Demps first return touchdown in preseason of '08.


It appears as though the Eagles have figured out what everyone else in Philly has been screaming since last Sunday: Macho Harris is not a kick returner.

Quintin Demps, who is returning from an ankle injury, will take over once again returning kickoffs, giving the Eagles an advantage on special teams and in the field position battle. With Harris, it was seemingly a miracle if he actually got back to the 20. With Demps, however, the threat of taking it all the way is at least there.

Demps is simply better at attacking the hole when it presents itself. I've been vocal about my disappointment with Demps as a safety, but as a kick returner he's the best the Eagles have to offer since Ellis Hobbs' season-ending neck injury.

It's a bit curious that the guy who does everything he can to avoid contact as a safety will welcome it while he's returning a kick. He doesn't seem afraid to try and sneak through even the most narrow of running lanes, even when he knows it could get him killed if he can't sneak through the other side.

If he could incorporate that toughness into his play on defense, he may just be able to make a good safety in this league -- at some point.

Right now, however, he can be a weapon on special teams. And in a game that will most likely come down to winning the turnover and field position battle, having a fumble-prone Macho Harris returning kicks was simply not an option.

Like Demps, Michael Vick will also be returning from injury. After sitting out last week because of a quad injury he suffered against the San Francisco 49ers, he's going to return to this week against the Cowboys.

Vick will most likely remain a third-down option in his Wildcat package with some sporadic playing time in between. Vick wasn't very effective the first time the Eagles and Cowboys met, but with Andy Reid and company finding better ways to utilize Vick, the Cowboys will once again have to prepare for the former Atlanta superstar.