NFL Quick Hits (Sep. 23)

(McNabb was down, but is he still out?)

Marion Barber Still Hoping to Play Under the Lights

Despite reports stating that Barber will be shut down for at least the next one to two weeks, Barber himself is expressing his desire to push through the pain and play against the Panthers.

This might show the rest of the league how bad Carolina's run defense is. Barber wants to play with a bad quad just to mop up on them.

That, or he will take the field as a decoy.

Either way you look at it, Barber won't be 100 percent on Monday night if he plays, which makes Felix Jones a must-start and sitting Barber a good call. I suggest the Cowboys do the same.

Tampa Bay Loses Safety Jermaine Phillips for Season

As if the Bucs' secondary wasn't hurting enough.

Phillips was originally projected to miss six to eight weeks, but apparently the injuries over the year are adding up, and the Buccaneers didn't feel he was worth waiting half of the season for.

The saddest part was it was only a broken thumb that Phillips was dealing with.

This loss puts more pressure on the rest of the Tampa Bay defense, making only Barrett Ruud a strong IDP play going forward.

Seahawks Preparing for Week Three Without Hasselbeck

While Matt Hasselbeck has said he plans on playing week three, Jim Mora and the rest of the coaching staff are at least looking at their game plan as if Seneca Wallace will be under center.

This probably means a pretty hefty dose of Julius Jones, while John Carlson could be heavily utilized by the undersized Wallace.

There's still a good chance Hasselbeck could start, so keep an eye on the situation the rest of the week.

Giants Lose Justin Tuck for One to Two Weeks

With the depth they have on that front line, this isn't that big of a deal.

Tuck is a fantastic pass rusher with good run support skills, but New York has Mathias Kiwanuka eager to get back on the field as a starter.

Tuck's injury was originally feared to be major, but it's clear now that his shoulder injury isn't serious. You can probably expect the competitive Tuck back well before week five.

Wes Welker Still Not Practicing

This isn't a good sign, as players who miss Wednesday's practice rarely make it to game day. However, Welker was pulled at the very last second on Sunday, so it wouldn't be unrealistic for Bill Belichick to turn around and play Welker after a week of no practice.

After all, it is Belichick.

Welker himself reportedly "expects" to make it on the field against Atlanta, but that's what every player says.

Monitor his status and check back with the site throughout the week. At the very worst, have his possible replacement, Julian Edelman, waiting in the wings on your bench.

Brian Westbrook, Donovan McNabb, and DeSean Jackson Miss Practice

Well, this doesn't bode well for Sunday. See the Wes Welker update to get a good idea of how you can feel about a player not making Wednesday's practice.

Both Westbrook (ankle) and Jackson (groin) are simply nursing previous injuries so they don't continue to linger. The Eagles would be foolish to not allow the 30-year-old Westbrook to sit a few times a week after having surgery on his ankle in the offseason.

Both Westbrook and Jackson are still safe bets to suit up against the Chiefs, while it's looking more and more like Kevin Kolb will get his second career start.