(Potential) Miracle in Foxborough Update

McNabb has missed a Wednesday practice as the Philadelphia Eagles prep for Sunday's game at New Negland. And at least one sportswriter out there makes the case for starting the backup, AJ Feeley, regardless of whether McNabb is ready.

Allow me the opportunity to disagree. The writer, Gordie Jones, argues that inserting Kevin Kolb into the lions den known as the Patriots defense would be "unfair." I contend that while Philly's season may not be entirely hopeless (at least on a mathematical level), they'll never know what they have in Kolb until they put him into just such a game as this. If he comes up empty, you bench him for the second half and tell him that it only gets better. Presuming this is the final year of Philly & McNabb, Kolb then heads to his second season likely to fight for a starting job, probably against a serviceable journeyman like the aforementioned A.J. Feeley. He maintains his slow ascendance to the starting job with nothing lost. But if he succeeds this weekend (not so much that he wins, mind you), then Kolb is fast-tracked to his proper role of "QB of the future" for the team. You make McNabb's status a moot point with a quality showing, likely saving some dough for the salary cap in the process.

Simply put, there's little downside to starting Kolb ... with apologies for any hurt feelings in the Feeley fan club. The upside is there, however. It'd be perhaps the most interesting football move that Andy Reid has made in a long time if he starts Kolb on Sunday.