Winston Justice: Eagles keeping first place in perspective

Eagles right tackle Winston Justice is writing a weekly column for the Daily News. His columns appear Wednesdays.

SORRY I MISSED you guys last week. With a late away game on Monday, I was overwhelmed with only a day to sleep, train, attend meetings and support an event for Eagles Fly for Leukemia, which helps children with cancer.

It feels good to be on top of the NFC East. But it really does not mean anything to us at this point. There is still much of the season to be played and we cannot get ahead of ourselves.

We haven't played the Cowboys yet, who seem to be on the up-and-up. And we still must face the Giants again. So as a young team, we must not let any past wins go to our head. We need to stay focused only on being successful next Sunday.

Around this time of year, it starts to get tough on us. Our bodies have been going strong for 10 games and the wear and tear of Sundays sometimes take its toll. As a player, I cannot imagine going to a regular season of 18 games. Just watching Ellis Hobbs on the ground last week is reason enough to keep the season at 16 weeks.

I love the game of football, but I don't believe an extra two games at the end of an already long season will help the National Football League. Actually, I think it will diminish the product. More players will get hurt, which means less guys actually playing in the playoffs. I am for everyone making more money, the owners and the players . . . but at the end of the day, I worry about the long-term effects on the health of myself and my teammates.

I want to wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. There is much to be thankful for. As I have mentioned before, this is still a new holiday for me, as I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness and did not grow up celebrating any of the holidays.

Now as a follower of Christ, I have come to appreciate the many blessings God has bestowed on us, even as we are so undeserving. I am grateful for such a wonderful family and friends who support me. And I am looking forward to my wife's pumpkin pie tomorrow.

What happens in the locker room during halftime? Thanks! Nate Bailey, Horsham

Answer: Nate, halftime seems to fly by. It's quickly filled with going to the bathroom, seeing the trainer if you are hurt, taking more supplements, and checking the projector as [offensive-line coach Juan] Castillo goes over any adjustments the offense needs to make.

It's pretty amazing how much you can fit into 15 minutes. Our position coaches already have still-shot pictures of each first-half play and they put them on the projector so we can make changes in the second half.

Also, if you have a uniform malfunction you must see the equipment manager for say, new cleats, socks or to sew up a hole in your pants.

If you are hungry, the team lays out oranges and Gatorade bars, but most guys decline. There is always a lot of yelling and "loud" coaching going on at the half. If we are up, the coaches are always yelling, "It's 0-0 out there" to motivate us to keep scoring.

Winston answers selected questions in his column each week.

Please send your questions to dnsports@phillynews.com. Please include your name and hometown.