It will be odd for Eagles fans to see Donovan McNabb in another uniform.

The Eagles are at an early crossroads of the young season.

Their game this Sunday against the Washington Redskins (4:15 p.m. FOX) is important on several levels.

Win and they establish themselves as the team to beat in the NFC East.

Win and they will have moved on from the Donovan McNabb trade.

Win and they will have in their hands a quarterback in Michael Vick who is reborn could lead them to a memorable season, maybe even the title that has eluded this franchise for over four decades.

Win and the Eagles can say they are not rebuilding, simply reloading for another run.

But first things first.

Andy Reid is stressing the obvious to his team. Forget the McNabb hype and focus on beating the Redskins.

“Like I mentioned to the team, this is about the Washington Redskins, it’s not about Donovan, although he’s a very big part of their offense, and so we’ve got to make sure we study him and how he’s playing,” Reid said at his weekly press conference. “(It’s not about) Michael Vick or Andy Reid, or anybody else-it’s about the two football teams, the two NFC East rivals playing each other. They’re always knock-down drag-out fights, and I wouldn’t expect anything less of this one, so again, they’ve got a very talented offense. We’ve seen that. Donovan is doing a great job for them. He’s throwing to two receivers that can flat-out fly, and a tight end that is a perennial Pro Bowl player that is on course for having another one of those kinds of years. And then defensively, [Redskins defensive coordinator] Jim Haslett is a proven defensive coordinator in the National Football League. He’s got a phenomenal mind for defense. And he’s bringing people from all over the place, so our offensive line’s going to have to be sharp, as will the running backs, and tight ends, and everybody else on the offensive side. And then special teams, they’ve got explosive players on special teams, so we’ve got to make sure that we’re sharp there. Again, it-s very important – I know there are a lot of people here – that we’re not playing the Redskins today, it’s very important that as a football team, we go through the process of getting ready for, again, a big NFC East football game.”

McNabb has been pedestrian so far. In the three games he has started, the six-time Pro Bowler has just two touchdown passes and one interception for an 89.2 quarterback rating.

Reid said he still believes McNabb is an elite quarterback.

“I don’t think it’s as much that as it is that he’s a great player,” Reid said “Listen, he’s throwing the ball as well as he’s ever thrown it. He’s leading that offense, and right now he’s playing very good football. So we’ve got to make sure we study what he’s doing in that scheme. It’s a little bit of a different scheme. They’re moving him around a little bit more than maybe what we did here. He’s seeing people on the back side when he’s rolling to the right, he’s seeing people all the way on the left side of the field, and he’s got the gun to throw the ball with velocity on it, so you’ve got to make sure you cover.”

The Redskins are 1-2 and a loss would put playoff hopes in jeopardy, even this early. The Eagles on the other hand can grab hold of the division with a 3-1 record.

McNabb tried at first to tell the Redskins media that it was just another game but quickly realized his own mother would not believe that, let alone all the fans watching this game.

“For me to sit here and try to explain how my emotions may be or what might be going through my mind, I think it’s just – as Mike Tyson said – ludicrous,” McNabb said. “The thing about it is, I think I can respond to that better when the game is over. For me to try to come up with something wouldn’t be right.”

It is very tough to predict this game. Vick has no vendetta against McNabb, in fact he has said he is very grateful for the advice McNabb gave him during their time together and added what a great teammate No. 5 was to No. 7.

“It was great playing with Donovan,” Vick said. “I mean, every day at that locker, every day I came in to work I knew I was going to get a good laugh; every day. Sometimes four or five times a day. He’s a type of guy, you know, you can be in a bad mood or things not going so well at home and he’ll give you good advice. He’s a very responsible person. (Donovan) is an overall professional. I had a great time with him. I enjoyed last year and I always enjoyed my time with him when we would sit and relax at our own leisure. He’s just a great guy, overall.”

What will it come down to? The game will most likely be won the quarterback who relaxes and gets into the game – and forgets the hype.