Eagles and Vick to face formidable Giants defense

Eagles starting quarterbacks have been knocked out of games twice this season, and each time the Birds have lost.

It's a formula for winning in the NFL and one the New York Giants will try to use when they face Michael Vick and the Eagles in Sunday night's highly anticipated matchup between the NFC East leaders.

The Giants have driven five quarterbacks from games this season - Carolina's Matt Moore, Chicago's Jay Cutler and Todd Collins, Detroit's Shaun Hill, and Dallas' Tony Romo - and won each time. There's been chatter from New York this week about a repeat performance.

"I've been going through that my entire career, guys trying to knock me out and take me out of the game," Vick said Friday. "You do that and you have a pretty good chance of winning. But not here with a great quarterback behind me - Kevin Kolb."

Kolb suffered a concussion in the season opener against the Packers, and Vick was unable to rally the Eagles. Three weeks later, Vick injured his rib cartilage against the Redskins and a Kolb-led comeback fell short.

Vick's running tendencies and his refusal to slide remain areas of concern, though he avoided the type of blow he endured against Washington in the last two games. Still, the Eagles' offensive line does not evoke confidence against a No. 1-ranked Giants defense that is third in the league in sacks per pass play and has eaten up quarterbacks.

"I don't think it has anything to do with coincidence," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said during a Wednesday conference call. "It's good, hard, tough football. No one goes in with the intent of hurting anyone or what have you. In those situations that occurred [they] were good, clean plays that ended up with injuries to the quarterback."

The Eagles' offensive line may have had its best outing in last Monday night's whipping of the Redskins, when Vick was sacked only once. It may have had something to do with the starter at right guard.

Nick Cole filled in for Max Jean-Gilles, who was recovering from a concussion, and had his best game all year. Cole started the first three games of the season but lost the spot partly due to a sore knee. Though Eagles coach Andy Reid was evasive, he said "there's a pretty good chance" Sunday's starter will be Cole.

"Nick played well [against Washington], and there was great communication there on the line," Reid said.

That kind of protection was an anomaly for a unit that is 27th in the league in sacks allowed per pass. But there has been improvement. In the first five games, Eagles quarterbacks were sacked 4.6 times a game. In the four games since, that number has dipped to 1.5.

"I think we're progressing," Eagles guard Todd Herremans said. "We weren't playing lights out when the season started. Obviously, we are playing better now than we did. But that happens every year with the offensive line."

Eagles left tackle Jason Peters has played his most consistent football in the two games since his return from arthroscopic knee surgery. He once again will draw Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who has nine sacks this season and had two in two games last season against the Eagles.

On the other side of the ball, the most intriguing battle up front may pit Eagles defensive end Trent Cole against former teammate and Giants left tackle Shawn Andrews.

Of course, Andrews will have to play for that to happen.

He was held of out practice all week with a sore back and was listed as questionable for his return to Lincoln Financial Field.

"Shawn's a good player," Cole said. "He can take off all week and still play."

Extra points. Juqua Parker returned to practice after missing the previous two days with a hip flexor strain. Reid said he expected the defensive end to start Sunday. Parker was listed as questionable, as was tackle King Dunlap (knee). . . . Running back LeSean McCoy (shoulder) practiced for the second straight day and is probable. . . . Reid said Ellis Hobbs (hip) will play Sunday and return kicks. The cornerback lost his starting spot to Dimitri Patterson. . . . The NFL announced that it would not fine LaRon Landry following allegations from Eagles center Mike McGlynn that the Redskins safety spit on him two times. "There was no conclusive evidence to support discipline," an NFL spokesman said. . . . Vick was named the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week, as voted on by fans, for his performance against the Redskins.