Sore McNabb misses practice; hit under review
By Len PasquarelliStill experiencing pain and soreness as a result of the bruised chest he suffered Monday night, quarterback Donovan McNabb sat out practice Wednesday, and the Philadelphia Eagles' star was officially listed as "questionable" on the team's injury report.
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McNabb expressed confidence, however, that he will be able to start in Sunday's home opener at Lincoln Financial Field against the San Francisco 49ers.
"Nothing would ever stop me from getting back on that field," McNabb said before the Eagles' practice began.
Both the Philadelphia backups, Koy Detmer and Mike McMahon, took snaps with the No. 1 offense during practice. Coach Andy Reid said he wanted the two quarterbacks to both be ready "just in case" McNabb could not play. Detmer is listed No. 2 on the depth chart and McMahon is No. 3. It was Detmer who warmed up Monday night when it was not yet certain if McNabb would return to the game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Reid said he will continue to assess McNabb's condition during the week before deciding who will start on Sunday afternoon. McNabb said he will reiterate to coaches that he will take "mental reps" all week and that, even if he doesn't practice, will still be prepared to start if he feels up to it.
McNabb was injured on the Eagles' first possession of the game on a play in which he was hit on his left side by Falcons defensive end Brady Smith and in his chest by tackle Chad Lavalais. His deep pass up the left sideline, intended for Terrell Owens, clearly was affected by the impact, and was intercepted by D'Angelo Hall.
A league spokesman said on Wednesday the play is being reviewed and that Lavalais could be fined for the hit. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that because Lavalais launched himself and struck McNabb with the crown of his helment, the hit should have drawn a penalty.
A battery of tests performed on Tuesday morning confirmed McNabb suffered a bruised chest in the Monday night loss. Reid said McNabb had undergone an MRI, CT scan and X-rays and that all the tests indicated the bruised chest and no structural damage. There may be further tests in coming days. Reid said that, in cases of chest injuries, the Eagles take "extra precautions" in evaluating the injury and doing follow-up testing.
"We knew he was hurting," Reid said of McNabb on Tuesday. "It wasn't nearly as bad last night as it was this morning. Obviously, it tightened on him. But he felt comfortable playing. He never said a word about it."
When he went to the sideline, McNabb removed his pads, did some stretching and was examined by the team's medical staff. He returned on the next series.
"I don't want to make excuses," McNabb said. "I just didn't do my job the way I'm used to."
Under heavy pressure all evening, as the Falcons generally played an eight-man front and blitzed him liberally, McNabb absorbed a fierce beating. He completed 24 of 45 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown, but had three turnovers and registered just one run rush, for no yards.
Reid acknowledged there was far too much pressure on McNabb and allowed that the injury may have played a role in the quarterback's seeming reluctance to run.
"He was in a little bit of pain," Reid said. "I don't know if that had any affect on his decisions to run or not run. It didn't look like there was a lot of room to run to, [but] the injury might have affected it."
The 49ers displayed a surprisingly strong pass rush in Sunday's upset victory over the St. Louis Rams. Deployed in their new 3-4 alignment, the 49ers sacked Rams quarterback Marc Bulger six times.
McNabb on Wednesday made light of the physical limitations imposed on him by the chest injury.
"I'm not able to walk my dogs like I used to," he said. "I can't pick up my baby and toss her around, [so] she has to work on walking."
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here 
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