Eagles QB Vick leaves game against Redskins with rib, chest injuries

Eagles QB Vick leaves game with rib injury

PHILADELPHIA — Michael Vick’s brief run as No. 1 may be temporarily grounded.

Vick has sore ribs and chest and will need an MRI after the scrambling Eagles quarterback was drilled by a pair of Redskins on Sunday. Vick started his first home game of the season, but wasn’t around for the finish in Washington’s 17-12 win. He was replaced by Kevin Kolb, who suffered a concussion in the season opener that allowed Vick to take the job.

“I talked to him at halftime and he said his sternum and collarbone were hurting,” wide receiver DeSean Jackson said.

The Eagles were mum on the severity of the injuries and Vick declined comment. Vick grimaced as he gingerly put on a button down over his white T-shirt. He walked slowly around the locker room and shook his head no toward reporters.

His status for next week’s game at San Francisco was not immediately known.

“He’s got a sore chest is what I can tell you right now,” coach Andy Reid said.

It looked much worse when he was crunched on another dazzling run.

Vick took off on a 23-yard scramble, but was sandwiched on a crushing hit by Kareem Moore and DeAngelo Hall. He was slow to get up and Kolb quickly hit the field for some warm-up tosses. Kolb was in on the next play.

To make the injury worse, Vick’s run was wiped out on a holding penalty by guard Max Jean-Gilles.

Kolb struggled in his first meaningful action of the season, going 22 for 35 for 201 yards with a touchdown and interception.

He threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Brent Celek to get the Eagles within 17-12 with 4:10 left. The 2-point conversion failed when Kolb’s pass fell incomplete. Kolb’s last shot at leading the Eagles to victory fell short when his desperation pass bounced off Jason Avant’s hands.

Vick was sensational as a starter and showed flashes of the form that made him a three-time Pro Bowl QB during six seasons in Atlanta. He had 750 yards passing, six touchdowns and no interceptions, and had also run for 170 yards and one score in 10 quarters. For his efforts, Vick earned NFC offensive player of the month honors.

He was 5 for 7 for 49 yards passing and rushed three times for 17 yards against the Redskins.

Jackson, a non-factor with three catches, said he told Vick to tone done his running style to avoid punishing hits.

“With him being the athlete he is and the type of player he is, it’s hard for him to get that stuff out of his head,” Jackson said. “He’s always trying to make plays and do certain things. I told him right before he got hurt, don’t take no hits like that. We can’t afford you taking hits. He’s just trying to make things happen.”

Vick is in the midst of one of the more astounding comebacks in recent sports history. He missed two seasons (2007-2008) while serving an 18-month sentence in federal prison for his role in a dogfighting operation. He spent most of last season as a role player behind Kolb and Donovan McNabb, mostly used in a variation of the wildcat offense.

His marvelous play and reformed personal image — he tours schools speaking out against dogfighting — has made him a fan favorite in Philadelphia. They usually bring signs touting “Vickadelphia!”

In McNabb’s return to Philadelphia on Sunday, one fan made a sign that read: “Goodbye McNabb, Hello Vick-tory!”

They’ll have to wait for the rematch.