Les Bowen: Eagles vs. Ravens: The pick

I WOULD LOVE to see Donovan McNabb remove himself from punch-line land, give us one of those performances that remind us of who he really has been over the past decade, the best quarterback this franchise has seen. Do I think that'll happen, with Brian Westbrook unlikely to be anywhere close to full strength?

No.

I can get behind the idea of Jim Johnson's defense milking a couple turnovers out of the Ravens' promising rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco, the way it did against Atlanta's Matt Ryan last month. The defense might, in fact, bail out the offense. I can see the Eagles winning this way.

But from what I can gather, this ought to be a close, low-scoring game, and the Eagles don't win those anymore, for whatever reason. They are 1-10-1 in the last dozen decided by six points or fewer. If it's a close game and it comes down to coaching moves at the end, I'll have to go with John Harbaugh over Andy Reid there.

For reasons I don't even begin to understand, this Eagles team - whose talent is reflected in its high statistical standing - seems to be mortally wounded, and I'm not just talking about Westbrook's ankle or knee. Reid seems perpetually befuddled, McNabb foggy and hesitant. People close to him insist it isn't true, but you'd think some crucial spark in the QB has gone into hibernation, waiting to be awakened in a new destination next season.

But, hey, I've been wrong before.

Ravens 16, Eagles 13. *