The Eagles defense needs to bring the pain today.

The Saints bring a high-octane offense to town today, while fans will truly see what they have in Kevin Kolb. Who will pull out this NFC clash, which could affect playoff seeding in January?

Quarterback — Edge: Saints. Drew Brees is coming off of a six-touchdown game against Detroit. The Saints signal caller is one of the most prolific in the game today. The Eagles don’t know what hey have in Kolb. They are about to find out. If McRib was playing, we’d call it a push. But, he’s not.

Running Back — Edge: Eagles. Mike Bell/Pierre Thomas can get the hard yards inside, while Reggie Bush will be looking over his shoulder for Sheldon Brown. The Saints backs can gain the yards and make plays, but so can Shady McCoy and Brian Westbrook. BWest 36 is better in the flat than Bush, so we give the Eagles the edge.

Wide Receivers — Edge: Eagles. Marques Colston is the beast that Shawn Andrews wishes he was. Otherwise, the Eagles have more depth and overall speed with Jackson, Maclin, Curtis and Avant. The loss of Kendra Wilkinson does not diminish the Eagles corps, and the Birds wideouts will have a field day against the Saints defensive backs if Kolb can get them the ball.

Tieght End — Edge: Push. Shockey is overrated, and Celek is underrated.

Offensive Line– Edge: Saints.The Saints line allowed Mike Bell, a man out of football much of last year, to average five yards per carry against the Lions last week. The Eagles enter the game without three projected starters. The latest to be pulled was Stacey Andrews, who gets replaced by Max Jean-Gilles because he doesn’t understand the blocking schemes.

Defensive Line — Edge: Eagles. The Birds line played well last week, shaking up Delhomme like a baby with a rattle. They should be able to stop the run and get to Brees a couple of times. The Lions scored 27 points against the Saints last week.

Linebackers — Edge: Eagles. Omar Gaither and the linebackers were solid last week. They will need to be just as effective this week. Gaither, in particular, needs to be on Reggie Bush in the flat like Sheldon Brown was three years ago. The Lions scored 27 points against the Saints last week.

Defensive Backfield — Edge: Eagles. Asante, Sheldon, Quintin, and Macho form the deepest group of DBs in the league. Sprinkle in a little Ellis Hobbs and Joselio Hanson, and the Saints offensive juggernaut could have its hands full. The Lions scored 27 points against the Saints last week.

THE PICK: Eagles 27, Saints 24. The Eagles defensive forces two turnovers, which Kolb and company turn into crucial points. Kolb is not spectacular, but effective. Jackson and Westbrook turn a couple of short passes into huge gains. The 12th man at the Linc comes up huge in a defensive stop.