Patriots vs. Eagles: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Radio, Game Time and More

Prior to the season, many might have thought that a Week 12 matchup between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles would be a Super Bowl preview. While the Pats seem to be safely into the playoffs with a 7-3 record, the Eagles are hanging on for dear life at 4-6.

New England ran into a bit of a rough patch with consecutive losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, but were able to rebound with a convincing triumph over the New York Jets and an easy win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night.

The whole season has been a rough patch for the Eagles as they have failed miserably in their attempt to live up to the "Dream Team" moniker. Philly was able to save its season temporarily with a win over the Giants last week despite the absence of quarterback Michael Vick and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

Regardless of whether Vick or Vince Young are under center on Sunday, the Eagles need to view this game as a must-win. The same can't be said for the Pats, but Tom Brady and co. would certainly love to distance themselves from the Jets and Buffalo Bills in the AFC East.

Where: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa.

When: Sunday, Nov. 27 at 4:15 p.m. EDT

Watch: CBS; WBZ (New England) and CBS3 (Philadelphia)

Listen: WBZ 98.5FM (New England) and WIP 610AM (Philadelphia); Sirius XM Satellie Radio: XM Internet 879 (New England) and XM 231 (Internet 884, Philadelphia)

Live Streaming Audio: NFL.com Audio Pass ($29.99 for year, $27.99 team specific, $9.99 a month)

Betting Line: New England (-3.5)

What's at Stake?

As previously stated, the Eagles are essentially playing for their season with each passing week. In order to assure yourself a playoff spot, a 10-6 record is normally needed at the bare minimum. Working off that assumption, the Eagles can't afford to lose another game all season long.

The Patriots haven't been their dominant selves for much of the year, but they sit in a very familiar position atop the AFC East. A win or loss in this particular game wouldn't make their season sink or swim, but a win would essentially put them in commanding control of the division.

Patriots Injury Report

Questionable: RB Kevin Faulk (knee), LB Dane Fletcher (thumb), LB Brandon Spikes (knee), LB Jeff Tarpinian (illness), DB Devin McCourty (shoulder), Patrick Chung (foot)

Eagles Injury Report

Questionable: QB Michael Vick (ribs), Jeremy Maclin (shoulder, hamstring), DeSean Jackson (foot), DL Brandon Graham (knee), DB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (ankle)

Fantasy Start 'Em, Sit 'Em and Sleeper

Start 'Em: QB Tom Brady (NE) - The Eagles have actually fared quite well against the pass this season as they are ranked 12th in the league, but Patriots quarterback Tom Brady can essentially pass on anybody. Brady has six games of 300 or more yards and has thrown for multiple scores in all but one game, making him a must start against anybody.

Sit 'Em: Deion Branch (NE) - Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch has been revitalized since hooking back up with Tom Brady and the Pats last season, but this isn't a particularly good matchup for him. New England has so many weapons that he is usually a feast-or-famine option, and since there is a good possibility he will be covered by Nnamdi Asomugha, it's best to stay away.

Sleeper: TE Brent Celek (PHI) - Whether Vick or Young starts at quarterback for the Eagles, Philadelphia is going to try to pass the ball on New England's banged-up and inexperienced secondary. Maclin's status is very much up in the air and DeSean Jackson is questionable as well, meaning tight end Brent Celek should receive more targets than usual on Sunday against a weak secondary.

What They're Saying

The New England Patriots are normally all about winning football games, but something even more important than that came to the forefront when they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night. Rookie offensive lineman Marcus Cannon, who is in remission from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, debuted for the Pats.

Even the normally rigid Bill Belichick was quite happy with the developments:

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It's good to have Marcus out on the field, period, Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. He's been out there for about a month now. He's worked hard, and I'm glad he's getting an opportunity to play. He's got a long way to go, but he took a step [Monday], I think.

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One of the biggest issues this season for the Philadelphia Eagles aside from turnovers has been defense. The Eagles have been labeled as soft on that side of the ball and have routinely been pushed around by more physical teams. First-year defensive coordinator Juan Castillo has been highly criticized, but head coach Andy Reid supports him completely, particularly after the defense's efforts against the New York Giants.

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"I'm proud of Juan, because he's had a few of those, a few pretty good game plans, so this wasn't the only one," Reid said yesterday, the day the league stats showed the Eagles climbing all the way up to 14th in the NFL against the rush, from 22nd two games ago. "Juan's a standup guy, and he realizes that we're all in this thing together, coaches and players, and he gives credit to his guys and they respect him.

The thing you know is if, and you've been around this league long enough where you see this, that if a coach doesn't know what he's doing, the players are normally the first ones to call him out, and Juan's guys are all in. So that's a tribute to Juan and the defensive players there."

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Patriots Player to Watch: TE Rob Gronkowski

Patriots tight end Rib Gronkowski was a major red-zone weapon as a rookie last season, and that continues to be the case in 2011. He has developed into so much more than that, though, as Brady loves to utilize him in all parts of the field.

Wide receiver Wes Welker did most of the leg work early in the season, but Gronkowski has since become Brady's go-to guy. In addition to his 10 touchdowns, Gronkowski also has over 800 receiving yards and could be a matchup nightmare for Philly's soft defense.

Eagles Player to Watch: RB LeSean McCoy

There hasn't been much to cheer about in Philadelphia this season, but the biggest bright spot has undoubtedly been LeSean McCoy. In his first season as a starter last year, McCoy was a fantastic dual threat, but he has developed into one of the league's premier backs in 2011.

Not only has McCoy already surpassed the 1,000-yard mark through just 10 games, but he also has 34 receptions in the passing game and 12 total touchdowns. The Pats are solid against the run and are most easily beaten through the air, but McCoy is the Eagles' best player and will need to be great in all facets for Philly to pull off the upset.

Key Matchup: Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson vs. NE Secondary

Much like the Patriots' secondary, the Eagles' receiving corps is currently plagued by injuries. Jackson is questionable with a foot injury, but figures to be good to go on Sunday. The same can't be said with such certainty with regards to Maclin seeing as he missed last week's game against the Giants.

Provided both Jackson and Maclin do play, though, they will face their most advantageous matchup to date. The Patriots rank dead last in the league against the pass and have struggled even with Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty in the fold. Both may miss Sunday's game, though, meaning Maclin and Jackson could have a field day.

On the Hot Seat: DC Juan Castillo

The Eagles' defense has slowly improved as the season has worn on, but make no mistake that first-year coordinator Juan Castillo is very much on the hot seat. Much was made of head coach Andy Reid's decision to make an offensive line coach the defensive coordinator and it hasn't seemed to work particularly well to this point.

A big performance against the Patriots could change that, but the Pats are perfectly capable of hanging a crooked number on the Eagles. I wouldn't say that a big game from New England would lead directly to Castillo's removal, but it could be one of many other failures on the defense's part.

Prediction

Patriots 31, Eagles 17