Eagles Take Another Hit

Sitting in the corner of the end zone, soaked in a wave of crowd emotion after having finished off the Atlanta Falcons with his second touchdown catch in Sunday’s NFC championship game, Philadelphia Eagle tight end Chad Lewis seemed in no hurry to get up.

As it turns out, Lewis wasn’t certain he could get up. And whether or not he did, he knew that, like the Falcons, his season was probably over, one game short of the Super Bowl.

Lewis, an eight-year veteran, had suffered a severely sprained ligament in his left foot on the play. He will undergo surgery Wednesday, putting on hold for another year his wish to play in pro football’s biggest game.

His injury lengthens even further the odds of the Eagles’ upsetting the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. Philadelphia, a team whose offense is built around its passing game, may also be without leading receiver Terrell Owens on Feb. 6. Out since Dec. 19 because of a severe ankle injury, Owens remains questionable for the Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Eagles were seventh in the league this season in passing but only 24th in rushing.

It was quickly obvious to the Eagles that Lewis, who was not available for comment Monday, had been hurt after catching a two-yard scoring pass with 3:21 to play Sunday, giving Philadelphia a 27-10 lead. The Eagles called a timeout to get Lewis off the field.

“I think I broke my foot,” he told his coach, Andy Reid. “I heard something pop.”

A team always shares the emotional hurt when one of its players is injured. But the hurt in this case runs a little deeper. Along with other Eagles, the 33-year-old Lewis had suffered through the team’s losses in the previous three NFC title games. His frustration is heightened because he was on the 1999 St. Louis Ram squad that won a Super Bowl but was claimed off that team on waivers by Philadelphia before the playoffs began.

“He’ll be down there, cheering for us,” said Reid, referring to Super Sunday, “but you sure don’t like to see that happen to a veteran.”

The man on the other end of the passes to Lewis, quarterback Donovan McNabb, echoed those sentiments.

“For that to happen on a touchdown pass is sad,” he said. “To be hurt one game before the Super Bowl is tough. We will have Chad on our minds.”

Starting at tight end against the Patriots will be L.J. Smith, who backed up Lewis on Sunday. It’s not as if Smith hasn’t shown he can do the job. He finished the regular season with better numbers than Lewis, catching 34 passes for 377 yards and five touchdowns. Lewis caught 29 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns.

Backing up Smith probably will be Mike Bartrum, an 11-year veteran who also serves as the club’s long snapper, although Reid wouldn’t rule out making a roster change.

Although Lewis is definitely out, Owens will remain a tantalizing possibility in the 12 days left until the Super Bowl. Will he play or won’t he? That will be a continuing drama.

And if Owens, unavailable for comment Monday, does take the field against the Patriots in Jacksonville, will he be used merely as a decoy to throw off the defense? That suggestion Monday drew a fiery response from McNabb.

“If T.O. is out there, it won’t be as a decoy,” he said. “That’s kind of disrespectful to him.”

Owens has been testing his healing ankle by practicing his moves in a pool. Reid said the test would come “when he tries it on land.”

No problem, said McNabb.

“I saw him jogging home after the game,” McNabb joked, “using the snow to ice his foot.”