McNabb practices, says he expects to play next week

PHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb plans to play in the Philadelphia Eagles' first playoff game. Andy Reid isn't ready to make it official.

McNabb practiced Thursday for the first time since breaking his right ankle 1 1/2 months ago. Reid said his star quarterback took all the reps with the first-team offense in a short practice closed to reporters.

Asked if he can play next weekend, McNabb said: "I have no doubt in my mind."

But Reid was reluctant to announce who will start.

"We'll see how he feels tomorrow after sleeping on it," Reid said. "We'll see if he has soreness, swelling. He's getting better every day, he's making progress.

"If it's up to him, he's in there and going. He wants to play, but that's him. We know that. You just have to make sure that he can do that efficiently and it's not messing up his own mechanics, and he's not putting himself in a bind out there where he can't get out of trouble."

McNabb hasn't played since leading the Eagles to a 38-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 17. He felt fine after practice Thursday.

"I know how my body will react to certain things. You have to push yourself to see how far you can go," McNabb said. "It's going to be sore. It's all in how you deal with it."

Philadelphia was 7-3 with McNabb, who was having the best season of his four-year career. Without him, the Eagles won five straight games and finished 12-4 to capture the NFC East title and earn home-field advantage for the playoffs.

"He threw the ball very well. He looked like the old Donovan," wide receiver Antonio Freeman said after Thursday's session. "It was a rejuvenated feeling to have him. We gained an advantage today, we gained an edge."

Left guard John Welbourn, who had a similar injury earlier in the season, was excited to see McNabb on the field.

"Donovan is Donovan," Welbourn said. "He was throwing the ball, running around. We're happy to have him."

If McNabb is unable to play, Koy Detmer will be the starter. Detmer led the Eagles to a victory in his only start before he dislocated his left elbow. A.J. Feeley will go back to being the third-string quarterback after winning four of his five starts.

"We basically cleared him on the injury report," Reid said, referring to Detmer. "He should be fine if he's needed to go."

McNabb, a two-time Pro Bowl selection and runner-up for NFL MVP in 2000, completed 211 of 361 passes (58 percent) for 2,289 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions in 10 games. He ran for 460 yards and six TDs.

He was injured on the third play of the Eagles' win over Arizona but stayed in and tied a career-best with four TD passes.

"I never doubted I'd be back," McNabb said.

He was to miss six to eight weeks, and it will have been eight since the injury when the Eagles play their first playoff game Jan. 11 or 12.

"It's good to get him back out there," Reid said. "The guys welcomed him back in there and he takes charge when he gets in the huddle and does all the same things. It's really like he hadn't been out of there. That's the respect these guys have for him."