Michael Vick has been ruled out for the Eagles game Sunday afternoon against the Patriots at the Linc, a team source said late Friday, and two-time Titans Pro Bowl pick Vince Young will make his second straight start at quarterback for the Eagles.
Vick hasnt practiced since suffering two broken ribs during the Eagles Nov. 13 game against the Cards at the Linc. In his first start as an Eagle, Young overcame a slow start to lead the Eagles to a 17-10 upset win over the Giants at the Meadowlands last Sunday.
Vick threw for the first time on Tuesday and said on Thursday he was improving. The Eagles list Vick as questionable for the Patriots and head coach Andy Reid has refused to rule Vick out for the Patriots, but the source said Reid has already told Young hell be starting Sunday against the 7-3 Patriots.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Reid said the biggest concerns with playing Vick are that he gets hit in the same spot again and his comfort level going through his throwing motion.
This will be the fifth game Vick has missed with rib injuries since he became the Eagles full-time starter early last season. The Eagles went 2-1 with Kevin Kolb at quarterback last year after Vick suffered rib cartilage damage during a loss to the Redskins.
Under Reid, the Eagles are 17-10 (.630) when a backup quarterback has had to play because of an injury to a starter. Thats with Jeff Garcia (5-1 in 2006), A.J. Feeley (4-1 in 2002, 0-2 in 2007), Koy Detmer (1-0 in 1999, 1-0 in 2002), Mike McMahon (2-5 in 2005), Vick (1-0 last year), Kolb (2-1 last year) and Young (1-0 this year).
This will be the second consecutive time the Eagles will face the Patriots with a backup quarterback. They lost 31-28 in Foxboro in 2007 with Feeley throwing a career-high 345 yards in place of an injured McNabb.
News
Young was 23 for 36 for 258 yards with two touchdown passes and three interceptions against the Giants Sunday. He threw interceptions on two of his first 13 passes but was 15 for 18 (83 percent) for 168 yards in the second half, including the game-winning TD pass to Riley Cooper.
I just want to go in and make sure we do the same thing, same tempo, get the guys out of the huddle, make plays on third down and score points, Young said. And the biggest thing is lead the guys down against a really good football team. So my biggest thing is the same thing from last week, just go out and lead the guys and try to lead them to a victory.
Last time Young played in a regular-season game at the Linc was Nov. 19, 2006, when he was 8 for 22 for 101 yards and a touchdown in the Titans 31-13 win over the Eagles.
McNabb suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his right knee while throwing an incomplete pass to Donte Stallworth in the second quarter and was replaced by Garcia, who led the Eagles to the NFC East title and a wild-card win over the Giants.
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com.