PULLING OUT STOPS

0 Comments | Philadelphia Daily News, October, 2007 | by LES BOWEN bowenl@phillynews.com

IF YOU'RE the Eagles' defense, and you're getting ready to face a really good running back, you know the questions are coming.

Six games into the season, you are ranked eighth in the NFL in rushing defense, but everybody knows this is a team that has had trouble stopping the run for much of the past decade. A year ago, the Birds ranked 26th, and their postseason died in New Orleans largely because the Saints rushed for 208 yards.

So, on Sunday, the 2-4 Eagles travel to Minnesota to try to keep their flatlining season alive against the 2-4 Vikings and rookie running back Adrian Peterson, whose first half-dozen games have inspired comparisons with some of the all-time greats. Peterson has gained an NFL-best 670 yards on just 108 carries, 6.2 yards per carry. When the...