Eagles Notes: Westbrook likely to play, Reid says

Here's what

Brian Westbrook

said Wednesday: "Since the beginning of the year, since I started getting injured, this probably is the best I've felt."

Here's what the Eagles' star running back didn't do Thursday and Friday: practice.

Exactly what happened between Westbrook's comments and yesterday remains a mystery. Coach

Andy Reid

wasn't interested in helping anyone solve it yesterday.

Reid, however, did indicate that Westbrook would be able to play tomorrow in the Eagles' critical road game against the New York Giants.

"He should be able to go," Reid said after practice. "He'll be fine."

Asked if there had been a physical setback since Wednesday, Reid said: "No, he's fine."

The coach said Westbrook didn't practice yesterday because the Eagles were inside on artificial turf. Westbrook typically doesn't take part in indoor practices. Westbrook, who has had to deal with a sprained ankle since Week 3 and knee swelling the last month, was not in the locker room after practice. He was listed on the team's injury report as questionable.

Running backs

Kyle Eckel

and

Lorenzo Booker

took the majority of reps at tailback yesterday, and both likely will be activated for the second straight game.

Correll Buckhalter

(sprained knee ligament) likely will miss his second straight game. He was listed as doubtful on the injury report after missing the entire week of practice.

High winds are expected tomorrow at Giants Stadium, and Reid was asked how that might affect the game.

"I think it's probably going to be windy and have some snow flurries, but the neat thing about that is it blows for both sides, so I'm not concerned about it," Reid said.

Reid was asked whether windy conditions might favor the Giants because they rely on their running game more than the Eagles do.

"We looked like we ran the ball pretty well last week," Reid said. "The offense is best when it's close to being balanced, so it's important to everybody that we are able to run the ball efficiently."

Reid was asked for the second time this week about being 0 for 6 on replay challenges this season. "I can't go anywhere but up on that," he said. . . . Eckel, a star running back at Navy, found his locker surrounded by "Go Army" placards after practice.