“That’s a logical question, but as a coach, you don’t do that,” Reid said Friday. “I’m being as honest as I can with you. I don’t worry about that. I worry about getting better, and that’s where I put all of my energy in. That’s what I can control. Become a better football coach and make my assistants better while at the same time make my players better.”

Philadelphia (4-8) lost 31-14 at Seattle on Thursday night, five days after a 38-20 home loss to New England. It has lost four of five since its only two-game winning streak, and has won just four of their last 15 games since late last season.

Reid is in his 13th season and has two years remaining on his contract. The dean of NFL coaches was once called “Coach for Life” by Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, but now that future is a bit murkier.

Philadelphia began the season with Super Bowl aspirations, and now it’s close to being eliminated from playoff contention.

What went wrong?

“I said this during training camp — there is a difference between expectations and reality,” Reid said. “The reality is that every year you have to come together as a football team, coaches and players all working together and pulling the rope in the tug of war in the same direction.

“So I think we’re all searching. These guys want to win as professional athletes. They want to win and be successful. Coaches want to win and be successful. Everybody is looking for that answer right now.”

Reid said he expects quarterback Michael Vick and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to practice on Monday, when the Eagles return to work. Vick and Maclin were injured during a home loss to Arizona on Nov. 13 and missed the last three games, Vick with broken ribs and Maclin with hamstring and shoulder injuries.

Reid said barring setbacks, both are likely to play next Sunday in Miami. Vick is 3-8 in his last 11 starts with the Eagles. Maclin was on pace for his first 1,000-yard season when he got hurt

Vince Young, twice a Pro Bowl pick with the Titans, has thrown eight interceptions and just four touchdowns in three starts in place of Vick. He was picked off four times by the Seahawks, including one that was returned 55 yards to set up a touchdown and another that was run back 77 yards for a score.

Young already has more interceptions this year than he had in 10 starts during his 2009 Pro Bowl season with Tennessee.

“Well, they’re for various reasons,” Reid said. “They’re from tipped balls (and) everybody has a little bit (a piece of it). I’d like to tell you that it’s just as simple as he’s not as familiar with the offense as the rest of the guys, but that’s not the case.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Philadelphia Eagles thus far. One with a few more downs than ups.

But the Eagles head into today’s home game against the New England Patriots coming off a big win over the New York Giants, an NFC East division foe that Philly beat 17-10 last week.

Quarterback Vince Young(notes) engineered that win, filling in for the injured Michael Vick(notes). And it’ll be Young again today against the Patriots at Lincoln Financial Field.

Can he do it again?

It’s a tall order, for sure. The Eagles are a bit banged up, with Vick set to miss a second consecutive game with broken ribs, and receiver Jeremy Maclin(notes) out again with a hamstring injury. In addition, cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha(notes) and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie(notes) could miss the game with injuries.

That’d be a lot of star power on the sidelines for Philly, which sits third in the division at 4-6, two games behind the Giants and three back of the Dallas Cowboys.

It certainly hasn’t been the type of season Philadelphia had hoped for after it’s free-agent spending spree in the offseason. The Eagles brought in a wealth of talent, adding big-time players to an already talented stable of young playmakers.

Young was one of those additions, signed as the backup to Vick after the Eagles dealt Kevin Kolb(notes) to the Arizona Cardinals. It was Young who called Philadelphia a “Dream Team” before the season began, pointing out that the Eagles were loaded with talent.

They were, but a four-game losing streak early on sent them tumbling. They’ve since come up with a couple of big wins, including last week against the Giants and in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys.

A victory over the 7-3 Patriots would likely go down as the biggest thus far for the Eagles, who are still clinging to hope for a playoff berth.

It’s not quite the “Dream Team” Young envisioned, but the backup QB has a huge opportunity today to help Philadelphia turn things around.

Sources:

NFL standings

Eagles QB Young gets second start of season with Vick out

Eagles CB Asomugha questionable with hyperextended knee

Eagles QB Young gained trust with comeback win over Giants

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

With their season at a critical juncture, the Philadelphia Eagles will be without two of their top offensive players. Both Michael Vick(notes) and Jeremy Maclin(notes) were scratched for the November 20 showdown against the New York Giants. The Eagles need to win this game to maintain any hope of saving their season. Without these two players, winning the game will be a lot more difficult. The two will not even be making the trip to the Meadowlands.

Vick sustained two broken ribs during the November 13 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Vick continued to play in the game but did not practice in the week after. The Eagles were optimistic that Vick could play but ultimately decided to keep him out. This was probably the right decision. Vick has been banged up all season. The quarterback takes a ton of hits and has been knocked out of a couple of games this season. With a week of rest, Vick might be able to go for the Eagles next contest on November 27. However, the team will have to wait and see how he does in practice.

Maclin is battling a number of injuries. He is dealing with issues with his shoulder and hamstring following the game against Arizona. Maclin was listed as questionable up until November 19. However, the Eagles decided that he would not be able to play in the game. His status is similar to that of Vick. The team will have to see how he does in practice before determining his status for the November 27 game.

With Vick out, the Eagles will turn to Vince Young(notes) as their quarterback. Young has attempted only one pass in 2011 and that was intercepted. So far he has not been able to contribute anything to the Eagles. Without Maclin, Young will have to play without the top receiver on the team. The Eagles will need a huge game from DeSean Jackson(notes). In addition, guys like Jason Avant(notes) and Riley Cooper(notes) will need to deliver. The Eagles can still win this game, but these are two huge injuries coming at a bad time for this team.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

If you’re playing for the New York Giants (6-3), the Philadelphia Eagles (3-6) are right where you want them: on the brink of ruination, waiting to be put away in 2011 and given every reason to look ahead to next season.

Surely the Giants would love to oblige their rivals this Sunday at MetLife Stadium, given how devastating a loss Philadelphia handed them last year in Week 15. That afternoon (Dec. 19, 2010), quarterback Michael Vick(notes) led his team—at one point down 31-10—to an improbable fourth-quarter comeback before a stunned crowd at MetLife Stadium (then called New Meadowlands Stadium). After receiver Jeremy Maclin’s(notes) 13-yard touchdown reception knotted the game at 31, the Giants’ meltdown was completed when speedster DeSean Jackson(notes) returned a punt 65 yards for the game-winning score as time expired.

The Giants’ rookie punter, Matt Dodge(notes), was shown immediately after getting chewed alive by head coach Tom Coughlin for kicking a line drive to Jackson instead of hitting the ball out of bounds. An entire season was all but lost in a matter of minutes.

This past summer, Philadelphia collected talent at an alarming rate while Big Blue’s front office came under fire for remaining idle. Then, something strange happened: backup Eagles QB Vince Young(notes) christened his new squad “The Dream Team.” No one could blame Young’s declaration at the time, even if it was both bold and presumptuous. These days, of course, his statement sounds laughable and, if nothing else, will be remembered as little more than a sports jinx in Philadelphia.

The Giants, despite a 27-20 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10, are 6-3 and have a one-game lead in the NFC East. Meanwhile, there is infighting, unrest in the Eagles’ locker room—and Vick’s uncertain status this weekend makes New York an obvious favorite in the game.

But if Eli Manning(notes), Brandon Jacobs(notes), Osi Umenyiora(notes) and their teammates learned anything last year, it’s that the Eagles, no matter how much they’re currently struggling, should not be taken lightly. Ergo, the G-Men should heed this opportunity and administer the coup de grace.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Philadelphia Eagles have struggled in the first half of the season but who is the Most Valuable Player through the first half of the Eagles season? Michael Vick(notes) is the leader of this team but is he the driving force? When are the Eagles at their best? Are the Eagles a better team when they establish the run or when they air it out?

Michael Vick needs to bring his “A’ Game the rest of the season.
Photo by: SRA Moses Ross Wikimedia Commons

The following five players are candidates for the Eagles MVP for the first half.

No. 5 Nnamdi Asomugha(notes)

When Nnamdi Asomugha arrived in Philadelphia the fans believed he was the missing piece. Bringing Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie(notes) put together a formidable set of corners and it also moved Asante Samuel(notes) off the corner where he struggled.

Asomugha has three picks and has four passes defensed but those stats do not reveal his value. With Asomugha on the field the opposing offenses change their strategy and look elsewhere. Asomugha is stepping up his game against the run also.

No. 4 Kurt Coleman(notes)

Kurt Coleman leads the team in interceptions and he snatched them all in one game. Coleman gives the Eagles a strong presence over the middle and he is also not afraid to step up and stop the run. When Coleman is on the field the Eagles defense is much more difficult to negotiate.

Coleman is second on the Eagles in tackles and assists combines with 29 tackles and 11 assists. He is also tied with Asomugha with three interceptions. Coleman is strong against the pass, defending four passes and he is an excellent run stopper.

No. 3 Jeremy Maclin(notes)

Jeremy Maclin was Michael Vick’s go-to guy in the first half of the season and he leads all receivers in yardage and touchdowns. Maclin is a the unsung hero of the Eagles offense with DeSean Jackson(notes) getting all the press as the No. 1 receiver in the eyes of the media.

Maclin’s stat line is impressive but below his expected numbers. He has 612 yards receiving this season and he is averaging 13.3 yards per catch. Maclin leads the Eagles receivers with four touchdowns and 10 catches for more than 20 yards.

No. 2 Michael Vick

Michael Vick struggles with consistency and Eagles fans have been heard booing him at times when he struggles. Vick can change the course of a game with one spectacular play but he can also lose a game in the same fashion.

Vick is also at his best when a running game is established. If the run does not get established Vick has trouble finding open receivers. When Vick has trouble finding his receivers he is prone to take off and run, which does not always work like it did in his younger days.

Michael Vick’s numbers are not impressive this season but he is the engine of this team. Vick has 2,193 yards passing but he also has 535 yards rushing. Vick curbed his running this season but he is still a threat to get out and run for the first down.

No. 1 LeSean McCoy(notes)

LeSean McCoy is the difference maker on this team. Now if everyone could just convince Andy Reid this is true. When the Eagles dismantled the Dallas Cowboys it was all based on McCoy’s gritty performance.

When McCoy is on his game he is the most valuable player on this Philadelphia Eagles squad. McCoy is not just a threat on the ground though. McCoy gives Vick the perfect weapon to freeze pass rushers. One look in McCoy’s direction forces pass rushers to play back and keep McCoy out of the play.

McCoy’s rushing numbers contribute to the Philadelphia Eagles No. 1 ranking among rushing teams in the NFL. McCoy is averaging five yards per carry and he has 905 yards rushing this season. McCoy averages 100.7 yards per game on the ground but also is a receiving threat, catching 31 balls for 196 yards.

*Todd Jacobs lives in Las Vegas but has been a Philadelphia Eagles fan since the ’70s. Members of Todd’s family were devout Eagles fans and he had little choice but to follow the Eagles from an early age.

Sources:

ESPN Clubhouse: Philadelphia Eagles

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

PHILADELPHIA - 

One day after another fourth-quarter collapse, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid announced that quarterback Michael Vick has a couple broken ribs.

Reid said that Vick suffered the injury on Philadelphia’s second offensive play of this past Sunday’s game against Arizona after taking a hard hit.

The star quarterback played the rest of the game and there was no mention of the injury during or after the 21-17 loss. He completed just 16-of-34 passes for 128 yards and two interceptions as Philadelphia dropped to 3-6.

Reid said the bottom two ribs on Vick’s left side are broken, putting his status for this weekend’s game against the Giants in jeopardy.

“We’ll see. I’ll see in the next little bit. He’s a tough nut,” Reid said when asked if Vick will be ready for Sunday.

Vick missed three games last season with a rib injury.

In nine games this season, Vick has thrown for 2,193 yards, 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He has also rushed for 535 yards.

In other injury news for the Eagles, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin suffered an AC sprain in his right shoulder and a strained hamstring. Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has a high ankle sprain and offensive lineman King Dunlap has a concussion.

Philadelphia blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fifth time this season on Sunday. Things don’t get any easier for the Eagles, who play the 6-3 New York Giants on Sunday night.

Fantasy football owners are definitely going to pay attention to the Philadelphia Eagles after their bye week. When the Eagles return to the field on October 30 against the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles will have a lot of momentum going for them. That should mean big numbers for obvious players like Michael Vick(notes), LeSean McCoy(notes), DeSean Jackson(notes), and Jeremy Maclin(notes). But fantasy football owners should look at some of other Eagles players. This team is going to spread the ball around. That means other Eagles players could have a major impact in the final 10 games.

The easiest choice to pick up is Brent Celek(notes). Celek got off to a tough start in 2011 and several fantasy owners might have pulled the plug on him, especially with the emergence of unheralded tight ends like Fred Davis(notes) of the Washington Redskins. But you would be wise to start Celek form here on out if you can. He is coming off a strong performance against the Redskins on October 16 and the Eagles know that the tight end has to be a key part of the offense. I expect Vick to target Celek on several plays every game. He should be able to get four or five catches for a decent amount of yards. He should also be able to thrive in the red zone, which will lead to more touchdowns.

The other guys to keep an eye on are Dion Lewis(notes) and Ronnie Brown(notes). Neither running back has had a major impact yet in 2011, but I expect that to change. Based on how important LeSean McCoy is to the offense, the Eagles know they can’t run him into the ground. I think Brown will find his way back on the field as early as the Dallas game. He is likely going to get enough carries to make him a worthy fantasy pick, especially in short yardage situations. As for Lewis, he might be a better choice. Not only will he see his carries increase but he will also get more chances in the return game. Lewis has the kind of speed that the Eagles won’t be able to ignore for the rest of the year.

There are plenty of other Eagles to keep an eye on in the second half. Celek, Lewis, Brown, and Jason Avant(notes) are all guys that should have huge impacts throughout the rest of the season. Everyone knows who the primary targets are on the offensive side of the ball. But there will be enough touches for these other guys to deliver some good things.

* – Mark Paul is a regular fantasy football player and fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Philadelphia Eagles will return to the football field on October 30 against the Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia has traditionally been pretty good after the bye week and they will need to do just that if they want to make the playoffs. Fortunately, the Eagles are still in position in a weak NFC East. The Eagles should have a lot of their players step up in the final 10 games of the season. That is good news for fantasy owners with players on the Eagles. Here are some reasons why the Eagles should have strong fantasy numbers for the rest of the season.

Health

The team is getting healthier. Trent Cole(notes) should be back to help the defensive line. Jason Peters(notes) will be back to enhance the offensive line. Perhaps most importantly, Michael Vick(notes) had a week to rest. The quarterback should come out energized and ready to go. The health factor should help the Eagles put points on the board while limiting the opposition.

Experience

The Eagles have a lot of new players, especially on defense. Most of them struggled in the first five games. But the team put a good effort together against the Washington Redskins before the bye week. It looks like things are finally clicking, especially in the secondary and on the lines. Now that the Eagles have been able to play together for this long things should only get better going forward.

Schedule

The schedule in the second half isn’t easy, but it should help the Eagles get a lot of fantasy points. The team returns from the bye with three straight home games. Games against the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, and Miami Dolphins should create some large fantasy numbers. Even teams like the New England Patriots and New York Giants are prone to giving up big numbers to opposing offenses.

The receivers

DeSean Jackson(notes) and Jeremy Maclin(notes) have been good but have not yet reached their potential yet this season. I expect both to explode in the final 10 games. Jackson is a home run threat that will give fantasy owners several big games. Meanwhile, Maclin has become a consistent threat that can go for 100 yards and a score in any game. These two will show fantasy owners their best football in the final 10 weeks.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Mike Shanahan dedicated a few hours during his bye week Sunday to preview the NFL’s greatest calamity. Shanahan watched the Philadelphia Eagles‘ fourth straight loss, a five-turnover defeat against Buffalo, from his home. The Eagles, dubbed a “Dream Team” in July by reserve quarterback Vince Young after a spending spree loaded their roster with stars, are a now living a nightmare.

The defeat intensifies Philadelphia’s desperation entering Sunday’s game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Neither Shanahan nor any of his players, though, believes the Eagles are as pitiful as their 1-4 record.

“They’ve got some superstar talent,” the coach said. “I know we’re going to get their best shot.”

The Redskins on Monday returned from their five-day bye week break with caution. From their perch atop the NFC East, they see a dangerous Philadelphia team that, for several reasons, has not produced a win total commensurate with its talent.

A victory would put Washington 3 1/2 games ahead of the Eagles in the division standings and all but bury them. That is not the Redskins‘ focus this week, though. Instead, respect is the consensus.

“I don’t care what their record is,” cornerback Josh Wilson said, “I’m going in prepared for the Dream Team.”

Most Redskins players remember the version of the Eagles that routed them 59-28 on Monday Night Football last November. Quarterback Michael Vick accounted for six touchdowns. It probably isn’t a stretch to say it was one of the greatest individual performances of a generation.

“That was a catastrophe,” tight end Fred Davis said. “We got destroyed that game.”

And so the Redskins will gather as a team Wednesday to watch film of the 2011 Eagles, and they’ll see an offense composed of Vick, running back LeSean McCoy and super fast receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin – all players who scored in last November’s blowout.

The memories of that embarrassment will resurface, masking thoughts of Philadelphia’s 1-4 record.

“They’ve got the same weapons,” linebacker Brian Orakpo said. “We’re not going to take them for granted.”

So why are the Eagles floundering if they have the same playmakers from last year’s division championship team?

To Shanahan, the reason is obvious.

“Anytime you’ve got a good football team and you lose some close games, it usually comes down to turnovers,” he said. “That’s what’s happened the last four games-they’ve lost the turnover battle.”

The Eagles have an NFL-worst minus-10 takeaway ratio. They have lost four in a row by an average of 6.25 points, and they averaged 3.5 turnovers in each of those games.

Story Continues →

View Entire Story

© Copyright 2011 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

What was all that “Dream Team” talk about?
(Rob Carr – Getty Images)
Nah, that’s not the real Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys team. Nope! There’s no chance that both teams could be this underwhelming right now. No way in the world that the “Dream Team” Philadelphia Eagles are 1-3 and America’s team is 2-2.

I do not believe that Jason Garrett was throwing the ball like he was down 24 plus points when he was up 24 in the third quarter. I refuse to believe that the ‘Boys lost to a mediocre Giants team and only have victories over the overhyped “Kwame Brown” Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers. I believe the Cowboys are 4-0, Tony Romo is balling, Dez Bryant is the sun and Darrelle Revis is a candle. I also believe that when they play the Patriots in two weeks they’ll be 5-0.

No way in hell….the Philadelphia Eagles are 1-3. They are the “Dream Team” with Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Nndamdi Asomugha, Asante Samuel, Jason Babin and more. The Eagles are demolishing teams like the SEC dominates Big Ten schools in bowl games, like ‘72 Dolphins and like Jackie Christie dominates her husband. I refuse to believe that the Eagles gave up a lead and lost to Alex “Pick 6” Smith. Really? You expect me to believe the Eagles have lost three straight? That they lost to the Falcons, struggled with Tavaris Jackson, fell to the New York Football (when we feel like it) Giants, and “Pick 6” Smith?

1-3 and 2-2? Sound like a false starts to me. More like several false starts in a row by a jittery backup rookie left tackle facing DeMarcus Ware. Do you know how hard it is to convert a 3rd and 20 with the equivalent of a replacement player for a left tackle? The reality is while this may “seem” like a false bad start for both teams, it is in fact a reality. It’s also a reality that one of these teams will not make the playoffs. They’ve both put themselves far behind the eight-ball. I see the Eagles taking a page out of the Miami Heat’s handbook and learning from their slow start and going deep into the playoffs. I see the Cowboys making like the Boston Red Sox and collapsing in the last month of the season. And if I’m wrong about my predictions, easy…I just won’t believe it.

Michael Vick wants more protection.
And not from his offensive line, either.
Vick, who left Sunday’s 29-16 Philadelphia Eagles loss to the New York Giants in the fourth quarter with a broken hand, said that he “absolutely” is not getting the calls other quarterbacks get when it comes to getting hit.

“Still didn’t get a flag (on the hit by New York’s Chris Canty following a 24-yard completion to Jeremy Maclin) and that’s pretty much been the story for the last three weeks,” Vick said. “I mean obviously at some point something catastrophic is going to happen and I broke my hand. Not to blame the refs or say that it was their fault. It’s just one of those unfortunate situations and I just think more precautions should be taken when I’m inside the pocket. I mean if you look at all the replays, I’m on the ground every time and it’s unfortunate for myself and it’s unfortunate for my team and I’ll be lying if I said I wasn’t, if I were to sit here and say I wasn’t frustrated right now because of that.”

Vick may have said he wasn’t blaming the game officials — the Giants were not called for a late hit on him — but then seemed to.

“I didn’t say anything to the referees,” Vick said. “The refs have to do their job and I’m not blaming the referees by any stretch so let’s not get it twisted here. I’m just saying I think everybody on the field should do their job.”

“Doing their job” would, to Vick, produce more penalties on defenders hitting him. He said he doesn’t know why he’s not getting such calls.

“Why? I mean, you all see it. There’s no reason for me to go into a big dissertation about why I’m not getting the calls,” Vick said. “The refs, they have to do their job as well. I even mentioned it in training camp to the refs when we had our little meeting, so just for precaution. But hey, I don’t know.”

Vick is clearly getting frustrated with what he sees as a lack of protection.

“Everybody saw the game. I was on the ground constantly. All of the time,” Vick said. “Every time I throw the ball in all my highlights and just watching film in general, every time I throw the ball I’m on the ground, getting hit in the head and I don’t know why. I don’t get the 15-yard flags like everybody else does but, hey, I’m not going to complain about it. I’m just making everybody aware and hopefully somebody will take notice.”

Vick stopped short of accusing the Giants of intentionally trying to hurt him.

“I don’t think teams play this game to try to hurt other guys. I just don’t think that’s the story,” he said. “I think it’s all about stopping your opposition, not to hurt them. We don’t play this game to hurt one another. We play this game to have fun and to win.”

Vick’s latest injury 

Almost lost in Vick’s comments on the officiating was his broken right hand — not his throwing hand — that he tried to play with in the fourth quarter but had to give up on.

“I was trying, but the next series was a long series and it was starting to swell up more and more and I couldn’t bend my hand,” Vick said. “I had no range of motion so it just got worse. I think while the adrenaline was flowing, I was able to keep it going but it’s tough when you’ve got to take the snap from the center.”

“We thought he could continue to play,” coach Andy Reid said.

Vick said he didn’t know whether he could play against San Francisco
next week.

“I think you’ll have to ask the doctor that question,” Vick said.

The broken hand comes on the heels of Vick suffering a concussion last week in Atlanta.

“It’s a rough game,” Vick said. “Last week was just a situation where I just got ran into my own teammate. This week it’s a situation where I take a hit late and break my hand. It’s unfortunate. You can’t predict what’s going to go on. You don’t know. Things happen and you just have to deal with them and that’s life.”      

Defensive woes

The Eagles’ pass defense struggled badly despite the shakeup at linebacker this week.

Rookie Casey Matthews, who moved to weakside linebacker from the middle, was badly beaten on the Giants’ first touchdown, a 40-yard Eli Manning pass to Brandon Jacobs, his first of four touchdown passes on the day.

“Yeah, we thought we were going to be able to get that play in, just the way they play that formation,” Manning said. “It’s actually a play I think we ran on them last year or two years ago. It’s play-action, their linebackers I think are taught to turn their heads and go look over the middle for anything crossing and Brandon, out of the backfield, runs a wheel route, the receivers just cross the field, bring their guys with them.”

Matthews didn’t flinch when asked about the play.

“Yeah, that was my guy,” he said. “I just lost him really. Obviously, they faked the run, sucked us up in the gap, and then on the boot the linebacker to that side just needs to take them when they leak out, and I saw him, it was just a little too late.”

Safety Jarrad Page said the Eagles’ defense should be better.

“Yeah, I feel we’re definitely better than this,” he said. “My whole thing is we just have to work harder. I mean, we’ve been working hard, already, but we just have to work harder and make sure that we have everything down, you can’t miss anything.”

Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha pointed to poor tackling as an issue.

“It was frustrating, it was frustrating,” he said. “We have to be better tacklers, obviously, as a defense, but we work on it all the time. I mean, tackling is just a want-to and how aggressive you want to be at it. So it’s frustrating for us to not make the tackles that we should.”

On the brighter side, defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins continues to deliver a power pass rush from his inside position. His sack of Manning made him the first Eagle defensive tackle to have a sack in three straight games since Darwin Walker in 2002.

The real McCoy

Eagles’ running back LeSean McCoy continues rewriting his personal record book — but he could have done a lot more.

McCoy rushed a career-high 24 times for 128 yards and a touchdown, marking his fifth-career 100-yard game and his second in 2011.

With five touchdowns, he is more than halfway to his 2010 total of nine.

McCoy left Giants’ tacklers grasping at air on several carries, making it perhaps surprising — even to himself — that he didn’t get the ball when the Eagles had four cracks from the Giants 1- and 2-yard lines late in the third quarter before settling for a field goal.

“I wouldn’t say surprised. I kind of thought I would get it because I was getting hot in the last three games,” McCoy said. “But, I am confident in the call. If it would have worked out, the outcome might have been different …  I was feeling OK. I am not a selfish player. I thought we would get it in there with the sneak and the fullback dive.”

Fullback Owen Schmitt, who had not carried the ball in an NFL game since November 9, 2008 with Seattle, got the ball twice in the stretch for zero yards.

BIRD BITS: Injuries in addition to Vick were wide receivers Riley Cooper (concussion, his second in two seasons) Jeremy Maclin (hamstring) and cornerback Brandon Hughes (hamstring) … Asomugha on Reid’s demeanor postgame: “He was pretty hard. He was upset because like I said it was a divisional opponent … you want to get out on your best foot against the division, and especially the Giants.” … The Eagles had 25 first downs to New York’s 14 and had the ball for 36 minutes, 51
seconds to 23:09 for the Giants … Philadelphia went 1-for-5 in the red zone. “We have to score,” Schmitt said. “It’s plain and simple. It’s not even a question… Three points are always nice, but it’s not like seven.” …Vick fumbled three times but lost none of them.

PHILADELPHIA — Eli Manning delivered the knockout blow after Michael Vick got knocked out of another game.

Manning threw four touchdown passes, including two to Victor Cruz, and the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Eagles 29-16 Sunday.

Vick started despite suffering a concussion in last week’s 35-31 loss at Atlanta. He left with a broken right hand in the fourth quarter after helping the Eagles overcome a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to take a 16-14 lead.

It’s uncertain how long Vick will be out. He’ll have a CT scan Monday.

“I don’t know anything right now except my hand is broken,” Vick said.

Vick wasn’t happy with the hit, either. He completed a 23-yard pass to Jeremy Maclin before taking a hard shot from Chris Canty.

“I felt I got hit late. No flag,” Vick said. “At some point something catastrophic is gonna happen. Not to blame the refs, but more precautions should be taken. I’m on the ground all the time in the pocket.”

Without their Pro Bowl quarterback, the Eagles (1-2) hardly look like the “Dream Team” that entered the season with Super Bowl or bust expectations.

Manning threw a pair of TD passes in the fourth quarter to rally New York. The Giants (2-1) have won two in a row and snapped a six-game losing streak against their division rivals.

“It’s always good to beat those guys, especially here,” Manning said. “They have good players and we new we had to come in with the same game plan as last year and just finish it this time.”

In their previous meeting at the Meadowlands last December, the Eagles rallied from a 21-point deficit with 8:17 left, and won 38-31 on DeSean Jackson’s 65-yard punt return for a touchdown on the last play.

The teams traded a lot of trash talk in the offseason and during the week. The Giants backed it up.

“I think I responded today,” Giants safety Antrel Rolle said. “I’m not scared of anyone on the field. I thing it’s more mental than physical. They tried to get in my head sticking their hands in my face, blocking me after the play, but if they want to fight, I’ll fight anyone, but in between the lines, I’m too smart to get thrown out of the game.”

Manning threw for 254 yards, and Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 86 and had 53 more receiving, including a TD. Filling in because Mario Manningham and Domenik Hixon are out, Cruz had three catches for 110 yards and his first two career scores.

Aaron Ross, who was benched in the second half of New York’s win over St. Louis last Monday, had two interceptions that led to 14 points.

LeSean McCoy had 128 yards rushing and one TD for Philadelphia, which has blown two fourth-quarter leads in consecutive games.

PHILADELPHIA – Eagles quarterback Michael Vick returned to practice Thursday, just four days after he suffered a concussion against the Falcons in Atlanta.

During the portion of Thursday’s practice open to the media, Vick was seen throwing passes to assistant coaches, jogging around with teammates and participating in all the drills that the other quarterbacks, Mike Kafka and Vince Young, participated in.

The Eagles announced after practice that Vick was a full participant with no restrictions.

“He looked good, he looked fine,” said wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who had a career-high 171 receiving yards against the Falcons. “In control of the huddle, in control of what was going on, in control of the offence.

“He’s in good shape.”

Vick’s participation showed that he’s been cleared by the NFL-appointed independent neurologist, required under the league’s 2009 concussion policy for a player to “return to football activities.”

According to that policy, a player “should not be considered for return-to-football activities until he is fully asymptomatic, both at rest and after exertion, has a normal neurological examination, normal neuropsychological testing, and has been cleared to return by both his team physician(s) and the independent neurological consultant.”

With a huge media contingent watching, Vick arrived at practice in full pads and a helmet. He watched practice from the sideline on Wednesday afternoon, after participating in a morning walkthrough.

“He’s our leader, so obviously it’ll help us and give us the best chance to win,” Maclin said. “Obviously, we want him out there.”

The Eagles (1-1) face the Giants (1-1) Sunday in their home opener at Lincoln Financial Field. Philadelphia has won the last six straight in this classic NFC East rivalry.

Vick threw for a pair of touchdowns in the 35-31 loss to Atlanta, but couldn’t continue after getting spun by a Falcons rusher into one of his teammates, right tackle Todd Herremans. Vick was seen on national television spitting up blood on the sideline. The Eagles said later that was caused by him biting his tongue.

Vick was replaced by Kafka, as Young, who was signed to be the backup, missed the first two games with a hamstring injury.

“Not to say we don’t have confidence in the other guys, we’re very confident,” running back LeSean McCoy said. “But Mike Vick is Mike Vick. We’re happy he’s back.”

Giants coach Tom Coughlin, in a conference call with the media earlier this week, said he expected Vick to play, and that New York was not putting together a different gameplan without Vick in it.

Vick has only played a full 16-game regular season once in his career. He missed three games with a rib injury last year.

“He’s one of the great leaders on this team,” offensive co-ordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. “He has old-school mentality.”

Maclin said Vick’s desire to get back on the field as quickly as possible after a fairly serious injury shows what kind of leader he is.

“That’s what you want out of your quarterback,” Maclin said. “You want him to want to be out there, you want him to put everything on his shoulders, and he wants to be the guy to take us where we want to go.

“We’re going to rally behind him, and we definitely want him out there.”