GAME OF THE WEEK

ST. LOUIS at PHILADELPHIA

1:15 p.m., Channel 11

In St. Louis, nerves are on edge after Coach Mike Martz breaks out a new formation in practice pairing running backs Marshall Faulk and Trung Canidate in the same backfield and then gets asked questions about it.

“Why don’t you just give them our game plan,” Martz ranted at the St. Louis media. “Why don’t you just tell them what we’re doing? You’ve got to be kidding me. Maybe we shouldn’t let you watch practice. Why don’t you just give them a telegram?”

In Philadelphia, nerves are on edge after the Eagles watch film of Ram wide receivers Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Az-Zahir Hakim and Ricky Proehl setting land speed records running post patterns on artificial turf. Coaches huddle with Veterans Stadium groundskeepers to see what can be done about tearing out the new NFL-sanctioned turf and bringing back the old, lumpy, quicksand-covered-by-a-shag-carpet stuff. Just for one day, just for old time’s sake.

The line: St. Louis by 3.