(My Sportsbook) - The NFC-leading Philadelphia Eagles will look to continue their charmed life without Donovan McNabb this Sunday when they close out the regular season history of Veterans Stadium against NFC East rival Washington.

There's no quarterback controversy in the City of Brotherly Love, as second- year signal-caller A.J. Feeley will remain the starter despite the improving health of Koy Detmer's injured left arm. Feeley has stepped in nicely, posting a 2-0 record as a starter and looking very comfortable in the offense.

"I'm definitely seeing things really clear. The game's not slowing down for me but the decisions I'm making seem to be the right ones," said Feeley. "I don't know if it's because the game's slowing down or because of my preparation during the week. I'm comfortable, things are going our way and we're going to fight it out."

Thanks to their current four-game winning streak, three of the wins coming without McNabb, the Eagles are in a three-way tie for the top slot in the NFC with Tampa Bay and Green Bay. Philadelphia owns the tiebreaker courtesy of its unblemished mark within the conference (9-0), and only needs to win its final three games (Washington, Dallas and NY Giants) to assure itself home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Eagles can wrap up the NFC East title this week with a win or a New York Giant loss.

"We look forward to playing the Washington Redskins and another NFC East rival. Those games are always exciting for the players and coaches on both sides," said head coach Andy Reid. "Both teams are very familiar with each other. It's a great atmosphere. The last game in the Vet, it should be exciting."

Head coach Steve Spurrier's inaugural campaign with the Redskins has been anything but memorable. Spurrier came in with a lot of fan fare, but that interest has subsided and his team has lost four of its last five games to fall out of the playoff picture. The former Florida Gator head man has decided to point to the future and give rookie QB Patrick Ramsey the reins of the offense this week against the Eagles.

"We've got to remember he's just a rookie," Spurrier said of Ramsey. "He needs a full offseason, minicamps, summer, preseason, to get ready to play. It's unrealistic to think any true rookie can come in and play quarterback. He's got some potential. He's got a great chance to come in and be our quarterback. got some potential. He's got a great chance to come in and be our quarterback. He's got to come in and earn it."

SERIES HISTORY: The Eagles have grabbed control of this series in recent years, winning three of the past four meetings to narrow the gap to 72-57-5 in favor of the Redskins. Philadelphia stunned the fired up Redskins in Washington in Week 3, 37-7. McNabb lit up the Redskins' defense, completing 26-of-38 passes for 292 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Former Redskin WR James Thrash caught six balls for 107 yards in the winning effort for the Eagles.

Reid has posted a 4-3 mark against the Redskins, while Spurrier is 0-1 versus the Eagles.

REDSKINS OFFENSE VS. EAGLES DEFENSE

It has been a constant quarterback carousel for the Redskins' offense this season. Spurrier has changed signal-callers five times, searching for the guy that can lead his team into the future. Former Florida QBs Shane Matthews and Danny Wuerffel have struggled for Spurrier, so it appears Ramsey has won the job by default.

Following an injury to Wuerffel last week, Ramsey stepped into the lineup and completed 12-of-27 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown in the Redskins' 27-21 loss to the Giants. Spurrier liked the way Ramsey contributed off the bench in the contest.

"Patrick made a lot of good plays," Spurrier said. "He bounced around the pocket, bought some time to throw. He made some nice throws. Hopefully he can carry on and improve as we go."

Ramsey draws an unenviable task this week, facing the Eagles' relentless pass rush that has garnered a league-high 46 sacks. Spurrier thinks pass protection and a quick release will be the key to the youngster's success.

"We've got to have decent protection," said Spurrier, "but we can't expect our guys to hold them out too long. The Eagles do an excellent job of covering. They know what they're doing. It's a combination of [the quarterback] not holding it too long and the linemen giving him an opportunity to get it out."

Protecting Ramsey from the Eagles' multitude of blitzes is easier said than done, and with a mediocre offensive line it could be a long day for the Tulane product. Washington's line has surrendered 35 sacks this year, including six last week versus Michael Strahan and the Giants. Also, Ramsey will have to deal with the raucous crowd at the Vet.

"I don't know much about it," said Ramsey, "but I understand it's a hostile environment. They're playing great [defense] and that's primarily my focus. They are such a good team you have to focus heavily on their defense."

Look for Eagles defensive guru Jim Johnson to pull out all the stops in blitzing the rookie. DE Hugh Douglas, who leads the Eagles in sacks with 11, will definitely be a huge factor in this contest. Douglas had a sack in the first meeting and should have another interesting matchup with Redskins tackle Chris Samuels.

Hard-hitting free safety Brian Dawkins, the Eagles' team-leader in tackles with 77, will surely be sent on his fair share of blitzes this week. Dawkins has posted a pair of sacks this year to go along with two interceptions.

Ramsey must have a stellar performance from top WRs Rod Gardner and Derrius Thompson. However, it will be no easy feat for the duo to shake free from the likes of corners Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent. Taylor played very well last week despite a slight concussion, intercepting two balls during the Eagles' 27-20 win over Seattle.

Finding a consistent running game will be a crucial ingredient to the Redskins' success against Philly. If Spurrier can somehow swallow his pride a bit and commit to running the ball on a regular basis in this game, Washington will be much better off than trying to throw on every down.

Washington RB Steven Davis, who has been rumored to be on his way out after this season, must get 20 or more carries in this game for the Redskins to have a chance. Last week, Davis recorded 70 yards and a touchdown on just 12 attempts. The veteran tailback can sense that his days are numbered in the nation's capital because of Spurrier's offensive philosophy.

"Most [running backs] don't want to be in an offense where you're going to throw the ball as much as Coach Spurrier does," Davis said. "But I can't worry about that. I'm under contract. If it gets worked out, it gets worked out. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I'll move on and try to help another team win."

Look for Spurrier to throw young RB Ladell Betts into this mix versus the Eagles. Betts saw a lot of time on the field last week, but only garnered one carry for no yards.

"I was hoping to get Ladell some more carries. He was in there, though," said Spurrier. "We'll try again this week to get him on the field. Ladell needs a lot more chances."

Philadelphia has been rock solid against the run this year, holding foes to just 99.5 yards per contest. The additions of defensive tackle Darwin Walker and veteran middle linebacker Levon Kirkland to the starting lineup have helped the Eagles improve their run defense. Kirkland is proud of his team's accomplishments in recent weeks.

"A lot of people counted us out when Donovan McNabb went down, but this team has proven we can win without him if we need to," said Kirkland.

EAGLES OFFENSE VS. REDSKINS DEFENSE

It was originally thought that the Eagles would have to rush Detmer back into the lineup, once he was somewhat healthy, to save their season, but Feeley has surprised almost everyone with his poise and production.

"You never know about a quarterback until he gets in the fire. You want to think you know but until he gets out there and does it, you're not sure," said Reid. "He's really shown great composure and leadership in the huddle and some of the intangible things there that you can't really teach. He's come out and done that."

Over two-plus games, Feeley has completed 38-of-68 for 388 yards, three touchdowns and just one interception. Last week, Feeley posted solid numbers, hitting on 21-of-35 attempts for a pair of scores and one pick. Feeley is elated with his chance to be a starter.

"I love it. I get excited when I wake up on Sunday mornings because I know I'm going to be playing each and every snap," said Feeley. "I haven't had that in quite a while so I'm making the most of this."

Nonetheless, Feeley, who lost his job to Joey Harrington due to injury in college, thinks that Detmer should be the starter when he's completely healthy.

"I'm a firm believer that a guy doesn't lose his spot due to injury because of what's happened to me. I feel really strongly about it," said Feeley. "I don't think my play is going to decide whether or not I continue to play."

With McNabb on the sidelines, the entire Eagles' offense has taken its play to the next level. Starting RB Duce Staley has been a huge factor in Philly's success, including his 100-yard, one-touchdown effort against Seattle last week. The combination of Staley, veteran Dorsey Levens and rookie Brian Westbrook has helped the Eagles to the fourth-best running attack (148.5 ypg) in the league.

Philadelphia's offensive line led by tackles Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas has been outstanding at protecting Feeley and opening holes for the running game. The Eagles must continue to keep defenders out of Feeley's face this week.

Washington LB LaVar Arrington surely would love to get a few hits on Feeley in this contest. Arrington is one of the best linebackers in the NFC, leading the Redskins in sacks (nine) and ranking third in tackles (80). The Redskins' defense took a major hit recently when leading tackler and former Eagle Jeremiah Trotter was lost for the season due to a knee injury.

The Redskins held strong against the Giants' mediocre offense last week, limiting it to 316 total yards. Washington will need a similar effort against the Eagles. The 'Skins are 10th in the NFC against the run (118.4 ypg) and seventh versus the pass (198.2 ypg).

Feeley has fit very well into Reid's West Coast offense because he has been able to trust his receivers in tight coverage. He has been able to make quick decisions and just throw the ball up and let Thrash and Todd Pinkston go get it. Pinkston has been particularly effective in the past two games, catching 10 balls for 152 yards and a touchdown.

Trusting his receivers may be a little tougher this week with talented corners Champ Bailey and Fred Smoot glued to them. Bailey is one of the top cover corners in the league and teams tend to shy away from throwing towards him. It will be interesting to see if Feeley will challenge Bailey to make a play in this contest.

The Eagles placed a spanking on the 'Skins in their first meeting and that should give Washington extra motivation for this game. However, it appears that Spurrier has all but given up on this season and is looking towards the future. Philly should be able to force Ramsey into a plethora of mistakes, taking the pressure off Feeley and the offense.

Look for Eagles kick returner Brian Mitchell to have a big day and give the offense excellent field position. The former Redskin needs just nine combined yards to move past NFL legend Walter Payton (21,803) into second place all- time.