The 'dog masks will be out again Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Eagles are 3 1/2-point underdogs to the Vikings in the NFC championship.
The No. 1-seeded Eagles (14-3) were historic home dogs to the sixth-seeded Falcons in their NFC divisional playoff, only to stifle the Atlanta offense in a 15-10 victory.
Now they’re in the same spot against second-seeded Vikings (14-3) and the NFL’s top defense in Sunday's 6:40 p.m. ET game (Fox).
Despite the lack of respect from oddsmakers, the Eagles are embracing the role.
Doggone it, you better believe dog masks will be allowed at @LFFStadium this weekend. Just make sure to take them off when you go through security.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/0REb840ME7
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 15, 2018
Three things to watch in the NFC championship
1. Will Nick Foles take care of the ball? Eagles coach Doug Pederson had a perfect game plan for Foles in the win over the Falcons. The balanced offensive attack relied on a series of short passes — Foles completed just one pass thrown more than 15 yards while going 23 of 30 for 246 yards — and 28 called runs.
While the Eagles can’t use that exact plan against the Vikings, they can do something similar to help Foles protect the ball. After throwing an interception in each of the final two games of the regular season, Foles did not turn the ball over against the Falcons. While Minnesota ranked No. 1 in total defense, the Vikings did not force many turnovers — ranking 23rd with 19 takeaways.
2. Who will make the first mistake? All 10 of Atlanta’s points against the Eagles came off turnovers: A Jay Ajayi fumble led to a Falcons field goal and a muffed punt resulted in a Falcons touchdown. The Vikings allowed the Saints to get back in the game when Case Keenum was intercepted early in the third quarter.
A turnover at a crucial time could be the turning point of Sunday’s game. The turning point doesn’t have to be a turnover. Both teams have aggressive cornerbacks and pass interference or defensive holding penalties could extend drives.
3. Will there be more late-game heroics? The Vikings reached the NFC championship for the first time since 2009 thanks to the “Minnesota Miracle” when Stefon Diggs raced untouched down the sideline for a 61-yard touchdown on the final play of a 29-24 win over the Saints.
With two of the NFL’s best defenses on the field in Philadelphia, there might not be a lot of points scored and Sunday’s game could again come down to the wire.