He got running start

PHILADELPHIA -- When asked about the Eagles following the AFC Championship game, Mike Vrabel instantly mentioned his respect for running back Brian Westbrook.

Westbrook carried 177 times for 812 yards (4.6 yards per rush) in his first full season as a starter. He led NFL running backs in receptions (73) and led NFC backs in receiving yards (703). His 1,515 yards from scrimmage ranked fourth in the NFC.

This is significant because the third-year back out of Villanova got his chance following the Eagles' 31-10 shellacking by the Patriots in Week 2 of the 2003 season. Duce Staley (now a Steeler) and Correll Buckhalter (who missed this season because of a knee injury) had been getting the majority of the carries.

"We had to find something different," Westbrook said. "We'd lost our first two games. We had to find something fresher and a different way of going about things. I ran the ball a little more the next week."

The next week, at Buffalo, Westbrook ran 11 times for 96 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for 5 yards. The Eagles won, 23-13. They enter the Super Bowl with a 22-1 record when Westbrook touches the ball 10 times or more.

Similarly, cornerback Lito Sheppard traces his ascension to Pro Bowl cornerback to Sept. 14, 2003. That day, against New England, Sheppard made his first NFL start.

"That was an exciting game," he said, laughing. "I use that as a steppingstone. That was early in my career as far as playing. Those guys attack and give you a lot of different looks. I wasn't nervous, but I got good work."

In actuality, he got worked. But this season, the 23-year-old out of the University of Florida has become a dynamic presence. He intercepted five passes, two for touchdowns, including a 101-yard return.

Sheppard will be jacked up to play next week; he's a native of Jacksonville, Fla.

"I've played so many games in my hometown," he said. "It's like an extra energy boost for me along with the crowd."

Defensive minded
The Patriots' 3-4 defense frequently confounds opponents not used to the look. But the Eagles feel confident given their exposure to similar schemes.

Each of Philadelphia's four preseason opponents -- New England, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and the Jets -- employed a 3-4. During the regular season, the Eagles played Baltimore and Pittsburgh on consecutive weeks. The Eagles beat Baltimore, 15-10, then got hammered, 27-3, at Pittsburgh.

"We really got a chance to discuss it -- back to back -- so we have an idea of what we want to do against it," said Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress. "It is different.

"The challenges are obviously that there is no one on the guard or on the center. When we played New England here in the preseason, talking to Charlie Weis, they practice against the 3-4 all the time, so they were interested in playing against our defense to see the guards covered and the center uncovered. It's kind of a give and take."

Big-game players
The Eagles have five players with Super Bowl experience: RB Dorsey Levens (Green Bay), TE Jeff Thomason (Green Bay), LB Nate Wayne (Denver), DE Jevon Kearse (Tennessee), and RT Jon Runyan (Tennessee). Levens, Thomason, and Wayne won the big game.