Michael Vick: “There is a 100 percent chance I’m playing.”

By Dan Hanzus NFL.com

Michael Vick told the Eagles’ team website he will play Sunday against the 49ers no matter the status of his bruised right hand.

“I will be out there on Sunday, regardless,” Vick said, according to the team’s Twitter page. “There is a 100 percent chance I’m playing.”

Coach Andy Reid said earlier during his daily press conference that Vick will practice for the Eagles on Wednesday. The quarterback took part in the Eagles’ walk-through on Wednesday morning.

Reid said the swelling in Vick’s bruised right hand has lessened, but he wasn’t sure if Vick would take all first-team snaps on Wednesday.

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Reid also said quarterback Vince Young is “100 percent”, but would not say if Young or Mike Kafka would be next in line behind Vick on the depth chart.

Reid said Monday that Vick’s availability would hinge on how quickly the swelling in his hand went down.

Chaney Compares Philadelphia Eagles To Miami Heat

By: Tim McManus of phillysportsdaily.com

“We’re getting tested right now, and as long as we stay strong we’re going to be alright,” said Chaney. “The season ain’t over yet. We’re 1-2 right now. The Miami Heat started out the season 8-8 and everybody was jumping on them like it was the end of the world, and they ended up making it all the way to the Finals. It’s not the end of the world.”

The basic premise is correct. The Eagles have rebounded from slow starts before under Andy Reid, and a quick glance around the NFC East — highlighted by Monday night’s slopped-up showcase between the Redskins and Cowboys — reveals the division is most certainly winnable for a team this talented.

The Eagles are still in the race, especially since the re-diagnosis of Michael Vick’s hand injury. It is still possible for all the pieces to come together.

Reid Wants To Talk Football, Not Concussions

by Bob Ford, Inquirer Sports Columnist

There really wasn’t much for Andy Reid to say after Sunday’s confounding loss to the New York Giants, or at least there wasn’t very much he felt like saying. Either way, Reid’s day on the sideline will have to speak for itself, because there wasn’t a lot of explanation afterward.

The answers to the final seven questions of his postgame news conference were:

“I thought it was the right thing to do.”

“I can’t remember that to be honest with you.”

“I went with Kafka.”

“Yep.”

“Cramps.”

“Uh . . . their penetration.”

“We’ll see.”

For fun, try to match the answers with the questions below:

“What happens if you go swimming too soon after lunch?”

“What is it that makes nails stick into wood?”

“Who did you choose as the greatest author of the 20th century?”

“Why did you help that old lady across the street?”

“What is the capital of Wyoming?”

“What is the opposite of nope?

“When we open our eyes, what will happen?”

The actual questions weren’t that great, either, but they were legitimate and probably deserved a better hearing than Reid gave them. By that time, however, he had tired of the proceedings and just wanted to get out of there.

The Duke’s Picks – 9/25/2011

by Michael DeLuca

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1:00

Houston Texans +4.5 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
If the Texans want to prove they are for real this is the type of game that could show they’ve made it over the hump.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES -8.5 New York Giants
No Manningham, banged up D, Philly coming off a road loss… look for a rout!

Miami Dolphins +3 CLEVELAND BROWNS
The both suck but Cleveland sucks harder. Dolphins seem like a solid play, worst case scenario is a push.

TENNESSEE TITANS -7 Denver Broncos
Denver hasn’t been able to defend the run in years and without Champ Bailey, they can’t defend the pass either. Look for Titans to win… BIG!

Jacksonville Jaguars +3.5 CAROLINA PANTHERS
Cam Newton’s performances have seemed to overshadow the fact that the Panthers have yet to win a game. Will that win come today? Maybe. By more than a field goal… probably not.

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4:05

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS -15 Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs lost to Buffalo by 34 and Detroit by 45. San Diego is home and better than both of those teams. Without Eric Berry and Jamaal Charles, Vegas is going to have to start using college lines for the Chiefs. Yeah, they are that bad.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS +3.5 Arizona Cardinals
First off, why doesn’t my spell check accept the word Seahawks? Secondly, why are the getting points at home against a team that struggled to beat the Panthers and then lost to the Redskins?

OAKLAND RAIDERS +3.5 New York Jets
Darren McFadden is the real deal. No Mangold is a BIG problem for the J E T S … Jets, Jets, Jets!

It’s no brainteaser: Giants punter angles to silence Eagles’ DJax

By Marc Sessler NFL.com

This year’s Giants punter doesn’t plan to commit the same sin last year’s did.

We’re all familiar with Matt Dodge‘s ill-fated punt against the Eagles last December, which DeSean Jackson returned 65 yards for the game-winning score as time ran out, effectively ending New York’s season.

This time around, Steve Weatherford is in, Dodge is out. For the new guy, punting away from Jackson in Sunday’s meeting rests atop the priority list.

“We’re going to do our best to put the ball on the sidelines or out of bounds and limit the room that he has to work with,” Weatherford told the New York Daily News. “Ideally, I’d like to have the ball out of bounds — obviously that’s what (Tom) Coughlin’s looking for.”

Weatherford also wants to make it clear that a punter’s job — especially angling punts away from predatory return-men — is more strenuous than you’d think.

“It’s not like a Madden video game, where you point the arrow and push ‘X,'” Weatherford said. “There’s some skill involved in it.”

Of course, of course.

Weatherford’s job on Sunday is crystal clear — keep the punting game out of the headlines and Jackson out of the end zone. Anything less, and — well — just ask Matt Dodge.

The Duke’s Picks – 9/24/11 Results

9/24/11 Record – 6-4-0

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LOSS  San Diego St. +10.5 MICHIGAN

LOSS Notre Dame -7 PITT

WIN Notre Dame vs. PITT Under 56

WIN Temple +8.5 MARYLAND

WIN Bowling Green +3.5 MIAMI OHIO

LOSS Bowling Greens vs. MIAMI OHIO Under 52

WIN CLEMSON -2.5 Florida St.

LOSS FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL -17 UL Lafayette

WIN BAYLOR -21 Rice

WIN ARIZONA ST. -2.5 USC

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HOME TEAM in Caps, Duke’s Picks in Bold

The Duke’s Picks – 9/24/2011

12:00

San Diego St. +10.5 MICHIGAN

Notre Dame -7 PITT

Notre Dame vs. PITT Under 56

Temple +8.5 MARYLAND

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1:00

Bowling Green +3.5 MIAMI OHIO

Bowling Greens vs. MIAMI OHIO Under 52

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3:30

CLEMSON -2.5 Florida St.

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6:00

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL -17 UL Lafayette

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7:00

BAYLOR -21 Rice

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10:15

ARIZONA ST. -2.5 USC

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HOME TEAM in Caps, Duke’s Picks in Bold

Eagles Super Bowl Drive Begins With Rout Of Rams

by R.B. Fall Strom – Associated Press

ST. LOUIS – The lockout didn’t bother Michael Vick. It simply left him with fresh legs for the season opener.

The Eagles quarterback was in dazzling form and the other Philly game-breakers were hard to catch, too, as the team opened its self-proclaimed Super Bowl drive with a 31-13 victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

“It felt great to know that I can go out and play lights out, not have to worry about anything,” Vick said. “I feel better than I’ve ever felt before and I give a lot of credit with the situation with the CBA, giving us a lot time to get rest and to prepare ourselves.