Leonard Weaver News

We forgot to do the weekly Eagles penalty count last week. And it seems fitting to post the numbers right away after the Birds' 31-23 loss to the Chargers.

By Scott Garbarini, Associate NFL Editor -- - The Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles find themselves in strikingly similar predicaments for this Sunday's key clash between the two slumping teams from historic Soldier Field.

It's time for the Bears to put up, so the Bears ' head coach Lovie Smith is going to shut up when it comes to the NBC pregame show Sunday night.

JUST BECAUSE Bears coach Lovie Smith seems intent on beating his head against the wall, it doesn't mean fantasy leaguers have to do the same.

That the Chicago Bears are in a similar spot was merely a coincidence, yet after a rough few weeks, that's where these teams stand heading into their game Sunday night.

Moving forward without Brian Westbrook may not be easy, considering how much rookie running back LeSean McCoy likes to run sideways.

For weeks, Ron Jaworski has been unsure whether the Eagles are good enough to pull out one of those Andy Reid specials and make a playoff run.

The Eagles are tops in the NFL in converting red-zone possessions into points, but 23d in the league in scoring touchdowns from inside the 20.

For the second straight week, the Eagles spent Monday scrambling to address roster issues, and cornerback was the place they had to focus on the most.

It was not a postgame topic for conversation, given that the Eagles were on the short end of a 31-23 score, but quarterback Donovan McNabb put up some huge numbers in defeat.

As the Eagles' Brian Westbrook looks for room, Chargers linbacker Shaun Phillips draws a bead after getting past Birds center Jamaal Jackson.

When the day began, Dimitri Patterson was an unknown backup cornerback who'd been released five times, hadn't played a snap in five weeks and ranked fifth in the Eagles' cornerback pecking order.

Just a few days ago, in fact, the Eagles ' quarterback tried very hard to put their 40-17 knockout of the Giants in perspective.

Two weeks ago after a 40-17 win over the New York Giants, Eagles coach Andy Reid said teams "just prepare for a heavyweight fight," against NFC East opponents.

THE NUMBERS HAVE tumbled, like water over the rocks. Not much more than a year ago, it was possible to write a column about how the notion that Donovan McNabb and the Eagles couldn't win a close game at the end was really an unfair rap.

The replay challenge that proved to be the turning point of Sunday night's loss to the Dallas Cowboys never should have been necessary, according to all of the members of the losing team.

Will Witherspoon, who has been settling in nicely as the Eagles' middle linebacker, will move to the weakside this week, assuming usual starter Akeem Jordan can't play with a knee hyperextension and bone bruise, other players said yesterday.

Nov. 9, 2009 - Eagles head coach Andy Reid blamed himself for Sunday's debilitating, 20-16 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys , saying, "It is my responsibility to make sure that we win those games.

Andy Reid sees no difference in his team whether it's playing a close game or enjoying a blowout.

THE GOAL, on a beautiful Indian-summer night, with the Phillies finished and with all of the attention refocused, was for some clarity.