Eagles Notes | Hit on Schobel eats at Reid

IRVING, Texas - When the Eagles lost a first down and tight end Matt Schobel on the first series of yesterday's stunning 10-6 win over Dallas, Andy Reid showed more sideline outrage than at any other time during his nine seasons as coach.

Reid was convinced that Cowboys safety Ken Hamlin should have been penalized for the helmet-to-helmet hit that separated Schobel from the football. No call was made on the play, but it would be shocking if Hamlin is not fined a hefty amount by the NFL this week.

It appeared as if Schobel caught the second-and-7 pass from quarterback Donovan McNabb for a huge gain, but as his feet hit the ground, Hamlin came crashing in and used his helmet to hit the tight end in the face mask.

Schobel dropped the football and had a difficult time getting up afterward. The veteran tight end was unable to return because of a concussion. While Schobel left the field, Reid screamed at referee Larry Nemmers for not calling a penalty.

Even after play resumed and the Eagles ran a few more plays, Reid continued to vent at the officiating crew.

"I wasn't happy," Reid said. "You could see that. You've got to move on, and the guys moved on."

Schobel said he was all right as he left the locker room after the game. His departure left rookie Brent Celek as the team's only tight end.

"He did a great job, and then to make that catch at the end was a great effort," Reid said.

Celek finished with three catches for 50 yards, including a 29-yard reception from McNabb on a third-and-9 play that helped seal the victory.

Schobel's concussion was the first of two serious injuries the Eagles endured in the opening quarter. Two series later, Pro Bowl guard Shawn Andrews left with a sprained right knee. Andrews will undergo an MRI examination today in Philadelphia.

Ready or not. Guard Max Jean-Gilles replaced Andrews. "It took me a couple series to get my mind right," Jean-Gilles said. "Then I settled down and just played my game."

The 6-foot-3, 358-pound Jean-Gilles had not played since a Sept. 23 victory against Detroit.

Andrews has been playing through a sore knee. Jean-Gilles said he was watching the right guard and could see him struggling.

"Every time he came off the field, I could see he was limping," Jean-Gilles said. "I knew I was going to get an opportunity to play. I knew I had to go out there and be a man about it."

Giving at the office. Wide receiver Reggie Brown made an in-game donation to the Salvation Army early in the second quarter when he leaped into the charitable organization's giant red kettle along the visiting sideline after an incomplete pass from McNabb.

After rolling the kettle to escape, Brown returned to the huddle, and the Salvation Army was instructed to find a new corner to stand on.

Kearse sits again. For the second time in five games, the Eagles listed veteran defensive end Jevon Kearse as one of their inactive players and dressed rookie Victor Abiamiri instead.

Kearse officially lost his starting job during the Nov. 11 game at Washington when he did not play a single down in the first quarter. Despite being healthy, he was deactivated the following week at home against Miami.

Although Kearse dressed for the next three games, he played sparingly. Now it seems possible, even probable, that he will not play another game for the Eagles in his career.

The Eagles' other interesting healthy scratch was cornerback William James, whose days with the team also appear to be numbered.

Also inactive: running back Correll Buckhalter (concussion), tight end L.J. Smith (knee), defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey, safety Marcus Paschal, and guard Scott Young.

Extra points. David Akers' 21-yard field goal in the fourth quarter allowed him to pass the late Bobby Walston as the team's all-time leading scorer. Akers has 884 points, three more than Walston. . . . Several team sources said that secondary coach John Harbaugh interviewed for the vacant head coaching job at UCLA late Thursday. He was back with the Eagles yesterday. . . . McNabb and the Cowboys' Terrell Owens were captains for their teams and hugged before and after the coin toss. After McNabb threw a second-quarter touchdown pass to Brown, it appeared as if he mocked Owens' star celebration by holding his hands wide to the sky. The quarterback said that wasn't the case. "I was just giving thanks to the man upstairs," McNabb said. "I've been through a lot this year and . . . I was giving thanks."