The Eagles apparently got a little healthier today. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson and defensive end Darren Howard were back practicing today after sitting out yesterday's session with various injuries.

Brian Westbrook, meanwhile, watched practice as his backup, LeSean McCoy, took all the first-team repetitions as the Eagles prepared for Sunday's big NFC East showdown with the Giants. Westbrook, who suffered a concussion against the Redskins on Monday, is expected to be a game-time decision.

Eagles coach Andy Reid said that the running back would begin doing some aerobic exercises tomorrow, which presumably means that his headache has either gone away or has gotten significantly better.

"He did better today," Reid said. "He's feeling a little bit better today than yesterday. He's getting better. We'll add a little bit tomorrow and see how he does. It's still going to be a game-time decision."
 
Macho Harris did not practice for the second straight day. The safety has an ankle sprain. Sean Jones and Quintin Demps are his potential replacements. Cornerback Dimitri Patterson (quadriceps) also didn't practice. 

Jackson (foot) and Howard (calf, ankle) were full participants in practice.

This may tell you all you need to know about the severity of Brian Westbrook's concussion: The Eagles signed running back P.J. Hill off the Saints practice squad today, according to a team spokesman.

To make room on the 53-man roster, the team placed linebacker Omar Gaither (foot) on Injured Reserve. That means that Gaither's season is officially over, if there were any doubt.

The 5-foot-10, 218-pound Hill was originally signed by the Saints as a rookie free agent and rushed 26 times for 128 yards during three preseason games. He was released prior to the season before final cuts, but was brought back to the practice squad. He played college at Wisconsin and ran for over 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons with the Badgers.

I actually got to see Hill up close a few times when I covered Penn State. At Wisconsin he was listed much heavier than he is now, which usually happens. But I think they had him at something like 235 pounds. He always looked a legit 235. Maybe he dropped some of the weight. Nevertheless, he was a between-the-tackles-type runner with the Badgers. I thought he would get drafted. It seems as though two DUI arrests scared some teams away. Maybe he's a gem that the running-back-loaded Saints thought they could hide on their practice squad for a season. Maybe not.

They haven't forgotten Donovan McNabb's phone call up at the Meadowlands.

With just over three minutes remaining in the Eagles' playoff victory at Giants Stadium last season, McNabb scrambled out of the pocket and ran eight yards before going out of bounds on the New York sideline. A giddy McNabb picked up the telephone to the coaches' box near the Giants' bench and acted as though he was making a call.

It was a phone call that drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty and the ire of the Giants.

The Giants disliked McNabb's move so much that they posted a picture on the wall of the incident at their practice facility during the offseason.

"It sits pretty heavy on us," linebacker Danny Clark told the Newark Star Ledger.

New York coach Tom Coughlin said this afternoon that there is no McNabb phone-call photo at the Giants' practice facility, but added he had no comment about the incident.

McNabb and Eagles coach Andy Reid don't seem concerned that it gives the Giants extra motivation for Sunday's game.

"No, I don't have any regrets for doing it," McNabb said during a conference call with the New York media. "But in this game, do you really need any psychological motivation? I don't think so. This is a game you dream about playing. If you need any little thing that happened during a game last year or years before, then really you're not truly focused on week in and week out trying to be the best at what you do."

Reid mostly joked about the incident.

"He must have had somebody he wanted to talk to," the coach said.

When pressed, Reid said he had spoken to McNabb about the incident.

Test are still being conducted on Brian Westbrook, who suffered a concussion Monday night, and a decision as to whether he can play Sunday against the Giants will be a game time decision, Eagles coach Andy Reid said.

Westbrook was knocked off for several moments in the first quarter of the Eagles' 27-17 win over the Redskins. He walked off the field, but never returned. Reid said that Westbrook felt fine and that the running back has shown positive signs of recovery.

Several other Eagles players will be held out of practice today. There are: wide receiver DeSean Jackson (foot), safety Macho Harris (ankle), defensive end Darren Howard (calf) and cornerback Dimitri Patterson (quadriceps). Wide receiver Kevin Curtis (knee), defensive end Victor Abiamiri (knee) and linebacker Omar Gaither (foot) are most likely out for Sunday.

More to come.

Eagles coach Andy Reid said during his 610 WIP radio show tonight that he's "counting on" running back Brian Westbrook to be on the field for Sunday's showdown with the New York Giants, but given the medical guidelines for a concussion, that scenario seems unlikely.

Reid confirmed that Westbrook was unconscious after taking a knee to the helmet from Washington linebacker London Fletcher midway through the first quarter of last night's game at FedEx Field. He also said that Westbrook did not remember what had happened.

Those two signs, according to former Eagles and Flyers team physician Art Bartolozzi, indicate that Westbrook suffered a severe concussion. According to the American Academy of Neurology's grading system, Westbrook suffered a Grade 3 concussion, the most severe type.

Reid said Westbrook was put through a battery of neurological tests with trainer Rick Burkholder that were sent to Pittsburgh. Bartolozzi said the University of Pittsburgh has a computer-generated test that helps measure how severely someone has been impaired.

"If he was unconscious he is probably out at least a few weeks," Bartolozzi said. "Amnesia means the hard drive has been shaken. The brain is like a computer. If you lose data, it tells you something is wrong with the computer."

Bartolozzi said it's also difficult for players to retain their fitness level after they have a concussion.

"One of the things that happens with a head injury is that unlike other parts of the body, exercise does not help the recovery," Bartolozzi said. "It's tough to maintain the fitness because the brain doesn't like a lot of conditioning exercises."

If Westbrook does not play, rookie LeSean McCoy will get the start against the Giants.

Jackson honored

Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson will be named the NFC offensive player of the week tomorrow after scoring on a 67-yard run and a 57-yard pass during Monday night's win at Washington.

He was the NFC special teams player of the month for September.

Reid said that Jackson's strain foot should not prevent him from playing Sunday against the Giants.

LANDOVER, Md. -- Brian Westbrook suffered a concussion in the first quarter of tonight's Eagles-Redskins game and the running back won't return.

On the Eagles' second possession, Westrbrook took a handoff and forged ahead six yards, but at the end of the carry he was kneed in the helmet by Washington linebacker London Fletcher. Westbrook laid motionless on FedEx Field as many players from both teams surrounded him. Some were visibly concerned.

One of the Redskins was Brian's younger brother, Byron, a special teams player. After several minutes, however, Westbrook rose and was helped off the field. LeSean McCoy took over full for Westbrook.

LANDOVER, Md. -- Max Jean-Gilles is out for tonight's game against the Redskins. The Eagles guard was questionable coming in with a right shoulder strain. Jean-Gilles, who had started the last four games at right guard, wasn't expected to start, but was eligible to rotate with either Nick Cole on the right or Todd Herremans on the left.

Herremans is playing in his first game of the season after sitting out the last two months with a stress fracture in his foot. Stacy Andrews is available at guard.

Kevin Kolb is the emergency third quarterback for the second straight week. Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick are the Eagles' two active quarterbacks.

The other inactives are: cornerback Dimitri Patterson (quadriceps), linebacker Joe Mays, guard Mike McGlynn, wide receiver Kevin Curtis (knee), defensive end Victor Abiamiri (knee) and linebacker Omar Gaither (foot).

The Eagles and Redskins kick it off here at FedEx Field in about an hour and a half.

Wide receiver Kevin Curtis had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Eagles coach Andy Reid said today. Reid said that he had no idea when Curtis would be back playing, but that he anticipated a return before the end of the season.

"I think time will tell here, but I think so," Reid said.

Curtis had missed the last three games with the knee injury, but team MRIs never revealed more than inflammation.

"They didn't see much in the MRI," Reid said. "MRIs don't always show everything so they went in and just checked things out. There wasn't too much in there that they had to work on. They just snipped a few little things in there, but it wasn't a major thing."

Rookie Jeremy Maclin started in his place and will continue to do so. Curtis' absence means that Reggie Brown will be activated for the second straight week as the team's fourth wide receiver. The Eagles traded away rookie Brandon Gibson earlier this week for linebacker Will Witherspoon.

As expected, Omar Gaither had surgery on his left foot to correct a Lisfranc fracture. Reid hasn't ruled out a return for the middle linebacker, but he said it is highly unlikely.

"Right now it doesn't look good, but we'll see," Reid said.

The offensive line, meanwhile, took another hit. Guard Max Jean-Gilles was held of out of team drill portion of practice today with a right shoulder injury and was listed as questionable for Monday night's game at Washington. Reid said that Todd Herremans, back from a foot injury, will start at left guard and Nick Cole will start at right guard. With Jean-Gilles likely out, Herremans will probably play the entire game. Reid said that Stacy Andrews could spell Cole a few series at right guard.

Cornerback Dimitri Patterson (quadriceps) is also listed as out for the Redskins game.

Now that Todd Herremans is back from injury, the Eagles have some decisions to make at their two guard spots. Judging from all indicators, Herremans will start at left guard and Nick Cole will move over and start at right guard for Monday night's game in Washington.

Cole had been filling in for Herremans in his absence and did a fine enough job that he'll supplant Max Jean-Gilles on the right side. The coaches won't say, however, if Cole will split reps with either Jean-Gilles or the forgotten Stacy Andrews.

There's also a chance that Herremans won't play every down Monday. Aside from the fact that he's coming back from a stress fracture in his foot, Herremans hasn't played all season. He's not going to be in tip-top football shape. Herremans has said he doesn't want to rotate, but he may have to deal with it for his first couple of games back.

Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said today that a rotation was possible even though he believes Herremans can play all 60 minutes.

"You can't predict it but I would expect him to play the whole game," Mornhinweg said. "He thinks he can. Our trainers, who are the best in this league, they think he can."

Herremans also has to be prepared to play left tackle because if Jason Peters tweaks his knee, Herremans is probably taking over before King Dunlap. "There are several things that could happen there," Mornhinweg said. "Todd could do that. Dunlap in there as well. He is a possibility."

All this unrest adds to an offensive line that was burned for sick sacks last week and one that faces a much better defensive line this week in Washington. Right tackle Winston Justice has been shaky the last two weeks and when Peters went down against the Raiders, the line's timing and the picking up of assignments was off for the rest of the game.

In other news, offensive coordinator Ted Daisher said today that Ellis Hobbs would go back to returning kicks. Quintin Demps filled in last week as Hobbs recovered from a wrist sprain.