Philly's revolving door
The Eagles soared to victory against the Packers on Monday night, but might have lost a couple of players in the process. The Buccaneers head into Sunday's game at New Orleans with a couple of newcomers in the starting lineup. And the Seahawks are doing auditions as they try to overcome the loss of the league MVP.
Let's go to the injury review and find out who's in, who's out and who might be getting signed.
Running back Brian Westbrook (knee) has a bone bruise that may not get better the rest of the season, which means he could spend most of his week with the trainers preparing for game days. Westbrook has run with greater authority this season, and has been a big part of the Eagles' offense. He did practice on Wednesday, and the team reported that some of the swelling on his knee had subsided. Starting wide receiver Donte' Stallworth re-injured his slightly pulled hamstring on Monday night, and did not practice on Wednesday, but is still holding out hope that he will be activated and able to contribute Sunday against the Cowboys. If he's unable to go, rookie Jason Avant would be activated in his place. Fellow starting wide receiver Reggie Brown (right shoulder) was injured while being tackled out of bounds against Green Bay, but returned to practice Wednesday. Nickel cornerback Roderick Hood (heel) is still out, but All-Pro Lito Sheppard (ankle) practiced on Wednesday and appears likely to be active for the matchup against Dallas wide receiver Terrell Owens. Sheppard and Sheldon Brown will have their hands full with Owens and Terry Glenn, so a healthy secondary is a must.
Offensive guard Edwin Mulitalo (triceps) has been lost for the season after suffering a torn triceps muscle in his right arm, which will require surgery. Second-year reserve Jason Brown, who has also seen some time at center, took his place last week after the injury and will now be his full-time replacement. Brown lacks the same bulk and strength at the point of attack that Mulitalo has contributed the past eight years, but he plays with good technique and was a four-year starter in the ACC at North Carolina. Brown will also count on some help from All-Pro left tackle Jonathan Ogden until he can get his feet wet, since he only has one career NFL start. The team also signed offensive lineman Ike Ndukwe off the Redskins' practice squad to take the place of Mulitalo on the active roster.
Wide receiver Terrell Owens (hand) has not had any problems with additional swelling or pain, and expects to be "full go" for the game against the Eagles. Look for the Cowboys to establish Owens' presence early to set the tone, and open up the ground game that worked so well last weekend. Offensive lineman Andre Gurode (head) has not practiced this week, but expects to be in uniform and play against the Eagles. He would like to shake off last week's incident involving Albert Haynesworth of the Titans and move on. The Cowboys would prefer to have him active to face the rotating front four of the Eagles. If he is unable to play, Al Johnson would replace him. The Cowboys also added tight end Andy Thorn to the practice squad earlier this week. Coincidentally, he has spent time with the Eagles the past two seasons, so they are sure to be pick his brain for some tips.
Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (suspension) will miss the next five games, and create a huge gap in the interior of the team's defense, especially since they are so young up front, and last week were without the services of veteran lineman Robaire Smith (hamstring). Rookie reserve Jesse Mahelona and talented third-year defender Randy Starks could split the reps at right defensive tackle in the absence of Haynesworth. Running backs Chris Brown (toe) and Travis Henry (toe) have taken turns sitting while the other gets the start, while rookie LenDale White has been active each of the past two weeks and seems to be gaining some momentum towards lining up in an all-rookie backfield with quarterback Vince Young and fullback Ahmard Hall. At point this season, the coaching staff will want to evaluate White as a workhorse, especially since Brown is a free agent after this season, and Henry's seen as more of a reserve guy than franchise back.
Quarterback Brett Favre (neck/head) will wait and see how things go the rest of the week before deciding if he can make his 245th consecutive start against the Rams on Sunday. He suffered a slight concussion and pinched nerve in his neck following a fourth-quarter hit where he hit the ground awkwardly. Favre could also give way to backup Aaron Rodgers if the Packers find themselves in a big hole, as was the case against Philly. Starting running back Ahman Green (hamstring) was deactivated for Monday night's game with to a strained hamstring, but recently acquired backup Vernand Morency filled in nicely with 99 rushing yards, and should see his playing time increase even with a healthy return of Green this week. Wide receiver Robert Ferguson (hand) missed the rest of Monday night's game after getting hurt. The team will likely list him as probable, but rookie wide receiver Greg Jennings and veteran speedster Donald Driver have been the team's top two options thus far.
Cornerback Fabian Washington (hamstring) is out for this week's game against the 49ers, but is expected back next week if he continues to progress. Meanwhile, quarterback Aaron Brooks (throwing arm) will still miss another 2-3 weeks while recovering from a strained muscle in his throwing shoulder. The Raiders would love to see current starter Andrew Walter take advantage of the opportunity given him and rebound with a solid effort. Another outing like the one he had against the Browns could lead the team to insert current third-string quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo into the lineup next week against Denver. Starting outside linebacker Sam Williams (ankle), who returned a fumble for a touchdown last week, has practiced and seems ready for Sunday's game despite battling an ankle sprain.
Tight end Jeremy Shockey (ankle/attitude) will be in the team's starting lineup against the Redskins if he is healthy enough. Team officials have opted to take the high road after Shockey's outburst following the loss to Seattle in Week 3. Wide receiver Plaxico Burress (back) said he is 100 percent for Sunday's game. Outside linebacker Carlos Emmons (torn pectoral) is expected to miss 2-3 weeks. Emmons has made some progress, but will be replaced in the lineup by rookie Gerris Wilkinson, who may also share reps with veteran linebacker Brandon Short. Wilkinson is a versatile linebacker who has also played inside and offers the Giants' defense quicker and a more athletic defender, but also one with far less bulk and experience.
OTHER INJURY NEWS:
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield (thigh) did not practice with the team on Wednesday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions. … Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Jeremy Trueblood will take over the starting right tackle position after the Bucs put former starter Kenyatta Walker (knee) on injured reserve list. In addition, fellow rookie Bruce Gradkowski will make his first start at quarterback, replacing Chris Simms (spleen). … The Seattle Seahawks spent part of Tuesday working out a variety of free-agent running backs, which could indicate that starting running back Shaun Alexander (foot) will miss the expected 3-4 weeks or their belief that a back such as Arlen Harris, Damien Rhodes or even Ali Culpepper could be better options than what is currently on their bench. … The New England Patriots could be without cornerback Ellis Hobbs (wrist), who had surgery to repair a broken bone, for 2-3 weeks, which has led them to work out several veteran defenders over the past week. Hobbs says he hopes to not miss any time and play with a cast, but the team has not announced an official timetable for his return, although linebacker Tedy Bruschi missed between 6-7 weeks with the same type of injury this summer. The Patriots have several members of their secondary banged up and recently promoted former Steelers backup cornerback Chidi Iwuoma from the practice squad. … Jacksonville Jaguars may be forced to play this weekend without the services of wide receiver Matt Jones (groin), which would put more focus on fellow starter Reggie Williams, and put reserve Ernest Wilford into the starting lineup. … Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns (shoulder) is still being bothered by a shoulder that forced him to miss the team's game two weeks ago before returning for action with 100-yard effort against the Raiders. … The Carolina Panthers have announced that middle linebacker Dan Morgan (concussion), who has not played since Week 1, will miss this week's game. They will also be without tight end Mike Seidman (knee), who will likely be placed on the IR after he suffered a torn ACL. … New York Jets running back Cedric Houston (knee) suffered a hyper-extension in the team's loss to the Colts after leading the team in rushing before being injured in the second half. Houston is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, which will offer rookie running back Leon Washington the chance to become more involved in the offense, and former key reserve Derrick Blaylock will be activated for the next several games.
