I have no idea what to expect from the Eagles on Sunday. At this point, they remain an enigma.

Is the O-line ready to gel together? Will the tight end carousel cause problems? Is Omar Gaither prepared to man the middle again? Can a rookie named Macho Harris ease our worries in the secondary? Does Brian Westbrook have anything left? Will Sean McDermott make the correct calls at the right times? What’s the deal with seven wide receivers?

Whew! That’s a lot to digest heading into week 1. Let’s forget about the problems in midnight green for a moment and chat about the opposing Carolina Panthers. What kinds of challenges do they present? In what ways can they hurt the Birds?

Here are a few:

- Steve Smith the punt returner – The special teams looked anything but special in the preseason. I’m not too concerned because most ST units are a mess in August. However, if I were Ted Daisher, I’d instruct Sav to kick away from Smitty. Why give the dude a chance to break one? Play keep away and give your guys a shot to get comfortable.

- Three tight ends – Unlike the Eagles, the Cats have three quality tight ends: Jeff King, Gary Barnidge and Dante Rosario. All three are capable of making plays down the field. The linebackers must be aware of them early, or the area between the hashes will be exposed.

- Front four – The Panthers lost their best defensive tackle in the preseason and will line up some untested players inside. Nick Cole, Jamaal and Stacy Andrews have to be dominant. They should hold an edge, but only if they communicate and play smart, physical ball.

- The other wide receivers – Muhsin Muhammad ain’t no spring chicken, but he is a crafty vet known for making big catches in big games. Besides him, Dwayne Jarrett and Kenneth Moore are not particularly scary. The Iggles depth at corner should provide them a distinct advantage in this matchup. Take these other guys away, more attention can be paid to the Panthers powerful backfield.

Obviously, the big thing is stopping the run. We all know that. Even if that tall task is accomplished, the Panthers are not a team to take lightly. Jake Delhomme, for all his troubles, is a gritty signal caller known for late game heroics. Ask the Chargers, who he stunned on opening day a season ago. He can look like garbage for three quarters, then turn into Tom Brady in the blink of an eye.

It’s a total cliche, but the Eagles must compete for four quarters. There are a lot of young guys and new faces on this team. Some of them have no idea what it’s like to be part of a winning organization. Old habits won’t cut it. Not this season and not in the NFC.

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