Indispensable Westbrook
By Tim Sullivan
WagerWeb.com contributing writer
Journeyman Jeff Garcia has been given a lot of credit for keeping the Eagles afloat since they lost Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb last month. And perhaps, rightfully so. With little preparation time, Garcia has started two tough games — against the Colts and Panthers — and came out a modest 1-1.
But make no mistake. The 6-6 Eagles would be nowhere without running back Brian Westbrook.
“We’re not out of it. I’ve said it in weeks past, that we’re fighters and we’re going to continue to fight until the end and you know we’re going to go out and take every game one at a time,” Westbrook said. “Let the chips fall where they may at the end. You know we’re not going to let up. We have four games left, and we’re going to keep fighting and keep shooting and hopefully at the end, we’ll be in the playoffs.”
If they make it, it’ll be on his shoulders. Westbrook, in his fifth season out of Villanova, has 906 rushing yards, 586 receiving yards and nine total touchdowns. He has done so with a nagging knee injury, and in Monday’s 27-24 win over Carolina, he suffered a toe injury.
The Eagles travel to meet the Redskins on Sunday. Philadelphia is -1.5 on WagerWeb.com
“I should,” Westbrook said, “be ready to go.”
Eagles Nation can only hope so. In a 27-3 victory over the Redskins Nov. 12, Westbrook, who continues to be listed each week on the injury report as questionable, had 150 total yards.
“He still has a little bit of tenderness in there. It comes and it goes,” Coach Andy Reid said. “Some days are better than other days. But we have been able to push through.”
With an added emphasis on victories the rest of the way – Philadelphia probably needs to win out to make the postseason — a little insurance for Westbrook couldn’t hurt. With that in mind, keep an eye on Duce Staley, a former Eagle and fan favorite in Philadelphia who was released by the Steelers this week.
“I probably need to talk to (General Manager) Tom (Heckert),” Reid said, “before I go in that direction.”
SHORT-HANDED STEELERS: At 5-7, Pittsburgh shouldn’t be all that concerned about its playoff future. And with just three days to prepare for this week’s game, the Steelers don’t have much time to, anyway.
“We might as well,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said after the Steelers’ 20-3 win over Tampa Bay last Sunday, “leave our uniforms on.”
That won’t be the case for two key cogs, however. For the second consecutive week, wide receiver Hines Ward and safety Troy Polamalu will each miss Thursday’s NFL Network game against the Browns at Heinz Field with knee injuries.
Coach Bill Cowher, in typical fashion, is concerned more about the players he does have at his disposal — rather than those he doesn’t have — for a rivalry, prime-time game that he still deems critical no matter how far behind the playoff pack Pittsburgh is.
“We’re just going to approach it like it’s another game,” he said. “We’re going to come out firing, and we know they’re going to come out firing, and it should be a classic game.”
The Steelers are -7.5 on WagerWeb.com.
EXTRA POINTS: The puzzling career of Tampa Bay WR Michael Clayton continues. A 2004 first-round pick, or bust, out of LSU, Clayton is lost for the season with a knee injury. He had 1,193 receiving yards in his rookie season, but has just 728 since. … Give credit to Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy for keeping his chin up in a tough town. At 4-8, with only Detroit keeping the Packers out of the NFC North basement, he remains as optimistic as ever. “We have to stay the course, trust the structure, prepare them,” he said. “And I have to get them to do better job to perform on Su ndays.” Good luck . … With the playoff races heating up in both conferences and crucial kicks becoming more and more evident, look for someone to sign Mike Vanderjagt, cut by the Cowboys last week, sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, he’d have to bring all of his baggage with him, wherever he goes.