Nick Cole will have big shoes to fill with Jackson out.


After taking a fall that didn't look to be all that serious, center Jamaal Jackson had to be helped off the field and was walking rather gingerly on the sideline before heading off to the locker room.

Jackson probably knew it as soon as it happened, but we all only got to find out today that Jackson tore his ACL and will miss the rest of this season. Nick Cole will replace him at center while Max Jean-Gilles will step in at right guard. Andy Reid said that Stacy Andrews is "in the mix" with Jean-Gilles.

Reid went on to say that the problem with Stacy is having trust in his knee. He's afraid to stick his leg into the ground and push off of it which is affecting his technique and quickness. Until he can trust in his surgically-repaired knee, Andrews is all but useless.

Mike McGlynn, a 6'5 320 pound Pittsburgh product, will be Cole's backup at center and could see some time at guard as well in an emergency situation.

Losing Jackson definitely hurts. He is the glue that has held together this patchwork offensive line since day one. Without him, the line would have had a much more difficult time coming together and playing the way they have.

That being said, the line has been together long enough that this shuffle should not cause an issue. With an entire week of practice, Cole should be just fine running the line and working on his timing with McNabb.

Jean-Gilles, I believe, can be an upgrade for the Eagles in terms of run-blocking. He's not great in pass protection, but the guy is a road grater who can move even the biggest of defensive tackles with seeming ease.

Cole and Jean-Gilles have worked together before, but they're really going to have to buckle down and get on the same page this week if they're going to stop Jay Ratliff. If they can't, it's going to be a long day for McNabb and the rest of the offense.