Eagles Notes: The defense shows some take and give

The Eagles' defense held Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to 19 of 31 passing, forced him into two interceptions, and sacked the Pro Bowler three times - and the Birds still lost, 27-20, to Green Bay on Sunday.

Rodgers threw only seven interceptions last season, but Eagles cornerback Joselio Hanson and rookie free safety Nate Allen were able to pick him off. Still, the defense couldn't stop the Packers when it needed to.

Green Bay was 6 for 14 (43 percent) on third-down conversions.

"We can't have games where we have these lulls and it's up and down, up and down," Eagles safety Quintin Mikell said. "If we're trying to get to where we're trying to get to, we've got to play four full quarters."

Allen's interception was the first by an Eagles rookie since cornerback Eric Allen registered a pick on Sept. 4, 1988.

The Eagles second-half rally could be chalked up in large part to running back LeSean McCoy, whose catching and running helped spark the offense, along with, of course, quarterback Michael Vick, who accounted for 278 yards in total offense.

In the second half, McCoy caught three passes for 35 yards and ran four times for 25 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter. He finished as the Eagles' leading receiver, catching five passes for 47 yards and 35 rushing yards on seven carries.

The Eagles had 10 penalties for 80 yards, including several of the really dumb variety. They had an illegal formation on a play where Vick lined up as a wide receiver. Stewart Bradley lined up offside. A hold by tight end Clay Harbor nullified a touchdown. Eldra Buckley was flagged for 15 yards for running into a punt returner who had signaled for a fair catch. And offensive tackle Jason Peters, who led the team with 11 penalties last year, was flagged twice. . . . When Peters left briefly with a knee injury and King Dunlap replaced him at left tackle, the Eagles had used all of their available offensive linemen. Mike McGlynn had entered the game at center after Jamaal Jackson left with a torn biceps. The Eagles did not dress guards Max Jean-Gilles and Reggie Wells or tackle Austin Howard.

The Eagles' kickoff coverage was a problem. After the Eagles scored to narrow their deficit to 20-10 in the third quarter, they gave up a 51-yard return, setting up a short Packers drive for an answering touchdown. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles gave up kickoff returns of 40 yards and 28 yards, though neither resulted in Green Bay points. . . . Rookie defensive end Brandon Graham failed to make an impact. He recorded zero tackles after he caused a minor furor last week when he tweeted that he was going to whisper, "Sack," in the ear of Rodgers.