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Check Points: Looking ahead to next week

Here are some things to check up on as the Birds prepare this week for Sunday night's game against the Vikings:

Here are some things to check up on as the Birds prepare this week for Sunday night's game against the Vikings:

- Rookie safety Kurt Coleman will almost certainly be filling in for Nate Allen the rest of the way. He has looked good in run support but has been victimized on deep passes at times this year. As the Eagles head toward the playoffs, how does the seventh-round pick handle the pressure?

- Michael Vick came up limping at several points Sunday. He obviously had plenty of legs for his tear through the fourth quarter. But do the Eagles try to lighten the load on him somehow - more protection? - as they head to the playoffs?

- Brent Celek had just two catches, but one was for a 65-yard touchdown that started the Eagles' fourth-quarter rally. Are we seeing him return to pass-catching form?

- The Vikings are up next for the Eagles, but they've been going through an unenviable rash of quarterback injuries. Just who will be getting chased by Trent Cole on Sunday?

- King Dunlap protected Vick's blind side each of the last two weeks, filling in for Winston Justice at right tackle. Will Justice recover enough to play next week, or do we see more of Dunlap?

- Andy Reid preaches never getting too high or too low, but even the coach was pretty high after this one. The Eagles' work isn't done, though. With a strong finish they could clinch the NFC's second seed. But after such an emotional win in such a big game, can they refocus for the next one?

- We say this after every victory, but how long can LeSean McCoy continue to make the big plays on the ground and through the air? Will any team be able to stop this guy from quietly having an all-pro season?

- Is it time to look at rookie cornerback Trevard Lindley a little more seriously? Dimitri Patterson was terrible on Sunday.

- The thrilling victory will overshadow another woeful effort from the defense. Can Sean McDermott get his pass defense to put together a four-quarter performance?

- Vick's 130 yards rushing was the fourth-highest total of his career. Will the Vikings be able to put a clamp on the elusive runner, or will Vick be able to finally settle back and take a day off from scrambling?

- The Eagles' 28 fourth-quarter points were the most in team history. Can they top that next Sunday night?

- DeSean Jackson became only the second player in NFL history to score touchdowns three ways - receiving, rushing, and returning - in each of his first three seasons. What's next?