Curtis' Absence an Opportunity for Maclin, Brown

Saturday, October 24, 2009

By Matt Haughton
CSNPhilly.com

This season continues to not go as planned for Kevin Curtis.

Already ruled out for Monday night’s game against Washington, Curtis could miss even more action after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his ailing left knee. Head coach Andy Reid said there is no timetable for Curtis’ return.

“They didn’t see much in the MRI,” Reid said. “MRIs don’t always show everything so they went in and just checked things out. There wasn’t much in there that they had to work on. They just snipped a few little things in there, but it wasn’t a major thing.”

The injury has been a source of major frustration for Curtis. The seventh-year wide receiver has been dealing with the troublesome knee on and off since minicamp. Both Curtis and the team had originally hoped that rest would do the trick, but to no avail.

The 31-year-old Curtis has missed the Eagles’ last three games and has five catches for 70 yards this season. The knee problem is the latest injury for Curtis who spent the offseason recovering from a second sports hernia surgery that limited him to nine games a year ago.

Still, Reid doesn’t believe this setback will keep Curtis out for very long.

“Yes, I think so,” Reid said when asked whether he expects Curtis to return this season. “I think time will tell here, but I think so.”

With Curtis on the mend, rookie Jeremy Maclin will again get the start. Maclin came back to Earth in last week’s loss against Oakland with just one reception after his monster six-catch, 142-yard performance the previous game vs. Tampa Bay.

“I feel I was the same player both weeks. I think we just weren’t on the same page as a whole football team,” said Maclin.

The Missouri product will attempt to turn things back around in Washington, but one thing he wants to remain the same is his place in the starting lineup.

“No, not at all,” Maclin responded to whether being a starter for the foreseeable future changes anything for him. “I said that since day one. It is what it is and I don’t plan on giving it up.”

Curtis’ injury and the recent trade of Brandon Gibson to St. Louis drops the Eagles down to just four healthy bodies at receiver. That means seldom used Reggie Brown could make more than a cameo appearance this week.

While Brown’s fall from grace with the Eagles has been well documented, Reid praised the fifth-year pro’s handling of the circumstances.

“He focused in on working hard and improving himself and all of the things you hope he’d do in that situation, which a lot of guys don’t if they’re in that situation,” Reid explained. “I’m proud of the way he’s handled it and he’s worked very hard on putting himself in this position and getting an opportunity to play.”

Back to business
Todd Herremans is expected to play for the first time this season. The guard has been out since training camp after having surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left foot.

“It’s kind of like this week it seems is taking forever,” Herremans said of the wait to get back in game action.

Herremans is listed as questionable but did participate fully in practice on Saturday. Reid said Herremans will start on the left side with Nick Cole getting the nod at right guard. He also said there is a chance for Max Jean-Gilles and Stacy Andrews to continue the team’s rotation along the offensive line.

Herremans is just ready to put his foot to the test.

“I’ve pushed it to take all it can take. We won’t know where the end point is until we get past it,” said Herremans.

So what will be the toughest part of returning to the field?

“Playing against Albert Haynesworth,” Herremans said.

Quick Study
Linebacker Will Witherspoon has been with the Eagles for less than a week after being acquired at Tuesday’s trade deadline. Even with the short turnaround, he is scheduled to play a significant role against the Redskins.

“I’m just excited to get the opportunity and I’m going to make the best of it,” Witherspoon said. “I think I’ll go out there and do what I need to do and that’s my job.”

Witherspoon assumes the role of injured Omar Gaither and will share time in the middle with Jeremiah Trotter. Still, the Eagles see an expanded role for Witherspoon in the future.

“No, I think he can play all three downs,” Reid said. “He did a nice job of picking things up. He’ll continue to study. He’s a smart guy; innately a smart guy, and then, I think he is football smart also.”

Typically, picking up the Eagles’ system and complex blitz-schemes in such a short time would be nearly impossible. But Witherspoon has an advantage coming from the Rams with former Eagles defensive assistant Steve Spagnuolo.

“You’ve got to really look at the whole package and say what’s really different here and what’s really different there,” assessed Witherspoon. “I think again, there’s a lot similarity. There’s a lot of carryover. There’s a lot of things that I can take from one side and bring it here.”

E-mail Matt Haughton at mhaughton@comcastsportsnet.com.