Andy Reid is adamant that Michael Vick will remain the Philadelphia Eagles' starting quarterback upon his return from a rib injury. But Kevin Kolb is doing his best to make Reid, who has a history of backtracking, reconsider yet again.
One thing is for sure: neither Kolb nor Vick will be throwing to DeSean Jackson anytime soon.
Kolb looks to build upon one of his best games as a pro minus his top deep threat Sunday when the Eagles visit the Tennessee Titans, who may be without Vince Young as they seek a third straight win and 12th in a row over NFC opponents.
The Eagles (4-2) are tied with the New York Giants for the lead in the NFC East. Philadelphia's strong play is not as surprising as the way it has gotten to this point.
The Eagles have alternated between quarterbacks. Vick took over after Kolb left the season-opener with a concussion. Reid stated after the loss to Green Bay that Kolb was still the starter.
One day later, he chose Vick, who nearly rallied the team from a 17-point deficit, to start in Week 2.
Now the roles are reversed, as Vick is still recovering from a rib cartilage injury suffered in Week 4 against Washington.
Reid has continually said Vick will regain his starting job when healthy enough to play. However, the thought of benching Kolb is becoming harder by the week.
In his second straight start, Kolb went 23 of 29 for 326 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday’s 31-17 victory over the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons.
Kolb wasn’t off target much, but there is one throw he’d like to have back. The first-year starter hung a pass over the middle intended for Jackson, who was violently drilled at full speed by cornerback Dunta Robinson.
Both players lay motionless on the field for a while before being helped off. Jackson bore the brunt of the scary collision, suffering a “severe” concussion and memory loss.
In his absence, Jeremy Maclin emerged as the Eagles’ new go-to receiver. The second-year speedster caught a career-high seven passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
Maclin could be the Eagles’ main target for the foreseeable future, as Jackson has yet to pass a baseline concussion test and will not be rushed back.
The Titans (4-2), meanwhile, have their own injured star to worry about. Young left Monday night’s 30-3 win over Jacksonville in the first quarter after having his knee twisted awkwardly while recovering a fumbled snap.
An MRI revealed a mild sprained left knee and ankle. Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher has said his star quarterback day-to-day.
The injury comes at an unfortunate time for Young, who is off to the best start of his career. He has completed 61.4 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Titans may be forced to turn to Kerry Collins as they try to extend their winning streak against the NFC. It is a familiar scenario for Tennessee.
Collins, who was 11 of 16 for 110 yards and a touchdown on Monday, replaced an ineffective Young after Week 1 of 2008 and led the Titans to 10 straight wins, a 13-3 mark and the AFC South crown.
Collins was benched after an 0-6 last season in favor of Young, who helped the Titans finish 8-8.
If called upon to start, Collins won’t be asked to do too much with Chris Johnson in the backfield.
Johnson ran for 111 yards and a touchdown on Monday night. He is second in the league with 596 yards and tops overall with seven touchdowns.
Tennessee, which is in a three-way tie for first in the AFC South, is 16-1 vs. NFC opponents since a 45-14 loss to Dallas in 2006.
The Titans won the last meeting 31-13 in 2006 behind a 143-yard effort from Travis Henry.