Foles Preps For Start, Vick Preps For Return

The arrow is pointing in the direction of Nick Foles to start this week against the Cowboys. But Michael Vick is beginning preparations for his return.

According to a report from Ed Werder, Vick has been sized for a protective skull cap to wear under his helmet to help safeguard against sustaining another concussion.

Vick has advanced to Phase 4 of the Eagles’ concussion program but has yet to get back to baseline on the imPACT test. He will try again on Wednesday.

Though it sounds like Vick is inching towards a return, expecting him under center Sunday might be a bit much.

“If I had to tell you today, you’re probably going to see Nick again here. So he’s got to concentrate on getting himself better and ready to go and then we’ll cross all that other stuff as it goes,” said Andy Reid Tuesday. “I want Michael to get healthy.”

Vick has been cleared for non-contact practice activity and threw on Sunday. The fifth phase is a return to contact. He still must be cleared by both the team doctor and an independent neurologist.

Given the current state of affairs, rushing Vick through the rest of the process so he can be ready for Sunday night does not make much sense.

So the start likely goes to Foles, who was 16-of-21 for 119 yards against Carolina. He did not throw a touchdown or an interception and finished with an 89.2 quarterback rating. He could have been intercepted on several occassions — including twice in the red zone on the team’s opening possession — but was let off the hook thanks to a couple Panther drops.

The Eagles deployed a conservative game plan which included plenty of short passes and a healthy dose of Bryce Brown on the ground.

“The coaches told me we were going to run the ball to help Nick out, so I was up for the challenge,” said Brown, who had 178 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns and two lost fumbles. “I anticipated it happening and it did.”

Through two-plus games, Foles has completed 60 percent of his passes for 542 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions.

“I felt like I improved on certain things. Still a lot to improve on,” said Foles. “I made some miscues and there were some little things. I’m pretty hard on myself so we didn’t get the win and we need to get more points. But I felt like I improved and I’ll continue to improve. There’s a lot to learn from this one as well. As in any game plan, there’s always a lot to learn from so I just have to take what I learned from it and become a better player and help make the guys around me better players.”

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