Eagles’ Reid has staying power

Even without a Lombardi Trophy to his name, Philadelphia Coach Andy Reid has a resume that’s plenty gaudy.

He has led the Eagles to the playoffs seven times, five NFC championship games, and to a Super Bowl. Since joining the team in 1999, he has won 115 games and built a .611 winning percentage, both club records.

And now, as he prepares for a pivotal game tonight at the New York Giants, he has the security of knowing he’s wanted. The Eagles gave him a three-year contract extension last week, a deal that reportedly pays him between $5 million and $6 million a season.

“I’m a piece of the puzzle here, and by my waist size I’m a big piece,” he joked with reporters last week, “but in reality I’m just a piece of the puzzle.

“I love Philadelphia. The fans, there is nothing like them. They have just been unbelievable. They’re fair. If we stink, they let us know we stink; if we’re doing OK, they let us know we’re doing OK, but they’re always there. That support is phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal.”

Of course, the boo-birds will always have this ammunition: The NFC East has won 11 Super Bowls -- more than any division -- and the Eagles have precisely zero of those.

First things first, though, and tonight’s game is a big one for both teams. The Eagles and Dallas Cowboys are atop the division at 8-4, and the Giants are one game back.

Philadelphia, which delivered a 40-17 pounding of the Giants earlier this season, has a chance to pull off its first season sweep of New York since 2004. That also happens to be the year of the Eagles’ only Super Bowl appearance under Reid.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said of the coach: “Does he have that burning desire to take it one more step to win a Super Bowl? This man here has a tremendous burning desire and obsession and will do nothing short of every attempt possible.”

-- Sam Farmer