Wildcard Preview Philadelphia Eagles @ Minnesota Vikings

What: A Game That May Be Blacked Out In Minneapolis
Who: The Philadelphia Eagles and The Minnesota Vikings
Where: Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota
When: Sunday, 4:30 PM EST
What Channel: Fox
Weather Forecast: Indoors
Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman with Pam Oliver working the sidelines
Announcers' Turning Point of the Game: I still can't believe the Eagles humiliated and beat the awesome Cowboys 44-6! That was mean of them!

Ah yes, a game that a week ago Eagles fans like me would laugh at if you told us (me) that we would be playing in it. But alas, the chips fell the right away, the Eagles smashed the much-hated Cowboys, and low and behold, the Eagles are in the playoffs.

The Vikings come into this having just clinched the NFC North last week with last second field goal to beat New York (If my memory serves me correctly, the Vikings beat the Giants before the Texans officially beat the Bears, although the game was out of hand by the time of the field goal, so that FG should be considered an NFC North winning figgie). But they struggled against a Giants defense that was playing mostly scrubs, especially during the end of the game.

Ever since the loss to the New York Giants on SNF, the Eagles' defense has been absolutely lights out. They have been the immoveable object that everyone said the Minnesota Vikings' defense would be coming into this year. They forced turnover after turnover last week against Dallas, been a solid wall throughout the year, and have rarely given up any big pass plays over the top.

The Vikings' offense, outside of Adrian Peterson, is mediocre at best. And while Tarvaris Jackson has been hot in the past few weeks, one must really look hard at the defenses he faced. The Detroit Lions (yes, the 0-16 Detroit Lions), the Arizona Cardinals (and their finesse defense), the Atlanta Falcons (a credible opponent; a Vikings loss), and the New York Giants (oh wait, they sat out most of their starters; and when they were playing starters, the Vikings could not move the ball). They do have some deep threats in Benard Berrian and Sidney Rice, but the Eagles have seen much more talented receivers throughout the year. Hell, they saw more talented receivers last week with T.O. and Roy Williams but unlike Dallas, at least Minnesota is a team, and not a collection of individuals who wear the same clothes on Sundays (I'll take the +1 for that one)

The biggest battle of the game will be the Eagles offense, against, well, the Eagles offense! What offense will show up is the million dollar question in this game, no doubt about it. The Vikings are pretty stout up the middle, but other than that, they really do not boast anything special (except for maybe Pro Bowler Antoine Winfield). There is a chance that big Pat Williams will play for the Vikes. He's trying to make it. And in my mind, that would be a good thing for the Eagles. No, I am not rooting for them to lose, I just think that if Pat Williams plays that will force the Eagles to pitch the ball to Westbrook to the outside where Westbrook is effective instead of up the middle where for the most part Westbrook is ineffective.

If the Eagles offense does not show up and play like they did against Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Washington, then I see this being a yawner of a game where I would be surprised if any teams hits double-digit points. But alas, I see the Eagles getting up for this game. If you can't get up and play well in the playoffs, then you don't deserve to be there. The Eagles will be riding a huge wave of momentum after beating Dallas 44-6 and should dispatch of Minnesota with little problem, beating them 28-10