What they're saying about the Eagles

Here's the weekly roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles as they prepare to close out the regular season against the Cowboys.

And in case you missed it, on Thursday night, I took a look at the Eagles' chances of getting to the Super Bowl as a three-seed.

SI.com's Don Banks bumps the Birds down to No. 7 in his power rankings:

So much for the notion that the Eagles are the NFC's most explosive team heading into the postseason. Philly looked out of sync and uninspired in the Tuesday night loss to the 6-9 Vikings, and if Andy Reid rests most of his starters in Sunday's home game against Dallas, the Eagles will enter the playoffs having played about a half-quarter of quality football in the final three weeks of the regular season. Could it be that Philly already has learned to lean too heavily on Michael Vick's heroics, and when they're not there, they're just an average team?

Banks names Vick his Offensive Player of the Year:

Vick has undoubtedly electrified the league with his renaissance season for the Eagles, and in the process given us some breath-taking performances. Like that tour de force 59-point destruction of the Redskins on Monday night, and a comeback for the ages against the Giants two weeks ago. He's a quarterback and a runner this season, consistently bedeviling defenses with both his arm and his legs.

He has Vick as a runner-up for MVP and Comeback Player of the Year.

Jack McCallum of SI.com provides guidelines for covering the Vick story:

In short, the Vick story has to play out over time. It's his first season in the glaring spotlight -- he was a poorly utilized wildcat-back nullity in 2009-10 -- and we don't know if he's truly a changed man. The only thing that has changed for sure is his ability to play quarterback, that he has somehow become a read-and-react guy rather than a react-and-rarely-read guy, that he's seemingly figured out how to play a position that once seemed to be playing him. That's a storyline that must be told, and if you don't want to read it, turn the page. Perhaps there will be a story reminding you of what Vick once did. Just don't expect it every day.

ESPN.com has the Eagles ranked seventh in its power rankings:

There is no way Michael Vick's body can take playing three games in as few as 12 days.

Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com lists his 10-most fascinating people in the NFL from the past year. He's got Vick No. 1:

With his speed back to pre-arrest levels and his throwing accuracy much improved, Vick has reestablished himself as the NFL's most exciting player.

And besides an off-field hiccup at a birthday party celebration gone awry during the offseason, Vick has stayed away from trouble as he tries to rebuild a reputation marred by his dogfighting past. He keeps in regular communication with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and can even count President Obama as a fan. Only one more achievement is needed to complete this storybook comeback: a Super Bowl ring.

Adam Caplan of FoxSports.com has the Eagles fifth in his power rankings:

The Eagles will certainly be challenged by the short work week. They could really have used a bye week, but they won't get one after losing to the Vikings.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com names Vick his Comeback Player of the Year:

His career looked dead. Now look. He's about to become a rich man -- again.

Prisco has the Eagles' 38-31 comeback win over the Giants as his Game of the Year. And he has Eagles fans cheering Donovan McNabb at the Linc as his runner-up for the season's best moment.

Prisco lists the Eagles seventh in his power rankings:

They better hope that was an aberration and not a sign of things to come. That defense made Joe Webb look good and Michael Vick couldn't handle the blitz. Ouch.

ProFootballTalk.com has the Eagles seventh in its power rankings:

Well, at least the MVP vote won't have much drama.

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