Eagles' big dig on schedule

Tuesday might be a strange night for an NFL showcase, but fans heading to the Eagles' delayed game should find Lincoln Financial Field in pretty much its regular state after a big dig-out, according to Don Smolenski, the team's chief operating officer.

"It should be close to pretty much normal," Smolenski said Monday afternoon. There might be salt on some of the concourses, but the seating areas, parking lots, and public spaces in the stadium should be clear, Smolenski said.

One hitch: Winds were so heavy Monday that it was too dangerous to remove the tarp covering the grass field. The team had hoped to take off the tarp Monday morning to give the field more time to dry. Smolenski said he expected that it would come off Monday night or Tuesday morning, depending on the winds.

By late Monday afternoon, crews had cleared the stadium's lower seating bowl and the field, most of the club sections, and some of the upper deck, Smolenski said.

"Things are going very, very well," he said.

About 600 workers contributed to the shoveling effort that began at 7 a.m. Monday.

"Those guys, to their credit, have been out all morning," Smolenski said. "It just takes time and it takes manpower."

The team also worked to keep the field and other large public spaces clear Sunday as the snow fell. The snow itself was lighter than some in wetter, heavier storms, Smolenski said.

Work crews were expected to return to the stadium Tuesday morning to shovel out the last spaces that need touching up and some that might been missed Monday.

Then - hopefully - the focus can shift from digging out to playing.