Eagles head coach Andy Reid discussed some of the injuries from Sunday's game, why the 83-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin was a genius call and how he made the decision not to activate Michael Vick
On injuries sustained during the game:
"(WR) DeSean (Jackson) has a concussion and we'll just have to see. Obviously it was a big hit with both players, because neither came back (in the game). Hopefully they'll both be okay. We'll just see how it works out."
On the victory:
"All in all, I thought it was a good win against what I think is a very good football team. We were able to get up on them early with some big plays. (QB) Kevin (Kolb) had a big day. He was 23-of-29 for 326 yards, three touchdowns, and 133.6 quarterback rating. That's a good day. Our defense also had some big plays. (DE) Trent (Cole) had two sacks and it looked like he was always around the quarterback, as were the other guys. I thought we did well against the run and we were able to control that. On special teams, (Jorrick) Calvin got in (the game) and he had a nice return, and he did some good things and was smart with his decision-making. I was happy to see that. I thought the coordinators put together a heck of a game plan in all three phases. There are plenty of things that we can work on, because there never is a perfect game. You just have to come out, keep pushing, get rid of some of the penalties that we had that stop drives and put us into positions that we can't be in. We'll go back to the drawing board and look at those things, try to work them out, and get better."
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On whether he had to adjust the offensive game plan following the injury to WR DeSean Jackson: **
"The other guys stepped up and were able to do some things. Early in the game, he was a big part of (the game plan). He was on fire and he was off to a big day. It's too bad it happened that way. He's a tough little nut. Hopefully he's okay."
On how violent the collision was that caused the injury to DeSean Jackson:
"When they take both players off (the field) and neither come back (into the game), that's a violent collision."
On whether the NFL game is producing more violent collisions now than in the past:
"I think it's been that way. At that position, you have speed guys, and you have some guys who can whack you when they get to you. I don't think things have changed that way. I think you're seeing some violent collisions throughout the league, but if you look over time, there have been some crazy collisions between safeties and wide receivers, between safeties and tight ends, and between corners and wide receivers on crossing routes. That's what happened in this situation."
On whether DeSean Jackson lost consciousness following the collision:
"I don't know that. He was awake when I was out there, so I don't know that."
On whether he talked to DeSean Jackson following the game:
"No, I didn't. I couldn't wait to get to see (the media)."
On the play of left tackle King Dunlap:
"I thought big King did a pretty good job. He had one penalty for hands-in-the-face, but when a guy is trying to bull-rush you and you're 6-9, sometimes that's going to happen. I thought he bent well, and I thought he delivered his hands in tight. He has 35-and-a-half inch arms, so when he extends those, I'm not sure there is anyone in the league that can get into his chest. He battled all the way through. I have to see the film, but I thought for the most part, he did a pretty good job."
On whether Dunlap had help throughout the game in pass protection:
"We helped him a little. We helped equal on both sides. I'm not taking anything away from him, because he was solo out there quite a little bit too — actually over 50 percent of the time."
On whether he anticipates that Michael Vick will be healthy enough to start next week:
"We'll just see. We'll see how he does. He has made some big strides. Today, I just wanted him here. I gave him a little different (reporting) time when he and I visited yesterday. If I needed him for an emergency snap in goal line or in short yardage, that's why I put him up as the third quarterback. If both quarterbacks would have gone down (with injuries), then I would have used him. I just kept him in the locker room and kept him away from going out on the field or really doing anything. I just had him here in case there was an emergency. That's why he was up. He's making huge strides, so we'll just see how everything works out."
On whether it is normal practice to keep an injured player in the locker room during the game:
"I wasn't going to let him get in the game and throw the football. That wasn't going to happen. I wasn't going to let him get hit, and I knew the chances of him getting in the game were slim to none. He didn't need to be around here for anything else except for the game. He was dressed and ready to go in the locker room, and that's all I needed. It was completely for an emergency situation. I already had receivers coached up if it was an extended play, so we had a package in for those guys to take snaps. It was completely an emergency deal."
On whether the play of QB Kevin Kolb will make it difficult to go back to Michael Vick as the starter:
"This is a beautiful thing. 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."
On how he will make the call in terms of who should start at quarterback:
"You take Michael Kolb and we go play, baby."
On how he will make the difficult decision between Vick and Kolb as the starter:
"That's what I get paid to do. That's what I do. I have to make the right decision."
On whether Vick will play next week if he is healthy:
"Yes, if you guys (the media) want him to play, we'll play him."
On whether Vick remains the team's starting quarterback:
"Yes, he's the starting quarterback."
On Vick playing well following an injury to Kolb, and now Kolb playing well following an injury to Vick:
"It's a crazy thing, isn't it? I might have all kinds of surprises. That's what's so great about it. Enjoy it."
On whether he has any doubt as to who will be the team's starting quarterback in the future:
"I will promise you that we'll have one of them out there."
On the run-pass balance of the offensive play-calling:
"We threw it early, and we got some good shots on them early in the game. I thought that was a positive. We mixed up the run game in there, and I thought (RB) LeSean (McCoy) ran hard and aggressive. He had some big plays for us. We pulled him off and put Buck (RB Eldra Buckley) in there and he ran like a wild man. It was good balance."
On whether one player stood out defensively in terms of stopping the run:
"When you get into those situations, it's a team effort. It's never one guy. You can say that about a sack, but you can't say that about the running game. Everybody has to rally to the football, and I thought it was a complete team challenge for our defense, and they rose to it. (Atlanta RB Michael Turner) is a heck of a runner. We had him over at the Pro Bowl the last time we were coaching in it, and (Turner) is a heck of a player. To be able to do that is a real compliment to our defense."
On the wind conditions on the field and its effect on the missed field goal attempts by K David Akers:
"The wind actually switched. In the first half, we had the wind for the first quarter. In the second half, we didn't have it in the third quarter going in that same direction, but we did have it for the fourth quarter. In that (east) end zone that David was kicking at, the wind actually swirls. That was a freak thing. That doesn't happen to David. That's why I came back, we kicked it, and he made it. The chances of him missing three field goals are crazy. He's too good for that. That just doesn't happen to him. I talked to both he and (holder) Sav (Rocca) and they felt like he was hitting it good and on track initially, but it blew from there."
On whether it is normal practice to have a player arrive at the stadium as late as Vick arrived prior to the game:
"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 the win."
On whether beating a team such as Atlanta solidifies the Eagles' position in the NFC:
"Every week in this thing is a challenge. This was a challenge this week and I thought the guys were focused and ready to play their hearts out. Next week is another challenge. I still believe that (Atlanta) is a heck of a football team. They are very well-coached and they play hard and aggressive football. We were able to get a few big plays on them and put them in a little bit of a bind, but that's a good football team in all phases of their game. The NFL is crazy right now. Next week is another challenge, and you have to focus in on that, rise to the challenge, and then you're off to the races."
On the 83-yard touchdown pass to WR Jeremy Maclin:
"That was a great call by (offensive coordinator) Marty (Mornhinweg). We had the wind in our face at that time, so we ran the ball on the first play, and then we came back and took a shot there. We got that corner to freeze, he hesitated, and Maclin got past him. Kevin (Kolb) double-hitched it and was able to get it out with some good power because it was an aggressive wind. That was a heck of a call by Marty (Mornhinweg)."
On the play of Maclin throughout the season:
"He's been playing well all year. He's been playing well every game. He's a heck of player. He's strong after the catch and he's playing good football."
On whether the long pass play to Maclin was needed at the time to regain momentum:
"We needed something because we were stalling. You have to keep firing. Even if you're up, you have to keep firing, so I thought that was a good job right there."
On his decision to activate just three defensive tackles:
"(DT Jeff) Owens did nice job during the week. This has nothing to do with him. (Defensive coordinator) Sean (McDermott) had a package that he wanted to use and he put (DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim) in on that package. We were able to get some good pressure using that package. We had (DE Darryl) Tapp ready to go at defensive tackle if needed, and (DE) Brandon (Graham) in case we had to jump him back inside. Last year, we went with three defensive tackles for the majority of the year. I have confidence in those guys. (DT) Trevor (Laws) has been playing at a very high level and (DT Antonio) Dixon has been playing well, so I thought it was a good combination there."
On whether the NFL can do more to take violence out of the game:
"I think the league is working on that. I don't see a lot of cheap shots. This is just aggressive, hard-nosed football, and these things are going to happen in this sport. This is not tidily-winks. This is a violent sport and things are going to happen every once in a while. I think the league is doing a good job, but guys are bigger, faster, and they're flying around."
