Can McNabb throw the Eagles to victory?

Week four of the NFL season and two of the most attacking sides, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, square off in Kansas. The two teams have begun the season with two wins out of three, so something will have to give on Sunday night when the might of Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens face up to Trent Green and co.

Eagles quarterback McNabb always seems to be carrying some injury or other, and his current problem - an abdominal strain - won't stop him competing this week, or for the rest of the season, even though it may require surgery at some stage. His presence is absolutely vital for the Eagles and while he may not rush for yardage himself as much as in previous years, his arm remains strong and his receivers, particularly Owens, are sure to give the Chiefs defence a hard time.

Having begun with two wins, the Chiefs were humbled 30-10 by the Denver Broncos last week and if they defend in the same way on Sunday, they'll be in real trouble. The Broncos destroyed them on the ground, with 221 rushing yards, and with the Eagles' Brian Westbrook averaging more than five yards per run, they will have their hands full again. Westbrook is also a danger when McNabb chooses to pass, the running back having caught for three touchdowns already this season, the same number as Owens.

If the Chiefs are to succeed, then not only will their defence need to step up, but they will need a vastly improved performance from running back Priest Holmes, who ran for just 61 yards last weekend, and Larry Johnson, who had both starred in their opening two wins. Quarterback Green, too, is not firing on all cyclinders yet with just one touchdown pass so far, compared to a total of 27 last year.

For the record, the two teams haven't played each other since November 2001, when Philadelphia won 23-10, but they lost their only away game so far this season, while the Chiefs won their only home game to date.

Home advantage will of course help Kansas City's cause, but I fancy the Eagles to show how good they are and odds of 11-10 for outright victory on the day looks pretty generous.