With the NFL playoffs in full swing, it's win or go home for the teams still standing each week. This makes Sunday afternoon's matchup a daunting task for the Philadelphia Eagles, who will be traveling to East Rutherford, N.J., to battle conference rival and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in an NFC divisional playoff game.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Giants Stadium, and former Washington Redskins running back Brian Mitchell will certainly be taking in the action.
Now a member of the Board of Directors for USA Football, the national governing body for youth and amateur levels, Mitchell spent 10 years of his career in the nation's capital, but went on to suit up for both the Eagles and the Giants before retiring in 2003.
So who does the NFL record holder for most career kickoff (14,014) and punt return (4,999) yards think is going to stay alive in the playoffs?
"You would say the Giants have the best chance because they're playing at home, but the Eagles did beat them in Giants Stadium the last time they met," Mitchell said. "So this is one of those games where you just kind of close your eyes and throw a dart and say whichever one it lands on."
In fact, the Giants loss to the Eagles was the only one they experienced at home all season. Now in Week 2 of the playoffs, the momentum appears to be in favor of the Eagles (10-6-1), after quarterback Donovan McNabb threw for 300 yards in last week's 26-14 victory against the Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card game. Philadelphia has now won three of its last four contests, while New York (12-4) has dropped three of its last four - dating back to the regular season because of a first-round bye.
"I think it's going to take pass rush," Mitchell said. "The defense has to get to Eli Manning for the Eagles, and the defense of the Giants has to get to Donovan McNabb. If you don't get to either one of those QBs, they have enough weapons that they can truly hurt you."
New York will be looking to turn around a less-than-perfect end to their regular season, and Mitchell said he thinks the Giants have all the right tools to make that happen.
"The Giants are the more even-keeled team. The Eagles have Brian Westbrook being able to make some big plays, and watching that defense when they played against Minnesota, they can stop the Giants from playing and running the ball like they want to."
Which is exactly what New York was able to do the first time around in Philly - totaling 219 rushing yards for an average of 4.9 yards a carry. Brandon Jacobs alone had more rushing yards (126) than the entire Eagles squad (106). Big play capability is present on both sides, and for either team to have the edge, containing these plays will be very important.
Mitchell is well known for his ability to create plays on special teams. His 13 career touchdowns on returns also mark an NFL record, with nine coming on punts and four on kickoffs. In his opinion, neither team should see such a threat on Sunday.
"I think it's probably as balanced as you can possibly get looking at both sides," he said. "Both teams have very effective return guys and the kickers are very consistent. Being that the Eagles play in a windy stadium and the Giants play in a windy stadium, it's not going to affect those guys as much."
Mitchell once said that he thought the last season he spent with Philadelphia in 2002 was the best Eagles team there has ever been. How would that Eagles squad fare head-to-head against Manning and this year's Giants? His response was simple:
"That Eagles team would have destroyed these Giants."
And he's pretty confident about that.
"We had the best special teams, so it wouldn't be close. On offense, we were very strong, and defensively, our defense was better. So I think - hands down - we would beat the Giants."
This confidence is something he has been able to take away from his 14-year NFL career and the many years on the football field leading up to that. In his role as a board member, Mitchell hopes to make a difference among youth football players in hopes that America's favorite sport can influence their lives in the same way it has influenced his.
"When I was at a young age, my dad pushed me into sports saying how much it would teach me," he said. "And now that I'm 40 years old, I look back and I went to college and I've been through a lot of diff things, but I learned more things on the athletic field and being around different people in the sports world than I did anywhere else. If it can help me out, it can help somebody else."
Much like he did on the football field, Mitchell wants to set a positive example and help today's youngsters realize the importance of togetherness.
"I always use an analogy telling kids that a football team is like a car. If it that car doesn't have every part working, it doesn't move. So I would tell guys, make sure you handle your business, don't worry about the next guy's business, because when you start trying to do someone else's business, you don't get yours done and you start having problems on your squad."
Mitchell may have meant this analogy for youth football players, but the Eagles and the Giants might also want to take his advice if they plan on adding another game to their schedule this season.
