Antonio Dixon News

Eagles linebacker Chris Gocong got to Falcons quarterback Chris Redman on a couple of occasions Sunday.

NONE OF IT was all that bad. And he never expected to have it this good. Antonio Dixon has been in some strange places.

Michael Vick has been welcomed with boos in his return to Atlanta. There were more boos than cheers when Vick made his first appearance on the Eagles' opening drive.

By Bob Brookover ATLANTA Michael Vick's special day wouldn't have been possible without the Eagles' goal line stand at the end of the first half and quarterback Donovan McNabb's precision passing at the start of the second.

Three football seasons ago, his Chenango County team's home field was at an eight-man football stronghold of not long past.

Mental toughness and confidence, which often can be fortified by winning games the way the Eagles have the past two weeks, won't be enough to carry them in the playoffs, should they qualify.

A severe stutter was the least of Dixon's troubles. One parent was in federal prison, the other hooked on drugs.

Marin Catholic grad Kahlil Bell made his NFL debut with the Chicago Bears in the second quarter against Philadelphia on Sunday, ripping off a 72-yard run on his first carry.

ALL THE YOUNG dudes, carry the ball carelessly, boogaloo dudes. I'm guessing Shady McCoy and DeSean Jackson wouldn't know Mott the Hoople from Mott's applesauce, but they know now that defenders will just haul off and punch the ball out, while they're wrestling with you.

It was almost as if Chicago, the franchise of Butkus, Singletary and Urlacher, didn't test Eagles middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter in deference to its past.

A serious problem for this Eagles team in recent years has been their inability to win the close game.

Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles found a way to pull out a close win. They also hurt the Chicago Bears in the process.

In the 100th meeting of the Cowboys and Eagles, a group of rookies - a few barely 21 years old - will experience their first taste of a rivalry that incites the primal urges of Philadelphia fans.

AS A LONGTIME football coach, Andy Reid is very wary of saying anything that might end up on an opponent's bulletin board.

Eagles tackle Antonio Dixon sacks Giants quarterback Eli Manning on Sunday. Photograph by: Ray Stubblebine, Reuters, Reuters Inspired by quarterback Donovan McNabb,the Philadelphia Eagles grabbed a share of the NFC East lead by overwhelming the New York Giants 40-17 on Sunday.

The big-play, quick-strike offense the Eagles have showcased in limited doses came swiftly Sunday and didn't stop.

The late Jim Johnson loved turnovers. "This game," he once said, "is a game of turnovers." The Eagles defensive coordinatorknew how giveaways could deflate an offense.

FOR A GUY WHO hasn't played a snap since the NFC Championship Game, there might be easier ways to get back into the flow than by lining up against Washington's Albert Haynesworth, the NFL's dominant defensive tackle.

Mixin g and matching personnel groupings to schemes remains an ongoing process for the Eagles ' defense.

Kevin Kolb is the third quarterback for today's Eagles-Raiders game. That means only Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick are active.