08/29 — Say "final preseason game" to a Jets fan and that has meant only one thing in this still-new millennium: Time to soar with the Eagles. Cue up "Gonna Fly Now" and "Eye of the Tiger." Put on your green and let's get ready to rumble.

Jets-Eagles games have always had a little extra meaning for me. I actually covered the Birds for one season, 1974, for the Gloucester County Times in Woodbury, N.J., not to mention the 9-73 Sixers the year before and assorted Phillies games with Mike Schmidt in his prime.

So I have a little soft spot in my heart for the City of Brotherly Love and I like to drive around Center City and South Philly before heading off to whichever stadium the Eagles are playing in down by Broad and Pattison.

Oh, I've had the cheesesteaks at Pat's and Geno's at 1 a.m., but Thursday afternoon you'll find me at my favorite hole-in-the-wall steak place, Ishkabibble's, on South between Third and Fourth. Great steaks, chicken steaks and fries, and the sights, sounds and smells in the cramped, eclectic, friendly neighborhood are excellent.

Eventually, I'll go to the Linc. Similar to Jets-Giants, the Jets and Eagles play every year in the summer and once every four years in the RS. Too bad the meeting has been confined to the final preseason week since 2001. Something tells me these sides would develop a healthy interconference rivalry if given the chance.

To get you in the mood for "the last game before the first game," here are some names and highlights of the Jets' last six preseason finales:

2001 — Eagles 13, Jets 12 (Veterans Stadium)

Rookie LaMont Jordan ran for 86 yards and WR Windrell Hayes (now an Army sniper) had six catches for 75 yards. But the Jets' only points came on four John Hall field goals, including a 59-yarder. A.J. Feeley's 17-yard TD pass to Sean Scott and David Akers' PAT with 23 seconds left won it. Jets starters: 2 series each.

2002 — Jets 23, Eagles 16 (Meadowlands)

The Green & White rode second-quarter TDs by Ataveus Cash, on a 36-yard pass from Chad Pennington, and DT Giradie Mercer, on a 23-yard return of an A.J. Feeley dump-off interception with 28 seconds left, to a 20-6 halftime lead and coasted home. Jets starters: offense 1 series, defense 2.

2003 — Jets 17, Eagles 9 (Lincoln Financial Field)

All scoring came in the first half, with QB Marquel Blackwell throwing TD passes to B.J. Askew and Jonathan Carter. Second-half hero: DE Bryan Thomas stripped Tim Hasselbeck (sound familiar, Wadsworth fans?) on second-and-7 at the Jets 10, Matt Walters recovering with 2:57 to play. Jets starters: did not play.

2004 — Jets 28, Eagles 27 (Meadowlands)

Brooks Bollinger entered the game with 6:59 to play and a 27-7 deficit and drove the Jets to an Ian Smart TD run and TD tosses to Terrence Stubbs and, with 8 seconds left, Matt Dominguez. Applying all the PATs: Doug Brien. Ken-Yon Rambo had four catches for 103 yards. Jets starters: 2 series each.

2005 — Jets 37, Eagles 14 (Lincoln Financial Field)

The Green & White opened a 27-0 halftime lead on touchdowns by Derrick Blaylock, Little John Flowers and Chas Gessner, then made it 34-7 in the third quarter on Rashad Washington's 99-yard interception return of a Mike McMahon pass. Jets starters: 1 series each.

2006 — Jets 20, Eagles 17 (Meadowlands)

Down, 17-0, at the half, the Jets came all the way back on Patrick Ramsey's 14-yard scoring pass to Dante Ridgeway, Brad Smith's 9-yard run in his NFL quarterbacking debut, and a pair of Mike Nugent field goals. Cedric Houston ran for 108 yards. Jets starters: did not play.