The Eagles now have the last thing they need.

With fill-in right guard Max Jean-Gilles set to undergo season-ending surgery on his fractured right ankle, the Eagles (6-5-1) likely will turn to Nick Cole to man the position in eight days when they try to keep their playoff hopes alive at Giants Stadium. Cole took over Thursday night after Jean-Gilles was injured in the second quarter of Philly's 48-20 rout of Arizona.

Cole has appeared in all 46 regular- and postseason games the Eagles have played since he made the roster as an undrafted rookie out New Mexico State in 2006. Most of that action has been on special teams, but he has made two starts, including at left guard Nov. 9 when Todd Herremans was held out of the first quarter of the Eagles' 36-31 loss for disciplinary reasons.

"I don't think it will be that big of a problem because Nick can hold his own," left tackle Tra Thomas said. "With him being [primarily] a center and all, he knows all the calls and knows what to do. So, I don't think it will be an issue. I think he will step right in and come out and do what he's supposed to do."

Eagles coach Andy Reid pointed to the 6-foot, 350-pound Cole's work on special teams as evidence of the talent he brings to the job.

"You see him on the kickoff return team and he works in the wedge there," Reid said. "Nick is a good athlete. He's very, very strong and big; it's just, he's short. That's OK. I don't really care about that. I just care that he can move the pile and that he's sharp. Every time he gets in there, he functions very well for us."

The Eagles have little choice but to turn to Cole because two-time Pro Bowl selection Shawn Andrews returned only in the last couple of days from California, where he underwent surgery Oct. 21 to repair the back he injured in the Week 2 loss at Dallas.

"I know that the flight was a bit painful for him coming back. That's a long flight from there and he did feel a little bit of that," Reid said. "I'm not sure exactly how far or how close he is to being in Football shape."

The only other linemen currently on the 53-man roster roster are rookie fourth-round pick Mike McGlynn, who has yet to spend a game as one of the 45 game-day active players, and Justice, who saw some action at guard in training camp and the preseason.

"McGlynn has been consistently improving," Reid said. "The thing that he does is he gives you a guy who can play all three positions. He was a tackle in college [Pittsburgh] and he has been a guard here and he has learned to play the center position. We feel very comfortable with him at any of those spots."

Elsewhere on the injury front, Reid said "I think so" when asked if cornerback Asante Samuel (neck) and backup running back Correll Buckhalter (knee sprain) will play in next week's game.

Flip flop: TV commentator Cris Collinsworth is among many who, borrowing a concept from politics, voted against the benching of Donovan McNabb before voting for it.

Working Sunday night for NBC's Football Night in America, Collinsworth said: "Donovan learned last week the game could end in a tie, this week he learned the game could end at the half. The only thing worse than Donovan McNabb was his replacement and the decision by Andy Reid to replace him. You do not take a kid who has not practiced and put him in at halftime on the road against this Baltimore."

During Thursday night's game on NFL Network, Collinsworth said: "Do you get the feeling that the best thing to happen to the Philadelphia Eagles was benching Donovan McNabb? They seem to have gotten his attention. He is playing Donovan McNabb-style Football that I haven't seen in a while."

larry.orourke@mcall.com

610-820-6779

Eagles REPORT CARD

OFFENSE: A+

A running game? A balanced attack? Who masqueraded as the Eagles? DEFENSE: A+

Even without Asante Samuel, Eagles secondary came up with three interceptions.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A+

Sav Rocca, David Akers and Quintin Demps made coordi-

nator Rory Segrest look good.

COACHING: A

The game plan worked, and the even-keeled approach was canned. That was a fiery Andy Reid.

OVERALL: A+

Larry O'Rourke