Maybe the most reassuring thing about the Eagles' 40-17 victory over the Giants yesterday was the way the offensive line seems to be coming together, after so much injury and uncertainty.

"We're a little bit more healthy," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said, after his unit ran for 180 yards and threw for 240 against what had been the NFL's top-rated defense. "The last couple of weeks, now? These guys are tough guys, and they gutted it out."

Mornhinweg has said left tackle Jason Peters (knee, ankle) and right guard Nick Cole (knee) have been more limited lately than they've let on. Left guard Todd Herremans, of course, played for just the second time yesterday after suffering a training-camp stress fracture in his foot.

With Herremans back, the Eagles are free to start Cole on the right side, which strengthens both positions - Herremans is better than Cole, and Cole is better than the Max Jean-Gilles/Stacy Andrews tandem, though Andrews seems to be rounding into form. (Jean-Gilles sat out yesterday with a shoulder injury.)

The running success against the Giants was particularly unexpected, although the Giants came in ranked 15th against the run, second against the pass. The Eagles have struggled to run it this year (and last year).

"The offensive line, as a whole, is clicking right now," Peters said. "Todd is back. We're getting better every week."

Peters said there was no great run-game secret the Eagles suddenly discovered.

"We were just putting a hat on a hat," he said. "I got to go back and look at the film, to see why it worked this week and not previous weeks, but [we were] just trying to get [rookie running back LeSean] McCoy into the groove, and [fullback Leonard] Weaver, get them the ball some and open it up. We're going to pass the ball, obviously, and that opened [the pass] up . . . We stayed at it today and we popped a big one, McCoy and Weaver both popped one."

Right tackle Winston Justice, who, if there is any justice, will now be allowed to forget Sept. 30, 2007, said the Eagles ran better "because we stuck with it . . . we gashed 'em a couple times and we stuck with it."

On Weaver's 41-yard first-series touchdown run, players said McNabb had the option of changing the direction from right to left at the line, and did so. Then center Jamaal Jackson and Herremans got good blocks, Weaver ran through defensive end Jason Tuck, and the fullback was off to the races.

Safety dance

Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott made it clear that Sean Jones would start at free safety this week, even if Macho Harris' ankle had been OK.

Jones took a long time to learn the defense, but his size (6-1, 220), sure tackling and veteran savvy have helped him carve a niche. Harris, injured in the Redskins game, was unable to play yesterday.

"He's got great work ethic, and he's a professional," McDermott said after Jones recorded five solo tackles against the Giants. McDermott lauded Jones' attitude, working back from being inactive in the season opener, after starting all 44 games he was healthy for the previous 3 years at Cleveland,

"When he had his chances, he showed what he can do, and he's earned more playing time," McDermott said.

Birdseed

The blocked extra point after the Eagles' second touchdown ended David Akers' streak of 171. He'd last missed on a block by Dallas' Greg Ellis, Dec. 19, 2004 . . . LeSean McCoy's 66-yard TD run was the longest by an Eagles rookie since Herman Hunter went 74 yards on Nov. 24, 1985, at Dallas . . . You might not be all that exicted about how the Birds got to 5-2, but it's their best record after seven games since they were 7-0 in 2004 . . . The resodded Linc turf looked very good . . . Defensive end Chris Clemons left with an AC (shoulder) sprain . . . Linebacker Chris Gocong left with an injury, came back, then left with another injury. Andy Reid said afterward he'd suffered "a quad contusion and a hamstring strain on the same leg, so we'll see how that works out" . . . The Giants really seem to miss safety Kenny Phillips, out for the season with a knee injury, and cornerback Aaron Ross, whose preseason hamstring problem has lingered. Also inactive yesterday was wide receiver Mario Manningham, who had told reporters Friday he would play despite sitting out practice with a shoulder problem . . . Newest Eagle P.J. Hill, a running back, was active, just in case, but did not get on the field.