Garcia to Start at Quarterback for 49ers

Quarterback Jeff Garcia will start for the San Francisco 49ers against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday after not playing three games because of a high ankle sprain.

Coach Dennis Erickson said Garcia practiced with the first team Wednesday and did not show any effects of the ankle injury.

“He looked pretty sharp,” Erickson said. “He moved around and threw it well. He’s fairly close to 100%. I look at him right now, and he’s probably healthier than he was at the beginning of the year.”

Garcia entered training camp with a bulging disk in his back and later experienced problems with his groin and throwing arm. A sprained left ankle against Arizona on Oct. 26 ended Garcia’s streak of 61 regular-season starts, a team record for quarterbacks.

Backup Tim Rattay went 2-1 in place of Garcia, leading the 49ers to lopsided victories over St. Louis and Pittsburgh. But he was sacked four times during last week’s 20-10 loss at Green Bay.

“I’m definitely more fresh than I’ve felt all season long,” Garcia said. “I don’t feel like the ankle is holding me back at all.”

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Michael Vick will be in uniform for the first time this season Sunday, serving as the Atlanta Falcons’ backup quarterback behind Doug Johnson at Houston.

Vick, sidelined since breaking his right leg during an Aug. 16 exhibition game, practiced for the second straight day Thursday.

During a two-hour workout, Vick rolled out on pass plays after working exclusively in the pocket Wednesday. He also stopped, started and made some cuts.

“It felt pretty good,” Vick said. “I’ll just keep taking it day by day and see how it feels tomorrow. I am making progress.”

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Indianapolis Colt quarterback Peyton Manning is expected to play Sunday against New England after an MRI on his right elbow revealed no damage.

Doctors still advised Manning not to throw during Thursday’s practice, a day after he felt a “twinge” in the elbow of his throwing arm.

“It was a good sign that the MRI was negative,” Coach Tony Dungy said. “We felt it was a very minor situation, but you always feel better when you get it confirmed.”

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Drew Bledsoe is experiencing headaches, nausea and vision problems after a mild concussion, but the Buffalo Bill quarterback hopes to play Sunday against the New York Giants. He did not practice Thursday but plans to practice today. He said results from a neurological exam were normal.... The Jacksonville Jaguars waived linebacker Keith Mitchell, who briefly lost feeling in his arms and legs during a Sept. 14 game against Buffalo. He was taken off the field on a stretcher. The numbness that he felt disappeared by the time he got to the hospital. He came back from the injury and played in two games but had been inactive in five of the team’s last six games.