The Eagles are soaring in Philadelphia!

The 4-0 NFC East leaders return to action this week following a bye with a home rematch against a familiar foe – the 2003 NFC Champion Carolina Panthers.

When the two teams last met in the NFC Championship Game in January, it was the visiting Panthers who earned a trip to the Super Bowl, besting the Eagles 14-3. Philadelphia is determined to extend its season by one game this year and is off to a spectacular start in pursuit of that objective.

The Eagles are seeking their first 5-0 start in more than two decades. Not since the 1981 squad started 6-0 en route to a 10-6 record and a Wild Card playoff appearance has a Philadelphia team begun a season with such success. And not only are the Eagles winning – thanks in large part to the potent combination of quarterback DONOVAN MC NABB and wide receiver TERRELL OWENS – but they are doing so in convincing fashion.

Philadelphia has won each of its four games by at least 10 points, with an average margin of victory of 13.0 points, and can become only the sixth team in 70 years with five consecutive victories by double digits to start a season. A look at the clubs to accomplish the feat:

The play of McNabb and Owens has been a big factor for Philadelphia. McNabb is off to the best start of his career, completing 68.1 percent of his attempts (98 of 144), tossing nine touchdown passes against one interception, and posting a 110.5 passer rating.

Despite his team’s fast start, head coach ANDY REID is well aware of the long road ahead.

"Right now, it’s like we’re in the first quarter of a football game," says Reid. "There are highs and lows during the season. So far, everything has been rosy. We haven’t hit the lows. The first quarter has been great, but we have three more quarters left. We’ll see how it all works out by the time we’re done."

The Panthers, meanwhile, are trying to get back on track. Carolina is 1-3 and coming off a hard-fought 20-17 road loss to the Denver Broncos.

Under head coach JOHN FOX, who inherited a 1-15 team following the 2001 season and saw the squad improve to 7-9 in 2002 and 11-5 last year, the Panthers have shown the ability to respond to adversity. And if they can do so again, they may have a chance to return to the playoffs.

"Any loss is a bad loss and we’re in a tough position," says Panthers quarterback JAKE DELHOMME. "It’s frustrating because we know we have a decent team. There are a lot of games left, and we’re going to keep working to turn it around."

Since 1990, 18 teams have "turned it around" -- starting the season with a record of at best 1-3 and advancing to the playoffs. At least one such team has qualified for the postseason in all but three years – 1994, 1999, 2003 – since 1990.

A look at the teams with no more than one win in their first four games that have gone on to qualify for the playoffs since 1990: