Eagles take wait-and-see approach on Samuel's bad hamstring

Published: Dec 22, 2011 at 08:10 AM

PHILADELPHIA -- Four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel missed a second consecutive Eagles practice Thursday with a hamstring injury.

Samuel is in danger of missing Saturday's game against the Dallas Cowboys, which the Eagles could need to win to keep alive their slim playoff hopes.

If the Jets beat the Giants in an early game Saturday, Philadelphia would stay alive in the division race with a win in Dallas.

Samuel hurt his hamstring during the Eagles-Jets game last Sunday, and coach Andy Reid said the cornerback aggravated it at practice Tuesday. He hasn't practiced since.

"Asante is still a little sore, and we'll just see how he does here over the next couple days," Reid said. "He jogged a little bit (Tuesday) and got sore ... so we just backed off him. We're trying to rehab it and see how it goes from there."

Reid said Samuel is experienced enough that he'd be able to play Saturday without practicing, as long as his hamstring is healthy. Reid also said if Samuel is unable to play Saturday, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie would start at left cornerback opposite Nnamdi Asomugha.

The Eagles (6-8) will win the NFC East with victories over the Cowboys and Washington Redskins, combined with a Giants loss to the Jets on Saturday and a Giants win over the Cowboys on Jan. 1.

Reid said recent injuries to all three of the Eagles' Pro Bowl cornerbacks demonstrate why he believed it was important to take the unusual step of carrying all three this year.

"It's tough for those guys to get through the season, at least the history of it has been that way here," Reid said. "That position (and) your D-line, you can't have enough of those guys, and we're fortunate to have the guys we have at that spot."

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