Vick can’t stand the light around gloomy Birds

PHILADELPHIA — Rookie Nick Foles is only a formal announcement from star ting his first NFL game Sunday against the Washington Redskins.

Ever yone knows it except Michael Vick, who hasn’t been ruled out but is so light sensitive and headachy he was sent home to rest Wednesday.

“He’s hurting a little from the concussion but he’s in a good place,” head coach Andy Reid said. “I haven’t tried to overburden him. I want him to rest right now. We’ve tried to keep him away from here, out of the light and resting. That’s kind of what he’s doing, tr ying to get him to feel just a little bit better. The headaches are subsiding just a bit and that’s a good thing.”

Foles is as pumped as a rookie third- round draftee can be. If Vick hadn’t been the Eagles’ star ter, Foles would have joined five other rookie quarterbacks who star ted on opening day: Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Brandon

Weeden and Russell Wilson. All were firstround picks except Wilson, a third- round pick of the Seahawks.

Before the draft last spring, NFL draft author- ity Mike Mayock divulged his personal research into the quarterback position with statistics from the previous eight lotteries.

The finding was teams had less than a 10 percent chance of drafting a quarterback outside of the first round.

Wilson is an exception, and the Seahawks already are 6- 4.

Foles has a golden opportunity to skew the results as Reid thinks, but isn’t certain that Vick will play again this season.

“I’m ready. I’m excited to just play again,” Foles said. “Like I’ve said before, my prayers are with Mike and I just want him to be healthy. It’s my time to just go out there, play, do ever ything I can for this team and help in any way possible. We just have to play fast.”

Foles threw for 219 yards and one touchdown but had an interception returned for a touchdown and a fumble recovered for a score in a 38- 23 loss to the Cowboys. It easily could have been two pick- sixes, but Orlando Scan

drick dropped a pass. “I learned a lot,” Foles said. “Things happen when you least expect it. You can’t turn over the ball in this league. We had two costly turnovers and you can’t do that. Just play fast and play within myself. We have a lot of great guys on this team and great coaches. We just have to continue to stick together. These have been trying times, and ever yone has stuck together. Just stick together, work together, and play as hard as we can for one another.”

The Eagles have lost five straight games, the Redskins four of their last five star ts.

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There’s not much video of Foles. But he’s not a stranger to Redskins coach Mike Shanahan.

“You go back to preseason and take a look at how he played,” Shanahan said on a conference call. “We had a chance to be around him for a week at the Senior Bowl. He’s a great kid, a fun kid to be around, with a lot of talent.”

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Danny Watkins practiced fully at right guard Wednesday after sitting out three games due to an ankle issue. Rookie Dennis Kelly, who star ted those games at guard, took snaps there and at right tackle where he could replace

King Dunlap this weekend. Demetress Bell practiced at left tackle.

Look for Kelly to star t at right tackle, giving the Eagles their sixth different star ting lineup of the season.

Offensive lineman Jake Scott, no relation to the Miami Dolphins’ great safety, checked in for his first day of practice Wednesday.

Scott was so happy to be working that the veteran of 121 star ts with the Titans and the Colts didn’t realize he said he sat out up to this point of the season because he wanted to find the right situation.

And this is it? Scott was a victim of coaching and front office changes in Indy. Former Eagles Winston Justice and Mike

McGlynn star t there. Former Eagle A. Q. Shipley filled in at center. Ryan Grigson, formerly of the Eagles, is the Colts’ GM.

●●● NOTES: Wide receiver Jason Avant ( hamstring) and running back Chris Poke ( toe) won’t play this weekend. … Wide receiver

Mardy Gilyard ( hamstring) and Vick ( concussion) didn’t practice … Actor Bradley Cooper attended practice.