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Philadelphia Eagles Inside Slant

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Updated Dec 11, 2009 2:21 AM ET
     
 
The Eagles' defense got a big boost this week with the return of their valuable nickel corner, Joselio Hanson.

Hanson had to sit out the last four games after being suspended by the league for taking a banned diuretic. Hanson's suspension, along with a season-ending neck injury to the team's other backup corner, Ellis Hobbs, left the Eagles with little depth behind starters Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown.

For the last three games, safety Macho Harris has filled in as the team's nickel corner.

"The last four weeks have been tough," said Hanson, who wasn't allowed to set foot in the team's training facility during his suspension. "The money (the four game checks he had to forfeit) didn't even matter. I would've given them all my money and just played in the game if I could.

"Compared to when I got released by the 49ers (in 2004) and was out (of football) for the whole year, this was even worse. Because it was something so, to me, so innocent."

Hanson said he felt bloated after eating a Chinese meal prior to last January's NFC Championship Game and unknowingly took a pill that included the banned diuretic.

"It was very unfair," he said. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. It was what it was, and I've got to move on now."

Hanson returned to practice Wednesday and is expected to play in Sunday night's important NFC East battle against the New York Giants up in the Meadowlands.

"We're going to see how I feel out there," he said. "It's going to be tough. You can't really simulate football by yourself. It's different playing in games and practicing than it is running sprints on a field. We're just going to see."

Said coach Andy Reid: "He worked out and looked like he was in good shape. We'll see how he does in practice when guys are running full speed and he's covering them."

Hanson's made it through his first practice without any problems.

"I felt pretty good," he said. "I felt fresh. Even my technique (was good). That's what I was a little worried about. How that would be. But it was fine. The next thing is the game."

The Eagles have held up pretty well in Hanson's absence. They won three of the four games he missed and held opponents to a .597 completion percentage and 5.8 yards per attempt.

But just one of those four teams is ranked higher than 15th in the league in passing (San Diego, 6th). Last week, they beat an Atlanta Falcons team that was without its starting quarterback, starting running back, two starting offensive linemen and one of its starting wide receivers.

"I'm sure I'm going to be tired, but I'm just going to try to fight through it," Hanson said.

SERIES HISTORY: 150th regular-season meeting. Giants lead the series, 79-68-2. They've also split four playoff meetings. The Eagles won the last one, 23-11, in the 2008 wildcard round. The Eagles have won three in a row over the Giants, including a 40-17 victory earlier this season.
Tagged: Eagles

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