career in Texas,
working first for the Midland Reporter-Telegram (1976-78), and then for
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he covered some god-awful Texas
Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually was
boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose 2 sports coats to
blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley,
a University of Oklahoma grad who still hasn’t gotten over
that Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State 5 years ago, have 2 terrific
daughters -- Allison, 28, who is an attorney in South Jersey, and Amy,
25, who works in administration for a professional baseball team.
E-mail Domo at PDomo@aol.com and follow
him on Twitter.
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