Indianapolis placed former first-round pick Antonio Gonzalez on the injured reserve with another season-ending injury for the wide out. Gonzalez has a posterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee, forcing him to finish the year on injured reserve for the second straight year. Reportedly, the receiver is not expected to need surgery after suffering the injury during Monday’s game against Houston.
The Colts have been especially unlucky with injuries this season, with running backs Joseph Addai and Mike Hart not making the trip to Philadelphia along with the loss of All-Pro tight end Dallas Clark. Donald Brown will start again for the Colts after rushing nine times for 16 yards and catching two balls for 13 yards against Houston last Monday. It seems that Brown will get more opportunities to carry the ball this week, and he will face an Eagles defense that ranks 18th in the NFL against the run, allowing 109.9 yards per game.
Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick will return to the Eagles today after missing the last three games with a rib injury. Coach Andy Reid announced that Vick will start in place of Kevin Kolb, who started in Vick’s absence. Vick will also be wearing a Kevlar vest that is intended to prevent any further injury to his ribs in Sunday’s game. The Colts have fared well against the pass, allowing only 203.3 yards per game, ranking 7th in the NFL. However, Vick was on a tear before suffering his rib injury. Vick has thrown 96 passes without an interception, including six touchdowns and a 108.8 passer rating.
Vick will benefit with the return of DeSean Jackson, who will return for the first time since Oct. 24 after suffering a concussion. Jackson has caught 19 passes for 395 yards for three touchdowns and will be a big factor in the deep passing game of Philadelphia.