Philadelphia Eagles 2005 season preview

Updated: September 2, 2005, 11:29 AM ET

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THE BOTTOM LINE

By Len Pasquarelli, ESPN.com

Forget all the offseason turbulence, the acrimony created by wide receiver Terrell Owens, the various contract disputes, the seasonlong injuries sustained by starting wideout Todd Pinkston and No. 2 tailback Correll Buckhalter, and the shooting of projected starting right defensive end Jerome McDougle during a carjacking. The Eagles, who have captured four straight division titles, figure to win a fifth, and by a healthy margin.

And since this remains a team of great depth, and one with a defense that could be even better than in 2004 now that cornerbacks Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard each have a year under their belts as starters, there is no reason to believe the Eagles won't contend for a fifth straight NFC Championship Game and a second straight Super Bowl appearance. Head coach Andy Reid and the Philadelphia front office have once again assembled an estimable roster. And Reid, who has a knack for being able to deflate any controversy, has for the most part kept his players above the various frays.

Sure, there are a few areas of concern: The overall youth of the wide receiver corps, the need for a big, backup tailback, questions surrounding the right defensive end position. But the Eagles have a quarterback, in Donovan McNabb, who keeps getting better. They have a splendid coaching staff. And they have, as usual, another legitimate shot to win the Super Bowl.

ESPN's TAKE

By Joe Theismann, ESPN.com

The Big Question?
This team isn't used to the distractions that an unhappy player can cause, and it's easy for a team to get derailed when one guy won't stop acting out. Hopefully certain players will understand that the time for football is here, and it's time to play football and to worry about other things at other times. Can the Eagles avoid getting distracted?

FANTASY TAKE

By Scott Engel, ESPN.com

Sleeper: WR Greg Lewis
Lewis has the ability to stand out at times while playing across from Terrell Owens. He has good hands and moves and can get loose for extra yards after the catch. He could be a pleasant surprise as a good fantasy starter depending on the matchup. Consistency could be an issue, as Lewis must learn to fight off physical coverages on a more regular basis.

Bust: WR Reggie Brown
When Todd Pinkston was lost for the season, some fantasy-leaguers looked for Brown to step into the void. But Brown must polish his route-running skills and learn to read defenses at the NFL level, because he isn't going to beat defenders purely with his physical skills. Brown is smart and smooth, but he won't contribute enough statistically in his rookie year to help your fantasy team.

From ESPN The MAGAZINE

The Big Number

32 Grim reality check for Eagles fans: the last time a team won the Super Bowl after losing it the previous season was 32 years ago, when the Dolphins beat the Redskins 14-7 in Super Bowl VII.

STRENGTH --> DONOVAN MCNABB

It's official. McNabb (left) is no longer just good, he's great. As always, he's a prime running threat, which keeps D's honest. But he also has become patient and supremely confident in the pocket, just one reason he completed a career-best 64 percent of his passes with 31 TDs against only 8 INTs. Should he somehow manage not to throttle Owens this season, we'll grant him his next promotion: from greatness to legend.

WEAKNESS --> ME, ME, ME

Clearly Owens and Westbrook -- summer holdouts and, in TO's case, way more than that -- missed the big lesson in losing to the Pats in the Super Bowl: team chemistry trumps star power. No one denies the job they do. But by making it such a chore to get them (and keep them) on the field in the first place, these two talents undermine their team's cohesiveness.

PROSPECTS

All 10 Pro Bowlers are back. All 19 coaches are back. Nineteen of 22 starters are back. Translation? The Eagles won't just be handing over their NFC trophy. Having a healthy (and happy) Owens would certainly help, but don't tell that to the rest of the Eagles receiving corps.

Downfield threat Smith, who started eight games last year (including the Big One), takes over at TE for the retired Chad Lewis. Workaholic rookie Reggie Brown took 75 to 100 extra balls from the JUGS machine after every training camp practice -- morning and afternoon. And two weeks into camp, third-year speedster Greg Lewis (left) hadn't dropped a ball. Says S Dawkins, "He catches everything he gets his hands on." A good thing, since he might be McNabb's new best friend.