"What did they score? And that was in the rain in an emotional game for Washington, and they still scored 23 points," Klecko said. "That team goes as the running game goes."

The Eagles will face the Giants Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J., in a game they probably have to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Burress had one catch for a 17-yard TD in the Giants' 36-31 win on Nov. 9, and he has frequently had big games against the Eagles.

Burress had been slated to sit out the Redskins game with a pulled hamstring, but he compounded his problems by accidentally shooting himself in the right thigh while at a Manhattan nightclub early Saturday. He faces two felony charges of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Burress' lawyer, Benjamin Brafman , said in reports yesterday that the gunshot wound is not severe enough to prevent the receiver from playing Sunday if he is permitted.

Roster move There is a good possibility that tackle Chris Patrick will be promoted from the practice squad to take the place of injured guard Max Jean-Gilles on the Eagles' roster.

Jean-Gilles landed on injured reserve after suffering a broken ankle in Thursday's win over Arizona.

The 6-foot-4, 280-pound Patrick was signed to the practice squad Sept. 1 after spending the preseason with San Francisco and Detroit. He originally signed as a free agent with the Giants in 2007 after a career at Nebraska.

McNabb weighs in Donovan McNabb , who is on the board of trustees at Syracuse University, told the Sporting News that Minnesota Vikings assistant Kevin Rogers should be hired as the next head coach for the Orange.

Rogers was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Syracuse when McNabb was a star for the Orange.

"He's a guy who can recruit the East," McNabb said in the magazine's most recent edition. "He's well-known back in the East - great r?sum? of coaching Army, William and Mary, and being my quarterback coach and coordinator at Syracuse. You have to be able to recruit the East."

McNabb said star running backs Ray Rice of New Rochelle, N.Y., and Mike Hart of Syracuse, N.Y., had committed to the Orange before changing their minds. Rice, who went to Rutgers, and Hart, who ended up at Michigan, are both now in the NFL.

Quotable "We put ourselves in a situation where we had to make them huge probably four or five weeks ago, so they're all huge." - Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown on the importance of Sunday's game against the Giants.

- Ray Parrillo