McNabb, Westbrook Key In Philadelphia's Quest For a Super Bowl

The Philadelphia Eagles enter the 2009 season with high expectations, and how the Eagles handle the pressure of those expectations will determine how far the team will go.

And the person who the most pressure is going to fall upon, as always, is quarterback Donovan McNabb.

The 10-year pro from Syracuse made waves in February when it was learned that in a meeting with head coach Andy Reid and Eagles President Joe Banner, he requested additional offensive weapons.

As a result of that request, the Eagles spent the offseason trying to build upon a dynamic yet inconsistent offense when they drafted Missouri receiver Jeremy Maclin with the 19th overall pick and second-round pick, from Pittsburgh, running back LeSean McCoy.

Maclin joins DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis to give the Eagles a very strong receiving corps that provides matchup problems for opposing defenses if Philadelphia chooses to play three-receiver set.

The Eagles hope McCoy will provide another weapon in the background to take some of the pressure and carries from fellow running back Brian Westbrook, and if McCoy adapts quickly to the NFL, the Eagles will have solid one-two punch to run the ball.

Even with the addition of McCoy, Philadelphia could still struggle with short-yardage situations that plagued them in the 2008 season. The Eagles failed to get a power back that can thrive in short-yardage situations when the opposing defenses crowd the line in those situations. Andy Reid and the Eagle brain trust obviously believe Westbrook and McCoy can provide those needed yards.

The Eagles also made a splash before the NFL draft when they traded for two-time Pro Bowl offensive Jason Peters from the Buffalo Bills for two draft picks, replacing free agent Jon Runyan. He helps one of the best offensive lines in the NFC become even stronger.

However, the Eagles’ performance on offense will be dictated by the play of McNabb. If he is able to consistently find his receivers, the Eagles will have one of the best offenses in the league. If he does not, the Eagles will struggle to score points.

On defense, the Eagles boast one of the best units in the league, ranking third in total defense and allowing only 274 yards per game. Philadelphia was equally stringent against the pass and the run, raking in the top five in both categories.

The Eagles lost one of their team leaders on the defensive side of the ball in ball-hawking safety Brain Dawkins, who was allowed to sign with the Denver Broncos via free agency.

The move was an unpopular one in Philadelphia as Dawkins was one of the team’s most popular players as well as the heart and soul for the Eagles.

Now the question is who will fill Dawkins’ void as the locker room leader. Many are pointing to Trent Cole, who recently signed a five-year contract extension to keep him in Eagles green until 2013.

The key addition to the Eagles’ defense is former New England cornerback Ellis Hobbs, joining former Patriot teammate Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown. Hobbs is projected to be the third cornerback, giving the Eagles one of the best nickel packages in the league.

On special teams, the Eagles bring back veteran kicker David Akers and punter Sav Rocca to a solid but unspectacular unit who will no lose games for Philadelphia.

The Eagles, along with the New York Giants, are the two teams in the NFC that appear to have least amount of question marks entering the season and placing both teams as the favorites in the conference.

Other teams that are expected to be serious challengers to the Eagles for NFC superiority are defending conference champion Arizona, defending NFC South champion Carolina and defending NFC North Champion Minnesota.

The Eagles schedule does look favorable for them as they play the AFC West and the NFC South plus fellow NFC second-place finishers Chicago and San Francisco.

The Eagles and Giants are the prohibitive favorites in the NFC East and are the teams projected to battle for home-field advantage in the NFC. Divisional rivals Dallas and Washington are solid teams but have too many questions to be considered serious championship contenders.

In the long run, the Eagles will go as far as McNabb and to a lesser extent Westbrook take them. If both players stay healthy and play consistently on the field, the Eagles are looking at an 11-5 or 12-4 record and at least a first round bye, but if they are plagued by injuries or inconsistent the Eagles will be in the 8-8 and 9-7 range, battling for the last spot in the playoffs.

If everything goes right, it is not out of the realm of possibility to see Philadelphia celebrating their first football championship since 1960.