The Eagles will stick with their three-receiver formation (although they have only four wideouts on the active roster) that they used on 36 of 65 offensive plays last week. All but 13 of running back LeSean McCoy’s career-high 120 rushing yards came out of those sets. So did 173 of Michael Vick’s 284 passing yards. The Eagles need to spread the Jaguars out because their offensive line remains injured and in bad shape. The spread allows Vick to pick his own opportunities or simply stay with the play called.
While Reid denied it, a major reason for his decision to go with Vick is the struggles of his offensive line, which has given up 12 sacks in the first two games. It’s the first time since 1997 that the Eagles have allowed six or more sacks in consecutive games. The Eagles lost starting center Jamaal Jackson in Week 1 when he suffered a season-ending arm injury. He’s been replaced by inexperienced Mike McGlynn, a college tackle who has little experience at making line calls.
What’s interesting about the quarterback switch is that Vick and Kevin Kolb are good friends. Kolb reached out to Vick after the shooting incident at Vick's birthday party. Most of the younger players on the Eagles also look up to Vick. Kolb seems to be taking the benching in stride. He also expects to be the team’s starting quarterback again at some point. Vick is in the final year of his contract ($5 million) and will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. After Donovan McNabb was traded, Kolb got a one-year extension that carries him through the end of 2011. “I have faith that it will work out here and look forward to starting here again one day,” Kolb said. “As of right now, I’m the backup, and I’ll do what’s best for the team and for Michael.”
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