| | McNabb: 'I feel fine'
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb took all the snaps with
Philadelphia's first-team offense again Friday, moving closer to
starting the Eagles' first playoff game next weekend.
"It's not too sore at all. That's not to say it won't be sore
later, but we'll continue to work with it," McNabb said. "We have
more time to work and get our timing down."
Practice again was closed to reporters, and McNabb walked with a
slight limp on his way to the locker room. His teammates said the
star quarterback didn't show any effects of the ankle injury that
sidelined him the last 6½ weeks.
"He looks fine, he looks ready to go," cornerback Troy Vincent
said. "It's great to have No. 5 back."
Left tackle Tra Thomas was too busy blocking in practice to
watch McNabb, but said he would've known if something wasn't right.
"I guess he was all right. It's great to have him back in
there," Thomas said. "He gives us a rhythm."
McNabb hasn't played since breaking his right ankle in
Philadelphia's 38-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 17.
He practiced for the first time Thursday, and pronounced himself
ready to play. Reid seemed confident McNabb would start, but
planned to wait until next week to make an official announcement.
If McNabb is unable to play, Koy Detmer would start. Detmer led
the Eagles to a win at San Francisco in his only start before
dislocating his left elbow in that game. A.J. Feeley went 4-1 as
the starter, helping the Eagles finish 12-4 and earn the No. 1 seed
in the NFC playoffs.
"I feel fine. I'm ready to go," said Detmer, who ran the scout
team's offense in Friday's practice.
The Eagles were 7-3 with McNabb, who was having the best season
of his four-year career. A two-time Pro Bowl selection and
runner-up for NFL MVP in 2000, McNabb completed 211 of 361 passes
(58 percent) for 2,289 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions
in 10 games. He ran for 460 yards and six TDs.
McNabb was injured on the third play of the Eagles' win over
Arizona but stayed in and tied a career-best with four TD passes.
And, he didn't scramble once the entire game.
Offensive coordinator Brad Childress said that game taught
McNabb that he can be as dangerous in the pocket as he is running
out of it.
"He learned that he could sit back and pick you apart that
way," Childress said. "I think it bodes well for him because he
can play a couple different ways now. He can play that way, sit in
the pocket and know where his checkdowns are and know when to get
the ball out of his hands. And still not everybody has the ability
to hurt you with their feet, and he has that, too. I think he
learned how to play the game a different way that day."
McNabb was supposed to miss six-to-eight weeks, and it will have
been eight since the injury when the Eagles play their first
playoff game against Atlanta, San Francisco or the New York Giants
on Jan. 11 or 12.
McNabb said he could have played this week if the Eagles didn't
have a first-round bye.
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No Doubt