special. hi, guys. >> hi, guys. >> reporter: hey, guys. we are yes at chickie's and pete's where the excitement is starting to build here. we've seen eagles fans roll through here all afternoon long. everybody is wearing green. the eagles back in the nfc championship game for the first time in nine years. >> it's been a long time ducis. >> too long. >> that's what this town is just green with excitement. let's look at the eagles today. they took practice back outside. it's been awhile. they've been inside the bubble and they took it outside because, you know, they want to get back into the elements. and also they resodded the field at the linc because there was some slippery footing last week with the falcons game so the turf is a little bit different. of course that is going to be quite the home field advantage this week. this is the biggest game of many of these eagles' entire lives and yet they're trying to not be weighed down by the gravity of the situation

jay says. >> we do this. this is our job. we do it every day and this work week the practices that we put in throughout the week that allow us to just go out on sundays and feel calm and comfortable with the game plan that we have and so that's really what it's all about. >> reporter: they really have been keeping it loose ducis. i've been in the locker room all week. they're shooting hoops in there, they're making fun of each other there's dog masks flying around. you don't feel the pressure of the situation. >> reporter: and that is a great sign. it wasn't just in the atlanta game they've been that way all season long, a lot of loose talk in the locker room. i've got a good feeling about this game, jamie. >> you go. >> reporter: i've got a really good feeling about this. we'll talk more about it coming up in little bit later. for jaime apody i'm ducis rodgers live in south philadelphia channel6 "action news." back to you guys. >> we like hearing that. getting to and from the game whether by car or by septa will be different if you are opting drive to the linc you should be prepared for some road closures and some delays.

now, if you're going to use septa the subway or the bus the transit agency says it is adding additional service to and from the stadium. >> septa and patco offering folks an incentive to take public transportation with a game day discount. starting today you can purchase a four dollars pass to get you to and from the game on the broad street line and for anyone in south jersey, patco has expanded its hours for both saturday and sunday. well, whether you're at the stadium or in the city eagles fans will be everywhere and philadelphia police also say they are ready to maintain peace while folks have fun this weekend. >> vernon odom live at police headquarters with more on the plans. hi, vernon. >> reporter: hi, monica and to you rick, law enforcement says tonight they are ready for a big weekend of keeping every wasn't safe during all that is on tap here in philadelphia this weekend. their game plan is set. could an eagles win sunday night trigger spontaneous large scale street celebrations like this one the night the phillies won the

world series in 08. maybe, maybe not. it is after all the ticket to the super bowl, not the lombardi trophy yet but police are prepared for whatever happens sunday night. >> our patrol bureau has a plan set up for the rest of the city. we have 21 districts. we had each of our 21 captains, the captains of those districts identify hot spots, their historical locations where people come out to celebrate when one of our sports teams wins. >> reporter: police say extra officers will be on duty with many more on stand by if needed. the brass says they've learned a lot since the 08 experience. this was before after all social media became as powerful as it is now. another factor, they must now take into account. street parking will be prohibited on south broad street from south street to the stadium from 2:00 p.m. sunday to 3:00 monday morning. no together but individual officers will have the discretion to ticket or not. septa police always busy with

at least 15,000 extra riders on eagles game days are ready for even larger ridership this time. before and after the game. >> you're going to see a large visible presence. >> reporter: it's going to be a busy weekend. the massive women's march on the ben franklin parkway kicks off at 10:00 tomorrow morning. thousands are expected just as they join 5 million across the globe in the wake of president trump's inauguration a year ago. crossing streets from 18th to 25th will be blocked off expected to go well into the late afternoon. >> the nice event it's family friendly but it draws a huge crowd. we had over 50,000 participants last year. we expect more this year. >> reporter: rick, monica, one other point tonight the head of homeland security for the philadelphia police force says there are no credible threats or terrorist attacks here in the city of philadelphia. i'm vernon odom, channel6 "action news" live at police

headquarters in center city. >> all right, thank you vernon. >> well, what's a great football party without great food? and eagles fans are known to throw a pretty awesome shindig. "action news" was out and about at the grocery stores to see what folks were picking up. lots of cakes cookies and treats all adorned with eagles green. and it looks like tailgaters fans and players have pretty decent weather this weekend, too. meteorologist melissa magee who is in for cecily tonight has the "action news" forecast for us from the weather center. hey, melissa. >> hi rick. yeah, these numbers will keep on climbing as we head into the weekend so we can say we're on our way up. on wednesday we had a high temperature of 33. yesterday's high just 36. and today in philadelphia coming in at 46 degrees, so it's 10 degrees milder this afternoon than it was just yesterday. right now you can see all of that warmth along the i-95 corridor from philadelphia down to washington, d.c. still holding at 52 in richmond, virginia and 50 in roanoke virginia. so with high pressure in control, you could see that on

satellite6 along with action radar we've got a mostly clear sky across much of the eastern half of the u.s. and no wet weather is heading our way. at least for the next two days. we'll show you what's going on with the eagles forecast on sunday. 6:40 in the evening it's rather cloudy. we've got a southwesterly wind but that first quarter temperature coming in at 44 degrees. it's still nice and mild and as we get into the fourth quarter we've got a number coming in at 42 degrees. so, you certainly need a layer but it will not be as cold this go round at the linc as it was just last weekend. so, we've got more details on the eagles forecast and what we can expect for the rest of our weekend. details coming up with the accuweather 7-day, guys. >> sounds good. >> thanks melissa. >> "action news" of course your source for eagles coverage all this weekend. it kicks off tonight with our playoff preview party at 7:30 right here on channel6. we will have live team coverage all weekend. sunday morning start your eagles game day with live reports from the linc on "action news" weekend at 6:00 a.m. then tune in for the pregame on "action news" at 5:00 p.m. and live postgame coverage as

well as soon as that final whistle blows followed by "action news" at 11:00. and of course we'll wrap it all up with extended live eagles coverage on "action news" sports sunday. >> and then wake up with "action news" early monday morning. matt, tam, david and karen will be on 4:00 a.m. with a complete recap and reaction from across the tri-state area. >> in other news there is a new top prosecutor in delaware county tonight. cat copeland sworn in as the new da. miss copeland was appointed following jack whelan's election to the the court of common pleas. she graduated from bryn mawr and temple's beasley school of law and she spent the past 20 years as a prosecutor in our area. >> time for a check of all right "action news" traffic report friday night. >> let's take it live to matt pelman. welcome back matt. >> thanks. nice to be back with you guys. i wish i was back with some better news though monica and rick here in plymouth meeting. getting word of a crash on the southbound side of 476, the northeast extension approaching the mid-county

toll plaza and just obscured by the sign here is an overturned vehicle in the e-z pass lanes. you can see traffic barely squeezing by on the left side but there is a tow truck out here and police are out here with this overturned vehicle crash that just happened on the southbound side of 476 approaching the toll plaza. northbound's also slow getting on the west west -- east west turnpike but the earlier overturned truck is long gone. slow speeds on the schuylkill and 95 its a friday afternoon. we expect this. just 11 miles per hour eastbound on 76 near girard avenue. and on 95 coming out of berks county to mercer county, still a really big jam because of emergency construction on the new jersey side just off the scudder falls bridge. it's jammed southbound too with sun glare. bottom line i would avoid it. head for route one or the pennsylvania turnpike instead n camden county a whole bunch of issues. there's a crash on 38 eastbound near cuthbert boulevard. water main break in pennsauken.

crash on 70. we've got lots to watch and we'll do it again, rick and monica in the next half hour. >> good. >> thanks matt. much more still ahead on "action news" this evening. countdown to the shutdown. the government will officially run out of money in less than seven hours: what that means for you particularly if you're battling the flu right now. >> and a bunch of young birds fans showed their pride by sporting green and white today. we'll take you to a lively party in montgomery county. >> and as we head to break more of your eagles fan photos. keep on sending them in. we can't get enough. upload them to our facebook instagram or twitter pages using the #6abcaction. >> ♪

>> the supreme court will now decide if president trump's travel ban is legal. today the high court agreed to hear the case of the policy banning entry by residents of six majority muslim countries. the president says america's security is at stake. opponents say america was built on immigrant energy. lower courts have repeatedly blocked it though. the justices will hear arguments in april and will issue their ruling in june. >> meanwhile we are less than seven hours from a complete government shutdown. if republicans and democrats cannot reach a deal to fund

various programs. >> it does appear both sides are talking but so far no agreement. ab cs kenneth moton live in washington, d.c. >> president trump and chuck schumer spent an hour together. the showdown to keep the government. >> what has been shoe hard is an insistence that we deal with an illegal immigration issue. >> senate democratic leader chuck schumer summoned to the white house by president trump the fight over a one month spending bill that's already passed the house with no fix for the dreamers. >> we made some progress but we still have a good number of disagreements. the discussions will continue. >> the blame game in all effect. from president trump no response at shouted questions in the rose garden. he and republicans in charge

but accusing the democrats of holding the country hostage over those 800,000 young immigrants. >> our position is we want the dream act. we know our responsibility to secure our borders. >> but trump rejected the immigration deal on the table. the president tweeting this morning democrats want a legal immigration and weak borders. shutdown coming. we need more republican victories in 2018. >> there's no way you can lay this at the feet of the president of the united states. he's actively working to try to get a deal. >> new abc washington post poll finds 48 percent of americans will blame trump and the gop for the shutdown versus the democrats. >> the last time one party held all the offices the president the house and the senate and a shutdown occurred was in the 70's with jimmy carter and that historical presidents where jimmy carter ended up losing the presidency in 1988 is not a good precedent. the trump administration has put several departments and agencies on notice advising them to reviews their contingency plans for a

shutdown. reporting live in washington kenneth moton channel6 "action news." >> thank you kenneth. >> turning to health check a government shutdown would affect some federal health services and that could mean suspending the cdc blew flu program in the middle of an outbreak. >> hi ali. >> information from the cdc is vital to track the virus. it's how we first found out where the virus started this season, where it's peaking and what that means for our area. a government shutdown could affect how healthcare providers handle the epidemic. shortly after the holiday season, after lots of travel and snow and frigid temperatures kept people inside close together, that's when we started to see a spike in flu activity in our area. but judging from data from the cdc, we could tell the virus was coming. hospitals in other states saw spikes earlier with emergency rooms overwhelmed. the predominant strain is the

h3n2. it can be especially dangerous. and not just for the sick or elderly, but also kids and healthy adults. this morning news spread from alabama. a third grader there, zane moen was rushed to the hospital with a high fever and flu like symptoms. she died that night. >> do not try to guess and treat yourself at home because in some rare cases, god forbid it might cause someone's life. >> reporter: officials say so far this flu season is moderately severe. but it's the worst we've seen since the 2009-2010 outbreak of h1n1. if the from government shuts down many workers at the cdc will be furloughed. the agency likely won't be able to support its full annual influenza program. state health departments will still track the virus reported illnesses and deaths but information shared state to state will be affected.

decisions regarding the vaccine supply and shipments of antivirals like tamiflu could also take a hit. so right now there are a lot of unknowns. the cdc typically collects all the information from the states and that gives us a better idea about the virus. officials there also track when the virus peaks, which it has not yet. they do have a contingency plan in place if there is a government shutdown. the cdc would keep about 37 percent of its employees working. but keep in mind they would be spread out to cover several different programs so we could be getting information slower if that happens. rick and monica. >> thank you ali. >> thanks ali. >> e-a-g-l-e-s, eagles! >> all right, back to our eagles coverage. these kids in ambler are proud to be eagles fans tonight. everyone at twin springs farm day school wore their eagles green while gathering to sing the fight song. let's take a live look south philadelphia chickie's and pete's where "action news" is hosting our playoff preview

party in just about two hours from now. coming up at 7:30 you can head on down for the fun as we preview the big game sunday night. you can see it right here on 6abc at 7:30.

>> fans are getting a mid winter me up. motorsports expo got under way this afternoon. 250 race cars under one roof from nascar and indy racers to midgets and modifieds. the event runs tonight through sunday in oaks montgomery county. there was an intense competition today among children in spring garden using their skills in scrabble. this is the annual scrabble winter classic. more than 200 students in k through 12th grades took part and prizes were given to the highest scoring games and the highest scoring words. some of the kids in the competition will take part in the north american hasbro gaming championships in philadelphia in april. >> all right. well, eagles fans may end up in other parts of the country even the world but they never stop loving the birds. this photo was sent to us from sergeant john

they're eagles fans. they're currently away on deployment. hopefully they'll be able to watch the game somewhere sunday night. >> ♪ family fun reaches a new peak. so whether you're a speed demon or more of a snow angel, your winter chariot awaits. pick the best peak for your family getaway at iloveny.com new york state. it's all here. it's only here.

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>> time for that all important accuweather forecast and melissa magee here for cecily to tell us if it's going to be perfect for the game. >> yeah, i think we've got really nice conditions. >> good. >> temperatures will be pretty mild for this time of year so we'll get over and talk about the details as we walk over to the weather center and show you what's going on on sunday at the linc. kickoff is at 6:40 in the evening and as we get into the 6 o'clock hour we've got a number coming in at 44 degrees on sunday. lots of clouds around and you will notice more in the way of cloud cover as we go throughout our sunday afternoon but 10 o'clock on sunday night, we've got a mostly cloudy sky and a temperature coming in at 42, so some extra layers will be needed with that wind out of the southwest at three to 6 miles per hour. all in all it's fairly calm for that game. 32 degrees in lake harmony, 36 for slatington and kutztown, 39 in pottstown right now. media coming in at 42. center city in at 43. down in new jersey as we look at the numbers 41 in hammonton. the lower 40's as well in glassboro.

44 for both smyrna and dover at this hour. satellite6 along with action radar showing you we've got a mostly clear sky, dominating ridge of high pressure is in control. it kept us nice and dry today. keeps us that way even as we head into our weekend. so, the call from accuweather for the rest of tonight, it's a mostly clear sky and not as cold tonight as it has been the last two nights. we'll dip down to 30 in philadelphia, 28 the overnight low in wilmington. we'll fall down to 28 as well in dover. cape may falls down to 31 degrees at the coast. here's the setup for the start of our weekend. on saturday, 7:00 a.m. a little bit on the chilly side a temperature of 33. by 11:00 a.m., up to 46, that's 6 degrees above average. 50 degrees at 1 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. and 52 at 3:00 p.m. future tracker6 takes you into sunday, 3:30 sunday afternoon, numbers along the i-95 corridor in the upper 40's. 50 in philadelphia, not bad in wildwood coming in at 44. so all in all a quiet weekend. up in the poconos for the

skiers on saturday sunny still comfortable a high temperature of 43. partly sunny on sunday with a high temperature coming in at 41. the five day at 5:00 showing you on saturday it is nice and mild. up to 54 for the high. that's a good 14 degrees above average and on sunday it's mild with sun and some clouds moving in as the day wears on. otherwise a high temperature of 50, temperatures in the 40's at the linc for game time. monday cloudy with patchy fog 51. we're tracking rain on tuesday, then cooler next wednesday. we've got more details coming up at 5:30, guys. >> all right, melissa thank you. quick break. more news when we come right back. stay with us. >> ♪

>> "action news" continues with meteorologist adam joseph, jaime apody, rick williams and monica malpass. >> ♪ >> welcome back friday night. big story on "action news" is the countdown to kickoff, eagles fever spreading and it's certainly contagious. part of the city skyline tonight is definitely ready as it's beginning to glitter green ahead of sunday's championship game. >> we're excited. the city is ready. so are fans. they can't wait to cheer on the home team in one of the biggest games in years for philadelphia of course.

the entire region rallying around the birds. >> ♪ fly eagles fly on the road to victory. fly eagles fly score a touch one, two, three ♪ >> of course everybody has eagles spirit today including these adorable youngsters at the bright beginnings preschool in pitman, new jersey turnpike. hi, guys. the children were decked out in eagles gear and even made special face masks out of paper plates. >> ♪ fly eagles fly on the road to victory. ♪ >> how is that for some energy? those are students from saint veronica catholic school in hunting park showing an amazing amount of eagles spirit. no football party is complete without the right food and sometimes the adult beverages as well. >> "action news" reporter gray hall went in search of the proper party preparations and

that is part of our coverage. >> reporter: days before the big game the eagles theme reigns supreme at the ultimate bake shop in wayne. employees say it's difficult to keep up with demand. >> we've been going through a lot of rice krispies treats decorated in eagles colors specialty cakes with the eagles logo, football cookies and we also have cup cakes that have been flying out. >> reporter: employees are seeing been from green from the register and all the eagles designs and yes even the employees are rooting for the eagles and looking forward to their favorite dishes. >> buffalo chicken dip for sure with a side of rice krispies treats. can't go wrong there 100 percent. >> e-a-g-l-e-s, eagles! >> reporter: the eagles spirit took over at this acme in havertown. shoppers preparing for the big game day and not only enjoy a team pep rally but received a 5 percent discount if they wore their eagles gear. many are excited about what comes with the game, the food. >> homemade bleu cheese sauce. >> reporter: you make it yourself. >> oh, yeah.

>> reporter: tell me your secret. >> not on camera. >> you see buffalo wings, pizza just going to hang out at the house. nothing elaborate. >> reporter: something simple. >> simple. >> hot taco dip and i like those little mini hot dogs. >> reporter: swoop the eagles mascot and chi cheerleaders are an added bonus. everyone is waiting for sunday and betting on an eagles victory. >> go birds all day. love it. philadelphia eagles. fly eagles fly. >> got to keep winning. two more. >> reporter: of course now the countdown is on until sunday everyone has their food and this reminder you can go to any acme and you will get a 5 percent discount. just remember to wear your eagles gear. in havertown, gray hall channel6 "action news." >> all right, but of course the main event is what's happening on the field on sunday. birds hit the practice field today to put the finishing touches on what we all hope will be their winning plays. nick foles is keeping his arm

loose as coach pederson took a close look at the players. no nerves showing here as the team looked ready to go. the preparations for the big game continue at lincoln financial field tonight. more than 70,000 fans will be at the stadium on sunday and security as you can imagine will be tight. police officers will be in uniform and plainclothes. tailgaters can show up at 11:00 a.m. in the wells fargo lot. the eagles lots open at 11:30. and tailgaters can gather at 3 o'clock in the lots at citizens bank park. and when you go inside, remember you can bring in clear purses or 1 gallon ziploc bags. >> of course philadelphia police will be keeping a close eye on the stadium and everything that is happening around it as well and there will be intense focus all along broad street and in the area of frankford and cottman in mayfair. these areas have traditionally been packed with fans. police tell us they'll be beefing up patrols at all the city's historical spots.

>> of course everyone wants in on the eagles excitement and the best way to do that is live and in person at the linc with or without tickets fans will pack the stadium and the parking lots to be part of it all. "action news" reporter jeanette reyes has what you need to know if you plan on going to the gamely. >> we're going to win. eagles all day. >> reporter: during the morning rush people were in a good mood and it's not just because it's friday. >> ready for the weekend. ready for the week. hopefully they win. >> i'm excited. real excited. >> reporter: the nfc championship is now less than 72 hours away and the anticipation is building. how are you feeling about sunday? >> i feel optimistic. i hope we can get a win and then that's the final game for the super bowl. >> i love down that way. i can't wait. i don't care about the people coming. i live at 18th street. it's amazing. >> reporter: diane daily could barely contain the excitement she felt describing the sea of green that will blanket all of south philadelphia come sunday evening. so, you welcome the madness.

>> i welcome it, yes. >> reporter: really? are you going to join in on the madness. >> i will join in on it. >> reporter: lots will be opening for tailgaters beginning sunday morning. the wells wells fargo m and n lots open at 11:30. k, j, l at 1:00 p.m. and the q through x lots at 3:00 in the afternoon. >> my daughter's boyfriend has a van. they'll be in the parking lot. i just decorated my window this morning. i'm ready. >> reporter: septa will be offering a discount fare for fans. a four-dollar round trip pass is on sale today and can be university of delaware to go to and from the game on the broad street line subway. and septa says its open container fines will be enforced on sunday. they're also expecting 18,000 riders on game day alone. reporting at the linc, jeanette reyes channel6 "action news." >> and you have been sharing your eagles spirit with us all season long but especially today so many of you are decked out in your eagles green. we love it. from your families to your co-workers your kids even your pets, they are some of the

best photos that you've shared yet. please keep them coming. post your picture to social media using #6abc.com. >> our playoff preview party tonight live from chickie's and pete's in south philadelphia. it airs at 7:30 right here on 6abc. and of course we'll have live team coverage throughout the weekend. >> sunday morning we'll also have live reports from the linc for you starting on "action news" weekend at 6:00 a.m. then our pregame coverage starts at "action news" 5:00 p.m. we'll have live postgame reports as well followed by "action news" that night at 11:00 and then we'll wrap it all up for you with extended live eagles coverage on "action news" sports sunday. >> and we'll be on the air extra early monday morning with all the highlights of the game as well as fan reaction. tune in starting at 4:00 a.m. >> all right. going to be fun. time right now to check conditions on the roads. >> matt pelman back in the "action news" traffic center with the lowdown on the slowdown there behind you, matt. >> yes, i know we're all thinking green for this weekend but the first this afternoon rick and monica,

some red. red brake lights and a red travel time here along 95 southbound side from bridge street through this point approaching the girard avenue exit. it's a disabled vehicle here in the work zone taking out the right lane. police helping out but for now that right lane is blocked. then you go a bit farther south and there's a disabled school bus right by the vine street expressway taking out the left lane. tonight southbound swerving around the vehicles that don't want to run this afternoon. if you're hopping off onto the vine expressway this is what is in store for you a whole bunch of red brake lights and white headlights heading towards broad street stacked in both directions on the vine this afternoon with just afternoon volume. twenty-first street closing down all weekend near arch. that starts tonight for construction. and on the other side of the vine, the parkway will be closed much of the day tomorrow, that's for the big women's march so some septa bus detours. this afternoon we're watching a crash in quakertown and just 6 miles per hour.

normally we like the number six. not in this case. it's 309 west end boulevard at toll gate road. if you want to state over on the northeast extension that looks okay right now but this doesn't. coming out of bucks county into mercer county, still jammed solid on 95 northbound because of that emergency construction just off the scudder falls bridge on the new jersey side right lane blocked. southbound you have an earlier sun glare delay so bottom line is route one, the super highway or the pennsylvania turnpike would be better bets. rick and monica, have a good weekend and go birds. >> all right. you have a nice weekend, too, matt. see you monday. >> thank you. >> another big event this weekend philadelphia's women's march happening tomorrow. thousands are expected to pack the ben franklin parkway in the morning. the march starts at 10:30. last year 50,000 people attended the event and police are expecting even more this year. >> all right today president trump and vice president pence took part in the annual march for life. president trump told the antiabortion activists that

his administration will always defend the right to life. his administration also announced actions today in line with longstanding demands from religious conservatives. among them, plans to protect medical providers who refuse to perform abortions. this was the first time the president addressed this group. last year vice president pence delivered the keynote address. >> coming up, more of our eagles coverage continues for you. >> that's right. ducis rodgers jaime apody are live at chickie's and pete's where folks are getting pumped up for the big game. hey, guys. >> reporter: hey there, yeah, we're just hanging out with a couple hundred of our closest friends and fans and they are pumped up for the game coming up on sunday and they're feeling rather confident about their birds. >> reporter: as they should, right? everyone lovers an underdog. hi. coming up we'll talk about how the eagles are preparing and we'll talk to one guy the longest tenured eagle. it's been a long time since brent celek has been with us ducis. >> back to you guys. >> sounds good. meteorologist melissa magee is tracking that all important

game day forecast in our "action news" weather center. >> hi, monica, hi guys. temperatures will be nice and comfortable as we head into our weekend and in fact as we're looking at the numbers, 6:40 at the linc, that's the kickoff time, mild with light winds. 44 degrees as we get into the fourth quarter and then -- first quarter i should say. the fourth quarter temperatures still in the 40's. we've got more details on the rest of our weekend coming up with the full and exclusive accuweather forecast. >> all right, melissa thank you. and as we go to break let's take a live look from chopper6 above lincoln financial field. slowly but surely putting the finishing touches on the paint on the field getting it ready for sunday night. getting exciting. we'll be right back. stay with us. >> ♪

>> ♪ >> one, two, three and. >> ♪ >> oh, rousing edition students at the philadelphia high school of creative and performing arts celebrating their eagles spirit. they sound wonderful with the eagles fight song. very nice job by these talented youngsters. >> the eagles were on the field today practicing and we heard from the coach, we heard from nick foles now we're

going to hear from jeff skversky. nick foles talking to me telling me that he feels very relaxed very excited and these are the games that you dream of. you dream about these moments and he cannot wait. he's excited for sunday as is ever everyone else. nick foles says this is what you dream about and he wants to get that super bowl badly for this team and this city. let's go live to ducis rodgers and jaime apody at chickie's and pete's in south philadelphia hosts of our nfc championship pregame show and a little french fries right there. >> reporter: yes, you know what, jeff, and ducis, we've been talking all week about this whole underdog thing and lane johnson has those shirts home dogs gonna' eat. so am i. you can't eat them in front of me. you hungry. >> reporter: no. while you will eat that let's talk about how loose how

confident this team is and how confident the fans are right now. let's go ahead right now and talk about the head coach. we have to give doug pederson a lot of credit for what he's done this season with this football team despite all the injuries he has kept this team together. he's been an excellent play caller. during the off season doug said this team had super bowl talent. at the time it seemed like a provocative statement. today it seems prophetic. >> i did have a feeling back then we had the potential to be a good football team because of the way we've practiced and the talent that we brought to the roster and the progression of carson in his second year and so i knew -- and then defensively the front, the way they performed, you know, and the back. i just saw a lot of same similarities and so you just have that gut feeling when i made that statement. >> >> reporter: do you think he could have predicted two years ago today when he was

announced and introduced as the eagles new head coach that he would be in this spot? probably not. you know, it's been a long time for these guys. more than anyone, brent celek he's the longest tenured eagle. he was last in the nfc title game his second year in the league. he wants a super bowl more than anybody and he said he understands what all this hype is about. >> this is a game you win you go to the super bowl so i think everyone realizes that. and everyone in those stands, you know, they're going to want to be partying afterwards, so just like we do. so there's a lot on the line. i think they realize it, what was we realize it but can't make it too big. >> reporter: certainly everybody is pulling for brent celek and the birds. much more from the team on our playoff preview party tonight at 7:30 here on 6abc. former eagles quarterback ron jaworski will join us live here at chickie's and chickie's.

>> reporter: ducis the disrespect continues. earlier today we saw the nfl put up a little thing on their facebook page advertising the super bowl matchup. yeah, they had the patriots and the vikings in it. they took that down. >> reporter: they better take that down. >> reporter: how about this, if you google patriots super bowl appearances super bowl lii is on there. if you google vikings super bowl appearances super bowl lii. google eagles super bowl appearances not there. >> reporter: not right. >> reporter: check it out. he's ducis rodgers i'm jaime apody we're live at chickie's and pete's. have some crab fries. we'll be back with more at 6:00. jeff. >> thanks jamie. we've been talking about all those things on google, all those things everywhere you want. here's the bottom line. vikings have never won a playoff game in philadelphia or against the eagles period. it's not going to happen. >> there you go. why start now. >> all right. >> i like it. >> heard it from jeff. >> thank you sir. still to come that exclusive accuweather forecast. >> take a live look from chopper6 over citizens bank park where they are -- can you

see it? >> yes. >> let's go eagles. that eagles banner flying freely on a friday. your game day forecast is coming up next. we're back. >> ♪

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for $34.90 more per month. call 1-800-501-6000. for $34.90 more per month. >> e-a-g-l-e-s, eagles! [cheers and applause] >> wow. if that isn't enough to pump you up nothing will. rousing rendition of the eagles fight song. this video is an amazing display of spirit courtesy of

spin special people in the northeast. we thank you. >> sunday night home watching the game a lot of folks are off and some will be working sorry melissa. >> yes. [laughter] >> how is the weather shaping. >> it's going to be good for watching the game. we've got you covered with that forecast. >> always thinking of you. >> thank up. appreciate it. storm tracker6, sky6 live in hd looking at the ben franklin bridge on this friday night. it's mostly clear, it's quiet across the region but this weekend it is all about the eagles. we'll show you the forecast right now for the nfc championship kickoff at 6:40 and for the 6 o'clock hour we've got a temperature of 44 degrees on sunday, plenty of clouds around but we're staying dry. 10 o'clock on sunday afternoon mostly cloudy with a southwesterly wind at three to 6 miles per hour, number coming in at 42 degrees. we'll show you the big picture as we look at the almanac today above average. and at 46 for the high,

6 degrees above the norm. the record was 65 but look at the record low. minus five in 1994 thankfully we're not that cold on this date. right now it's 43 in philadelphia, 38 in reading, 32 in the poconos, 34 in cape may. dover coming in at 44. trenton 41. satellite6 along with action radar showing you we've got clear skies across of the eastern half of the u.s. thanks to a dominating ridge of high pressure. the precipitation moving across the northern plains and the great lakes and also some rain down across areas in texas but we're staying dry for the rest of tonight and for that matter as we head into our weekend. it's mostly clear not as chilly tonight. we'll fall down to 24 in the suburbs, 30 degrees in philadelphia with that west to southwesterly wind at four to 8 miles per hour. so, on saturday, lots of sunshine. above average by 14 degrees, a high temperature coming in at 54. we're nice and mild thanks to that southwesterly wind flow. as we get into sunday, still staying dry, high pressure is in control but sunshine and a

few more afternoon clouds as we get into sunday afternoon. otherwise still mild and a high temperature coming in at 50. the exclusive accuweather seven dale day forecast showing you nice and mild. it's a nice afternoon. a high coming in at 54. it's mild on sunday, sunshine and clouds sharing the sky, high temperature in at 50, more clouds will gradually roll in as we get into sunday afternoon but we're staying dry so you don't have to worry about any precipitation for the game. on monday mostly cloudy, patchy fog, high coming in at 51. tuesday we're wet for the first half of the day. could be a good soaking by then. high temperature in at 56. on wednesday, brisk and colder in the wake of that, a high coming in at 43. thursday sunshine and a few more clouds around, chilly only 39. mostly cloudy next friday. the high temperature coming in at 46 so it's all about the linc and the eagles and we've got some good looking football playing weather. >> all right. >> love it. >> can't believe february is almost here. >> i know.

>> thank you melissa. >> you got it. >> the woman credited with the growth of tourism in the philadelphia area is stepping down. visit philadelphia announced today the resignation of its founding president and ceo mara levitt. she's held the reigns for 22 years but now is ready to move along. levitt's credited with making philadelphia a vacation destination city. she will remain on the job until her replacement is found. >> and still ahead on "action news" tonight, healing through art. >> we'll tell you about a unique program that helps youngsters battling illness by channeling their creative spirit. that story which "action news" comes right back. >> ♪

>> patient at a children's hospital in deptford new jersey can make art while they're hospitalized. officials from a.c. moore and the alicia rose victoria foundation gave this art cart to the healthcare team today. teenagers ages 13 and up can make cards and posters as they recover from procedures. it's a way to express their

creative side. >> jim gardner standing by with these stories and more next at 6:00. just over 48 hours from the nfc championship kickoff. "action news" crews have every angle covered from team preparations to information fans need to know about tailgating and getting into the game. >> a large sinkhole forces evacuations in the fishtown section of philadelphia today. >> those stories and more next. for melissa magee adam joseph jaime apody cecily tynan rick williams the entire "action news" team, i'm monica malpass. have a good night, great weekend. go eagles. >> go eagles. see you monday. >> ♪ cancer challenges us. to find smarter solutions. to offer more precise and less invasive treatment options than before. like advanced genomic testing and immunotherapy. see how we're fighting to outsmart cancer at cancercenter.com/outsmart

>> ♪ >> lincoln financial field. in 48 hours, this will be the center of the football world with the birds trying to win the right to take part in their third super bowl. and at retail outlets throughout the region eagles gear is flying off the shelves. a real life case of fly eagles fly. it is friday night and the big story on "action news" tonight is the fateful weekend for your philadelphia eagles. it will either end in euphoric triumph for the team and its fans or it will end in heartbreak. we prefer to focus on euphoria. we have got all kinds of eagles coverage tonight. "action news" reporter bob brooks is at city hall. vernon odom is standing by at police headquarters. chad pradelli is at the linc but first we go live to ducis rodgers and jaime apody at chickie's and pete's in south philadelphia and, guys, eagles have a great opportunity but

one thing it won't be is easy. >> reporter: that's certainly the case jim. minnesota has the number one ranked did he first in the nfl but the eagles had the fourth ranked scoring defense in the league. >> reporter: and they take that as a challenge. they want to prove you know what, we don't care that their numbers are good, watch us. let's talk about the eagles. they took practice outside today into the elements across the street at the linc. they've been doing that every week. of course the vikings are not nearly as strong on the road. two of the three losses came on the road outside. doug pederson told me earlier this week he wishes it was going to be colder but regardless it's not about the vikings it's about the birds and with the way they've been playing, he doesn't want anything to change. >> nothing really had as to change. i mean, at the end of the day it's football and i got to make sure that, you know, my head is in the right spot. i'm blocking out the noise just like i'm telling the players to block it out. and i'm focused on my