Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson, who has 5 touchdowns in 47 touches this season, was a full practice participant Thursday and didn't seem to be favoring the foot he injured in Monday's victory over Washington.

"I'm good," Jackson said afterward.

Meanwhile, Eagles coach Andy Reid said running back Brian Westbrook "did better today" and will begin aerobic exercise tomorrow. That would seem to mean Westbrook's headache has gone away and that his neurological test results more closely mirror his preconcussion baseline.

"It's still going to be a gametime decision" Reid said. Rookie LeSean McCoy took all the first-team practice reps.

 Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said that the Birds have been too much of a big-play offense lately and they need to work on sustaining drives against the Giants, a team with a strong pass defense.

He also said that McCoy is "learning every day" in the Birds' complex offense.

"We ask an awful lot out of the halfback position," Mornhinweg said.

Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott praised defensive end Trent Cole, saying that Cole "has learned to perfect an arsenal of moves" to combat double-teams, as he did so effectively against the Redskins.
 

McDermott also said that newly acquired linebacker Will Witherspoon, "busted his tail last week; it's nice when hard work pays off." Witherspoon returned an interception for a touchdown against the Redskins.

McDermott said that safety Sean Jones is starting to emerge as he starts to get more comfortable in the defense and that the Giants' offensive line is  a "highly intelligent, hard-working group."

Also, rookie safety Macho Harris is "working hard to get back" from an ankle injury," McDermott said. Harris did not practice Thursday.
 DE Darren Howard (ankle, calf) returned to practice Thursday.

Brian Westbrook's status for Sunday's showdown with the Giants will probably be a game-time decision, coach Andy Reid said. Head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder told reporters Westbrook currently has a headache and won't be cleared to exercise until it goes away. Then his reaction to exercise will be monitored, and his scores on neurological testing will have to improve to baseline level.

Westbrook left Monday night's game with a concussion after being kneed in the head, and did not practice today.

It might be telling that the Eagles made a roster move Wednesday, signing running back P.J. Hill from the Saints' practice squad. To make space, linebacker Omar Gaither went on IR, officially ending his season following Lisfranc surgery.

Burkholder said Westbrook had brief retrograde amnesia -- he can't remember anything from the time the play was called until he woke up on the field -- but he was fully functional after waking up and still remembers all of that very clearly.

"We look at his symptoms the next couple of days ... Whether he has headaches" or other symptoms such as depression," Burkholder said. 

Burkholder said being knocked out briefly means you can't return to the game being played, but it does not preclude playing the next week.

"We're not too worried about his loss of conciousness ... It's really based on the symptoms," Burkholder said. He said under current guidelines, which are based on recovery, not the incident, it's impossible right now to classify the concussion by grade.

Burkholder serves on the NFL concussion panel, and he stressed he takes head injuries very seriously. He said team internist Dr. Gary Dorshimer is in charge of situation with Westbrook.

Wide receiver DeSean Jackson did not practice, with his foot injury. Ditto Darren Howard, with an ankle problem.

Defensive end Victor Abiamiri (knee) and wide receiver Kevin Curtis (knee) are out this week, the Eagles said.

DeSean Jackson took a 67-yard end-around run to the end zone for a touchdown, then got there again by hauling in a 57-yard pass from Donovan McNabb. (Ron Cortes/Staff Photographer)

By the Numbers

* The Eagles’ 11 first downs against the Redskins were their fewest since Oct. 9, 2005, when they managed just six in a 33-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. They also had 11 in two other games that year, both losses. The last time the Eagles managed to win a game with 11 or fewer first downs was Oct. 17, 2004, when they had 10 in a 30-8 win over the Carolina Panthers.

* The Eagles continue to flounder on third down. After converting just 2 of 16 third-down tries against Oakland, they were 4-for-15 Monday night. Of their 31 third-down opportunities in the two games, a disturbing 23 have been 6 yards or longer. They are 1-for-21 this season on third downs of 10 yards or more. That lone conversion came on DeSean Jackson’s 57-yard touchdown catch on a third-and-23 against the Redskins.

* After trying to throw deep against the Raiders and getting Donovan McNabb sacked six times, Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg shortened things up Monday. Ran wide receiver screens. Ran running back screens. Ran a tight end screen. Seldom went down the field against the Redskins. Of the Eagles’ 26 pass attempts Monday (25 by Donovan McNabb and one by Michael Vick), 18 were throws of five yards or less. Just two were throws of 15 yards or more – DeSean Jackson’s 57-yard touchdown catch, which traveled 40 yards in the air, and an off-target 18-yard throw to Jackson on a crossing route.

Observations

* If you look strictly at the numbers, Donovan McNabb didn’t have a bad night against the Redskins. Completed 60 percent of his passes. Didn’t have an interception. Hooked up with DeSean Jackson on a 57-yard touchdown pass. But the numbers don’t always tell the true story.

Truth is, McNabb didn’t play very well. A .600 completion percentage isn’t very good when 18 of your 25 attempts were passes of 5 yards or less.

McNabb had at least a half-dozen poor throws. He threw a dirt ball to an open Brent Celek on third-and-3 on the Eagles’ second possession. Threw low to Jeremy Maclin on a second-quarter sideline pass on another third-and-3.

Underthrew an open DeSean Jackson on an 18-yard crossing route in the second quarter even though he had plenty of time to deliver the ball and was able to step into his throw. Missed an open Jackson again on a six-yard throw in the middle of the field late in the third quarter. Badly overthrew Reggie Brown on a simple six-yard out route early in the fourth quarter.

Even his 57-yard touchdown pass to Jackson late in the second quarter hardly was a thing of beauty. Jackson was wide open down the field after completely suckering Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers with a post-corner double-move. McNabb’s pass was underthrown, but Jackson still was able to catch it and make it to the end zone.

* If the Eagles are going to run the Wildcat, they really need to sharpen up their blocking schemes for it. On a direct snap to LeSean McCoy on a second-and-9 play in the second quarter, both left guard Todd Herremans and fullback Leonard Weaver went to block second-level Redskins defenders and completely ignored right end Chris Wilson, who went unblocked and easily dropped McCoy for a 2-yard loss. The Eagles ran the Wildcat/spread nine times Monday night, including four times with Mike Vick in the game. Those nine plays produced just 22 yards. LeSean McCoy gained just 5 yards on four runs off direct snaps. Vick had nine yards on three carries and had a five-yard completion to tight end Brent Celek.

* Speaking of Vick, it’s clear that he still hasn’t regained the speed he had before he went to prison. That was evident in the second quarter Monday night on an option play when he tried to get outside on Redskins defensive end Andre Carter and was tripped up by Carter for a one-yard loss.

Did You Notice II?

* DeSean Jackson’s 67-yard touchdown run on an end-around on the Eagles’ first possession was made possible by the initial play-fake to Brian Westbrook, which both right end Andre Carter and weakside linebacker Rocky McIntosh reacted to, allowing Jackson to get to the outside and turn the corner.

* Asante Samuel should replay DeAngelo Hall’s excellent tackle on Eagles fullback Leonard Weaver in the second quarter if he wants to see how defensive backs are supposed to take down bigger ball carriers.

* The holding and tripping penalties against a gassed Todd Herremans on the Eagles’ next to last possession of the game.

Just Wondering

What under-the-table deal did Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo strike with his former boss, Andy Reid, before agreeing to give up linebacker Will Witherspoon, who had an interception return for a touchdown, a sack, a forced fumble and six tackles in his first game with the Eagles Monday night? Accepting a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round rookie wide receiver for a guy of Witherspoon’s obvious quality simply doesn’t compute unless both Spagnuolo and Rams general manager Billy Devaney are idiots, which they’re not, or have been promised a tit-for-tat favor down the line.

What we're talking about after the Eagles' 27-17 win over the Redskins:

* Westbrook's health. Brian Westbrook suffered a concussion in the first quarter when he was kneed in the head by Redskins middle linebacker London Fletcher. There's a good chance he won't be able to play Sunday against the Giants.

* Big-play DJ. The Eagles had just 262 yards in total offense against Washington, but wide receiver DeSean Jackson had 124 on two touchdown plays - a 67-yard run on an end-around and a 57-yard scoring catch after beating Redskins cornerback Carlos Rogers with a double move.

* Struggling McNabb. For the second straight game, Donovan McNabb didn't play very well. Completed only 15 of 25 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown, and was off-target on several passes.

* Witherspoon's impressive debut. Will Witherspoon, the Eagles' new middle linebacker, didn't waste any time making an impact. He had an interception return for a touchdown, a forced fumble and a sack.

* Not much from Vick again. Michael Vick completed his first pass as an Eagle, hitting tight end Brent Celek with a 5-yard gain. His three rushing attempts gained only 9 yards.

5 NUMBERS TO PONDER
 

* McNabb's TD pass to Jackson came on a third-and-22 play. The Eagles had been 0-for-16 on third-and-10 or more this season before converting that one.

* With their three takeaways against the Redskins, the Eagles have forced 17 turnovers in their first six games. Through six games last year, they had 12. The Eagles have scored 53 points off of those 17 turnovers, including 13 against the Redskins.

* The Eagles committed a season-high 12 penalties in last night's win. They've got 45 in their first six games.

* The Eagles have held five of their six opponents to 17 points or less.

* The Eagles haven't allowed a rushing touchdown in their last four games and have given up just three all season
 

UP NEXT

The Eagles host the New York Giants in a game moved to 1 p.m. to accommodate Game 4 of the World Series. The Giants come in off consecutive losses.

In many ways, the questions about the Giants and the questions about the Eagles are quite similar. Who are these teams -- the team that has looked quite good or the team that looked really bad?

Here is more on where the Giants stand.

RUSHING OFFENSE: There was DeSean Jackson’s 67-yard touchdown run on an end-around, and there was, well, that was about it. LeSean McCoy and Brian Westbrook rushed for just 32 yards on 12 carries in the first three quarters. Grade: C-minus

PASSING OFFENSE: Not one of Donovan McNabb’s better days. For the second game in a row, he wasn’t sharp. Even his long touchdown pass to Jackson was an underthrown ball. Grade: C

RUN DEFENSE: The Eagles’ front seven dominated the Redskins’ offensive line and held Clinton Portis to 3.1 yards a carry. Eagles have given up just one rushing touchdown all season. Grade: A-plus

PASS DEFENSE: Going to the blitz early and often, the Eagles pressured Jason Campbell all night. They sacked him six times — four in the first three quarters — and gave up just one completion of more than 18 yards. Grade: A-minus

SPECIAL TEAMS: David Akers, who missed 43- and 47-yard field-goal attempts last week, booted 44- and 47-yarders against the Redskins. Eagles’ kickoff coverage unit didn’t do a very good job on ‘Skins’ Rock Cartwright. He averaged 26.8 yards per attempt and a 42-yard return kick-started Washington’s first scoring drive. Grade: B-minus

OVERALL: The Eagles’ opportunistic defense collected three more takeaways that produced 13 of their 27 points. But with the exception of two big plays by DeSean Jackson, the offense was relatively silent. Grade: B

Eagles coach Andy Reid confirmed tonight that running back Brian Westbrook suffered a concussion during a 27-17 victory over the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md.

Westbrook left the game at the end of the first quarter after his helmet collided with the knee of Redskins linebacker London Fletcher. Westbrook did not return to the game.

"We saw the knee hit the head," Reid said at his postgame news conference. "I think he's going to be all right. DeSean [Jackson] has a foot sprain. He's going to be all right. He came back and played.

"We have to see how Westbrook does with the concussion. He's feeling pretty good right now. ... I know he was looking forward to this game here, what we had planned for him,” Reid said of Westbrook, whose brother Byron is a cornerback for the Redskins.

Reid expressed confidence in rookie running back LeSean McCoy, if Westbrook can’t play Sunday against the Giants.

Reid was asked the Eagles' consistency on offense. “I’m trying to feel like we won a game,” Reid said. “Twenty-seven points. I don’t think that’s a bad night. Should we have scored more points? Aboslutely. Should we have played better? Absolutely. But I’m going to enjoy this one.”

Eagles linebacker Will Witherspoon, who was acquired in a trade with St. Louis just last week, said he felt comfortable with his new team. “It’s going to be better next week and better after that,” said Witherspoon, who returned an interception 9 yards for a touchdown to give the Eagles a 14-0 lead. “It’s great to get a ‘W’ again.”

Witherspoon talked about his defensive teammates. “They’re great. We want to bring a presence. We want to put pressure on you. We’re going to be ready to play.”

Witherspoon came to the Eagles from the 0-7 Rams. “Getting a win is a great start,” he said. “Getting back out here is only going to make it better. For me, it’s like starting the season over again. I have to make sure I have to do exactly what has to be done.”

No real surprises among the Eagles inactives for tonight's game at Washington.

Dimitri Patterson, Joe Mays, Max Jean-Gilles, Mike McGlynn, Kevin Curtis, Victor Abiamiri and Omar Gaither are inactive.

It has been unclear whether Jean-Gilles with a shoulder strain, would play after being listed as questionable. He potentially could have backed up Nick Cole or been involved in some sort of guard rotation, especially with Todd Herremans making his first start of the season.

Kevin Kolb was again named the third quarterback, meaning Michael Vick is active as the backup.

LES BOWEN'S PICK

After last week, so much for my resolution not to get all hand-wringy over what ought to be easy games.

Going into yesterday’s action, I was doing a way better job picking outcomes for the rest of the league than I was with the Eagles, which is kind of disturbing, since I spend all week around the Eagles and about 10 minutes on sorting out all the other games. Perhaps a little knowledge really is a dangerous thing. Or maybe this team is really, really confounding.

There is much here to beware. Another desperate opponent that will be trying to prove something. And last week, the Birds seemed to be spiraling into one of those offensive funks that often takes them weeks to solve. The Redskins, for all their ineptitude, have a solid defense, working against a cross-your-fingers-and-hope Eagles offensive line.

But somehow, I am picking the Eagles to cover. I don’t want to believe that we are back in 2008, watching a talented team wander around aimlessly before pulling itself together at the last possible moment. The Eagles are a better team than the Redskins. Marty Mornhinweg and Andy Reid aren’t Hall-of-Fame-caliber playcallers, but they didn’t just come out of retirement to run some other guy’s offense, the way Sherm Lewis will be doing.

Prediction: Eagles 20, Redskins 12.

DOMO'S KEY MATCHUPS

1. Eagles LG Todd Herremans and C Jamaal Jackson vs. Redskins RDT Albert Haynesworth: Herremans hasn’t played a down yet this season and Jackson often struggles with bigger, stronger tackles. Advantage: Redskins

2. Eagles RDE Trent Cole vs. Redskins LT Stephon Heyer: Heyer was flipped from the right side to the left after Chris Samuels got hurt. He’ll struggle without help vs. the non-stop Trent Cole. Advantage: Eagles

3. Eagles WR Jason Avant vs. Redskins CB Fred Smoot: Avant, the Eagles’ slot receiver, has just three catches in the last three games, but has a size-and-strength advantage inside vs. the Redskins’ nickel corner. Advantage: Eagles
 

Each week, Daily News football writer Paul Domowitch will tell you the things he will be keeping his eyes on during that week’s game:

1. Making Campbell Soup: Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell was benched in the second half last week, but will start tonight. He’s protected by a wobbly offensive line that’s missing two of its best blockers, LT Chris Samuels and RG Randy Thomas. The Panthers sacked Campbell five times a couple weeks ago. Ready or not, here comes the Eagles’ blitz.

2. How do you spell run, Andy?: Running backs Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy had just 11 rushing attempts last week as Reid called a whopping 54 passing plays. Against a defense that is third in the league against the pass and sixth in sacks per pass play, he might want to try to strike a little better balance.

3. Third-down improvement: The Eagles converted just 2 of 16 third-down opportunities against the Raiders last week. Twelve of those 16 third-down situations were six yards or more. Against a Redskins pass rush that has 11 sacks in its last 3 games, the Eagles need to reduce the number of third-and-longs so that the run is at least an option, if not a consideration.

4. Many happy returns: The Redskins’ coverage units are very good. They’re fourth in the league in both punt and kickoff coverage. The Redskins’ defense doesn’t give up many long drives. So the Eagles really need PR DeSean Jackson and KR Quintin Demps to shorten the field a bit.

5. The Eagles’ offensive line: This unit played awful last week. Worse than awful. They couldn’t protect Donovan McNabb and didn’t do a very good job of run-blocking. They finally may get LG Todd Herremans back, which should help.

ZORN'S NEW ROLE

Washington head coach Jim Zorn will not call the plays for the first time in his 23-game tenure as head coach, instead overseeing the Sherms -- Lewis, the new play-caller, and Smith, the offensive coordinator.

"It's going to be very easy," Zorn told the Washington Post. "Here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to support the guy calling plays. And then in between the series, we'll be communicating and I'll be communicating to him, and then we'll start working on the plan for the next series.

"I'll be talking to the players. There's a lot to do. I'll be attentive to what I have to do while our offense is on the sideline. Because when you're a play-caller, you're concentrating. ... I'm just going to keep quiet" about play-calling.