|
|
One play really hit home for Brian Dawkins last weekend.
It wasn't his interception of Brett Favre's ill-advised pass that set up Philadelphia's winning overtime field goal against Green Bay.
It was Steve Smith's 69-yard touchdown reception that beat St. Louis in double overtime the previous day. Dawkins saw Smith speed past safety Jason Sehorn, the Rams' last line of defense on the play, to propel the Carolina Panthers into the NFC championship game.
On Sunday, Dawkins knows Smith is capable of doing the same thing to his Eagles -- and him.
``Big-time cat, big-time receiver,'' Dawkins said Wednesday. ``He is a guy who started off humbly on special teams, and now he is making a name for himself as a big-play receiver. That's just what he is, a big-play receiver. Every time he gets the ball in his hands, he has the capability, the speed and the smarts to get it to the house. Tickets
``He's definitely a cat that you have to know where he is on the side of the field, especially when they are trying to get the ball to him so much.''
Smith will face one of the NFL's finest secondaries and, in Dawkins, one of the premier safeties. The Eagles are extremely hungry to end two years of failure in the conference title game, and their defensive backfield often sets the tone in Philly.
ADVERTISEMENT
It's a formidable task facing Smith, fellow receivers Muhsin Muhammad and Ricky
Proehl, and quarterback Jake Delhomme because the time might need to be now
for the Eagles.
``I wouldn't say that the window is completely closing,'' Dawkins said. ``It's going to be harder and harder and tougher every year to get it done, because we are going to have some guys who will leave here this year ... and it is hard to put the right guys back in place.
``It's very important. If we hadn't been here before, it would still be important for us to win for the simple fact that you never know when you'll get back to this point. There are guys that go through their whole careers and don't even go to the playoffs. You have to take advantage of every opportunity that you are presented, because you never know when that opportunity will come back around.''
Of course, the Panthers could say the same thing, having made it this far in their second season, 1996, and not getting back to the playoffs again until this year.
But they've handily defeated Dallas and then stunned St. Louis in the postseason. They have plenty of veteran leadership like the Eagles get from Vincent.
And they have a playmaker in Smith.
``I just run my routes and try to be the first guy to look at and the last guy to look at,'' Smith said. ``I do it in practice and it makes it easier in the game.
``It is one of those things that just happened. I don't know how it has. I'm not going to question it. I am just happy it has.''
Dawkins wants to make sure it doesn't happen Sunday. Unlike the Rams' Sehorn, Dawkins is a perennial Pro Bowler -- he didn't make it this year because he missed nine games with a foot injury -- with the skills to prevent Smith from turning around a game.
Coach Andy Reid is certain Dawkins will be at his peak.
``He's an emotional leader,'' Reid said. ``He brings a certain energy to that group. He's one of the best in the business.''