Brian Westbrook wants to come back to the Eagles

After spending a year in California, it looks like Brian Westbrook wants to come back to Philly. In an interview with CSN Philly, Westbrook, who spent last season with the Niners after the Eagles let him go, talked about how he has constantly been in contact with Andy Reid and how he would love to return to the Birds. Westbrook feels that he still could be a contributor in the Eagles backfield in a backup role of some kind.

The question is, are the Eagles even interested in bringing him back? With LeSean McCoy firmly entrenched as an every down back and Jerome Harrison likely coming back to be a solid backup, what role would Westbrook play? The Eagles usually like their third running back to have some special teams versatility, which is why Eldra Buckley filled the role last season. Westbrook won't be playing special teams so what other role could he fill? Punt returner? Slot receiver? Running back coach?

Sure, Westbrook would likely sign a cheap contract to return to Philadelphia, but there aren't enough touches available to make him a useful addition. The only scenario I can see the Eagles signing Westbrook is if he wants to sign a one day contract and retire as an Eagle.

Former Eagle Brian Westbrook signs with the Niners

He has been without a job since the Eagles released him back in February but he finally has caught on with a new team: Brian Westbrook has signed with the 49ers. Given the recent retirement of backup running back Glen Coffee, signing with San Francisco makes a ton of sense for Westbrook, who will be a great compliment to Frank Gore as a third down back. Given Gore's injury history, Westbrook might even be the feature back for a few games this season. It will certainly be interesting to see how much he has left in the tank.

The Eagles will take on the Niners on October 10th in a Sunday Night game. While it won't have quite the same intrigue as the Redskins games, it'll definitely be a nice subplot to the season.

Why LaDainian Tomlinson will not be an Eagle

It all seems to fit perfectly, doesn't it? The Eagles have announced that they will release Brian Westbrook, meaning they will likely want to bring in a veteran running back to backup LeSean McCoy. Hmm, veteran LaDainian Tomlinson was released by the Chargers yesterday. Putting two and two together, the Eagles want to replace Westbrook with Tomlinson, right?

Wrong. While I'm sure there will be rumors flying around for the next few weeks that the Birds will pursue L.T., don't count on him putting on an Eagles uniform next season for two reasons: age and money.

Age: While Tomlinson is a very different running back than Westbrook, what sense would it make for the Eagles to replace their recently released 30+ year old running back on his last legs with another 30+ running back on his last legs? There are entire books written about running backs and how they fall off once they get over 30 and have thousands of carries under their belt. If the Eagles wanted to take a risk on an old RB, wouldn't they just try to sign Westbrook back first? It's just not in the Eagles style to sign someone who is past their prime in the NFL.

Money: While L.T. wasn't nearly as effective last year as he had been throughout his career, given that he had 12 touchdowns last year, there is no doubt that he could still be a solid goal line back. The salary he is going to look for next year, while significantly lower than what the 7 million the Eagles owed Westbrook for 2010, is way too much for someone who would only get the ball in very specialized situations. While the Eagles struggled (like always) at the goal line and in short yardage situations last year, even they aren't going to spend millions of dollars on a specialist.

Barring the market for him dropping so far that he is willing to sign for 1-2 million dollars, L.T. won't be signing with the Eagles. Look for the Birds to first re-sign Leonard Weaver, who acted as a backup RB last season anyway, and then pursue a cheap veteran as an emergency option. It just doesn't make any sense that the Eagles would get rid of a franchise-favorite RB like Westbrook due to his age and productivity and replace him with the equally old and unproductive Tomlinson.

So long, Westy: Eagles release Brian Westbrook

While this was something we all should have expected, what with his mounting injuries and the emergence of LeSean McCoy, it is still no less surprising: the Eagles have released Brian Westbrook. Westbrook spent 8 years with the Eagles and emerged from a part-time player to one of the biggest weapons in the league. Injuries throughout his career limited his availability but you always knew, when he suited up, that Westbrook was a threat to score every time he touched the ball.

Westbrook was set to earn 7 million dollars next year and clearly the Eagles figured he wasn't going to earn that money. Look for the Birds to try to find a cheaper veteran running back to back up McCoy next season. I suppose there is a minute chance the Eagles could sign Westbrook again to be the backup, but I really doubt it, knowing how the Birds work.

So long, Brian Westbrook. I hope you get to end your NFL career on your own terms, whether that means catching on with another team for a few years or it means riding off into the sunset.

Brian Westbrook to call it quits?

With Brian Westbrook set to make over 7 million dollars next year, there has been speculation that the Eagles would be cutting ties with their longtime running back this offseason. Given the emergence of LeSean McCoy and his deteriorating production, the Eagles would be foolish to bring back Westbrook at that high of a price tag. It would be a tough decision, much like the way the Eagles let Brian Dawkins walk, but the Eagles would have to cut Westbrook.

According to Howard Eskin on WIP, though, Brian Westbrook might be forced to make the decision for them: due to his injured knee, Westbrook is contemplating retirement. Apparently Westbrook's left knee, which has really been beaten up over the years, may be in such bad shape that he won't be able to play football again. Westbrook will likely be going to multiple doctors in the coming weeks to figure out if he should take the field again.

It's always sad when a player can't go out on his own terms and is forced into retirement. Given his health issues, it looks like no team in the league would take a chance on Westbrook, except maybe the Eagles, who would want him to take a severe pay cut. It's interesting that it's the knee issues that may force him to retire and no mention has been made of the concussions that Westbrook suffered last season, those could be just yet another reason for Westbrook to walk away.

The writing is on the wall for Brian Westbrook. He's likely in a situation where if he keeps playing football, he could have trouble walking for the rest of his life. While us Eagles fans would be sad to see him go, Westbrook needs to do what is best for his health and livelihood.

Eagles/Broncos Inactives: Westbrook, Maclin back

The Eagles and Broncos announced their inactive players for their Week 16 match-up:

Eagles: OL Stacy Andrews, WR Kevin Curtis, DB Quintin Demps, DT Trevor Laws, OL Mike McGlynn, CB Geoffrey Pope, TE Martin Rucker, QB Michael Vick

Broncos: DL Chris Baker, QB Tom Brandstater, S Vernon Fox, RB LaMont Jordan, FB Spencer Larsen, CB Ty Law, G Seth Olsen, WR Eddie Royal

The biggest news in this game is that both Brian Westbrook and Jeremy Maclin are back for the Eagles. I would expect Westbrook to get very limited action, possibly 5 touches or so. WR Kevin Curtis is back to being inactive after making a comeback last week, perhaps he suffered a setback in his recovery. Also not playing for the Eagles is Michael Vick, who was injured last week. Vick could still be used as the emergency quarterback but Kevin Kolb is the backup for today.

As for the Broncos, Eddie Royal is their biggest name on the inactive list. Royal is a big threat in the return game so Denver will miss him there.

It's a big game for the Eagles this week, both for playoff scenarios and for the return of Brian Dawkins. While I miss Weapon X as much as the next fan, I hope the Eagles torch him all day today. GO BIRDS!

Too little, too late: Eagles fall short in San Diego

(AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

You want to know what makes the Eagles such a frustrating team to follow? They start off the game playing terrible, falling way behind, and just when you think they are going to get completely blown out in a game, they wake up and mount a furious comeback to get themselves back in the game and get our hopes up. Then, like clockwork, the Eagles fall just short at the end with the game on the line.

Such was the story today as the Eagles fell to the Chargers, 31-23. The Birds ineptitude in the red zone was on display early in this game as they failed three times inside the 20 and had to settle for David Akers field goals rather than TD's. The Eagles rallied late with a pair of touchdowns in the 4th quarter but ended up falling short when the defense couldn't stop the Chargers on a pair of third down plays late in the game.

Donovan McNabb racked up the individual stats in the game, passing for 450 yards as the Eagles completely abandoned the run after they fell behind. Also having a career day was Jason Avant, who was the one Eagle who showed up all day with 8 catches for 156 yards.

The defense deserves a large share of the blame in this one as they failed to slow down San Diego on the ground or through the air. LaDanian Tomlinson, who has looked washed up in every other game this season, ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles made him look like his old self. Philip Rivers had no problems throwing on the Birds depleted secondary, either, as he completed 20 of 25 passes.

The Eagles did get more bad news late in the game. Brian Westbrook, who returned to the field this week after suffering from post-concussion symptoms, suffered a second concussion today and had to sit out the entire 4th quarter. Two concussions just a few weeks apart isn't only going to keep Westbrook out for the rest of this season, it might end the career of one of the Eagles biggest offensive weapons.

The Eagles lost today for all of the usual reasons. They racked up a ton of penalties, couldn't convert on short yardage plays and failed to capitalize on their red zone opportunities. About the only good news that comes out of Sunday's action is the fact that the Cowboys lost, too, meaning the Eagles still remain just one game out of the NFC East. Of course, the fact that a team that has looked as bad as the Eagles in the last two weeks is still in contention for a division title might tell you a lot more about how weak the NFC East is than how good the Birds are.

And the frustration continues to build, Eagles fans. We know what this team is capable of when they are firing on all cylinders, hopefully it's only a matter of time before they put together a complete football game like they did against the Giants a few weeks back. The schedule doesn't get any easier from here on out but we know you can never count out the Eagles until the final whistle. And that's why we keep watching, no matter how frustrating it gets.

Rough day for the Birds: Hobbs out for the season, Hanson out for a month and Jackson signs with Rosenhaus

Veterans Day is turning into a day of horrors for the Eagles. News has come fast and furious today about several key Eagles players going down with injuries, one player being suspended and a star player who has made a questionable decision.

First, let's deal with the injuries. Cornerback and primary kick returner Ellis Hobbs was placed on IR today with a spine injury, a move that ends his season. Hobbs had been an effective kick returner as well as a contributor in nickel and dime packages on defense, so this is definitely a blow to the Eagles. To replace Hobbs, the Eagles signed free agent CB Ramzee Robinson, who had played in 19 games in two seasons with the Lions in his career.

Later, more news came out about another pair of Eagles who are injured. RB Brian Westbrook and LB Akeem Jordan both sat out of practice as they each dealt with injuries. Westbrook is being held out due to his ankle injury but the Eagles still think he will be able to play against the Chargers on Sunday. Jordan, on the other hand, appears very likely to miss this weeks game, a move that further weakens a questionable linebacker group.

The Eagles also learned today that they will be without nickel corner Joselio Hanson for a month due to an unspecified reason. The early speculation is that Hanson did something to violate the NFL substance-abuse policy, a move that would force him out of 4 games. To replace Hanson, the Eagles called up CB Jack Ikegwuonu from their practice squad.

Finally, and possibly the worst news of all, Eagles WR DeSean Jackson has ditched his current agent and signed on with Drew Rosenhaus. Yep, that's the same Drew Rosenhaus who helped drive T.O. out of town a few years back. A move like this means that Jackson is going to want a payday sooner rather than later, and we all know how the Eagles feel about renegotiating contracts. This could get ugly.

It's definitely been a rough day for the Eagles so far. You get the feeling that this season may be beginning to crumble away as the injuries mount and the team continues to lose players. It's especially disheartening that all of these injuries are piling up on defense, the biggest strength of the Birds. If they lose too many more defensive players, that strength will quickly turn into a weakness.

Eagles/Cowboys Inactives: Westbrook officially out

The Eagles and Cowboys have announced their inactive players for their Sunday Night clash:

Eagles: DE Victor Abiamiri, WR Kevin Curtis, LB Chris Gocong, RB P.J. Hill, G Max Jean-Gilles, OL Mike McGlynn, CB Dimitri Patterson, RB Brian Westbrook

Cowboys: S Michael Hamlin, G Montrae Holland, QB Stephen McGee, OL Pat McQuistan, LB Steve Octavien, C Duke Preston, CB Allen Rossum, LB Jason Williams

As was reported earlier today, Brian Westbrook is being held out due to precautionary reasons. He is apparently still dealing with post-concussion issues so the Birds want him to rest up for another week. None of the other players for the Eagles are surprises, Gocong hadn't practiced all week so he wasn't expected to play.

As for the Cowboys, there aren't any surprises. In fact, Allen Rossum is the only player of that bunch that I've ever heard of.

Here we go, first place in the NFC East will be on the line tonight! GO BIRDS! BEAT DALLAS!

ESPN: Westbrook out for Sunday Night

I wish I could say I was surprised. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Brian Westbrook, who has been dealing with concussion issues since he was knocked out against the Redskins two weeks ago, will not be playing in tonight's game against the Cowboys. Schefter reports that the Eagles want to give Westbrook another week to rest and be completely free of symptoms.

This is odd news considering the Eagles have been saying all week that Westbrook was going to play. Westbrook even practiced a few days this week, a sure sign he was going to suit up. Perhaps he suffered a setback, perhaps the Eagles were just trying to bluff the Cowboys, but either way, it looks like LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver are going to have to handle the rock this week.

Eagles/Giants Week 8 Inactives: Westbrook out

The Eagles and Giants announced their inactives for their Week 8 clash:

Eagles: DE Victor Abiamiri, WR Kevin Curtis, OL Max Jean-Gilles, FS Macho Harris, QB Kevin Kolb, G Mike McGlynn, DB Dmitri Patterson, RB Brian Westbrook

Giants: WR Ramses Barden, LB Michael Boley, DL Chris Canty, C Adam Koets, RB Gartrell Johnson, WR Mario Manningham, CB Aaron Ross, T Guy Whimper

The Eagles will be without Brian Westbrook, who is still recovering from his concussion on Monday Night. Starting in his place will be LeSean McCoy, who isn't much of a drop-off. Newly signed P.J. Hill will suit up for the Eagles and be the 3rd RB. The other notable inactive for the Eagles is Macho Harris, who will be replaced by Sean Jones in the starting line-up. Jones got beat out by Harris in the preseason for the starting free safety spot but now he has his opportunity to re-claim the spot. Kevin Curtis is also out again, as expected.

The most notable Giant that will be out is Mario Manningham. The Giants receiving corps are deep so it shouldn't slow down the passing attack much.

It's a big day for Philly sports today, let's see if the Eagles can set the tone for a better day than yesterday. GO BIRDS!

Eagles/Bucs Week 5 Inactives: McNabb and Westbrook are back

The Eagles and Bucs have announced their inactives for their Week 5 matchup:

Eagles: DE Jason Babin, WR Kevin Curtis, DB Quintin Demps, WR Brandon Gibson, OG Todd Herremans, DT Trevor Laws, LB Joe Mays, OL Mike McGlynn

Bucs: OL Marc Dile, T Demar Dotson, C Jeff Faine, RB Earnest Graham, QB Byron Leftwich, S Corey Lynch, DT Dre Moore, DE Kyle Moore

The best news for the Eagles are the two players who aren't on the inactive list: Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook will return to action after missing Week 3. The bye week was just what the two stars needed to get healthy, although it wasn't enough time for Kevin Curtis to get himself back on the field. Rookie Jeremy Maclin will get his first start at wide receiver in place of Curtis. The only other inactive player that is surprising is Trevor Laws. Laws wasn't injured this week but I guess someone had to sit because the Eagles chose to have all 3 quarterbacks active for the game. Brandon Gibson returns to the bench, giving the Eagles only 4 active wide receivers. Also, remember that Jeremiah Trotter will make his Eagles re-debut today. Let's see if the old guy has got it anymore.

For the Bucs, Earnest Graham is the biggest name inactive. Graham wasn't doing much in the offense this season anyway, so the Bucs won't miss him. Byron Leftwich has fallen like a rock from starting QB to emergency QB.

With McNabb and Westbrook returning to the field, this game has all the makings of a blowout. The Bucs are a terrible team and the Eagles look ready to hit their stride. Go Birds!

Eagles/Chiefs Week 3 Inactives: McNabb, Westbrook, Curtis out

The Eagles and Chiefs have announced their inactives for their Week 3 game and offensive stars are sitting out for both teams:

Eagles: DE Jason Babin, WR Kevin Curtis, DB Quintin Demps, OG Todd Herremans, OL Mike McGlynn, QB Donovan McNabb, CB Dmitri Patterson, RB Brian Westbrook

Chiefs: WR Dwayn Bowe, CB Ricardo Colclough, QB Matt Gutierrez, LB Derrick Johnson, WR Quintin Lawrence, TE Jake O'Connell, QB Tyler Thigpen, LB Pierre Walters

In could be a long day for the Eagles as they will be without their best QB and RB for this game. We all expected McNabb to be out but Westbrook is a mildly surprising inactive. He didn't practice all week but that doesn't usually mean much in relation to whether he plays on Sunday. LeSean McCoy will get his first NFL start at RB and it will be interesting to see how he does. Also out for the Eagles is Kevin Curtis but he hasn't been much of a factor this season, anyway. DeSean Jackson was a question mark this week so it's good to see him playing.

The Chiefs also lose their top offensive threat in WR Dwayne Bowe. Without Bowe, the Chiefs passing game takes a major hit. I would expect the Eagles to put 8 in the box all day and dare the Chiefs receivers to make some plays.

A game that should have been a blowout for the Eagles has suddenly become a concern. Can the offense move the ball without Westbrook? Expect the debuting Michael Vick to have a big role in the offense with so many other pieces missing. Go Birds!

Eagles "reach out" to Warrick Dunn

Apparently unsatisfied with having Lorenzo Booker or Eldra Buckley as their third string running back, rumor has it that the Eagles are possibly pursuing veteran running back Warrick Dunn. According to Steve Wyche of NFL.com, the Eagles, along with the Seahawks, have reached out to Dunn to gauge the interest of the 34 year old who spent last season with Tampa Bay. Dunn is a 12 year veteran and, while at the twilight of his career, still has the speed, shiftiness and receiving skills to contribute in the NFL.

Simply because he wouldn't play very much, I would say there is a slim chance Dunn will sign with the Eagles. He would be better of playing for the Seahawks, where he could work his way into their running back rotation. The Eagles don't really need another small running back, so I'm surprised they would even want Dunn. A backfield of Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy and Dunn would be incredibly dynamic but it would also be shrimpy as hell, with no back taller than 5 foot 10 or heavier than 200 pounds.

This reaching out to Dunn signifies to me that the Eagles might want to upgrade their 3rd running back spot. Booker looks like he has been beaten out by the unproven Buckley, but the Eagles might choose to go with someone with more experience as a backup. After all, if/when Westbrook gets hurt, the team doesn't want to have to rely on a pair of rookies to carry the load, no matter how good they have looked this preseason.

Brian Westbrook to have surgery, but you can relax

As you have no doubt heard by now, Brian Westbrook will be going under the knife for the second time this offseason. Westbrook previously had surgery on his left knee and now will have a minor procedure to clear out some bone spurs in his ankle. There is no known timetable for his return, but some have speculated he could miss the entire training camp, although no one is saying he will miss any regular season games.

Cue the panic attacks from Eagles fans. Look, we all know that Brian Westbrook is the Eagles offense, when he's on, the Birds puts up a ton of points, but this news isn't something you should spend your time worrying about. Westbrook is so perpetually banged up, it would be bigger news if he came out and said he was 100% healthy. It's also funny to see all the stories about how LeSean McCoy needs to get ready because he is going to need to step up in Westbrook's absence, and that the Eagles should go out and get another veteran running back to fill the void. No one is saying that Westbrook is going to miss any regular season games, so at what point was McCoy going to step up? In the meaningless exhibition games that Westbrook might possibly miss, which he never plays in anyway?

Brian Westbrook is having surgery and will need some time to recover. Big deal, we've all been through this before. There is no need to panic: when the bell rings and the games count, you can bet Westbrook will be ready to play.

Eagles Edge Vikings, Bring on the Giants!

(AP Photo/Jim Mone)

It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win.

The Eagles failed to score an offensive touchdown until late in the game but still managed to squeak by the Minnesota Vikings 26-14 in an NFC Wild Card game. For the most part, the game was a defensive struggle as each team came up with big defensive stops and turnovers to set up the offenses. Save for one big play for each team, both offenses struggled to put points on the board.

The Vikings defense bottled up Brian Westbrook for most of the game, keeping the Eagles biggest weapon grounded until a big play in the 4th quarter. With nearly 7 minutes left in the game and the Eagles up 16-14, Westbrook caught a Donovan McNabb screen pass and took it 71 yards and sealed the Eagles victory. Westbrook continues to prove that, when he's healthy, he is still a threat to to score every time he touches the ball. The screen pass he scored on didn't look like it was much of a play until Westbrook turned on the jets and broke a tackle or two.

The Birds played about as well as they could have defensively, allowing Adrian Peterson one big touchdown run but swallowing up nearly everything else the Vikings tried to do. The Eagles were able to slow down the Vikings and force them into obvious passing situations, allowing them to blitz from every angle and confuse Tarvaris Jackson and force turnovers. The defense was also responsible for a touchdown when Asante Samuel picked off Jackson and took it to the house in the second quarter.

With the win, the Eagles now head to the Meadowlands to take on the Giants in the second round. The Giants and Eagles each beat the other team on the road this season, with the Eagles beating the Giants most recently in Week 14. It should be a close contest between two teams with similar defensive styles and completely opposite offensive strategies. The Giants will look to run the ball down the Eagles throats and the Birds will try to stop them just like they did in Week 14 when the Giants managed only 88 yards on the ground. In Week 10, the first time the two teams played, the Giants plowed over the Eagles and racked up 218 yards on the ground. Needless to say, stopping the run will be the key for the Eagles.

The Eagles improbable season continues. While the Eagles didn't look incredibly impressive today, they did just enough to get past the Vikings. Their defense carried the day for them and if they can put together a similar defensive effort against the Giants, the Eagles should do well. It's the offense for the Eagles that needs to step it up. The Eagles can't continue to settle for field goals, they need to start punching the ball into the end zone.

It took a miracle for the Eagles to get into the playoffs and now the Eagles have taken advantage of their good fortune and look poised to make a deep run in these playoffs. Rumors of the demise of the Eagles were greatly exaggerated.

Hope remains alive: Eagles run over Giants

(AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Where has this Eagles team been all season? With their playoff hopes essentially on the line every week, the Eagles continue to play their best football of the season. Last week it was their impressive performance against the Arizona Cardinals on Thanksgiving, this week it was their all-around effort in dismantling the defending Super Bowl champions, the Giants.

The Eagles won 20-14 over the Giants in the swirling winds of the Meadowlands. They won with something we rarely see from this Eagles team: offensive balance. The Eagles actually ran the ball more often than they threw it in the game, which allowed them to not only wear down the Giants defense but it kept the ball away from Eli Manning and the Giants offense. I don't know if Andy Reid finally figured out that running the ball once in a while can actually win you a football game or if the weather conditions forced the Eagles away from the pass, but the Birds just looked like a much more complete football team.

The biggest beneficiary of the balanced offensive attack was Brian Westbrook who finished with 203 total yards of offense. He rushed the ball a career-high 33 times in the game and has proven once again that when he's healthy he's still a dangerous weapon.

Donovan McNabb didn't put up huge numbers in the game but he did have a solid performance. While he is still prone to skipping the ball to his receivers, he still made a few solid passes into the wind. McNabb also showed great mobility in the pocket and even made some key first down scrambles late in the game.

The Eagles defense once again came up big. The Eagles slowed down the Giants rushing attack and forced Eli Manning to try to beat them through the air. Manning didn't look like the Eli of the past year, instead he resembled the Eli that usually comes up small in December as he made several bad decisions and errant passes. As a result, the Giants failed to score an offensive touchdown until the final minute of the game.

The Eagles now move to 7-5-1 and are very much alive in the NFC Wild Card picture. While the Eagles will likely still need to run the table to get in, their schedule doesn't look as impossible as it once did. The Birds get a bad Browns team next week on Monday Night and they will finish the season off with games against the Redskins and Cowboys. The Redskins game is on the road, but the Skins have really fallen off since their hot start to the season. Cowboys games are always tough but the Eagles always seem to play their best against Dallas at the end of the season.

If the Eagles team that has shown up for the past two weeks continues to show up then the Eagles have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. They look like a great team with their defense playing strong and their balanced offensive attack. Count me amongst those fans that has hope again for this team. As we have learned in the past, you can never count out the Eagles until the season is completely over.

Let's just hope the right Eagles team keeps showing up every week.

Eagles/Giants Inactives: Westbrook to start, Brown benched

The Eagles and Giants have announced their inactives for today's big NFC East clash:

Eagles: OL Shawn Andrews, WR Reggie Brown, RB Correll Buckhalter, QB A.J. Feeley, LB Joe Mays, OL Chris Patrick, TE Matt Schobel, DE Bryan Smith

Giants: DT Jeremy Clark, DT Leger Douzable, OL Adam Koets, CB Sam Madison, DE Jerome McDougle, K Lawrence Tynes, RB Danny Ware

Brian Westbrook will play, as expected. The biggest surprise inactive for the Eagles is Reggie Brown, who isn't injured, he's just fallen that far on the depth chart. What a waste of a 2nd round draft pick. None of the rest of the inactive players are a surprise. Chris Patrick is the player they pulled up from the practice squad to fill Max Jean-Gilles' spot on the roster.

The Giants will be without Sam Madison, meaning Corey Webster will start at cornerback. Former Eagle Jerome McDougle is benched against the Birds once again, proving the Eagles were smart to just let him go. He's made little to no impact for the Giants this season. The Giants will also be without Plaxico Burress, of course.

The season is on the line today for the Eagles, let's see if they can make another one of their late season runs at the playoffs. Go Birds!

Too little, too late? McNabb, Eagles feast on Cardinals

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

What a difference a week makes, huh? Four days ago, the entire city of Philadelphia was ready to ship Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid out of town after another terrible game filled with poor execution and bad decisions. Now, after crushing the Cardinals on Thanksgiving Day, the Eagles have injected a little bit of hope into an otherwise lost season.

The Eagles were the perfect dessert to our Thanksgiving meals as they romped the Cardinals 48-20. McNabb set the tone early with a strong first drive that led to a touchdown and then the defense stepped up and picked off Kurt Warner twice in the first quarter as the Eagles jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.

While much will be made of the resurgance of Donovan McNabb in this game, Brian Westbrook also had one of his best games of the season, rushing for 110 yards and tying a team record with 4 touchdowns. We saw the Westbrook of old tonight as he showed very little effect from the injuries that have been slowing him down all season long.

The defense also deserves credit for slowing down the Cardinals passing attack. The Eagles blitzed early and often and threw off Warner's timing with his receivers. By getting ahead early, the Eagles also turned the Cardinals into a one-dimensional team as they abandoned the run, and a Jim Johnson defense can always tee off on a team when they drop back to pass play after play.

Count me amongst those that didn't believe the Eagles would turn it around. I picked the Cardinals to win this week and even benched Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook in one of my fantasy leagues. Boy, do I feel stupid now. McNabb may have saved his career in Philadelphia, but one has to wonder if he stepped up amongst all the adversity or if he played well because all the pressure was off the team. When the pressure is on McNabb, we have all seen how he crumbles. With the Eagles likely out of the playoff hunt, the pressure is completely gone.

What a great way to cap off Thanksgiving. After stuffing ourselves with food we got to relax and digest and watch our football team crush a pretty good Cardinals team. Let's see if this momentum can carry them to a possible run that puts them back into the playoff picture.

Eagles/Cardinals inactives: Westbrook to start, Samuel, Buckhalter out

The Eagles and Cardinals announced their inactive players for tonight's Thanksgiving clash:

Eagles: G Shawn Andrews, RB Correll Buckhalter, QB A.J. Feeley, LB Joe Mays, G Mike McGlynn, CB Asante Samuel, TE Matt Schobel, DE Bryan Smith

Cardinals: DT Alan Branch, WR Early Doucet, LB Clark Haggans, CB Roderick Hood, T Brandon Keith, QB Brian St. Pierre, TE Jerame Tuman

Brian Westbrook is active and playing but Lorenzo Booker will back him up as Buckhalter is out. Asante Samuel is also out which will be a problem against the potent Cardinals aerial attack. Kyle Eckel gets his first playing time with the Eagles today, although it's unknown whether he will be playing fullback or just playing special teams.

The Cardinals will be without Rod Hood which will hurt their already weak secondary.

Hope everyone enjoys tonight's Thanksgiving game, it has to be better than what we've seen so far today. I think we are all interested in seeing how Donovan McNabb bounces back tonight. GO BIRDS!!