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PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- The
Carolina Panthers
return to the site of their greatest triumph. Don't expect the
Philadelphia Eagles
to play the role of the happy host.
The teams meet Sunday in a rematch of last January's NFC championship game. Rookie Ricky Manning Jr. intercepted
Donovan McNabb
three times and the Panthers earned their first trip to the Super Bowl with a 14-3 victory.
Philadelphia became the first team to lose the NFC championship game three consecutive seasons since the
Dallas Cowboys
turned the dubious hat trick from 1980-82. Only the Eagles have lost back-to-back conference title games at home.
The loss to Carolina convinced Eagles coach Andy Reid he needed to get a playmaker at receiver to help McNabb. And Reid got one of the best, acquiring
Terrell Owens
from San Francisco.
Now the 5-9 Manning will have to deal with the 6-3 Owens, who has 26 catches for 364 yards and six touchdowns in four games with the Eagles. Over the previous four years with San Francisco, Owens compiled 270 catches for 5,264 yards and 51 touchdowns.
Owens finished the 2003 campaign with 80 catches for 1,102 yards and nine touchdowns. Eagles starting receivers
Todd Pinkston
and
James Thrash
combined for 85 catches for 1,133 yards and three touchdowns last season.
Philadelphia also added pass-rushing defensive end
Jevon Kearse
, who has three sacks and will line up against right tackle
Matt Willig
, who replaced the departed
Todd Steussie
.
The acquisitions have helped the Eagles storm to a 4-0 start. And on Sunday they have a chance to exact a measure of revenge against Carolina and improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1981.
The Panthers are in danger of falling to 1-4 after winning the NFC South title with an 11-5 record last season.
They hope
Stephen Davis
, who rushed for a career-high 1,444 yards last season, will return Sunday after he missed three games due to arthroscopic knee surgery.
The Panthers will be without receiver
Steve Smith
and running back
DeShaun Foster
, who played key roles in Carolina's victory over the Eagles in the NFC championship game. Smith drew a pass interference call against cornerback
Lito Sheppard
in the end zone before Foster bounced off four tacklers for a one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
Smith broke his leg in the season opener and Foster suffered a broken collarbone in the first half of last week's loss at Denver and will be sidelined for at least six weeks.
The Eagles will have
Brian Westbrook
, who did not play in the NFC title game due to an injury. Westbrook has 553 yards from scrimmage - 347 rushing and 206 receiving.
Matchup to watch: Panthers left end
Julius Peppers
, who had a 101-yard interception return last week in a loss at Denver, lines up against right tackle
Jon Runyan
.
Series: Tied, 2-2.
Next week: Carolina hosts San Diego on October 24 Philadelphia visits Cleveland on October 24
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