FanHouse Preview: Eagles at Vikings

Stay on top of all the postseason action with FanHouse's NFL playoff coverage.

It would not be bizarre of you to ask "How did the Eagles get here?" or, "Is this not Donovan McNabb's wonderful house?" Well, the second question might be weird to say out loud. But, yes, it seems odd that the Eagles are in the playoffs. After all, they had one of those controlling destiny things going on as they headed into a game against the Washington Redskins in Week 16. The result, of course, was a serious choke-job that left them all but, um, left for dead.

Then they paddled the Dallas Cowboys to embarrass their rivals and sneak into the playoffs, despite some sort of weird conspiracy that was supposed to have them not play hard. Or something. Either way, how did this happen? A miracle, mannnn, that's how.

Which is sort of the same thing that seems to be affecting Tarvaris Jackson recently, considering that he's playing "not horrible." Of course, it doesn't hurt that he has Adrian "McFumbles" Peterson running the ball behind him, a beastly offensive line, and an even more beastly defensive line to keep other teams in check.

Anyone with any sense (you know who I'm talking about) is picking the Eagles to win, because, well, Brian Westbrook is amazing and McNabb can take a game over. Of course, the Vikings can stuff the run and McNabb can totally collapse, so maybe it's not as clear cut as it might seem.

Three Key Questions:
1. Which Donovan McNabb decides to show up -- the one who slings 4th and 24 completions or the one who allegedly vomits in the huddle when things get hectic?
2. Can the Eagles stop Adrian Peterson before they give him the chance to stop himself?
3. Which would you least like to see: Drew's third nipple or Daulerio's pubic hair?

Player in the Spotlight:
Well, it could be Peterson or Jackson, or Jared Allen (just 'cause) but, honestly, folks, it kind of has to be Donovan. Think about it: he was freaking benched by Andy Reid for Kevin Kolb just a few weeks ago, appeared to be on his way out of Philly and then suddenly, BAM, here he is in the playoffs. Again. As MDS noted, it's not like a crazy run from a low seeded team would be something that surprising.

Minnesota's Path to Victory: Pressure McNabb. Westbrook is the key cog in the Eagles' offensive plans, because he executes the final step (read: the scoring part) of most plays. However, if McNabb doesn't have time to make reads and gets pressured by Allen and the Williamses, then Westbrook can essentially be nullified.

Philadelphia's Path to Victory: Stuff the run. Sure, the Eagles have to score. But more important than putting points on the board (not really, but you know) is stopping Peterson from having a big day. Tarvaris has been good lately, and that's fantastic, but without Peterson running wild, it's going to be a long day for him. If the 'Guls can shut down the Vikes' rush game, things will be looking pretty, pretty good for them.

One Interesting Tidbit: Blueberry muffins are the official state muffins of Minnesota. While blueberry muffins are without question delicious and a relatively "tough" muffin, any state that wastes legislative money in order to make a muffin choice official doesn't deserve any success in a sport like football.

Prediction: I'll go with the Eagles. I suppose I'd rather see Drew's nipple, I took them in the "experts" pool, and I don't back states with blueberry muffins. That, and AP is banged up and I could see McNabb going large here.

Eagles 21, Vikings 10