JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — There's something curious about these Philadelphia Eagles.

They are supposed to be Super Bowl underdogs, fraught with first-time jitters and wide-eyed wonder. Instead, they are loose and talkative, witty and confident.

They play the mighty New England Patriots, the defending champions on the verge of a dynasty.

But it's the Eagles who walk with a swagger, even though they last won an NFL title when Eisenhower was starting his final year in the White House.

"You turn on the TV and all you hear about is how great the dynasty of the New England Patriots is," defensive tackle Corey Simon said. "This team has some credentials of its own, being able to go to four NFC championship games, which takes work. That doesn't just happen.

"We're not getting any respect by being out here. Nobody expects us to win. It's kind of like the David-and-Goliath thing. The only thing is, David won that battle. We come out here with that same mentality."

After losing three straight NFC title games, the Eagles finally reached the Super Bowl for the first time in 24 years. Standing in the way of Philadelphia's first NFL championship since 1960 — and the city's first major sports title in 22 years — are the Patriots, who have won two of the past three Super Bowls.

While New England took a more businesslike approach this week, bordering on being a little uptight, the Eagles enjoyed their trip. Players whipped out their camcorders on the plane ride from Philadelphia and brought them again on media day, making sure to capture the atmosphere that surrounds such a big game.

Donovan McNabb joked with reporters. Terrell Owens mixed in several one-liners. Dhani Jones hawked his bow ties.

Freddie Mitchell was his typical chatty self, talking about any subject with every person who stuck a microphone, tape recorder or camera in his face.

"We're a loose team naturally because of the guys we have on the team," running back Brian Westbrook said. "We're a team that has fun, but also gets the job done at the same time. We're a level-headed type team. We're a team that has a workman-type attitude. We've played in big games before."

The Eagles (15-3) dominated the NFC this season, winning nine games by double-digit margins, five of them by at least 21 points. Even without Owens, the injured All-Pro receiver, they outscored Minnesota and Atlanta 54-24 in the playoffs.

The Patriots (16-2) again shut down league MVP Peyton Manning and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs, then overwhelmed rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship game.