Michael Vick shows staying power

We should have seen this coming: the Philadelphia Eagles ran a reverse with Michael Vick.

After repeatedly stressing Kevin Kolb is their No. 1 quarterback and would get his job back as soon as he was cleared to return from his concussion, the Eagles announced Tuesday that Vick will remain the starter.

“When someone is playing at the level Michael Vick is playing, you have to give him an opportunity,” Coach Andy Reid said, two days after Vick threw for 284 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-32 victory at Detroit.

That adds a different kind of intrigue to Sunday’s game at Jacksonville, where Vick will try to keep things rolling. It’s very early in the season, but with three teams tied at 1-1, and Dallas 0-2, the NFC East is a wide-open race.

Coming into the season, the Eagles felt good enough about Kolb to trade Donovan McNabb within the division. But Kolb’s stint as the starter lasted two shaky quarters; he suffered a concussion midway through the second quarter of the Green Bay loss and didn’t play in the second half.

“Kevin is fine. It’s not an injury-related issue,” Reid said Tuesday. “It’s not about judging him. He’s going to be a championship-caliber quarterback.”

Just not now.

Four other games to watch:

Dallas at Houston: This cross-state rivalry has an unfamiliar twist, with the winless Cowboys facing the 2-0 Texans. Houston has never made the playoffs, and is coming off the first winning season in franchise history. If the Cowboys slip here, Coach Wade Phillips’ next slip could be pink.

Atlanta at New Orleans: The defending Super Bowl champion Saints are coming off a narrow victory at San Francisco and face a tough challenge against Atlanta, even though they have beaten the Falcons seven of eight times in the Sean Payton era. Atlanta is feeling confident after a 34-point demolition of Arizona.

New York Jets at Miami: Who could have guessed the Dolphins would be 2-0? And how about the way the Jets rebounded from their embarrassing opener against Baltimore, to upstage New England in Week 2? The Dolphins swept this series last season, winning down-to-the-wire shootouts by five points and four points.

Green Bay at Chicago: The Bears are another surprising 2-0 team, and Monday in front of a national audience undefeated Green Bay will make them prove how good they are. The Packers intercepted a combined six Jay Cutler passes in two games last season. Will new Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz make a difference?

Five players to watch

Jason Taylor, DE, Jets: It will be strange seeing Taylor line up against his old Miami team, if he does in fact play. He could sit out the anticipated matchup because of the elbow injury he suffered on a sack-strip of Tom Brady on Sunday.

Mario Williams, DE, Houston: The Cowboys have had their share of problems protecting Tony Romo, and it won’t get any easier against Williams, who has four sacks and eight hurries in two games. Can Williams outplay Cowboys star DeMarcus Ware? They’re both awfully good.

Bryan Bulaga, OT, Green Bay: Longtime Green Bay left tackle Chad Clifton is playing on sore knees and probably will be replaced for this game by first-round rookie Bulaga. That would be quite a test for Bulaga, lining up against Julius Peppers on the road.

Jimmy Clausen, QB, Carolina: Matt Moore’s stint as Carolina’s starting quarterback lasted seven quarters. The Panthers are turning to Clausen, the second-round pick from Notre Dame, who will make his starting debut against Cincinnati. In Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay, Clausen replaced Moore in the fourth quarter and drove the Panthers to the Buccaneers’ one before they were stopped on fourth down.

Antonio Cromartie, CB, Jets: Cromartie could see his share of Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall, who torched him a few times when Cromartie was with San Diego and Marshall was in Denver. Chargers insiders say Cromartie was never quite the same after Marshall caught a team-record 18 balls against them in a 2008 game.

sam.farmer@latimes.com