Eagles-Falcons: Philadelphia Looks for Third-Straight Win in Atlanta

On Sunday, the 7-4 Philadelphia Eagles travel to the Georgia Dome to take on the 6-5 Atlanta Falcons in a game where both teams are looking for a win to stay in the NFC playoff hunt.

While the Eagles' offense has struggled the last two weeks, they still have managed to come away with victories over the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins. However, there are a few factors that will come into play that could make a difference on whether or not the Eagles can hold on to that No. 5 seed in the NFC and leave Atlanta 8-4.

DeSean Jackson Concussion

The last thing the Philadelphia Eagles needed was another injury on offense. With running back Brian Westbrook still recovering from his second concussion of the season, the Eagles may be without their top threat at wide receiver in DeSean Jackson, who suffered the same injury last weekend against the Washington Redskins.

Jackson left in the third quarter after a hit from Redskins cornerback Justin Tryon on a six-yard reception. He finished with two receptions for 41 yards before heading to the locker room, including a 35-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

It’s not rocket science when it comes to realizing how important Jackson is to this Eagles offense. He leads all receivers with 44 receptions for 769 yards and six touchdowns. If he is unable to perform, McNabb will have to rely on others to step up, especially rookie Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant.

Defensive Third Downs

When the Redskins defeated the Denver Broncos 27-17 in Week 10, it was the first time they scored more than 17 points all season. The Eagles defense has to be disappointed giving up 24 points to a Redskins offense that was averaging averaging just 14.6 points per game prior to Sunday.

One of the main reasons why the Eagles defense struggled to stop the Redskins was because of third down conversions. Philadelphia allowed Washington to convert 47 percent of their third-down conversions (8-of-15).

On the first drive of the third quarter, the Eagles allowed the Redskins to convert three 3rd-and-long situations in a row before quarterback Jason Campbell found tight end Fred Davis for a 10-yard touchdown.

Third downs are an opportunity for defenses to make a statement against opposing defenses. If the Eagles want to make a statement against the Falcons on Sunday, the defense will need to do a better job on third-down conversions.

Second Straight Fourth-Quarter Comeback

Throughout his career, McNabb has been criticized for his inability to lead the Eagles from behind while trailing in the fourth quarter. After leading the team to their second-straight win over the Redskins after trailing in the fourth quarter, the Eagles and their fans feel more comfortable with McNabb leading the way as they enter the most crucial month of the regular season.

Down 24-16 in the fourth quarter, McNabb led the Eagles to 11 unanswered points to pull out the 27-24 win to stay in the NFC playoff hunt.

The last thing the Eagles want to do is find themselves trailing the Falcons late in the fourth quarter. The fans of Atlanta are extremely passionate when it comes to their beloved Falcons, which means the Georgia Dome will be louder than ever come Sunday.

With two teams both pushing for a spot in the playoffs, both the Falcons and Eagles realize how important Sunday’s game is to stay in the hunt.

Dan Parzych Is the Eagles Fan Voice for NFLTouchdown.com

He is also the founder of the new NFCEastFootball.com