Rest easy, Eagles fans.

A run at the NFC East may still be a possibility. One may think that’s looking at this through green-and-white colored glasses, or maybe it’s time to be tucked away somewhere with rice pudding.

It’s the midpoint of the season, and a time to look ahead. There’s enough to lament over the six-game losing streak. Remember when the team was 2-0?

Keep wearing your green and white glasses, as the season may not be over. If the Eagles get enough players healthy soon, and Vic Fangio’s defense comes to play, there remains a chance, even without Jalen Hurts.

Keep the faith ... that’s about all we have these days.

A Giant Step ... The Eagles host the Giants at the Linc Sunday, and the G-Men are 3.5-point favorites. Considering the state of the Eagles, that should explain that there are still some doubts about the Giants.

The 4-2-1 first-place Giants haven’t won in Philly since Oct. 27, 2013, and the 2-6 last-place Eagles have won 13 of the teams’ last 17 meetings since 2016.

Coming off their bye week, the Giants may have a significant advantage. That also presents some interesting facts.

Since 1990, the Giants have a 19-26 record off their bye week, but head coach John Harbaugh has a 15-3 slate off bye weeks.

Harbaugh easily has been the difference in the Giants season this year. They are still in active talks to find a running back, targeting the Colts Jonathan Taylor and the Titans Tony Pollard to help them over the top.

This game is just as important to the Giants as it is to the Eagles.

For the Giants, it’s important for them mentally to snap the Philly hex. For the Eagles, this can be a moral lifter and the start of a roadmap back toward respectability this season.

An Eagles’ loss Sunday will create a large amount of re-sellable, discounted season tickets and regular seats online for the rest of the season.

Stay Positive ... After the Giants’ game, the Eagles will have a much-needed bye week. The question then is whether GM Howie Roseman will conduct a fire sale — especially if they lose the game — or keep the club intact except for some fringe trimmings.

After that game, the Eagles host Pittsburgh Nov. 22 in a 4:25 p.m. tilt. Unless Aaron Rodgers collapses, the Steelers are a prime-time player, notably with the emergence of running back Jaylen Warren. It will be a tall order, and could also be an extremely entertaining football game.

From there, though, the Birds will turn around quickly and head to Dallas for a Thanksgiving Day tilt. Dallas has obviously followed down the same lane as the Eagles, and owner Jerry Jones could hire another head coach soon.

However, recent history doesn’t bode well for the Birds in Big D. They couldn’t put the ‘Boys away last year on the holiday after having a 21-7 lead that resulted in a 24-21 loss, and have dropped four of the last five in Dallas.

But if the Birds give the Steelers a competitive game — and even win — a victory in Dallas isn’t out of the realm of possibility with the erratic Cowboys.

The Eagles then have two winnable games, the first in Arizona despite another Garden Minshew comeback, and then host the hapless Colts, who look more like a college team.

If they can fight their way through those games, the Birds will host Seattle and Houston. Sam Darnold suffered a quad injury and is listed week-to-week, and his QB magic with the Seahawks may eventually be over. Houston QB CJ Stroud is inconsistent, and can be controlled and manipulated.

If the Eagles find a way to beat the Giants, Cardinals and Colts and then split their remaining games, that would leave them with a 7-8 mark and games left at San Francisco and in the Meadowlands.

Is it realistic? Probably not enough for fans to invest a large wager.

Getting Defensive ... If the Eagles are to make a run, it all hinges upon Fangio’s much-maligned defense.

They generated some sparks against the Commanders, but couldn’t keep their engine humming. Their second-half breakdowns continue to be an enigma.

For the record, the Birds’ defense is ranked 25th in points allowed, 21st in total yards allowed, 27th in passing yardage, 24th in rushing, 28th in sacks (10), and 28th in interceptions (3).

Looking at those numbers, it’s hard to imagine that they have sunk to those lows. Effort and conditioning appear to be two main culprits of their demise.

Still, the unit can quickly rebound Sunday against the Giants, who are tied for 10th with 21 overall sacks allowed. The Birds picked up two sacks against the Commanders, and Jalen Carter had one of them. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. had a solid game against Washington with 10 tackles.

Jihaad Campbell is listed as questionable for Sunday, but Trotter should stay in the lineup.

It’s hard to get a total read on the defense because it will depend on how Roseman reacts at the trade deadline. Moro Ojomo has been a hot item on the trade griddle.

The Eagles’ defense can re-energize their motor by placing plenty of pressure on Giants’ quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who had a stellar game two weeks ago.

But McCarthy has failed to live up to his high expectations since begin drafted, and the jury is still out on him.

The matchup represents a golden opportunity for the Birds’ defense.

Keep the faith ... at least until Dec. 1.

More Giant Steps ... Through their first seven games, the Giants have played just one team with a winning record — the Rams that resulted in a 28-6 loss — and their largest margin of victory was eight points.

Over their last 10 games, they will face the Jaguars, 49ers, Seahawks, Browns and Lions, all teams with winning records, and the Commanders, Colts and Cowboys with losing recores before their season-ending showdown with the Eagles.

McCarthy appears to be the answer at quarterback, and Cam Skattebo is back in favor with the running game after a benching.

Like the Eagles, the Giants will be looking to state their case as a legitimate NFC East title contender Sunday.

The Golden Game And The Tarnished Rating ... No. 6 Notre Dame (7-1) has its biggest test of the season when it hosts undefeated and top-ranked Miami (8-0) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC.

It will be the first matchup that has both teams being in the top 10 since the No. 4 Irish met top-ranked Miami in the fabled “Catholics vs. Convicts” game in 1988 that was won by Notre Dame 31-30 in a classic battle.

Miami won last year’s contest 27-24, on their own turf, but Notre Dame has an overall 18-9-1 lead in the series, including 11 straight from 1967 through 1982.

On a more deflating note, the Irish surprisingly were ranked 11th in the first release of the CFP (College Football Playoff) rankings. Miami topped that field, followed by Georgia (7-1), Utah (8-0), Indiana (8-1) and Alabama (6-2).

It will be interesting to see the Irish’s fate in the CFP if they lose Saturday.

Still, Irish fans in the area can always take some consolation, considering the state of Nittany Lions’ fans.

Readers Write

Losing The Faith ... But

Dear Jeff,

Being a longtime Eagles fan, this is a tough season. Watching them play, I have no words to describe what I have seen.

They may still have something left to make a run, but we have to see how the season plays itself out. There are just too many injuries, and too many letdowns on both sides of the ball.

Jim Bechtel

Pen Argyl (formerly of Slatington)

Scrapbook ... In each column, I will look back at a former standout from the area.

Vinnie Andrews had a steady and stellar career at Lehighton as a running back, and played an integral part of the Indians’ 2001 district championship.

Andrews continued his career at Albright College, where he was a steady contributor as a running back for the Lions.

During his junior season, Andrews made eight starts. He accumulated 765 yards rushing with six touchdowns, and caught 37 passes for 271 yards with one touchdown.

The following season, Andrews ran for 331 yards with three touchdowns, and had 20 receptions for 148 yards with a score.

Andrews then ventured into coaching, and was named Bangor’s head football coach in 2024.

Your thoughts are always welcomed and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.