Injuries, Michael Vick, and More Eagles Talk

Despite all of the disappointment and frustration that comes with the Eagles’ tough 48-22 loss to the Saints on Sunday, there is plenty of positive news and pleasant things to look forward to as we progress towards the third week of the 2009 regular season. Starting QB Donovan McNabb is improving upon his fractured rib, versatile athlete Michael Vick is eligible to return this weekend, and quite a few other subjects caught my attention (that point only to improvement for the Philadelphia football franchise).

Before I get to those promising topics, let’s get to some of the final bad news for the Birds: WR DeSean Jackson, RB Brian Westbrook, and CB Dimitri Patterson are all tending to injuries, and each has a seperate report on their pain:

Jackson, Sunday’s leading receiver for the Eagles, sustained a minor groin strain during last week’s practice, and re-sparked the injury while sustaining a rough tackle early in the 4th quarter vs. the Saints. His status for next Sunday’s contest against the Kansas City Chiefs is probable, as he is expected to make a full recovery of the groin strain.

Westbrook was able to play through the first 3 quarters with decent success, gaining 53 yards on the ground and adding 14 yards through receptions, but twisted his ankle in the beginning of the final period. The injury came as the result of an oncoming defender’s aggressive pass rush and Westbrook unusually succumbing to the blitz, being twisted around and stretching his ankle in an odd fashion. The ankle that was injured is the same that was surgically repaired earlier in the offseason because of bone spurs, and the official ruling on it is that it is a slight ankle sprain. There is no word on whether Westbrook will have enough time to recover this week to play the Chiefs, but it appears likely he’ll play thusfar. Head coach Andy Reid confirmed that no MRI test will be needed for the injury, and there shouldn’t be too much of a problem with Brian throughout the week.

Dimitri Patterson’s injury is definitely the worst of those discussed in this post. The veteran defensive back, who beat out the young Jack Ikegwuonu for the team’s 5th CB spot, broke a bone in his right hand while playing special teams coverage on a 1st quarter punt, and is expected to miss anywhere from 2-5 weeks. He will get right to work on his rehabilitation, undergoing surgery today, and should find himeslf back in the lineup within the next few games. His temporary absence will be filled by reserve corners Joselio Hanson and Ellis Hobbs, but the possibility of signing Ikegwuonu–the guy he beat for a job–from the practice squad is most definitely there.

While Donovan McNabb, Patterson, Westbrook, and Jackson are the Birds with the most significant injuries on the team, CB Asante Samuel is also experiencing some slight pain in his lower pack. During a tackle of Saints’ WR Devery Henderson, the Pro-Bowl CB took a cleated foot to the back, and is currently being listed as “day-to-day” with a sprained tail bone. Despite this news, it isn’t expected that the Pro-Bowl defender will miss any game action, if any practice repetitions.

With the injury news out of the way, let’s focus on something more promising: the awaited return of suspended Quarterback Michael Vick (pictured). After controversially signing with the Eagles prior to the season and playing in a pair of preseason matchups, he will finally make his true debut with the team when they take the field against the Chiefs on Sunday. The former Falcon, who spent the past 2 NFL seasons in prison for dogfighting, is projected to take occassional snaps in relief of whomever starts at QB (either McNabb or Kevin Kolb), and also run plays from the trick Wildcat formation. Although Vick must obviously still fine tune his passing skills before being trusted to play for a significant amount of time, the Chiefs couldn’t be a more perfect opponent to do so. They have one of the league’s worst defensive units, and are rarely able to record a turnover.

As I conclude this brief update of Eagles injuries and headlines, I will again state this: Despite the disappointing and lopsided loss to New Orleans, we remain a viable candidate in the NFC, and have no reason to not feel confident in the weeks ahead. We are only two games into the season, and have a ton of time to climb up into the stature of dominance that we have the potential to be.

Picture source: Online image. http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2009/09/large_michael_vick_ss.jpg