EAGLES GROWING AS A TEAM

The Eagles are growing as a football team.

Actually, they're growing beards, stealing a page from hockey players who have been known to grow playoff beards.

"It's just a little something we decided to do as a team," veteran safety Brian Dawkins said. "It's not just a defense or offense thing. For me ... it's a reminder every time I get up and look in the mirror and every time this thing itches, it reminds me of what's going on right now. It reminds me of the task at hand and that's the run we're trying to make."

Dawkins, who has a noticeable patch of hair under his chin, said he started the idea a couple games ago.

"It's an individual thing," Dawkins said. "There's no stipulation or rules. A couple of us have rules."

Dawkins said the facial growth among the Eagles probably won't rival the full beards that some hockey players have grown during a long NHL playoff run.

"That on another level," Dawkins said. "It's a fun thing, a cammaraderie thing. For me, like I said, it was a scruffy, down-to-business thing so when I'm looking in the mirror, I was thinking about why I'm doing it. It's because of this push we're on."