Vince Young(notes) will make this third straight start for the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, December 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. Young has now become a viable option for fantasy owners. But should he be a starter? I can’t really justify that. There are some reasons to start Young in Week 13. But overall, I think the risk is simply not worth it. This is a critical time for fantasy owners. You could be throwing away your playoff spot if you make a move to start Young.

First, let’s look at the good things. Young has thrown for 658 yards in his two starts for the Eagles. That is a pretty impressive total. Against the New England Patriots on November 27, Young threw for 400 yards in 48 passing attempts. It is well known that Andy Reid likes to throw the football so that is appealing to those looking to start him. In addition, Seattle isn’t exactly a fearsome defense. They just allowed a big day to Rex Grossman(notes) of the Washington Redskins. There is no reason to think that Young can’t throw for 300 yards in this game.

Of course, there is a significant downside to starting Young. Despite all of those passing yards, Young has just three touchdown passes in those two games. He has four interceptions in that same span. Young is prone to making bad throws and that is a killer for a fantasy owner. When a team throws the ball that much, you should expect there would be a lot more points on the board.

The other drawback about staring Young is the wide receivers he has. Jeremy Maclin(notes) will be out again for the Eagles. Meanwhile, DeSean Jackson(notes) is clearly unhappy. He had a rotten game against the Patriots that saw two huge drops. Those two drops took away a ton of fantasy points that Young could have had. Clearly, the wide receivers are down for the Eagles. You shouldn’t start a quarterback if you aren’t sure his targets aren’t up to the task.

It comes down to this. Young has potential as a one week starter. But the bad outweighs the good in my eyes. He might be an okay option in a spot start if your top quarterback has the week off. But there are no byes and chances are you have a better option on the roster right now. I would go with that better option.

* – Mark Paul is a regular fantasy football player and fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.

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The Philadelphia Eagles have a lot of problems to deal with right now. But Eagles fans like myself know that one problem they need to solve right away is the one with LeSean McCoy(notes). Although this has been McCoy’s breakout season, Philadelphia is still more likely than not to forget that he even exists, even while it lets the erratic Michael Vick(notes) and Vince Young(notes) shoot themselves in the foot.

We fans have trashed Andy Reid for his lack of commitment to the run for years – and now it is even more glaring now that he has one of the leading rushers in the NFL. It boiled over when defensive line coach Jim Washburn reportedly argued with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg over McCoy’s lack of touches against the New England Patriots on Nov. 27. But it would make more of a statement if McCoy argued for the ball more, either privately or publicly.

Normally, it rubs us the wrong way when someone demands the ball and acts like a me-first kind of player, a la Terrell Owens(notes). McCoy is not cut from that cloth, which helps make him a rare bright spot in the Eagles organization these days. However, if McCoy does have a selfish side, he should start tapping into it for the good of the team – and to determine if he really does have a future in Philadelphia.

Washburn and most of us fans knew the danger of not letting McCoy have the ball more against the Patriots. Even if he didn’t break a touchdown run or two, he could have killed some clock and not given Tom Brady(notes) so much time to carve the Eagles’ ragged and exhausted defense to shreds. But unless the Eagles are up by 20 or more points, McCoy usually doesn’t get to run 20 or more times – and often no more than 10-15.

The stats do say that McCoy has gotten more touches than most in the Reid era, although that doesn’t really say much. If the Eagles are going to win, then they stand a better chance with McCoy getting 25-30 carries every single game than they do with Vick or Young throwing 30-40 times a game. But Reid and Mornhinweg just refuse to get that through their heads – and if the fans and Washburn can’t do it, then McCoy should start to try.

Given how fragile Reid has become, McCoy may not want to make public statements against him for fear of what it will do to the locker room. Yet he has every right to make some kind of statement, especially since it will soon be time for him to sign a new contract. If this kind of offensive system is allowed to endure and waste McCoy, then he really should consider finding another team that will use him more.

If Reid is allowed to keep his job or if the Eagles don’t find the right replacement, it may wind up being the thing that drives McCoy from Philadelphia after next year if things don’t change. So if it is possible to convince Reid to change his tune, McCoy should take that chance soon. Considering that he has done things this way for over 10 years, it is probably a long shot for Reid to shake things up now – but McCoy should try to confirm it anyway.

Unless Reid is fired or suddenly remembers that he has a running game, there really is less and less reason for McCoy to keep wasting away in Philadelphia. Only a new coach or a new strategy can make the best case for him to stay with the Eagles after 2012 – and if no new coach is coming soon, then McCoy should start being more vocal with the current one while he has the chance. The results may shape the future of the Eagles more than Reid’s job status ever could.

Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident who has followed the Eagles since he was eight years old.

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As a Philadelphia Eagles fan, I have suffered through the disaster that is the 2011 season along with many others in my area. However, even in the wreckage there are a few bright spots. For me, one of those has been Jason Babin(notes). Babin joined the Eagles for the second time and has been pretty strong on the defensive line. He is able to get sacks and put pressure on the passer. I love his attitude and his aggressiveness. I wish more players on the team were the same way. But even I have to stop short of supporting Babin in his latest bit of news. Ahead of the Eagles December 1 trip to face the Seattle Seahawks, Babin had some choice words for the opposition. Frankly, I wish Babin would keep his mouth shut.

Babin took to Twitter to reveal to the world that he has a great amount of hatred for Seattle. He said that his family was treated pretty badly during his two years there. Babin played with the Seahawks in 2007 and 2008. However, he rarely saw the field. Babin also mentioned that he was upset that he didn’t play more with the Seahawks. I understand that that might motivate and I’m okay with that. However, I don’t think that qualifies as treating his family bad. Unless there is some massive incident I don’t know about, that comment from Babin doesn’t make a lot of sense.

But that isn’t even the biggest problem I have with this whole story. My problem is that the Eagles are 4-7. The last thing I want to see is any of these players talking trash on Twitter. This is a struggling football team that has serious questions about how hard they are really trying right now. Personally, I think Babin isn’t among the Eagles that is slacking the field. That said, he should know that trash talk has no place when you aren’t winning football games.

I like that Babin has passion. However, I’d rather see that passion directed toward the field alone. When a team is struggling the way the Eagles are, no one is going to take things like this seriously. That is especially true when athletes use social media forums like Twitter. To me, this is similar to a player doing an end zone celebration after they score a touchdown when their team is trailing 38-7. It just comes off as stupid. Babin should just focus on the game. After all, this team needs all the focus they can get.

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The Philadelphia Eagles face the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, December 1. This is the 13^th meeting between the two teams. The Eagles currently hold a 7-5 edge in the series. Since Seattle was an AFC team until 2002, the teams haven’t met very often. But they have had some memorable battles. As an Eagles fan, some of those games have been downright painful to watch. Here is a look at the most memorable games between the Eagles and the Seahawks.

November 2, 1980 – Eagles 27, Seahawks 20

The Eagles were 7-1 when they played the Seahawks in Seattle in 1980. Seattle was a respectable 4-4. The Eagles were shorthanded in the running game but they still had Ron Jaworski. Jaworski had two touchdown passes in this game to lead the Eagles. His second touchdown in gave the Eagles a 24-20 lead in the fourth quarter. The Eagles would add a field goal to earn the 27-20 win.

December 13, 1992 – Eagles 20, Seahawks 17

This game was a lot closer than Eagles fans would have liked. Philadelphia was 8-5 and heading toward the playoffs. Meanwhile, Seattle was 2-11 and one of the worst teams in the league. But the Eagles had their hands full all game. Randall Cunningham threw for 365 yards but no touchdown passes. The Eagles needed a late touchdown to force overtime. They kicked a field goal in the extra frame to save the embarrassing loss from happening.

September 10, 1989 – Eagles 31, Seahawks 7

I have fond memories of this season opening win as it took place on my birthday. The Eagles dominated the Seahawks at Veterans Stadium. Cunningham was brilliant as he threw for two touchdowns. Meanwhile, the defense forced three turnovers and sacked Seattle quarterback Dave Kreig three times in the easy win.

September 6, 1998 – Seahawks 38, Eagles 0

This is memorable for all the wrong reasons. The Eagles were completely humiliated in their 1998 season opener at home. Warren Moon threw three touchdown passes while the Eagles turned the ball over three times. Bobby Hoying completed just nine passes for 60 yards. This is easily one of the worst losses the Eagles have ever had at home. It also set the tone for a terrible 1998 season that saw the end of Ray Rhodes as the team’s coach.

September 23, 2001 – Eagles 27, Seahawks 3

After losing their first game of the 2001 season, the Eagles got things going with an impressive win in Seattle. Donovan McNabb(notes) threw for 283 yards and two touchdown passes. He also ran for a touchdown in the game. Defensively, the Eagles held Seattle to a mere 147 yards of total offense. The Eagles rode the momentum throughout the season.

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“Things happen. It’s an emotional game,” Reid said Tuesday. “It doesn’t matter if you’re coaches or players, things happen. So you take care of business like grown men. They’ve talked. I’ve talked. They’ve worked it out and we’re fine here.”

The Eagles (4-7) have to rebound quickly from a 38-20 loss to the Patriots and get ready for Thursday night’s game at Seattle (4-7). With Philadelphia close to elimination from playoff contention in a season that began with enormous expectations, most of the attention before practice centered on the coaches’ fight.

“A couple tempers, you know,” defensive tackle Trevor Laws said. “Jim Washburn’s a fiery guy, no doubt about that. Anybody that’s been following the team all year has probably seen him get in multiple fights, so I don’t know why this thing is such a big deal, to tell you the truth.

“He’s Jim Washburn. He’s a fiery guy with a chip on his shoulder, and he says what’s on his mind. Sometimes he rubs people the wrong way, but to tell you the truth, that attitude is spread down the defensive line and actually improves our play, and I think we’ve kind of been the fiery heart of this team, and I think that’s from Jim Washburn.”

Reid dismissed a report that Washburn was angry over Mornhinweg’s playcalling. The argument occurred after the Eagles went three-and-out on three straight passes.

“I’m not going to get into it, but that wasn’t the case at all,” Reid said. “It wasn’t an offense versus defense thing.”

Washburn is in his first season with the Eagles after working on Jeff Fisher’s staff in Tennessee. Mornhinweg has been with Philadelphia since 2003. Neither coach has spoken to reporters since the incident.

“I’d like to tell you it was the first time it’s happened,” Reid said. “This isn’t the first time guys get emotional on the sideline. It’s that type of game. Can it be a good thing? They worked it out, that’s the good thing.”

Most players found it amusing.

“I think it was blown way out of proportion,” defensive end Jason Babin said. “It’s a heated game. Their interaction with each other had nothing to do with anything other than those two guys want to win. Jim wants to win. It had nothing to do with what Marty does. It was two guys getting after it. Things happen sometimes.”

It seems likely the Eagles will be without Michael Vick for the third straight game when they play the Seahawks. Vick has been throwing, but still hasn’t practiced since breaking two lower ribs against Arizona on Nov. 13.

Vince Young, coming off a career-best 400-yard performance against New England, is preparing to fill in again.

“Even from Week 1, Week 2, you know it’s just preparation, you never know what goes on and you always have to be prepared,” Young said. “So, it’s really nothing too different about it; the only thing is when the head coach tells you that you have to start. So, overall you just want to stay in the book and stay ready.”

Notes: WR Jeremy Maclin didn’t practice because of a hamstring injury and likely will miss his third straight game. … LB Moise Fokou was placed on injured reserve because of an ankle injury. LB Greg Lloyd was promoted from the practice squad to take his roster spot.

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