If Donovan McNabb needs any insight on playing with a fractured rib, he need look no further than his fellow backfield starter Brian Westbrook.

Westbrook missed one game last season with after suffering two fractured ribs in the first quarter of a game against the Washington Redskins. Westbrook finished the game but then missed the following week's game against the 49ers.

The hardest thing about dealing with a fractured rib "is just dealing with the pain," Westbrook said. "Any time you break a bone or crack a bone you have to deal with the pain."

Westbrook also suffered a cracked rib in 2004 which led to him missing one game. But McNabb isn't a total stranger to rib injuries. He suffered a rib contusion in 2005 against the Dallas Cowboys, but didn't miss any games.

"Don is resilient," Westbrook said about McNabb after the Eagles' 38-10 triumph over the Carolina Panthers. "He heals pretty fast. I think he'll be able to play next week, it's just if he'll be able to tolerate the pain. He's not going to get a lot of sleep these next few days, but Don's a tough guy.

"There's always concern any time you lose a starter or a quarerback or anybody else, but we do have a lot of confidence in Kevin Kolb. He's been throwing the ball really well the last couple weeks in practice. He played well against the Jets as well. So we're definitely confident in him and in the group we have around him as well."

-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 8:36 p.m., September 14