On the Birds Beat: Eagles vs. Bears Pre-Game Notes~Brian Westbrook Out - Sunday, September 28, 2008
158 Views :: 0 Comments :: :: Team - Eagles, Brian Seltzer

Checking in from Soldier Field just of Lakeshore Drive in downtown Chicago...

•   RB Brian Westbrook will miss his first game of the 2008 campaign this evening. The Pro Bowler did warm up for about 7 minutes around 6:00 PM EST.  He's stretched and jogged with headphones on, and practiced cutting as well.  Shortly after he was finished, he, trainer Rick Burkholder, and GM Tom Heckert met on the field to disucss his status, and ultimately ruled not to activate hiim.

•    Four Eagles that Andy Reid classified as doubtful on Friday did not make the trip to the Windy City and will not play.  They are RG Shawn Andrews (back spasms), TE L.J. Smith (back), WR Kevin Curtis (sprots hernia), and DE Victor Abiamiri (wrist).

•    With LJ Smith sidelined for the first time in 2008, second-year TE Brent Celek will be on track for the third start of his career.  Coincidentally, he replaced Smith against the Bears last year at Lincoln Financial Field, and then later in the season at New Englad.

•    RG Max Jean Gilles will consequently make this second straight start, and the third of his career given the absence of Shawn Andrews.  Given the Birds being down an offensivelineman, expect Winston Justice to be activated, as he was last Sunday versus the Steelers.

•    The Eagles are 4-0 in games in which Donovan McNabb has played the Bears in Illinois.  The reasoning for the complex context of that stat…McNabb appeared in extremely limited action-he didn’t start-in the Birds 1999 trip to Chicago during his rookie season.  And, not all four victories have come in Chicago.  He and the team took down the Bears in Champaign, IL during the 2002 campaign.