After having their 2005 season hijacked by injuries and He Whose Name We Will Not Speak, Philadelphia is poised for a bounce-back year.

Much like New England in the AFC, the foundation of the Eagles success -- their franchise quarterback and head coach -- is still in place. And for that alone they should be reckoned with. Donovan McNabb is fully recovered form the myriad of ailments that slowed him in 2005 and he is ready to guide the Eagles offense back to the playoffs.

The trouble is, again, much like the Patriots, that the mystique from Philadelphia's glory is gone. Most of those role players, backups and tough customers have moved on. What remains is a dichotomy of veterans on the downside and a foundation of up-and-comers.

The other hindrance to the Eagles is that they are in the NFL's best division and facing one of the league's toughest schedules. I think they will battle throughout the season, and be especially tough at home, but I don't think they have the depth or experience to outlast their rivals for the East's automatic playoff berth.

Here's Doc's 2006 Philadelphia Eagles Preview:
2005 Record: 6-0 (4-4 home, 2-6 road)
2005 Rankings: 19th offense (8th pass, 28th rush); 23rd (21st pass, 21st rush)
2005 Against the Spread: 9-7 (6-2 home, 3-5 road); 10-4-2 vs. total (4-3-1 h, 6-1-1 r)
2006 Odds: 29/1 to win SB, 8/1 to win NFC, 3/1 to win NFC East, 8.5 win O/U
2006 Strength of Schedule: 10th (.520 opp. win %)
Key stat: Over the course of the last six years Philadelphia is winning at an over 60 percent clip in five very basic scenarios: straight up (67 percent), road ATS (63 percent), vs. division ATS (61 percent), vs. NFC ATS (65 percent) and as an underdog ATS (60 percent). But since this isn't as tough or talented of a team we may want to fade those numbers, as they should come back toward even.

Returning starters: 14 (7 offense, 7 defense)
Key acquisitions: Darren Howard, DE (from N.O.); Jeff Garcia, QB (from Cleveland); Jabar Gaffney, WR (from Houston); Shawn Barber (from K.C.); Jeremy Bloom, KR (draft); Broderick Bunkley, DT (draft).
Key departures: Terrell Owens, WR; Mike McMahon, QB; Keith Adams, LB; Artis Hicks, OG; Hollis Thomas, DT; Chad Lewis, TE; N.D. Kalu, DE; Sean Landeta, P.

Offense: The Eagles were the NFL's fifth-worst rushing team last year. Not coincidentally, they ranked 30th in third-down conversions as well (32.7 percent). In all fairness, they were a mess without Donovan last year but they still need to work the ball on the ground more effectively. I don't think that's going to happen as long as Westbrook is in a Philly uniform. The offensive line is young and beefy. Their starters average 334 pounds - the largest line in the league - and that's not counting 349-pound rookie Max Jean-Gilles or 325-pound newbie Winston Justice. A go-to receiver isn't a necessity in Philly's West Coast offense, but it sure does help to have a red-zone target.
Defense: Most distressing about the Eagles fall from grace was how quickly their defense went from adequate to disgusting. They've never been highly rated in statistical categories, that is, outside of points allowed and red zone defense. But last year was brutal. They gave up the fourth-highest amount of rushes for more than 20 yards (14). Also, they mustered just 29 sacks, which should be rectified by the addition of Howard. He'll team with Javon Kearse to give Philly the most destructive pair of ends this side of the Meadowlands.
X-factor: Brian Dawkins. Much like Mike Brown in Chicago or Rodney Harrison in New England, Dawkins transforms his defense into a complete unit when he's on the field. Dawkins is 32 now and absolutely has to stay healthy if the Eagles are going to return to the postseason.
Outlook: A lot of experience and mystique from those SB teams are gone. Guys like N.D. Kalu and Artis Hicks fought through the battles and had a place in the locker room. There's a weird kind of morph going on here, as if they're not sure if they want to rebuild or not.

Questions or comments for Robert? E-mail him at robert@docsports.com or check out his Insider Page here.