Vick back at Eagles practice
Eagles quarterback Michael Vick practiced on a limited basis Tuesday, but there is no word on his status for Sunday's game vs. Dallas.
Vick suffered a hamstring injury against the New York Giants two weeks ago and missed last Sunday's game at Tampa Bay. He threw passes on Tuesday, did some light jogging, and worked in individual drills for Philadelphia (3-3). But he did the same last week, in preparation for the Buccaneers, only to skip the Eagles' 31-20 victory.
Should Vick miss Sunday's home game, which is for first place in the NFC East, Nick Foles would play against the Cowboys (3-3). The Eagles have won consecutive games after a three-game skid.
After practice, Vick spoke to reporters but did not sound optimistic about his chances for Sunday.
"I can't say how far I am," Vick said. "Last week, I may have been about 50, 60 percent. This week, I don't know. I'm just working every day. Trying to get myself in a position where I can run. I feel it's getting better, but when I try to burst, it's not there.
"Another week of rehab could put me in a position where I could start gaining confidence and I can go out and do the things I normally do."
Asked if he thought he could play Sunday, Vick showed less confidence than he did a week ago when a decision was not made until late.
"I can't answer that question," Vick said. "As far as it goes right now, I just have to take it one day at a time and keep rehabbing. It's very important that I keep in shape, keep my cardio up, keep my legs in shape. It can be aggravated very easily. So, I have to take precautions."
The Eagles, already 2-0 in the division, have variety at the quarterback slot. Vick is still among the more mobile in the league, while Foles is a standard pocket passer who runs when needed.
"If I were just a drop-back quarterback, I could play, but still I'm different. I see things differently. I do things differently. It's part of my game. It's why I had the success I've had," Vick said. "If I had to go in the game, I could just sit in the pocket and throw the football and be like a seven-on-seven drill. But seven-on seven is not realistic on Sunday."
It's no secret Vick's game is predicated on his ability to run and make as many plays with his legs as he does with his arm.
"Mike's legs are a big, important part of his game, sure," Eagles coach Chip Kelly said. "I want to see how he runs around in practice. Can he execute the way we want him to execute? Any decision we make is going to be based on what's going to help the team win."
Foles threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns vs. Tampa Bay.
"We caught a game last week where Nick did a nice job of completing his deep balls," Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. "He made good decisions in the run game which is very important for us. But Mike's done the same thing. And so I think we'll sit here and try to compare the two players, but for the most part, they both can do anything we want them to do for us to be successful on offense."
Foles again took the majority of the reps with the first team in practice, and likely will do so again Wednesday and Thursday.
"I have the same mentality I always have," Foles said. "I'm always preparing as if I'm going to play. It's no different from that sense. The only difference is that I'm getting more reps in practice."