Eagles' Offensive Line Injury-Hampered as Philly Hopes to Avoid History

Filed under: Eagles, Packers, NFC East, NFC North

The Philadelphia Eagles can make history of an unwelcome sort on Sunday. If the Eagles lose at home to the Green Bay Packers, that will make this season the first since 1997 that the NFC East didn't have a team reach the divisional round of the playoffs. That was so long ago that the Arizona Cardinals were still in the division, Mike Shanahan had yet to win a Super Bowl and Michael Vick was in high school.

In case you don't remember, the New York Giants won the NFC East in 1997 with a 10-5-1 record but were upset in the wild card round by the visiting Minnesota Vikings 23-22. That defeat ended a string of seven straight years where an NFC East won a playoff game with the Giants (1990), the Washington Redskins (1991) and the Dallas Cowboys (1992, 1993 and 1995) all winning Super Bowls.

Since the Giants (1989) and the Eagles (1988) opened play in the divisional round before promptly losing, the last season before 1997 that the NFC East didn't have a team reach the second round of the playoffs was back in the pre-wild card round days of 1976 when the Cowboys and the Redskins were ousted immediately.

So if the Eagles lose to the Packers on Sunday, the second round of the playoffs the following weekend will be NFC East-less for just the second time in 34 years.

Philadelphia's chances took a hit this week when left guard Todd Herremans injured a calf during Wednesday's practice and was unable to practice Thursday. Herremans was limited on Friday and told reporters he was feeling good enough to play. Herremans, receiver DeSean Jackson and tight end Brent Celek are the only 2010 offensive regulars to have started in the Eagles' last playoff victory two years ago.

Even if Herremans starts on Sunday -- with right guard Max Jean-Gilles missing practice all week because of the ankle sprained in last Sunday's meaningless finale against the Cowboys and top reserve Nick Cole (who's also the backup to center Mike McGlynn) still on the injury list with a balky knee -- the Eagles' interior pass protection looks very shaky.

 

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