After QB change, pressure falls on Eagles' offensive line

SO, AGAIN, Michael Vick. He was a starter last week, but he wasn't the starter.

Tomorrow, in Jacksonville, Vick takes the field in a new role. Will he be kicking off the Michael Vick era or the Michael Vick interlude? Now that Eagles coach Andy Reid has handed Vick the keys to the car, does Vick's grip on the steering wheel get tight?

"I think we can't add any pressure on ourselves, other than what pressure's already on us," Vick said yesterday as the 1-1 Eagles wrapped up their preparations for visiting the 1-1 Jaguars. "That's not just Andy, that's not just me, that's this entire football team. As a team, we all understand that we have to go out and do our jobs. We all understand that we're on borrowed time in this league. So the most important thing is to go out and get it done."

Everyone will be eager to see how the Birds respond, at the end of a week of headlines that were not about preparing for the Jags. This is the fourth day since Reid hit the pause button on Kevin Kolb succeeding Donovan McNabb, handing the quarterbacking job to Vick instead. The controversy still swirls.

"It was a different feel throughout the week," Vick allowed. "At the same time, you've just got to go out and do your job . . . You have to do what's asked of you, and that's all I'm doing, and that's all Kevin's continuing to do, and we're going to make the most out of the situation."

Yesterday's soap opera episode began when Reid was questioned about his words to Sports Illustrated writer Peter King, who quoted the coach as saying, "A young quarterback needs time to mature as he grows in the game. I don't think Kolb has lost one thing. He's a franchise quarterback. He will win games, and championships, for the Eagles. But I think it's a different deal when you go out there and can't make a mistake or you're going to get crucified, which is the way this thing might have gone if he went back in there now."

If you've been following our story up to now, you know that Reid has steadfastly maintained the switch was all about Vick's incredible play, his 105.5 passer rating in the six quarters since Kolb suffered a concussion against the Packers. What Reid said to King made it sound more like Reid was owning up to what many of us assumed must be the real reasoning - sending Kolb out there, against a backdrop of Vick having played brilliantly, in front of an offensive line that has allowed an NFL-high 11 sacks and 19 quarterback hits, would be setting Kolb up to fail. Best to pull the plug now, try to win with Vick in the short term, and go back to Kolb when Vick cools and/or the offensive line comes together.

Asked to explain what he meant at yesterday's news conference, Reid first denied having said anything about Kolb being crucified. Then he said he wanted to read what King wrote before he responded. Then he declared it was time to move on to Jacksonville.

Later, an Eagles spokesman said that after Reid read what King wrote, he agreed that was what he'd said. The spokesman said Reid was talking about Kolb possibly being crucified because he couldn't do the things Vick did against Detroit; he was not saying Kolb would fail behind the current o-line. (If that's true, you have to wonder who's going to be starting in 3 weeks or so if Vick doesn't keep playing the way he played in Detroit. Remember, Reid had to be backed against a wall Wednesday before he said Vick would be the starter the rest of the season, and, as we've seen, Reid has little problem changing his mind.)

Reached by phone yesterday, King confirmed that Reid never mentioned the offensive line. King said he came away from their conversation feeling Reid still believes Kolb will be the Eagles' quarterback someday.

Speaking of the offensive line, as Reid wasn't and we were, right guard Nick Cole sat out yesterday's practice with that left knee soreness that has troubled him since training camp. Reggie Wells got all the reps with the starters. Since Wells is a veteran who started for the Cardinals in the Super Bowl a year-and-a-half ago, the assumption is that at some point he might take Cole's spot, but the Eagles list Cole as "probable" for tomorrow.

Asked if Cole is still the starter, after a rough outing in Detroit, Reid said: "Yeah, right now he is."

Wells said he is "feeling real comfortable" in a very different system than he worked in with Arizona. He said he has no sense of whether he might be needed tomorrow, but he is "prepared to play a full game, if need be."

He said that watching from the sideline and watching on film, he does not feel the line is in such a terrible state.

"I know what kind of talent is out here. You can say what you want about whose fault sacks are and things lke that, but these guys have been going out and really battling, for not being together for a while during preseason . . . Teams have been throwing a lot of blitzes that you might not see this early in the season normally, and we've had different-style quarterbacks in there, as well," Wells said. "These guys have really been putting in an effort."

Left guard Todd Herremans was asked about the trouble the line has had with stunts and twists and other forms of defensive trickery.

"It's more of just a 'recognizing it quick enough' thing," Herremans said. "One thing that can kill you with stunts, is if the offensive lineman will turn his shoulders. If we're not staying square, that's really going to affect it. But we've been working hard at staying square all week, and being able to switch off and recognize it quicker."

Andy Reid hinted we might finally see defensive end Darryl Tapp, a heralded offseason acquisition . . . Don't look now, but the Birds are 3-for-3 on third-and-1 this year, and they've turned the ball over just once in their first two games . . . If he's active, newest Eagle Joique Bell will wear No. 24 . . . LeSean McCoy was named FedEx Ground player of the week after gaining 120 yards on 16 carries at Detroit. That award involves a local charity donation in McCoy's name.

For more Eagles coverage and opinion, read the Daily News' Eagles blog, Eagletarian, at www.eagletarian.com.

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