Vick throws; won't rule out Sunday return
King Dunlap will start at left tackle in place of Jason Peters, who needs to have his knee scoped, Andy Reid said. Brodrick Bunkley's injury is not as bad as first feared and he may play.
Michael Vick said that he resumed throwing Wednesday for the first time since his chest injury and did not rule out a return by Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Asked if a Sunday return was highly unlikely, the Eagles quarterback said, "I wouldn't say that."
Vick, who suffered cartilage damage to his rib injury in the Washington game, said that he's got his "throwing motion back." Eagles coach Andy Reid said earlier that Vick hadn't thrown since his injury.
"It's just being able to deal with it and working out the kinks," Vick said, who did not practice Wednesday.
Kevin Kolb, who started in place of Vick against the 49ers, took all the snaps at practice.
Vick said that playing against his former team provided no extra motivation to get back in time for Sunday's game.
"There's no extra motivation just because it's Atlanta week," Vick said. "I feel like we passed that last year. It's just another football game against a tough opponent."
Vick said that he didn't necessarily need to practce this week in order to play against the Falcons.
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King Dunlap, who gave up three sacks against the 49ers, will start in place of left tackle Jason Peters, Andy Reid said Wednesday.
Peters has a torn meniscus and will have surgery Thursday to clean out the knee Reid said. He is out for at least this week. Reid did not say how long he will have to sit for.
Reid said that he considered moving left guard Todd Herremans to left tackle, as he did on a few occasions last season, but that he ultimately had confidence in Dunlap.
"He had a couple plays that he would have liked to have back," Reid said about Dunlap's performance in relief of Peters against the 49ers Sunday. "But the rest of it I thought he did a good job with. And I'm sure he'll tell you the same thing – there are some things that he'll work on this week. It will be good for him to have some practice, here. He didn't have a chance to get out there and practice with the ones, so he'll get in and have that opportunity and see how he does."
Defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley, though, has a shot to play after Reid initially feared he would be lost for the season with an elbow sprain. Bunkley's elbow has swelling, but his arm is strong and the pain is at least manageable. Still, Reid said it would be a "stretch" for Bunkley to get in this week's game against the Falcons. Rookie Jeff Owens, a member of the practice squad, will get practice time this week and will play if Bunkley is unable to go.
Michael Vick has started lifting light weights, but is not yet throwing and will not practice today, Reid said. That makes it appear unlikely that he will be ready for Sunday's game.
"He had swelling on the right side, more so than the left where the actual crack was," Reid said. "That swelling has gone down. Right now I can't tell you that he's pain free and I'm not going to tell you that; he still has pain. He started lifting light weight. He hasn't thrown, but he's made big jumps, big strides over the few days."
Herremans (knee swelling) and running back LeSean McCoy (cracked rib) will sit out practice today, but Reid said he expects them back Thursday. Wide receiver Riley Cooper and cornerback Asante Samuel (concussions) will return to practice.
Despite DeSean Jackson's knee injury during a punt return Sunday, Reid said that the wide receiver was still his No. 1 punt returner.
"He will right now, yeah," Reid said. "I'm leaving that statement open. [Jackson] is the number one punt returner, yes, but I say that and there have been games where [Jorrick] Calvin's gone in and spotted. I always check with DeSean and I check with [kick returner Ellis] Hobbs on how they're feeling and if they're tired or whatever it might be. If they have a long series, then I go with Calvin."