I wrote a little ditty for the Inquirer's Eagles version of Talkin the other day, but the editors must have deemed it newspaper-unworthy and cut it from the e-mail exchange. The topic that day was to compare the Eagles and Phillies and how clutch each team was/is. I spent a whole five minutes on the darn thing and felt it needed to see the light of day. What do you think, was it at least blog worthy?

Fly Phillies fly,
Past the Eagles' shrinking fanbase.
Win Phillies win,
Stars you can love: Ryan, Jimmy, Chase
Grab the headlines, Fill the airwaves,
And watch the Eagles cry.
Fly Phillies fly,
Past the Eagles' shrinking fanbase.
P-H-I-L-L-I-E-S PHILLIES!

Eagles linebacker Omar Gaither has a Lisfranc fracture in his foot and is done for the season, coach Andy Reid said today. Gaither injured his foot late in the Oakland game on Sunday and was originally diagnosed with a foot sprain. After a second look, doctors determined that the starting middle linebacker had the Lisfranc.

Other Eagles have had the injury, most notably Brian Westbrook. The running back had the injury several years back. The Eagles have now lost two starting middle linebackers to injury since the beginning of training camp. Stewart Bradley tore his ACL early in camp.

The Eagles signed Will Witherspoon on Tuesday aware that Gaither's injury could be more serious. He will start at middle linebacker and will be spelled occasionally by Jeremiah Trotter on run downs. Joe Mays appears to still be out of the picture even though he was expected to be the starter at middle linebacker after Bradley went down.

The Eagles got some other bad news on the injury front. Defensive end Victor Abiamiri is out for the Monday night game at Washington with a knee sprain. Wide receiver Kevin Curtis is receiving a second opinion on his nagging knee sprain. The Curtis news doesn't sound promising.

There was some good news. Tackle Jason Peters (knee) is expected to practice today and looks to be on target to play Monday. Reid said that Todd Herremans (foot) should play against the Redskins. It sounds as if Herremans will jump back in as the starting left guard. Nick Cole, who filled in for Herremans, is expected to move over to right guard.

The Eagles have acquired St. Louis Rams veteran linebacker Will Witherspoon in exchange for rookie wide receiver Brandon Gibson and a fifth-round draft pick in 2010.

Witherspoon, 29, will inherit the role played by Omar Gaither so far this season. Eagles coach Andy Reid said that Gaither is scheduled to visit a foot specialist and is unlikely to be able to play Monday night against the Washington Redskins.

"We'll put him at the (middle linebacker) spot to start with," Reid said during a conference call with reporters. "It doesn't look like OMar is going to be able to go for a little bit here. He's going to see a foot specialist in a day or so."

Witherspoon left the Rams' overtime loss to Jacksonville Sunday with a bruised tailbone, but Reid said he would be able to play. He had been playing weakside linebacker this season with the Rams, but he has experience at middle linebacker as well. Reid said the fact that he's been playing in coach Steve Spagnuolo's defense with St. Louis should allow Witherspoon to make a smooth and quick transition to defensive coordinator Sean McDermott's system.

The Eagles had also expressed some interest in Witherspoon when he was with the Carolina Panthers, but he opted to sign with the Rams as a free agent in 2006. His best season in St. Louis was 2007 when he had seven sacks and 110 tackles.

One of Witherspoon's strengths in the past has been pass coverage. He had six interceptions and 20 passes defended in his final two seasons with the Panthers, which are both high numbers for a linebacker. He had one interception and one sack last season with the Rams, but does not have a sack or an interception this season.

OAKLAND -- Reaction from what can only be called a pitiful 13-9 loss to the Raiders:

ANDY REID:

"The Raiders out-coached us and they out-played us in every phase of the game. Hats off to them, they did a heck of a job and we didn't. And it hurts. We didn't do a better enough job and they did."

DONOVAN MCNABB:

"We weren't able to capitalize on the opportunities. Tip your hat off to them for the package they came up with, the scheme this week. We weren't able to answer the question and pick up the blitz. I think there were opportunities in the game that we didn't capitalize on, but I thought they took full advantage of those sacks and those penalties."

"I can speak for myself and should speak for everybody about the way we came out here and played. We are a much better football team. I've always said that for a young team that we have, that we have to take baby steps. There will be a point in time that we hit a wall and we didn't expect to hit the wall today. This is a learning experience and one that, for myself and as well as the veterans, we have to lead these younger guys to understand there will be times in the season that things don't go well but it can't be for four quarters."

BRIAN WESTBROOK;

"We are better than that. We didn't go out and execute our offense at all. We had a couple of drives that we weren't able to put the ball in the end zone. We are a lot better team than we played like today. We are a better team than three field goals and no touchdowns."

DESEAN JACKSON:

"It's a tough loss. It's definitely unacceptable. We felt like we were the better team and we didn't play like it today."

WINSTON JUSTICE:

"They did some stuff that they didn't show the last few games and we were surprised, but that is what practices are for. We will go back to the drawing board and get better for the rest of the year."

OAKLAND -- Kevin Kolb is the third quarterback for today's Eagles-Raiders game. That means only Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick are active. Kolb can only be used in the case of an emergency. If he enters the game before the fourth quarter, McNabb and Vick can't re-enter.

Therefore, if McNabb gets hurt early, Vick is likely the next guy in -- unless the Eagles take the risk that McNabb can't return and insert Kolb. They could throw Vick, who will otherwise be used in the Eagles' Wildcat formations, out there for a series or two until they determine the severity of McNabb's injury.

Coach Andy Reid has deemed Kolb his No. 2 quarterback and that appears to still be the case based on the backup's play in the two games in which McNabb was hurt. Vick, who replaced McNabb last week during garbage time, has been shaky in his few opportunities to run the offense.

The Eagles are taking a slight chance not dressing all three quarterbacks as they did last week. But they obviously wanted to have another active player in place of a third quarterback that wouldn't likely play.

The other inactives for the Eagles are: WR Brandon Gibson, CB Dimitri Patterson, LB Joe Mays, G Mike McGlynn, G Todd Herremans, WR Kevin Curtis and DE Jason Babin.

Curtis (knee) will not dress for the third straight game. Patterson (quadriceps) and Herremans (foot) are out with injuries. The remaining inactives are healthy scratches.

Darren Howard is active and should play. The defensive end was listed as probable for today's game with a toe contusion. Defensive tackle Trevor Laws, who didn't dress last week, is active, as is defensive tackle Antonio Dixon.

Eagles defensive end Darren Howard sat out practice today with a toe contusion, but he is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Raiders.

Wide receiver Kevin Curtis (knee) practiced yesterday, as he has all week, but is questionable for the game. Curtis has missed the last two games. Guard Todd Herremans was involved in scout team drills today and said afterward that his foot felt fine. He is out for Sunday, as is cornerback Dimitri Patterson (quadriceps), but the guard is hoping a scan of his foot on Tuesday will allow him to prepare next week for the Monday night game at Washington.

The following players are also listed as probable: CB Sheldon Brown (abdomen), DE Chris Clemons (ankle), CB Ellis Hobbs (wrist), LB Akeem Jordan (neck) and QB Donovan McNabb (rib, shoulder).

The team is scheduled to take a 4 p.m. flight to the West Coast this afternoon.

Todd Herremans said he still believes he can return to the playing field for the Eagles' Oct. 26 game against the Washington Redskins.

He also made it clear that he doesn't want to be part of a guard rotation like the one the Eagles are using at right guard with Max Jean-Gilles and Stacy Andrews splitting time.

Herremans, out since the start of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot, returned to the practice field Wednesday and said things went well.

"I went out and did some individual work with (offensive line coach) Juan (Castillo) and the rest of the O line and it felt good," Herremans said. "If it feels good ... I'm going to try to take some reps with the scout team tomorrow and, hopefully, if everything goes good, we'll get it scanned next week to make sure nothing has changed and ...  go full go next Thursday."

Eagles coach Andy Reid said he wants to be cautious about Herremans' return because of the nature of a stress fracture.

"They know I want to play, so they're kind of trying to not let me over exert myself," Herremans said. "I don't think I'd do that. I'm not an idiot. If it starts hurting, I'm going to pull myself out."

Herremans said he believes he will regain his starting left guard spot from Nick Cole when he is healthy.

"I mean, I've started for the last three years, so I imagine when I come back it will still be my spot," Herremans said. "Nick has done a great job, but it's not my decision. I don't get paid to coach of make personnel decisions."

It will be interesting to see if Reid implements the same kind of rotation with Cole and Herremans that he has used the last couple weeks with Jean-Gilles and Andrews.

"I don't think I'd really like to play with a rotation, but, like I said, I don't make those decisions," Herremans said.

Every time a disgraced NFL player emerges from prison, rehab or the doghouse of another team, the Raiders --with just reason -- are assumed to be a likely landed spot for said player. Oakland owner Al Davis has handed out his fair share of second chances.

When Michael Vick was released from prison, the Raiders -- the Eagles' Sunday opponent -- were instantly among the candidates pundits thought the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback would consider playing for. Aside from Davis' history, Oakland didn't exactly have the greatest situation under center even though former No. 1 overall draft pick JaMarcus Russell was the starting signal caller.

Vick could have entered a situation in which he would have fought for a starting spot. Instead he landed in Philadelphia where he's the third-stringer and an occasionally-used "Wildcat" (or decoy). It might seem like an odd choice still to this day, but Vick's post-incarceration mentor, Tony Dungy, said he steered his protege away from one of worst franchises in the NFL.

"I advised Michael Vick not to go there," Dungy said Sunday on NBC's Football Night in America. "I said, 'Mike, you might be able to start there but that is not a good place for you.' "

Vick said his decision not to play for Oakland had less to do with its situation and more to do with the opportunity the Eagles offered.

"When I got released from prison I didn't care where I would have played," Vick said today. "It really didn't come off like that. I think coach Dungy wanted me to be in a place where I was going to be protected and [where] I just wouldn't have a lot of pressure on me."

"If I would have went [to Oakland], there just would have been a lot of quarterback controversy. I think the most important thing is for JaMarcus to get his reps and get a feel for the game and play to prove he can play in this league. You don't get too many years to prove that."

Raiders coach Tom Cable said that his team never really pursued bringing Vick West.

"When Mike got ready to play again we had four quarterbacks on our roster," Cable said during a conference call today. "It was never something that was seriously considered."

Over the last few weeks, Vick has been a little more open about discussing his hopes for someday starting again at quarterback. He said that it's the position in which he feels most comfortable, although he hasn't openly pined for Donovan McNabb's job (not that he would even be the first consideration). Asked today if he's considering the rest of this season as a tryout for other teams, Vick wisely played the team player.

"I can't look beyond what can happen this year," Vick said. "The most important thing is to focus on today and the game that we have this week. I'm here to help this football team win and I can't look too far down the road because I don't know what the future holds for me. I got to enjoy this season, enjoy being in this locker room and enjoy being with the guys, and if I'm here in a year or two, that's what it is." 

Todd Herremans, meanwhile, returned to practice today. His participation was limited to individual drills, and coach Andy Reid said that Herremans wouldn't take part in any contact portion of practice. "We're not rushing him back," Reid said. The Eagles have used a three-guard rotation with Nick Cole, Max Jean-Gilles and Stacy Andrews in the last three games. Cole has primarily played at Herreman's position -- left guard.

Herremans, for his part, said that he was "stoked" to be back. He didn't have a gauge of when he would return, although the Oct. 26 game at Washington seems to be the target date.

Reid also said that Kevin Curtis would practice today, but that his participation would be limited. Curtis has missed the last two games with a left knee sprain. Cornerback Sheldon Brown (abdominal strain) was healthy enough to practice, Reid said.

Cornerback Dimitri Patterson (hamstring) was held out of practice and won't likely play Sunday at Oakland.

The Phillies haven't made it back to the World Series yet, but their quest to repeat has impacted the Eagles' schedule.

With the possibility of an 8:15 p.m. World Series game being played at Citizens Bank Park Nov. 1, the NFL has rescheduled the Eagles' Nov. 1 game against the New York Giants for 1 p.m. The game had been scheduled for 4:15 p.m. and is likely to be the Fox network's premier matchup that day.

A team spokesman said the logistics of the situation forced the decision to be made even though the Phillies must beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series to reach the World Series.

It would be a dream scenario for Philadelphia fans if the Eagles were to beat the Giants in the afternonn, then have the Phillies knock off the New York Yankees at night.

But right now, all we know for sure is that the Eagles are going to play the Giants at 1 p.m. Nov. 1.