Birds' COO: This Storm Is Different

Eagles COO Don Smolenski said discussions about today's winter storm began about 6:45 am Christmas Morning, when team president Joe Banner called Smolenski to tell him the storm's track had shifted, and tonight's scheduled game was likely to be played in heavy snow and howling winds.

At first, the discussion was about the normal logistics of holding a game in bad weather, Smolenski said, but late last night, the league broached the subject of postponement.

Those talks continued this morning, with Eagles and Vikings players stashed in hotels, waiting for word, which came shortly after noon. The game now will be played on Tuesday, the NFL's first Tuesday game since Oct. 1, 1946.

Smolenski said that while the Eagles played the 49ers last year in the immediate wake of a 23-inch snowfall, and the NFC Championship game following the 2004 season was played right after a huge snow, in both cases, the snow ended the night before, and roads were in better shape than they would have been tonight.

Smolenski said the NFL decided on making Tuesday the new date; he said the Eagles would have had no objection to holding it tomorrow.

Eagles coach Andy Reid told a pool reporter the postponement is not a big deal for the team, though several players tweeted their disappointment.

"We're organized and prepared for this, and we completely support what the league did from a safety standpoint for everybody," Reid said.

Reid also downplayed the difficulty of facing Dallas next week with so little time to prepare. He said the team would take Wednesday off, then reconvene Thursday to get ready.

Smolenski said the Vikings will do their walkthrough at the Eagles' practice facility tomorrow.

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For more coverage on the postponement, click here.