MUST BE DREAMING: TEMPLE IS 9-2?
The Eagles listed Sheldon Brown as questionable for Sunday night's game at Chicago, but the cornerback sounded fairly positive that he'll be able to continue his consecutive games-played streak.
"I have two days and the good thing about it is it's Sunday night, so I have all day to rehab, too," Brown said.
Brown was a limited participant in practice today, as he's been all week. There's a chance he could be used only sparingly against the Bears, splitting time with Dimitri Patterson, who would be his replacement if Brown couldn't. Ramzee Robinson could also figure into the mix.
Brown hasn't missed a game in the NFL. That's 133 straight. He suffered a hamstring strain during the Chargers game last week.
Brian Westbrook, meanwhile, is out for the Bears game as he recovers from a concussion. Eagles coach Andy Reid confirmed that Westbrook would also out for next week's game against the Redskins and likely the game following at Atlanta.
"I think the doctors want to see how he does after two weeks, what kind of symptoms he has," Reid said. "And then they'll just go back through and evaluate him after that, two to three weeks. We'll just see how he feels after that."
The following players are also out for the Bears game: LB Akeem Jordan (knee), S Quintin Demps (ankle) and WR Kevin Curtis (knee).
All signs are pointing to Joe Mays being the starting middle linebacker when the Eagles face the Bears Sunday night.
He and several players said that he took most of the repetitions in the middle during practice today.
"They're giving me some reps right now so they can give me a feel for the game just in case my number is called," Mays said.
If Mays gets his shot in the middle, Chris Gocong -- who played in the middle last week as sort of an experiment -- will move back to his regular spot at strong-side and Will Witherspoon will stay at weak-side.
"I gave it my best," Gocong said. "It was hard. It's tough to set everybody and know all the run gaps and know all the coverage. It's a lot of stuff and it's hard to do in three days."
The Eagles have gone through six different linebackers, including Mays, since starter Stewart Bradley was lost for the season during training camp. Mays got the first shot but lost the position during the preseason.
"I thought he had a good preseason," Gocong said. "He's a physical guy and that's what we need."
Mays admitted that he let the demotion get him down.
"Yeah, I did," Mays said. "I shouldn't have, but I did."
He was inactive for most of the season, but has dressed recently and made the most of his chances on special teams.
"It feels good," Mays said. "It always feels good to get in there and play. But, still, during the game you can't really get too excited because you still have a game to play."
One day after his visit with concussion specialists in Pittsburgh, Eagles running back Brian Westbrook was back at the NovaCare Complex beginning his attempt to return to the football field this season.
Westbrook was not on the practice field, but he was in the building and based on what he was told by doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Wednesday, it definitely seems possible that he will return before the end of the season.
Dr. Joseph Maroon, a neurosurgeon employed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Dr. Michael Collins, a neuropsychologist, said in a statement that Westbrook "has an excellent prognosis" and the doctors "expect a full recovery" for the veteran running back. Westbrook is scheduled to go through another battery of tests in two to three weeks, according to Maroon and Collins, which means the running back probably will not return until at least some time next month.
The best news on the practice field for the Eagles was that cornerback Sheldon Brown and offensive tackle Jason Peters were participating.
Brown said Wednesday there was "a good chance" he'd be able to play Sunday night against the Chicago Bears after suffering a strained hamstring in the second quarter of the team's loss at San Diego. He was a limited participant in practice for the second straight day.
Peters, after missing Sunday's game in San Diego with a sprained right ankle, was a full participant in practice.
Brian Westbrook will make a full recovery from his latest concussion, according to a pair of concussion specialists from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
The Eagles running back was examined at UPMC today, three days after he suffered his second concussion in 20 days, and came away with favorable results, according to neurosurgeon Joseph Maroon and neuropsychologist Michael Collins.
Maroon is a long-time team neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
They issued a statement this evening in which they described Westbrook's second concussion as much milder than the one he endured at Washington on Oct. 26 when he was knocked unconscious. The primary symptoms were "dizzyness and a headache."
The doctors reported that the symptoms "improved significantly over the last three days," and that Westbrook was "re-tested today with a battery of neuro-cognitive tests," and "underwent comprehensive physical and neurological exam, results of which were favorable."
“We are very encouraged by Brian’s progress, we believe that he has an excellent prognosis and we expect a full recovery,” reported Drs. Maroon and Collins in the statement. “We developed a comprehensive physical rehab plan for Brian, and we will repeat the detailed testing in the next two to three weeks.”
“We commend the Eagles athletic training and medical staff for their diligent and conservative care in this particular case as well as their historical excellence in managing these types of injuries,” added Dr. Lovell.
UPDATE
Cornerback Sheldon Brown was a limited participant in practice this afternoon and said there was "a good chance" he'll play Sunday night at Chicago despite a strained hamstring that forced him out of Sunday's loss at San Diego.
Brown has played in 121 straight regular-season games and 133 overall counting the postseason.
"I think we have a great training staff and they got on it right away when it happened," Brown said. "That was the whole idea of them getting me out when they got me out, so I think there's a good chance."
Brown said he felt a lot better today than he did after Sunday's game.
MCNABB CALLS SUNDAY A MUST WIN
While the Eagles await word on Brian Westbrook's visit with a pair of concussion specialists in Pittsburgh, quarterback Donovan McNabb declared Sunday at Soldier Field a must-win game against the Chicago Bears.
Asked if a trip back to his boyhood home of Chicago had any special meaning, McNabb dismissed that idea.
"This game is a little more special because we definitely need this game," McNabb said. "It's not for me just going back home. I think that's something early on in your career that you look forward to going home and playing in front of your family and friends. But this is a must win for us and that's the way we have to approach it. I wouldn't care if it was Soldier Field, Champaign, Illinois or Oklahoma. That's the way I'm approaching it."
Of course, the Bears, coming off a loss at San Francisco that included five interceptions by quarterback Jay Cutler, feel the same way.
"I think for both teams it's a must win," Cutler said.
Reid said Westbrook was visiting Drs. Mark R. Lovell and Joseph Maroon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Lovell is a neuropsychologist and NFL consultant and Maroon is a neurosurgeon who advises the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"We'll know more about him in the next day or two," Lovell said.
Reid said safeties Victor Harris and Quintin Demps, cornerback Sheldon Brown and linebacker Akeem Jordan would not practice today.
Harris has an eye infection and is expected to be ready for Sunday's game against the Bears. Reid said Brown "is doing better" after leaving Sunday's loss at San Diego with a hamstring strain.
Demps has been out with a high ankle sprain and Jordan continues to recover from a hyperextended knee.
Reid said he is comfortable with his running back situatiion without Westbrook.
"I add (Leonard) Weaver into the mix," Reid said. "He has versatility. He can also be a ballcarrier and he's good in the pass game. His versatility allows me not to make a move at this particular time, plus I don't really know the outcome on what they're going to say on Brian, so we have to see as time goes on here.
"And with (LeSean) McCoy, he has done a nice job when he has had an opportunity to practice prior to the games and take the majority of the reps. When that happens, he ends up playing good football."
Brian Westbrook will visit with two concussion specialists tomorrow in Pittsburgh, according to the Eagles.
Eagles head trainer Rick Burkhalter released a statement this afternoon:
"The Eagles will first have Westbrook consult with neuropsychologist Mark R. Lovell, PhD," the statement read. "Following that visit Westbrook and Lovell will consult with neurosurgeon Joseph Maroon, MD. Dr. Lovell has been consulting with the Eagles’ medical staff on Westbrook’s recovery from the first concussion during the past three weeks.”
Westbrook suffered his second concussion in three weeks when he was tackled during a third quarter run in the Eagles' 31-23 loss to San Diego on Sunday. The first concussion occured at Washington when the knee of Redskins linebacker London Fletcher collided with Westbrook's head. The running back was knocked unconscious for almost a minute and suffered memory loss.
Eagles coach Andy Reid said that Westbrook was "foggy" after the second concussion. Westbrook got up from the play and walked off the field, however.
Westbrook had never had concussion until the last two incidents. He missed two games because of the first concussion. Reid said it was "too early" to decide if Westbrook's season was over. The coach said yesterday that Westbrook will not play when the Eagles travel to Chicago for this Sunday night's game.
Eagles coach Andy Reid said that it was "too early" to decide if Brian Westbrook, who suffered his second concussion in three weeks yesterday, was done for the season.
"The important thing is that we get him analyzed, tested and taken care of," Reid said. "And we'll go from there. Not that we didn't do that before."
The Eagles running back got injured in the third quarter of the Eagles' 31-23 loss at San Diego. It occured on a screen play in which he was sandwiched in between a block by Jason Avant and a Chargers defender. "It was another big hit," Reid said.
Replays showed Westbrook getting up normally and casually tossing the football to the officials. Reid said that Westbrook didn't suffer any memory loss.
"He was foggy," Reid said. "He stood up and walked off the field, but you could sense that there was something wrong there."
Westbrook has now suffered two concussions over the last three weeks. The first one occured at Washington when the running back was knocked unconscious for close to a minute. Reid was asked about the severity of a second concussion.
"It's obviously not a good thing that the second one happened there," he said.
Reid said that he had no regrets about letting Westbrook play because doctors had cleared him to play.
"There was a chance he could have played the week before, but we held him out," he said. "He was symptom free."
As for other injury-related news, cornerback Sheldon Brown has a hamstring strain and was getting an MRI today. His status for Sunday's game at Chicago is up in the air. Tackle Jason Peters was held out of the game with an ankle sprain. He had an MRI that revealed the sprain as just mild, Reid said.
"He should be able to get back out there," Reid said.
Safety Quintin Demps missed the Chargers game with an ankle sprain. Reid, for the first time, called it the dreaded "high ankle sprain." Reid said that wide receiver Kevin Curtis (knee) is continuing to improve.
Jason Peters is out for today's Eagles-Chargers game. Todd Herremans will replace Peters at left tackle, Nick Cole will slide over from right guard to left guard and Stacy Andrews will get the start at right guard.
Herremans is making his first start at left tackle since the last game of his rookie season in 2005. When Peters injured his ankle last week against the Cowboys, Herremans stepped into Peters' void. The reconfigured line didn't fare too well, however.
Max Jean-Gilles could also see some action at either of the guard positions. He was sidelined with a shoulder strain and hasn't played in a month.
Safety Quintin Demps is also inactive. He was expected to return kicks with Ellis Hobbs done for the year, but rookie Jeremy Maclin will field kicks instead. Demps has an ankle sprain.
The following players also won't dress: RB P.J. Hill, CB Jack Ikegwuonu, LB Akeem Jordan, G Mike McGlynn and WR Kevin Curtis. Kevin Kolb is the emergency third QB.
Check back for more.
Jason Peters, who has an ankle sprain, was held out of practice again today and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game at San Diego.
The left tackle, however, said that he's playing. If can't, Todd Herremans said he'll replace Peters. The team had practiced a little with King Dunlap at left tackle, but it looks like the starting five will be -- moving right left -- Herremans, Nick Cole, Jamaal Jackson, Stacy Andrews and Winston Justice -- if Peters can't go.
"If it works out okay with the flight and the practice tomorrow there's a chance he still plays," Reid said.
Reid said that Max Jean-Gilles, who has missed the last three games with a shoulder injury, could be in the mix.
Brian Westbrook, meanwhile, practiced for the second straight day. Asked the status of the running back, Reid said, "Playing." Officially, Westbrook is probable.
Here's the rest of the injury report:
OUT
WR Kevin Curtis (knee) and LB Akeem Jordan (knee)
QUESTIONABLE
DE Victor Abiamiri (knee), S Quintin Demps (ankle) and Peters.
PROBABLE
LB Moise Fokou (illness), LB Chris Gocong (hamstring), S Victor Harris (ankle), WR Jeremy Maclin (foot, hand), CB Dimitri Patterson (quad, hand), DT Mike Patterson (toe), FB Leonard Weaver (ankle) and Westbrook (concussion, ankle).
With the Eagles set to take off for San Diego in less than 26 hours, their starting left tackle has yet to practice this week. Jason Peters did not practice for the second straight day as he recovers from an ankle sprain. He was inside the practice bubble at the NovaCare complex today, but did not partake in team drills.
Brian Westbrook, meanwhile, is back and working with the first team. The running back skipped yesterday's workout partly because of his ankle, partly because the team was working indoors. Apparently, the astroturf wasn't enough to keep Westbrook out of practice today. If he's going to play he'll need to get some work in, although he has gone a week without practicing and has played on Sunday before.
If Peters can't make it back by the Chargers game, Todd Herremans will likely slide over from left guard, Nick Cole will move from right guard to left guard and Stacy Andrews or Max Jean-Gilles will take Cole's place. Peters re-injured his ankle against the Cowboys last week.
Moise Fokou, who missed yesterday's practice with the flu, was back practicing. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott confirmed today that if linebacker Akeem Jordan (knee) can't play Sunday, Chris Gocong will move to MIKE, Fokou will play SAM and Will Witherspoon will slide over to WILL. There could some flexibility is moving the linebackers around, McDermott added.
Quintin Demps did not practice today again. The safety has an ankle injury. Special teams coordinator Ted Daisher said today that Demps would replace the injured Ellis Hobbs in returning kicks, but if Demps isn't ready Jeremy Maclin will field kickoffs.
Fullback Leonard Weaver (ankle) returned to practice, as well.
