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Rib injury likely to keep Vick sidelined till opener

MICHAEL VICK almost certainly will not miss the Sept. 9 season opener at Cleveland with what the Eagles described Tuesday as "a contusion of his ribs and of the soft tissue surrounding" them.

Michael Vick was injured on the Eagles' sixth snap of each of their two preseason games. (Steven Senne/AP)
Michael Vick was injured on the Eagles' sixth snap of each of their two preseason games. (Steven Senne/AP)Read more

MICHAEL VICK almost certainly will not miss the Sept. 9 season opener at Cleveland with what the Eagles described Tuesday as "a contusion of his ribs and of the soft tissue surrounding" them.

But it would seem most unlikely that Vick will play in either of the remaining preseason games, Friday at Cleveland or at home Aug. 30 against the Jets. So, all that stuff Eagles coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg wanted to see out of Vick and the offense Monday night at New England - consistency, continuity, precision - they will open the season without ever having seen it. That's not a tragedy, but it's considerably less than ideal.

Vick was injured on the Eagles' sixth snap of each of their two preseason games. Against Pittsburgh, he bruised the thumb of his throwing hand. At New England he suffered a more familiar problem, when linebacker Jermaine Cunningham drove his helmet into Vick's midsection just after the QB released a pass; Vick, 32, has missed time with rib-area injuries in each of his two previous seasons as the Eagles' starter.

After Monday's game, Reid said Vick was sore but had asked to return to the fray. Wideout DeSean Jackson said Vick told him he couldn't be taking such hits anymore.

Darn that media

After DeSean Jackson signed his new contract, he acknowledged there were times last season when not having the long-term deal weighed on his mind, affected his performance. Then wideouts coach David Culley flat-out said at Lehigh that Jackson wouldn't run certain routes last season because he didn't want to get hurt, with no deal in place.

Monday, as part of the ESPN run-up to the Eagles-Pats game, Jackson was quoted as saying he "let it get to me . . . I was trying to protect myself from getting hurt." And faster than you can say "worldwide leader," the not-new notion became a big sensation.

Tuesday, Jackson took to Twitter to lament: "The Media love twisting my damn words up .. An they always wondering why I don't wanna talk 2 they a** .. That [stuff] is un-professional."

It wasn't clear what sort of "twisting" Jackson was alleging.

Song remains the same

Among the quotes from the Eagles' locker room Monday was this one, suitable for framing. You might want to refer to it as the season progresses. It comes from defensive end Brandon Graham.

"I think they tried to slow us down with all the screens and draws," Graham said. "I feel like a lot of teams are going to give us that same look."