National Football League

Ashley Fox: Reid mum on QB choice for Tennessee

Published Oct. 18, 2010 10:12 a.m. ET

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For winning a game in the National Football League, which we know is a challenge to do, Andy Reid sure was testy after the Eagles pounded the Atlanta Falcons, 31-17, on Sunday.

As he is wont to do, Reid wanted to control the message, and the media wouldn't play along. In an effort to circumvent a quarterback controversy, Reid got terse and flip and just made matters worse. He wasn't forthcoming. He tried to be cute. He didn't answer a couple of questions, and then he answered another with an implausible scenario about why Michael Vick arrived to the stadium when he did - allegedly at 12:15 p.m. for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

Who is going to be the man next week at Tennessee? Vick, who played beautifully when Kevin Kolb had a concussion and couldn't play for a couple of weeks? Or Kolb, who has played efficiently in these last two starts while Vick has been out with broken rib cartilage?

"This is a beautiful thing," Reid said. "When you're sitting here as a chubby head coach in the National Football League and you have two good quarterbacks, you're a happy guy. That's a positive thing."

But who is going to start if Vick is healthy?

"You take Michael Kolb, and we go play, baby," Reid said, jokingly.

Seriously, how will you make the call on which player should start?

"That's what I get paid to do," Reid said. "That's what I do. I have to make the right decision."

So if Vick is healthy, will he play?

"Yes, if you guys want him to play, we'll play him," Reid said.

We don't care who starts, but if Vick is healthy, will he start?

"Yes, he's the starting quarterback," Reid said.

Isn't it interesting how well both guys have played when given the opportunity?

"It's a crazy thing, isn't it?" Reid said. "I might have all kinds of surprises. That's what's so great about it. Enjoy it."

So you have no doubt who the team's starting quarterback is, right?

"I will promise you that we'll have one of them out there," Reid said.

This is a major question because, as Kolb found out, a player can lose his starting position on Reid's team because of an injury. The precedent has been set.

But Reid, who lost all credibility with that epic early-season flip-flop, didn't want to talk about it, even though his actions are the basis for the persistent questions. Kolb has proven that he is ready to be a starting quarterback. It wasn't an accident that he completed 23 of 29 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception that was the result of a crafty defensive play by the Falcons.

Kolb's 133.6 passer rating was the highest of his career and a reflection of the fact that everywhere Kolb went - underneath, deep, to a back or a receiver - he was on the money. His biggest mistake of the game, and boy was it a doozy, was lofting a softball to DeSean Jackson, who got viciously hit by Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson, who was penalized for 15 yards for unnecessary roughness, and now Jackson has a concussion and an uncertain near future.

Kolb shook off that damaging play and kept his composure after the Falcons pulled to within 21-10 in the third quarter. Atlanta had just gained a little momentum and looked poised to make a run. But on the Eagles' second possession of the subsequent drive, Marty Mornhinweg called a double-fake end-around, and Kolb found Jeremy Maclin with 4 yards between him and the Falcons safety, Thomas DeCoud.

Kolb's pass traveled more than 40 yards, and after catching it, Maclin kept going for an 83-yard touchdown that gave the Eagles an adequate 28-10 cushion.

Kolb certainly was happy after the game, but he gave measured, careful answers to whether he has done enough to merit being the starter again. "You always want to play," he said, but when asked who he would choose to be the starter on Sunday, Kolb said: "I'm not even getting into that. No way."

Kolb must have learned that response from Reid, who was evasive either because he really doesn't know who will start next week against the Titans or he didn't want to get caught flip-flopping again. Maybe Vick still will not be ready to go in seven more days. Or maybe Reid is confident he will.

He gave a suspicious explanation as to why Vick was allowed to arrive at the stadium 45 minutes before kickoff and then watch the game from the locker room so that he wouldn't reinjure himself while being listed as the emergency quarterback.

Although Eagles employees said that Vick was at the game, including Vick's teammates, I could find no one unaffiliated with the organization who saw him.

Maybe it is nothing. Or maybe it is a big something. But when pressed on the atypical arrangement, Reid snapped: "I told him to be here at 12:15 p.m., and he showed up at 12:15 p.m. That was it. Don't worry about it. Enjoy this win."

That is what Reid should have been doing, but because he cannot be taken at his word anymore, he was subjected to a postgame grilling of his own making. Given the quarterback situation, it probably won't be the last one Reid will have to endure, either.

Ashley Fox: A Tale of Two Quarterbacks

Here is a passing comparison between Eagles quarterbacks Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb for the season:

Michael Vick

Opponent Att. Comp. Yards Int. TD Rating

Vs. Green Bay 24 16 175 0 1 101.9

At Detroit 34 21 284 0 2 108.0

At Jack. 31 17 291 0 3 119.2

Vs. Wash. 7 5 49 0 0 90.8

Kevin Kolb

Opponent Att. Comp. Yards Int. TD Rating

Vs. Green Bay 10 5 24 0 0 56.2

Vs. Wash. 35 22 201 1 1 76.0

At San Fran. 31 21 253 0 1 103.3

Vs. Atlanta 29 23 326 1 3 133.6

Contact columnist Ashley Fox at 215-854-5064 or afox@phillynews.com.

Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/AshleyMFox.

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