Sports Illustrated Predicts Eagles vs. Patriots in the Super Bowl

Just got my Sports Illustrated Football Preview in the mail, and the first thing I did was flip to the predictions page. To my surprise, SI picks the Eagles to win the NFC East with a 12-4 record. The Cowboys have been a near-unanimous selection to win the East by most national publications, but SI picks them second at 10-6. I was even more surprised when I glanced at the magazine's predictions for the playoffs. They have the Eagles over the Cowboys in the Divisional Round, then the Eagles over the Vikings in the NFC Championship, setting up a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX! They do pick the Eagles to lose to the Patriots, but I am stunned that SI thinks that much of the Eagles!

Don't get me wrong, I think the Eagles will have a strong year, but I have a hard time seeing them beat out the Cowboys for first place. As the preseason has continued on, the Eagles have looked better and better, going from a 9-7 team in my eyes to more of a 10 or 11-win team. Let's hope Sports Illustrated is right and the Eagles make a serious run this year!

Of course, some of the other predictions in SI are questionable. The Vikings at 13-3? I think they are a great sleeper team, but Tarvaris Jackson is still their quarterback. The Raiders at 3-13? Seems a little low to me. I also don't see how the Panthers will go 9-7, although they do have an easy schedule.