vs 
Cowboys vs. Eagles
Sun., Jan. 02, 4:15 PM ET
TV: FOX
Radio: 94 WYSP, Sirius 118
Mike Vick gets a chance to rest after a thorough beating by the Minnesota Vikings’ blitz scheme…
It comes as no shock…the Eagles will treat Sunday’s regular season finale against the Dallas Cowboys as a pre-season exhibition… Most of the regulars on offense and some on defense will be pulled off the assembly line in order to “rest” and get healthy for the playoffs. And if you find this benevolent logic to be faulty, it’s okay…as long as the strategy actually pays off with a win in the first round of the playoffs the following week.
There’s another school of thought to consider: the “momentum” issue. A lot of NFL coaches and players believe, even if it’s a “meaningless” game with regard to the standings, you should still play your first string and go all out to win with your regulars, even if they’re banged up…I heard Derrick Mason of the Ravens explain why down at the Green Turtle in Owings Mills Wednesday night:
“I would play my starters…and I would have them go all out to win, and try to establish a timing and rhythm that would carry right over to the next game…that’s called momentum, and you want that going into the playoffs.”
That makes sense…especialy coming from a veteran like Mason. But there’s sense in doing it Andy Reid’s way, too…if Reid is convinced the chronic aches and pains his starters feel after a short week (only 4 days rest) would actually prevent his team from being competitive on Sunday, anyway…
He is especially concerned about his injured Pro Bowl selections — quarterback Michael Vick (quadriceps), wide receiver DeSean Jackson (foot) and cornerback Asante Samuel (knee).
“You have to look at what’s at stake if you play them, injury-wise,” Reid said. “Some guys need the play time, some guys need the rest time. So I have to look at who those guys are and what situations I put them in and so on. But at the same time, you want to win the game no matter who’s playing.”
“I’m not even sure Vick can get back from what he’s got here with the quad,” Reid said. “I mean, it’s pretty sore right now. But I have to look at that. I mean, he’d be one that you have to look at to see what you do there.”
Even though the players were given the day off because of Tuesday night’s game, the team was required by league rules to release an injury report estimating the availability of players had they held a practice on Wednesday.
In that report, linebacker Stewart Bradley (elbow) and defensive tackle Jeff Owens (knee) are listed as out for this weekend. Owens, in fact, was later placed on the injured reserve list, finishing him for the season. He has a torn patellar tendon. Jackson, Samuel, Vick and defensive tackle Trevor Laws (shoulder, chest) were listed as being unable to participate, and linebacker Keenan Clayton (hamstring), guard Nick Cole (knee), tight end Clay Harbor (abdomen), tackle Winston Justice (knee) and defensive tackle Mike Patterson (knee) were available without restriction.
The coaches and players players remained disturbed about Tuesday’s loss, a rarity for any Reid-coached team in December. “We have no excuses for this game,” Reid said. “Again, it’s my responsibility to get our team to play better than what we did. There are plenty of things we can learn from it. We will do that.”
“You try your best, but it was really hard to prepare for Joe Webb,” cornerback Joselio Hanson said. “We didn’t have a lot of film, but it’s no excuse. We should have beat those guys.”
Since blowing out those highly dysfunctional Redskins on Nov. 15, the Eagles have played six games and trailed in the fourth quarter each time. If not for an act of God that enabled them to escape the New Meadowlands Stadium with a 38-31 win on Dec. 19, they’d be 3-3 in those last six games and fighting for their Wild Card lives.
Vick’s body has been breaking down steadily throughout the six-game streak, and it’s obvious his recent rash of poor decisions and errant throws has been due to his physical deterioration. The time off may just enable Vick, who battled through a quadriceps injury suffered on the first play Tuesday night, to get his legs back under him, get his body back … and, most importantly, his head.
That would be the pay-off for Reid and Eagles fans by resting Vick and the regulars on Sunday. Although I’d love to see the Birds get over on Dallas in Philly and end up with an 11-5 regular season record going into the playoffs, I guess I’d settle for 10-6 and some assurance that Vick and the starters will be ready to go full-speed next week.
But as Derrick Mason cautioned, sometimes when you make that “safe and smart” play, you lose timing, rhythm…and that intangible thing called momentum. According to Reid’s strategy, that’s the risk we will have to take.
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