Special teams coordinator Ted Daisher said that head coach Andy Reid keeps him up to speed over the course of the week regarding which players he can expect to have at his disposal for each game.
Daisher wouldn't divulge whether all three quarterbacks would be active for this Sunday's game against the Bucs, but Daisher did say that it won't affect his preparation. The Eagles did have three quarterbacks active for the Chiefs game two weeks ago, but injuries helped make that possible. The Eagles are much healthier with quarterback Donovan McNabb, running back Brian Westbrook and wide receiver Kevin Curtis all on pace to return.
"It's not so much as whether it's three quarterbacks or what positions, it's how many guys are available that I can use and (Reid) does a great job of explaining to me early in the week so I can practice those guys and have them ready for Sunday," Daisher said.
Of course, none of those aforementioned players participate on special teams, but they take up spots on the active 45-man roster which against the Chiefs went to players who could help out on special teams. Daisher added that he was unsure whether new/old/new linebacker Jeremiah Trotter would be available for special teams duty.
"When I was here in the past, Jeremiah played some special teams for us and did a great job. I know he is still capable," Daisher said. "I don't know if that's in the plan right now. They're going over his role on defense and I think that will have a lot to do with whether or not he is going to be available."
Daisher said that after a week of self-scouting during the bye, he noted that there has been vast improvement in the field goal protection unit and in the kickoff coverage unit. While the expected return of McNabb, Westbrook and Curtis will bolster the offense, Daisher welcomes back gunner Dimitri Patterson, who also missed the Chiefs game after undergoing surgery on his hand.
"Dimitri is a productive player," Daisher said. "He's got good speed. He's tough. He's a hard-nosed guy and has experience."
Daisher also commented on how improved DeSean Jackson's decision-making has been in the punt return game. Jackson was criticized for attempting to return punts that landed inside the 10-yard line instead of letting them drop and potentially roll into the end zone for touchbacks. Daisher said the fact that Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt is left-footed, which provides a different spin on the ball, helped ensure that Jackson made good, sound decisions in regards to fielding the ball. Still, Jackson leads the NFL with an average of 22.2 yards per punt return.
"The most important thing when they punt the ball is that our offense is able to jog out onto the field and take the possession," Daisher said. "We'd like to catch every one, but I thought he made some good decisions because he would have put himself in position to maybe fumble a ball and we can't have that."
This week, the Eagles will welcome back a former teammate in punter Dirk Johnson. He's averaging 43.1 yards per punt and has a net average of 39.0 yards.
-- Published by Chris McPherson, 3:21 p.m., October 8
