Eagles Keep Eye on Prize

Andy Reid concedes he has a lot of worries entering this week's home outing against Detroit. Topping his list, however, may not be the issues you'd think.

In a week when star quarterback Donovan Mcnabb has clearly made his frustrations known, Reid insists his biggest concerns center around his 0-2 team's injury riddled roster.

Brian Dawkins, Lito Sheppard, Sean Considine, L.J. Smith, William Thomas and even star running back Brian Westbrook head the list of those on the mend this week as the Eagles seek to steady their rocky ship.

“I don't think anybody is worried about that,” Reid said of the comments made by McNabb concerning his unfair treatment as an African-American quarterback. “They're more worried about playing the game,” he added. “That's where are focus is and not on interviews.”

Be that as it may, the Eagles clearly have much work to do. The offense has netted just one touchdown this season and the team as a whole is averaging just 12 point a game. Exacerbating that all the more heading into battle with the undefeated Lions is the uncertainty of Westbrook's availability. To date, the NFC leading yards-from-scrimmage star has accounted for 47 percent of the team's total offense and leads them in both rushing and receptions.

It's sore right now,” Reid says of the left knee injury that has Westbrook's status in question. “I've got to see what the doctor says. The doctor is going to check on him and then determine what he does from there."

And to a large extent, that prognosis will determine what coarse the Eagles take. If Westbrook cannot play, the Eagles will turn to veteran back Corey Buckhalter, capable enough but hardly in Westbrooks' class.

"I'm just preparing myself to go out there and play the best possible game I can play," Buckhalter said. "Every guy that's a backup in this league always looks forward to getting his opportunities."

Certainly the Eagles hope so. Their entire season may ride on it.

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