Quarterback controversy? Not here, not now. To hear Andy Reid tell it, this is just the way the coach drew it up in training camp.
Reid has two quarterbacks that he believes can lead the Eagles to playoff glory. One is Kevin Kolb, who threw three TDs yesterday in a 31-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The other is Michael Vick, who is still nursing sore rib cartilage. Reid, of course, would not commit to next week’s starter.
Reid joked “I think we’ll go with Michael Kolb,” but when pressed, Reid said he hadn’t decided yet.
“That’s what I get paid to do, so I’ll make the right move here,” he said.
It won’t be easy. Kolb went 23-of-29 for 326 yards, including a career-long 83-yard TD to Jeremy Maclin in his second straight win. But Kolb didn’t take the bait when asked which quarterback he’d start.
“I’m not even getting into that,” Kolb said. “I want to be out there again. I trust Andy [Reid] to make the right decision for everybody and we believe in that.”
For some teams, the revolving door could easily be a distraction. Not in the Eagles locker room, where the players believe they can win with either guy under center.
“It’s no shock to us because we know how good Kevin is and how well he can lead this team,” LeSean McCoy said. ”It might not look like that to guys on the outside but the players here, in this locker room, we know.”
Reid echoed all of those comments but said Vick would reclaim his starting role when he’s 100 percent.
“If you’re a chubby coach, sitting here with two quarterbacks that can play, that’s a beautiful thing.”
What we saw …
1 Corner office — Asante Samuel, in his first game back since sustaining a concussion, was all over the field. Samuel picked off Matt Ryan in the second quarter, and nearly had him again in the fourth, when the ball bounced off his fingertips. He could have had another one, but the refs missed an offensive pass interference call.
2 Call to the Hall — Pint-sized utility man Chad Hall saw increased playing time as the Eagles’ third receiver when DeSean Jackson left with a concussion. He had one carry for five yards. Kevin Kolb looked Hall’s way four times, but they only connected once for five yards.
3 Snowball’s chance — Don’t blame the wind for those misses. The usually reliable David Akers missed three field goals, including two inside the 40-yard line. He entered the game with a 93.7 success rate inside the 40. “I’ve never had a day like this. It’s frustrating. I demand better out of myself,” Akers said.
