While they think they will be better in those two areas in '08, they're still not sure. The offseason acquisition of opportunistic Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, who had 16 interceptions the last two years with New England, should help improve their takeaway total, which was a league-worst 19 last season.

But Samuel and the rest of the Eagles' secondary need help from a pass rush that was very inconsistent last year. The Eagles had 37 sacks, but 24 of them in the first seven games, including 10 against the Detroit Lions. They had three or more sacks in just two of their last nine games.

Pro Bowl right end Trent Cole had 121/2 sacks, but just 31/2 in the last nine games. Undersized left end Juqua Parker had five sacks, but only two in the last 13 games.

The Eagles had hoped for a significant contribution from 6-4, 280-pound second-year left end Victor Abiamiri, whom defensive coordinator Jim Johnson had planned on using much like the Giants used Justin Tuck last season, moving him inside to tackle on passing downs. But Abiamiri dislocated his wrist in training camp and will miss at least the first month of the season.

They also signed pass-rushing end Chris Clemons, who had eight sacks last season for the Oakland Raiders. But Clemons has been hurt most of the preseason with a calf injury and probably wouldn't even make the team if the Eagles hadn't given him a $4 million signing bonus in March.

After finishing sixth in red-zone offense in '06, the Eagles slipped to 24th last year, converting just 45.1 percent of their trips inside the 20 into touchdowns. The Eagles are hopeful that the return-to-health of quarterback Donovan McNabb and one of his key red-zone weapons, tight end L.J. Smith, will change that. But the rest of their receiving corps, which many felt wasn't playoff-caliber in the first place, took some hits in the preseason.

Their top wide receiver, Kevin Curtis, who became just the second wideout in the Andy Reid era to notch 1,000 receiving yards last season, had surgery to repair a sports hernia in mid-August, and will miss at least the first month of the season and probably more. Their other starting wideout, Reggie Brown, suffered a hamstring injury in the second preseason game, and it's still not certain whether he'll be ready for the Sept. 7 season-opener against St. Louis.

The good news is McNabb appears to have completely recovered from his '07 torn ACL and looked extremely sharp in the preseason. More good news: rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson, a second-round pick in the April draft, had a lights-out preseason and likely will be a season-opening starter.

COACHING: Andy Reid, 10th year, 10th with Eagles (96-62).

REMEMBERING: 2007 record: 8-8 (4th in NFC East).

PREDICTING: 2008 regular-season record: 10-6 (2nd in NFC East); lose in NFC title game.