There is nothing to announce on a sleepy Sunday night. No news. No moves. The Eagles gather for the first time as a 53-man unit, plus practice squad, on Monday morning at the NovaCare Complex and take steps in a quick 10-10-10 practice.

The game plan will be introduced to the players. The coaches have worked all weekend on the final touches as the team prepares for the Houston Texans.

With the regular season at hand, the focus is whittled down to the task immediately in front of the players, and that is to start the 16-game marathon off the right way: Go out and play good football and move toward the ultimate goal.

The Eagles are a Super Bowl-caliber team. They know it. You should, too.

This 53-man roster is deep and talented, an interesting blend of youth and experience. There is Donovan McNabb heading an offense that has weapons galore -- the receiving game offers speed in Donté Stallworth, Reggie Brown, Greg Lewis and Brian Westbrook, great matchup possibilities with L.J. Smith and Matt Schobel and size in Hank Baskett and Jason Avant. The running game will be done behind a massive offensive line with Westbrook and, I suspect, Correll Buckhalter heading the charge.

DE Darren Howard is part of an excellent defensive line

It's a really good group, and McNabb has himself an arsenal to work with. The Eagles will go after Houston wherever the coaching staff thinks the matchups are best -- it could be a run-oriented attack and it could lean more toward the air game. The offense, the coaches believe, has the ability to be multi-pronged.

What has championship written all over it is the defense. Can you remember a line that went 10 deep, that had as much power as this group has, that can put legitimately outstanding pass rushers on the field all at once (Jevon Kearse, Darren Howard, Trent Cole)?

Tremendous.

Overlooked in this preseason was the perfect job turned in by placekicker David Akers, a booming effort from Dirk Johnson and coverage units that were outstanding.

There are questions to be answered, as there are with any teams. The Eagles must show balance on the ground. They must have several key youngsters -- among them, Cole, Matt McCoy, Todd Herremans and Brown -- step up to the challenge that awaits. They must have a return game on special teams that scares the daylights out of the opposition.

We'll learn all about that as the weeks progress.

But right now, from this perspective, the Eagles are absolutely contenders for the championship. That is the goal here. That should be your expectations. Anything less would be a disappointment.

So the stakes are high and the mood is terrific. The chemistry and kindship on the team throughout the summer worked, and it will only get better as Sunday draws close.

There is nothing to report on a late Sunday night in Philadelphia. Nothing other than the regular season approaches, and the time is right to get ready for a great Eagles season. It's that time of the year, and you should feel very, very good about your favorite football team.

QUICK NEWS, NOTES AND NONSENSE

The Eagles had no announcements on Sunday, which apparently means they were not awarded any players off of waivers. It is not known if they actually put in claims for players. Things could change, but it would seem that this current 53-man roster is the one you will see in Houston.

It's likely the practice squad has been put in place, so look for the Eagles to announce the team on Monday morning.

Cornerback/safety Matt Ware was claimed by the Arizona Cardinals. Good luck to Matt, a good guy and a player who just needs to be in the right system at the right time.

Ask the Steelers how quickly things change in the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger is out after having an appendectomy, and he'll likely miss several weeks. It's a nasty recovery.

I'm guessing Buckhalter will be the team's No. 2 halfback, and he'll get 8-10 touches in Houston. He looks quick, darting and ready to game action.

This from FOX Sports analyst Brian Baldinger, with whom I spoke on Sunday: "The Eagles offense is going to be lights out in a lot of ways. They can come at you in so many different forms, and I just love the way they practice and scheme. I see a lot of teams practice, and nobody does it the way the Eagles do. It's why Andy Reid is so successful."

Good to hear.