The Eagles avoided what would’ve been a disastrous three game losing streak last week against the Bears as they hung on for a 24-20 victory.   The win put them at 6-4 just a game behind the Cowboys in the NFC East and in the drivers seat for the top wild card spot in the NFC.    A loss to the Redskins on Sunday could change all that in a hurry so the Eagles need to focus on their opponent and not let their eyes wander past this week on the schedule.

The Cowboys and Packers both won, so if the Eagles fall Sunday they would fall two games behind in the division race and would fall behind the Packers in the wild card standings as well with just five games left to play.  6-5 with tough games against the Giants, Cowboys, Falcons and Broncos still on the schedule isn’t where you’d like to be, and you can’t count the 49ers out, either.

What’s that you say – Andy Reid would never let the Eagles discount or look past an opponent? How’d that work out in Oakland a few weeks ago? Last season the Eagles picked themselves up off the carpet after getting beat down by the Ravens 36-7, a game where McNabb was benched, and whipped the Cardinals 48-20, took out the Plaxico-less Giants 20-14 (a game where they led 20-7 going into the final minute of the game), beat the Browns 30-10 and sitting at 8-5-1 controlled their own destiny as they went down to Washington to play a Redskins team that had nothing to play for but pride.  Well, pride won 10-3 and it almost cost the Eagles a playoff berth had it not been for a few stars aligning just right (including a very improbable win by the Raiders over Tampa Bay) and the Eagles simply beating the Cowboys into next year 44-6.   The Eagles were flat that day in Washington, just like they were in Oakland earlier this season and they simply cannot allow it to happen again.

Let’s just hope that the Eagles learn from their past and come out firing on all cylinders and score early and often and put the Redskins away.