Eagles football blog

Westbrook could be ready for regular season opener

Running back Brian Westbrook had successful surgery on his right ankle Friday, according to the Eagles and the doctor who performed the operation.

Both the team and the doctor said they expect him to be ready for the regular-season opener on Sept. 13, but probably not for exhibition games.

The procedure was complicated.

"It was a very difficult surgery because of the location of the problem in the back of his ankle," the doctor, Mark Myerson, told The Inquirer. Continue

Westbrook injures right ankle

Neither cornerback Sheldon Brown nor running back Brian Westbrook was on the field for the Eagles' almost-full-squad workout yesterday at the NovaCare Complex.

Brown's ongoing ailment was his contract.

Westbrook's injury was to his right ankle, and was a new and potentially important development.

"I wish I could tell you more, but I don't know more right this minute," coach Andy Reid said of Westbrook. "But we'll know more as we go on here the next couple of days." Continue

Eagles really will need running game Sunday

The subject of the Eagles' running game, when it comes up every 10 minutes or so, is never just about the Eagles' running game anymore.

Whether the Eagles run the ball enough, whether they utilize Brian Westbrook properly, whether they ignore the run and throw the ball regardless of opponent or field conditions, has become a referendum on Andy Reid's ability to make game-day adjustments necessary to win.

It is as if everything else Reid has done, everything else that has gotten the Eagles to Sunday's conference semifinal game with the New York Giants, is distilled to the dissection of a run-pass balance that will never be consistently balanced in Reid's offensive scheme. Continue

Westbrook wants Eagles to run

Even though the Vikings' defense ranks No. 1 against the run and No. 18 against the pass in the NFL, Brian Westbrook hopes the Eagles will try to establish a ground attack when they play Minnesota in a wild-card playoff game Sunday.

"I think our goal is to try to go in and try to establish the run and push them around," Westbrook said yesterday. "We've played against teams that are very good against the run, and we've had success. I think for us it's very important to go out there and at least try to establish the run." Continue

Healthy Westbrook makes things happen

Before everyone crucifies Andy Reid for waiting until December to use the running game, consider for a moment this one crucial fact:

Brian Westbrook finally is healthy. He's not dying out there on the field, unable to put one foot in front of the next. He actually has some hop to his step, can bounce off defenders and not bite the turf, and can turn a nothing gain into a game-changer.

In essence, Westbrook is back to being the Eagles' best player, that one guy opposing teams fear, and the player around whom the Eagles should (and yesterday did) structure their offense. Continue

Westbrook likely to play, Reid says

Here's what Brian Westbrook said Wednesday: "Since the beginning of the year, since I started getting injured, this probably is the best I've felt."

Here's what the Eagles' star running back didn't do Thursday and Friday: practice.

Exactly what happened between Westbrook's comments and yesterday remains a mystery. Coach Andy Reid wasn't interested in helping anyone solve it yesterday.

Reid, however, did indicate that Westbrook would be able to play tomorrow in the Eagles' critical road game against the New York Giants.

"He should be able to go," Reid said after practice. "He'll be fine." Continue

Westbrook NFC player oft the week

Running back Brian Westbrook has been named the NFC offensive player of the week for his performance Thursday night during the Eagles' 48-20 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

 Westbrook ran 22 times for 110 yards and caught three passes for 20 yards against Arizona. He also scored four touchdowns, two each rushing and receiving. That's the kind of performance the Eagles will need from Westbrook again Sunday when the Eagles travel to the Meadowlands for a must-win game against the 11-1 New York Giants. Continue

Eagles taking 'we'll see' approach with Westbrook's availability

Brian Westbrook sat out a third straight day of practice. The Eagles star running back is still hampered by a sore ankle and knee. He was listed as questionable for tomorrow's game in Baltimore, which the 5-4-1 Eagles can only look upon as a must-win proposition.

Coach Andy Reid said yesterday that Westbrook had inflammation in both his right ankle and his left knee, but that "it is gradually coming down.""We'll see how he does here the next couple days," said Reid, who added that he has done whatever he could this week to "keep [Westbrook] off the turf.""He still has some swelling in there," Reid said. "We want to get that out."Westbrook was unavailable for comment. Continue