Young hurt in strong start for Eagles

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Vince Young gave the Eagles reason to feel good about their backup quarterback in Thursday night's 24-14 win over the New York Jets. Then he gave them a scare.

Young, facing the Jets' defensive backups, had his best game of the preseason, leading the offense to two first-half touchdowns and taking the Eagles on a long third drive. But he left the game late in the second quarter with what the team said was a hamstring strain.

Young will have an MRI Friday, but coach Andy Reid did not seem concerned that the backup would miss much time.

"I think he's going to be OK, from what I understand," Reid said. "We're going to MRI him [Friday] and just make sure."

Young was untouched on the play when he got hurt but pulled up while running right on a fourth-down pass play.

"I just felt a little hamstring pull, just a little bit. I don't feel like it's major," Young said. "We'll see when we get to Philly."

He played a strong game, and afterward Reid confirmed that Young will be the team's No. 2 quarterback.

Before getting hurt, Young had gone 15-of-23 passing for 193 yards. He threw one touchdown and no interceptions and had a 105.9 passer rating.

"He was focused" this week in practice, Reid said. "He appreciated the opportunity to play, and he took it serious."

For a moment later in the game, it appeared another quarterback might have been injured when third-stringer Mike Kafka got crushed on a pass attempt. There was no way the Eagles were putting starter Michael Vick into the game, so wide receiver Jason Avant began to get loose, but Kafka remained in the game.

"I know pretty much all the passes with the check downs," Avant said, adding with a smile: "If they would have let me do it or not . . ."

The Eagles said Kafka suffered a bruised rib but should be fine. He played the entire second half.

Young's injury came on a night that was mostly for players fighting to make one last case for a roster spot. Reid rested all but one of his starters with an eye toward games that count, which for the Eagles begin Sept. 11 in St. Louis.

Danny Watkins, the only Eagles starter who played, had an up-and-down game but was better than last week against Cleveland, when he was beaten early and often appeared confused.

Reid said Watkins will remain the starting right guard.

There were no noticeable mistakes by the first-round pick, and he looked comfortable when he got a chance to block in the open field.

Kicker Alex Henery was one of the only key Eagles who played Thursday.

He missed a 43-yard field goal on his first attempt, but later connected on a 49-yard attempt, his longest try of the preseason.

He finished the preseason 4 for 5 after an inconsistent training camp.

"I'm confident in him, and he's a good kicker, so he'll do a good job," Reid said.

The offense moved the ball well behind Young. He connected with Chad Hall for a pretty, 16-yard touchdown pass to complete an eight-play, 91-yard drive.

After looking lost early in training camp, Young has improved all preseason.

Rookie running back Dion Lewis, a fifth-round pick, showed the elusiveness and versatility that almost certainly have earned him a roster spot.

Lewis opened the game by taking a kickoff to the 37-yard line and finished the first half with 62 yards rushing on 15 attempts, with a touchdown, and 38 yards on three receptions.

Rookie linebacker Brian Rolle was active in a starting role, making plays, drawing a holding penalty, and notching 11/2 first-half sacks and a tackle for a loss. He has climbed in the coaches' eyes and was one of the first-choice linebackers in the nickel formation last week, when the Eagles gave their starters the most playing time.