Yet, in the Birds' three NFC East games this season, the defense has been the problem, the main reason the Eagles are 0-3 in their division. The Eagles are giving up just 286.2 yards per game, but the Cowboys netted 380 in a 41-37 win, the Redskins netted 388 in a 23-17 triumph, and the Giants ground out 401 in their 36-31 victory at Lincoln Financial Field Nov. 9. In their other nine games, the Birds have allowed an average of 251.7 yards per game.

This is a topic you'll be hearing a bit more about as the 6-5-1 Eagles prepare to visit the 11-1 Giants Sunday, in a game that will either fan the tiny spark of playoff hope kindled in the Eagles' Thanksgiving domination of Arizona, or extinguish it every way but officially.

In any list of games the Eagles' defenders would like to have back, that earlier encounter with the Giants would rank first. They couldn't get off the field - New York rolled up 39 minutes and 10 seconds of possession time, while punishing the Birds with 219 rushing yards, on 45 carries.

Afterward, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson wondered if he focused too much on perennial Bird-killing wideout Plaxico Burress at the expense of run defense. Burress caught just one pass that day, albeit for a touchdown. That shouldn't be a problem this week, Burress having compounded his disciplinary issues with an accidental gunshot wound that ought to keep him out of action against the Eagles, assuming he isn't suspended anyway by the team or the league.

"I don't think you're able to focus more on the run, but you don't have to focus on the 'X' receiver as much," Eagles strongside linebacker Chris Gocong offered yesterday, as the Birds returned from their long weekend break.

"Turnovers are going to be a big thing for us, and again, stopping the run. I think we're going to have to play a near-perfect game."

As bad as the numbers were in that last Giants game, the Eagles did manage two turnovers in Giants' territory that the offense converted into 14 points, and they forced a three-and-out to give the offense the ball back, down five, with 3:14 left. That led to the infamous third-and-3, fourth-and-1 sequence, which will also be discussed this week, for sure.

The Eagles have made a few defensive changes - Akeem Jordan is now the starting weakside linebacker, and seems stronger against the run than Omar Gaither. Last Thursday, with corner Asante Samuel sidelined by a neck injury, Joselio Hanson got a starting nod ahead of Lito Sheppard. Even if Samuel returns this week, it would seem likely that Hanson, a more physical player, will play ahead of Sheppard in the nickel.

"We're going to have to play big - we may call out a man, to put that extra guy in the box and hopefully stop the run, so [the corners] might be out there on an island," Hanson said. "We'll have to play with our 'A' game."

Of course, stopping or at least slowing the run doesn't guarantee victory over the Giants. Brandon Jacobs, whose 126 yards and two touchdowns, on 22 carries, exemplified the Eagles' problems last month, gained just 71 yards on 21 carries, 23 of those yards on one ramble, in New York's 23-7 victory Sunday over the Redskins. The game still wasn't close. Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw for 305 yards, without Burress.

"They're very versatile," Eagles defensive end Trent Cole said. Cole added that New York's offensive line communicates well and plays together seamlessly.

Strong safety Quintin Mikell said he doesn't want to get too caught up in dissecting the previous Giants game.

"We can't focus on what happened last time. Just learn from it, and come into this game with a new attitude. I think we're building that right now," Mikell said. "I'm looking forward to this week. It's a big challenge in front of us, but I think we're going to be all right. We've had a lot of ups and downs. We felt like [the Arizona game] was the first time where all three phases played well. Hopefully, we can build on that from here on out."

Gocong didn't have to think long when someone asked if this game would define the Eagles' season.

"Yeah, definitely," he said. "I'm not going to downplay it."

Gocong and others felt the divisional opponents do better against the Birds' defense because they are familiar with what Johnson likes to do. That would seem to particularly be an issue against the Giants, with former Johnson prot?g? Steve Spagnuolo running New York's defense.

"When you play a team twice a year, every single year, you start to know what people like to do," he said.

Of course, that should work to your favor as much as to the opponent's - surely you know what they like to do.

"You'd like to say that we know what we're going to do, they know what they're going to do, and it's a one-on-one battle," Gocong said. "I think it's going to come down to a few big plays, and one-on-one battles up front."

For more Eagles coverage and opinion, read the Daily News' Eagles blog, Eagletarian, at www.eagletarian.com.