Linebacker Akeem Jordan didn't practice again Thursday, making it likely that he will miss his second straight game Sunday night.
Jordan suffered a hyperextended knee and bone bruise in the Eagles' 20-16 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on November 8. He sat out last week's 31-23 loss to the San Diego Chargers.
With Jordan out last week, defensive coordinator Sean McDermott moved middle linebacker Will Witherspoon to Jordan's weak-side spot, slid Chris Gocong from the strong side to the middle and plugged in rookie Moise Fokou at Gocong's strong-side position.
The moves produced mixed results. Witherspoon, who is more suited for weak side anyway, played well. But Gocong, who hadn't played in the middle since high school, struggled. He got beat on a 20-yard touchdown catch-and-run by fullback Mike Tolbert and also was out of position on a 20-yard touchdown run by LaDainian Tomlinson.
"The thing you appreciate about Chris is that he's the consummate team player. He came in last week, prepared himself like he would to play any position, and he played a game, just like any game," McDermott said. "There are plays that he would tell you that he'd like to have back."
McDermott has other options. He could put Fokou or second-year man Joe Mays in the middle. There's also Jeremiah Trotter. But he clearly feels he's better off with Gocong inside.
"We'll have different combinations based on the situation at this point," McDermott said. "We are still trying to work through some of those different combinations with who is available, who's healthy and who's not at this point."
While Brian Westbrook spent Wednesday in Pittsburgh talking to specialists about his football future after suffering his second concussion in less than a month, the Eagles began preparations for Sunday night's critical road game against the Chicago Bears.
The Eagles, who began the season with high Super Bowl hopes, stand at 5-4 after back-to-back losses to the Dallas Cowboys (20-16) and the San Diego Chargers (31-23). They still are in the thick of the playoff hunt, but can ill-afford another loss right now.
Westbrook already has been ruled out of this week's game and very well could miss the rest of the season. He'll be replaced by rookie LeSean McCoy.
The Eagles drafted the former University of Pittsburgh star in the second round of the draft last April to take some of the load off of the 30-year-old Westbrook's shoulders and eventually replace him. Well, eventually may have already arrived.
The rookie has played pretty well so far. He's averaged 4.1 yards per carry and has 23 receptions. In the three games Westbrook missed with an ankle injury and his first concussion, McCoy averaged an impressive 5.0 yards per carry.
"He's done a nice job," head coach Andy Reid said. "When he's had the opportunity to practice during the week and get the majority of reps, he's played good football."
The Eagles drafted McCoy because he's a similar type of back to Westbrook. A shifty runner who also can catch the ball and take advantage of speed mismatches in the passing game against linebackers and safeties.
"His maturation rate has been accelerated by what Brian has gone through," Reid said. "I think he's handled it well. I think he feels good physically right now. He's not banged up or nicked up. I think he's excited about the opportunity to step in there and be the guy."
The one area in which McCoy still is a work-in-progress is blitz-recognition. He's failed to pick up blitzes a half-dozen times already this season, including once Sunday when he failed to spot Chargers safety Paul Oliver coming on a blitz until it was too late. Oliver dropped quarterback Donovan McNabb for a nine-yard loss.
With Westbrook out, Reid likely will use fullback Leonard Weaver more frequently in the three-wide receiver, one-back, one-tight end set that the Eagles favor.
McNabb, who already doesn't have a lot of faith in an offensive line that has allowed just one fewer sack (22) in nine games than it gave up all of last season, said he has the utmost confidence in McCoy, both as a runner, a receiver and a blocker.
"I think he's ready to go," McNabb said. "It goes back to providing that confidence for him. (Making sure) that he understands we're behind him and supporting him."
SERIES HISTORY: 36th meeting. Bears lead the series, 26-8-1. The two teams also have met three times in the post-season, including the infamous "Fog Bowl" in 1988, which the Bears won, 20-12. The Eagles have lost the last two meetings to the Bears, including a 24-20 verdict last season.
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