THINKS THE EAGLES STOLE ONE
NINE OF THE first 10 questions Andy Reid was asked at yesterday's news conference had to do with Michael Vick, who will make his Eagles preseason debut tomorrow night against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, probably in a cameo role as a Wildcat quarterback, in the red zone.
The one question in that flurry that didn't concern Vick ought to have a lot more to do with the Eagles' success this season, though.
"We'll just see with him. I've just got to see how that goes," the Eagles' coach said when asked whether Brian Westbrook will play the first three quarters with the other starters. Chances are slim that Westbrook will play three quarters, but it's tremendously reassuring, at the end of a summer of chaos and uncertainty, to see him ready to get into a game.
Less than 2 months ago, when Westbrook underwent a surprise cleanout of bone chips in his ankle, nobody would have predicted that the Birds' franchise running back returning for the third preseason game wouldn't be a huge story. We were assured by some media outlets that Westbrook wouldn't play at all in the preseason, and would be doing well to be healthy by the Sept. 13 season opener. But Westbrook returned to limited practice nearly 2 weeks ago, quickly transitioned to full practice, and now will get at least some game action. He almost certainly will sit out next week's preseason finale at the Jets, as will all the starters.
"I'm kind of excited to see the way he plays, the way he thinks, the way he runs, different defenses, the way he approaches it, the way he blocks," said rookie running back LeSean McCoy, who has taken the bulk of the training-camp reps, both in practices and in games. "I'm not sure [how much Westbrook will play]. Lately we've been kind of just splittin' reps . . . He's going to have a big load this year, like always. Sort of getting him back into the flow of the game, the speed of the game."
Westbrook declined to hold his scheduled weekly news conference Monday and did not answer questions yesterday. A team spokesman said he wants to play before he speaks again.
Of course, everyone is eager to see how the Westbrook-McCoy tandem works out, what the roles will be, ultimately. When Westbrook is able to suit up, Reid's tendency has been to forget he has any other running backs, even when Westbrook is obviously hobbled, as he was much of last season.
"I think it's a challenge, to come out and play well as a backup," said McCoy, who previously has always been in a starring role. McCoy looked more advanced than any rookie running back in the Reid era during the preseason opener against New England, but he looked much shakier last week at Indianapolis.
"The speed of the defenses on this level, you kind of go back to your old ways from college, and on this level it doesn't work," said McCoy, who explained that he danced around too much last week. "[You want to] kind of get vertical, and not [do] so much thinking."
Reid counseled McCoy during the Indianapolis game, not just about the vertical-horizontal thing, McCoy said, but also about "getting down on myself."
"I'm the type of player, I hate mistakes, man, I hate making errors," McCoy said. "He just let me know that's part of the game. I've just got to keep pushing, keep playing."
Vick's role, meanwhile, is also undefined. Reid said yesterday that Kevin Kolb, who hasn't played in the preseason while recovering from a medial collateral ligament injury, will quarterback the fourth quarter tomorrow. If Donovan McNabb plays the first three quarters and Kolb plays the fourth, that pretty much rules out a regular quarterbacking role for Vick in the first game he is eligible to play under the terms of his reinstatement by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Vick also can play next week - you'd think he might see a lot more action then - before Goodell rules on a regular-season suspension that could be nothing or could be as long as five games.
"I'm really just going to take it play by play, see how he adjusts to the game speed," Reid said. Vick last played in an NFL game when the Atlanta Falcons ended their 2006 season with a New Year's Eve loss to the Eagles at the Linc. "If I think that's a problem, I'd probably discontinue the reps, but if I feel like he's adjusting OK, then I'd continue to give him an opportunity there."
Reid more or less acknowledged he plans to use Vick in the Wildcat. Why not keep that under wraps until the real season starts? Because Reid needs to see how close Vick is to being able to do it in a real game. And because part of the reason for making the Vick-Wildcat an option is to give opposing defenses something else to worry about. They'll worry more if it's on the film they're reviewing.
"I've just got to see how it works out. I think he's worked himself into good enough shape to where he can function in there and do OK. And then, I've just got to see. It's been 2 years since he's been in there, so just like you've got to see, I've got to see," Reid said.
Everybody wants to see, including Vick's new teammates.
"Right now, I'm very curious about what's going to happen in the next couple of years" with Vick, said defensive end Trent Cole, who also will make his preseason debut tomorrow after recovering from a shoulder problem. "I don't know what they're going to do with him, but I think it's going to be great . . . He's a great athlete, he still has it. He's Michael Vick."
For more Eagles coverage and opinion, read the Daily News' Eagles blog, Eagletarian, at www.eagletarian.com.
