He might not get the national attention of, say, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck of the New York Giants - the Eagles' opponent today - but Cole has, at the very least, gained the respect of his teammates and coaches. And, based on how the fifth-year pro has terrorized New York, he has most certainly earned its admiration.

"You got to be smart knowing where he is and get a double-team on him when you can," said Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who has been sacked by Cole seven times. "You know he's going to be around, so you have to take care of the ball and be smart how you're holding it."

If Cole isn't getting recognition in some corners, he's garnering it from coaches around the league who have devised schemes that sometimes throw three blockers in his way. Against Washington on Monday, Cole ran into a triple-team early on.

"I was like, 'God, three people?' " said Cole, who still finished with two sacks in the Eagles' 27-17 win.

So Cole said he did what he always does: He went to the sidelines, collected his thoughts, and worked out a plan. The first step always involves a move that is meant to trap a lineman - most likely a tackle - into biting.

"I keep baiting them and I keep baiting them," he said.

When he rushes, though, Cole doesn't see how many bodies may be obstructing his path. He sees just one giant roadblock.

"There may be two standing there, but I'll play them like one guy," Cole said. "I still play against one guy. I'll see just a little room to get through a gap . . . and I'm going to go. But it comes from trying to set them up."

Despite the added attention, Cole has recorded at least a half sack in every game this season and is tied for sixth in the league with 61/2 sacks. His success, naturally, has created opportunities for the Eagles' other linemen, and the defense is tied for second in the NFL with 21 sacks.

Virtually the same group is back from last season, namely, tackles Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson, and Cole and fellow ends Darren Howard and Juqua Parker. The unit played a pivotal part in the Eagles' two victories over the Giants last season. It limited New York's bruising running game and pressured Manning, but its biggest contribution may have come on three fourth-down stops in the fourth quarter.

In the Eagles' 20-14 Week 14 win, Cole and Howard hurried Manning into an errant throw on fourth and short. And in the divisional playoff, a 23-11 stunner, Bunkley and Patterson, with lots of help, stuffed running backs with game-saving stops.

Today's outcome could hinge on which defensive front can penetrate the opposing offensive line.

"That's really how all the games have gone the last couple of years," Eagles safety Quintin Mikell said. "You win in the trenches."

Cole has had remarkable success against the Giants. In 10 games, he has tallied 58 tackles, seven sacks, eight hurries, a forced fumble, and an interception returned for a touchdown.

He's the only Eagles lineman who plays every down, a trait the 27-year-old attributes to playing on both sides of the ball throughout Pop Warner and high school football. Still, it took a few years before Cole could be considered an every-down lineman.

He came out of Cincinnati undersized, but now packs 270 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame. He has maintained his speed, though, and has put up remarkable numbers in his last three complete seasons, averaging 95 tackles and 10 sacks. In 2007, he won a Pro Bowl nod.

"It's hard to get Trent out of the game," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "You look at the first play and the last play and you can't tell the difference."

"He has that same motor that Hugh [Douglas] had," Reid said, adding that "they are relentless."

What's even more impressive about Cole's endurance is that he has suffered from asthma since his childhood in Xenia, Ohio. He said he still used an inhaler and had the occasional shortness of breath.

"I've had asthma all my life and I can still do what I can do," Cole said. "I think it's just being relentless and wanting something. . . . If you want it, you'll go get it."