Eagles Focused On Vikings, Not Standings
By Ed Benkin
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Eagles are alone in first place in the NFC East, but the players insist their focus is on Minnesota.
The Bears victory over the Cowboys Monday night dropped Dallas a game behind the Eagles. The Birds claim they weren't paying much attention.
"I have a TV in my house but I don't have cable," quipped Brent Celek.
While the Eagles tight end may have been exaggerating about his television situation, it is clear Chip Kelly has his team in the right frame of mind. As has been the case all year, the Eagles aren't looking too far ahead or at situations they can't control and Linebacker Connor Barwin believes it is a compliment to their head coach.
"You give credit to Chip and the coaches," Barwin said. "They've been steady all year. We lost three in a row and we won five in a row, and we're getting the same message. The locker room is the same every week, so I think that's what allows us not to look ahead."
The Eagles rise to the top of the division has caused quite a buzz in the Delaware Valley. Quarterback Nick Foles knows the fans are excited, but he and the rest of his teammates are still taking care of business at practice.
"I know the fans are happy," Foles said. "We also know that we have to continue to pay attention to the little details. We can't get ahead of ourselves. Thinking ahead can only hurt us."
While some of the Eagles did admit to watching the Cowboys game last night, players such as Linebacker DeMeco Ryans say the Dallas loss will mean nothing if the Eagles don't continue with their winning ways.
"It's good to see Dallas lose," said Ryans. "But we still have to handle our business. From out standpoint, we still have to go out and do our job. It's good that they lost, but it still doesn't do anything good for us unless we go out and continue to do what we've been doing."
DeSean Jackson is well aware of the highs and lows of the NFL, and the Eagles wide receiver knows anything can happen over the last few weeks of the season.
"There are still three games left in the season," Jackson said. "It's the NFL and there are great teams out there who are fighting just like we're fighting. We have to continue to go out there and just give us our best chance to be ready on Sunday."
The NFL announced on Tuesday that the Eagles home game against the Bears on December 22nd has been flexed to 8:30 p.m.
