Rich Hofmann: As rookies go, Eagles' McCoy might make you forget Po James

THE YEAR WAS 1972. The Eagles would finish the season 3-11-1. A rookie running back from Western Pennsylvania, by way of New Mexico State, carried the ball 182 times for that team. It was a franchise record for rookies that still stands. The back in question was named Ronald "Po" James.

LeSean McCoy probably knows nothing about this. He is, after all, somewhat busy these days.

The Eagles had a role for McCoy this season, his rookie season - as a complement to Brian Westbrook. The role got bigger when Westbrook gimped around a little following offseason ankle surgery and missed much of training camp, and it got much bigger when Westbrook suffered the first of his two concussions in late October against the Redskins. Now, with wide receiver DeSean Jackson likely out because of his concussion, there is a small trail of evidence that suggests McCoy's role might be getting bigger still as the team looks to run more.

Through 11 games, McCoy has 123 carries for 528 yards. He is almost a cinch to break the club record for rushing yards by a rookie (Correll Buckhalter, 586 yards, 2001). As for Po James, that record for carries is out there and it is attainable - and to do it on what is likely to be a playoff team would just add to the accomplishment.

"Being in there so much since training camp, getting the reps, being in there with the 1s . . . right now, each time I get better and better and better," McCoy said yesterday before practice. "I've been doing the same stuff since camp. It's starting to come a little more naturally to me.

"I still feel like I am a rookie. Everything is still new. But I'm kind of getting so used to it and adjusted to it, sometimes I feel like, 'Maybe I've seen this before.' "

It was easy to see, from the very beginning, that he was going to be an absolute linchpin player for the Eagles. The man they call Shady had to be productive or they had no shot - and that was true even before Westbrook's concussions. It was a lot to ask of a second-round draft choice, but, well, both he and they had no choice.

Now, through 11 games, he is sixth all-time for franchise rookies in rushing yards and tied for eighth in carries. He is doing a passable job on blitz pickup. He is carrying the ball a little tighter, it seems. His ability to somehow remain on his feet on a crucial two-point conversion in Sunday's come-from-behind win over Washington remains one of the season's highlights.

With Westbrook still not cleared to play, there is no way the team can afford for McCoy to be stopped by the rookie wall, the part of the season after the college season ends - virgin, brutal territory for a first-year player.

"He's really a good back," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "He's really good, and we can play better on offense. I was disappointed on several things; we were just off on several things during that ballgame and really at some critical times in that third quarter. He's a heck of a back. He can do a couple of things better, but for him to do this as a rookie is pretty good. It's a pretty good start. Now he's got to get better every day and then every week, and then he'll be in good shape for down the stretch here."

And you wonder whether, somehow, his workload is about to increase. In two successive games, in come-from-behind situations, the Eagles have leaned on their running back in a way they haven't in the past. Especially Sunday, with Jackson out and tight end Brent Celek nursing a hand injury, you had to wonder whether the runs were called because those other weapons weren't there.

Mornhinweg danced around that question yesterday as best he could. His answer on this stuff is always a variation on, "Every game is different." But while the run-pass conversation can be tiresome in this town, this commitment to the run while trailing late really is a difference.

Asked whether it marked a philosophical shift, Mornhinweg said, "You may have something there." But then the answer devolved into, kind of, well, you know, every game is different.

But now, seeing as how Jackson looks unlikely for Sunday, and seeing as how they've had some recent success, they could be looking to use McCoy even more. And so you ask him, as the role keeps increasing, whether it ever starts feeling like a burden.

"My situation as a running back, you only have to do so much," McCoy said. "The good thing is we have a guy like [fullback Leonard] Weaver, who blocks and also runs. We've got Donovan [McNabb]. We've got so many weapons on offense - Jeremy [Maclin] has been playing excellently. We have a lot of weapons."

Still, the focus on McCoy sharpens. Among NFL rookies, only Denver's Knowshon Moreno has carried the ball more this season. He is getting his chance. More and more, it's always Shady in Philadelphia.

Send e-mail to hofmanr@phillynews.com,

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