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Boldin practices, says he will play Sunday
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Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin participates in football drills Wednesday at the team's training facility in Tempe.
The Associated Press
Anquan Boldin says he has “no doubt” he’ll be able to play in Sunday’s NFC title game.
Boldin returned to practice Wednesday in limited fashion in hopes of making this come true.
“I’ll be out there,” Boldin said.
Boldin said he practiced in “spurts” and that “I tried to keep everything short” to protect his injured left hamstring.
Boldin said the injury is the residue of a hip injury he suffered last season in a game at Baltimore, an injury he said irritated a number of muscles in the area.
But he said that once the current injury heals, he believes the problem shouldn’t recur.
Boldin, noting he didn’t play well in the Cardinals’ blowout loss at Philadelphia on Thanksgiving night, said, “It’s great you get a second chance.”
Also, defensive end/linebacker Travis LaBoy (ankle) and tight end Ben Patrick (knee) had limited practices.
For the Eagles, star running back Brian Westbrook (knee) and tackle Jon Runyan (knee) didn’t practice.
Those having limited practices included guard Shawn Andrews (back), receiver Jason Avant (knee), running back Correll Buckhalter (knee) and safety Brian Dawkins (back).
ANSWERING THE CALL(S)
Cardinals fullback Terrelle Smith, an Arizona State product, has been swamped with ticket requests this week, but he’s not sweating all the pleas and phone calls.
“This is where you pull your family tight,” he said. “The ones that have been there, they’re coming.
“There are certain ones you just can’t say no to. Like my big sister because she’ll come on the field and get me.”
BEARDO
The Eagles, in a show of team unity, are letting their facial hair grow.
Some do it more quickly than others, of course. And some just look better than others.
“I’d like it more if it wasn’t so gray,” coach Andy Reid said of his new beard. “Every time I look in the mirror, it reminds me of my age.”
Quarterback Donovan McNabb said, “You have some guys that really look bad in beards, some guys that just look decent or comfortable.
“I would put him in the first category: looks bad in beards.”
EAGLES’ ARIZONA TIES
Reid, seemingly like everyone in sports, has Arizona ties.
He was a former assistant coach at Northern Arizona University, where the Cardinals train. And his wife is from Arizona.
And then there’s Donovan McNabb, who’s an off-season Chandler resident. He lives in the same neighborhood as Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt and safety Adrian Wilson.
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