Both Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks were unavailable to answer questions after Monday night's 23-19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. One was in the hospital, the other was woozy.
Suddenly, an Eagles season that started with so much promise is very much in limbo as Philadelphia (3-2) begins its bye week.Rodney Peete, who is 13-7 as the Eagles starter after he replaced Randall Cunningham in the fifth game last season, was the quarterback in the hospital, recuperating from surgery early this morning on the torn patella tendon in his right knee. He is gone for the season.
Peete dropped back to pass in the second quarter and as he planted his right knee to step back up in the pocket, the knee appeared to give out underneath him.
The former Southern California star slumped to the ground, dropping the ball to grab his knee.
"It appeared he got his feet stuck in the carpet and his knee went out," coach Ray Rhodes said.
After they drove him off the field on a cart, Peete's wife, television star Holly Robinson Peete, could be seen crying as she sat outside the Eagles locker room.
Peete had finally found a home in Philadelphia after spending his first five years in the NFL trying to become the starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions.
Although not flashy, he had a good feel for offensive coordinator Jon Gruden's West Coast-style offense. Just as important, his offensive teammates had come to respect the way he commanded the huddle.
But Peete has been injury-prone throughout his eight-year career. A variety of injuries have kept him from finishing any season, including last year when he was knocked out of the Eagles' 30-11 playoff loss to Dallas.
Now, the Eagles will have to get acclimated to Peete's backup, Ty Detmer, who himself was battered shortly after he came into the game.
Detmer, the 1990 Heisman Trophy winner, was hit by Dallas' Darren Woodson.
"Ty came in and took a serious hit and he was a little fuzzy all the time he was in there," said Rhodes, adding that Detmer was having trouble remembering formations and plays.
"He was in and out," center Raleigh McKenzie said. "He had to be reassured in the huddle."
After the game, Eagles spokesman Ron Howard said Detmer, who has yet to start an NFL game in five pro seasons, was "still woozy. He would be more comfortable talking tomorrow."
The Eagles will now look for a backup for Detmer and third-string quarterback Bobby Hoying, a rookie.
Rhodes didn't say who was on his list of possible backups, but Jeff George, who was suspended by the Atlanta Falcons last week after getting into a shouting match with coach June Jones, was mentioned.
"That's a good question," Rhodes said. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."