IS TAKING DOC TO SEE THE DOC
The Eagles won their season opener, 38-10, over the Carolina Panthers, but the bigger issue is concern over the state of quarterback Donovan McNabb's rib injury.
After the game, coach Andy Reid said, McNabb fractured his rib, but would not specify how long McNabb would be out. "We'll just see how he does in the next little while here."
Asked if there was a chance that McNabb could play next week against New Orleans, Reid said, "There's a chance."
"We’ll see. The game just got over. We’re taking it day-by-day and see how he does."
McNabb bulled into the end zone for a TD that made it 38-10 midway through the third quarter, but he was hit lying on the ground by Damione Lewis and stayed down for quite a while.
Team orthopedist Peter DeLuca seemed to be working on McNabb's upper back, but the injury was later diagnosed as a rib injury.
After walking off the field under his own power, McNabb left for the locker room. He returned shortly thereafter to the sideline, but removed his shoulder pads and left for the locker room with about 7 minutes remaining. He looked quite uncomfortable while on the bench and a number of teammates came over to talk to him.
McNabb finished the day at 10-for-18, for 79 yards, two touchdowns and one pick.
The league presumably also will review the play to see about a potential fine on Lewis for a late hit. None was called on the play.
"The guy’s momentum was going forward," Reid said. "They didn’t call it. I will presume it was legal. I really haven’t gotten a clean picture."
McNabb will not speak to reporters after the game, the Eagles said.
A serious injury would be a major concern because Kevin Kolb has not looked promising in relief, including a turnover. Michael Vick, who is watching the game from a luxury box with owner Jeffrey Lurie, is not eligible to play until Week 3 against Kansas City and is on the exempt list. The Eagles did not designate a third quarterback for today's game.
"It’s part of this game," receiver DeSean Jackson said. "He’s a tough dude. He’s been around a long time. He will be back."
"He’s very resilient. He heals quick," Brian Westbrook said of McNabb. "He’s not going to sleep very well the next few nights. You’ve got to deal with the pain. That is the toughest part."
Some other thoughts from Andy Reid ...
On Sean McDermott: "I think he had a good game plan. The defensive staff did a nice job and the players played like crazy. I was proud of that group."
On the offensive line: "They were productive, a couple too many false starts. We'll get that ironed out and go from there."
More to come ...
Les
Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News
since 2002.
Before that, he spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers. It took Les
only a few seasons after the switch to figure out that there was no
penalty box at the Linc, and that the time really wasn't his, despite
what Andy Reid kept saying. Les came to Philadelphia and the Daily News
from Charlotte in 1983. In the intervening years, he has pretty much
lost track of NASCAR, and his accent. He, his wife Barbara, and their
two sons live in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
E-mail Les at bowenl@phillynews.com
and follow
him on Twitter.
Paul
Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982.
He has spent most of his nearly 3 decades with the paper covering the
Eagles and pro football. For the last 10 years, he’s been a
selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A native of Wilkes-Barre
and a graduate of Wilkes University, Domo started his career in Texas,
working first for the Midland Reporter-Telegram (1976-78), and then for
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he covered some god-awful Texas
Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually was
boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose 2 sports coats to
blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley,
a University of Oklahoma grad who still hasn’t gotten over
that Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State 5 years ago, have 2 terrific
daughters -- Allison, 28, who is an attorney in South Jersey, and Amy,
25, who works in administration for a professional baseball team.
E-mail Domo at PDomo@aol.com and follow
him on Twitter.
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