Eagles improve in running game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - It was second and 6 on the Chiefs' 18-yard line. It was exactly the kind of situation in which the Eagles, up to this point in the preseason, had managed to commit a penalty, or drop a pass, or do something other than score.

Except this time Michael Vick handed off to LeSean McCoy, who got a strong lead block from fullback Leonard Weaver, and some help from center Mike McGlynn and the right side of the offensive line, and he was off to the end zone.

What red-zone problems?

What running issues?

Well, at least it started well. After two strong first-quarter drives by the Eagles, the Chiefs' blitzers overran Kevin Kolb's protection Friday night, sacking him four times in three quarters and making life difficult for Andy Reid's offense.

The Eagles' first-team offensive line got off to a fast start, but then showed many of the flaws that have dogged it through the preseason. Uncorrected, the problems threaten to plague Kolb's first year as a starter.

On several blitzes, Chiefs pass rushers came free, apparently undetected. Left tackle Jason Peters, the 2009 Pro Bowler who is supposed to be the surest bet on a line full of questions, committed two false-start penalties in the first half. The second one, from the Chiefs' 33-yard line, pushed the Eagles out of field-goal range. The first one moved them out of the red zone, backing them up from the Chiefs' 16 to the 21 and setting up a third and 14.

"I'm not all right with myself," Peters said after the game. He said he needed to focus more on the snap count, saying he sometimes got distracted after he broke the huddle and got to the line.

Reid agreed. "He can't have those," the coach said of the penalties.

On the team's pass protection woes, Peters said there were some missed calls and assignments. But sometimes the Chiefs simply brought more defenders than the Eagles could block.

"I thought the offensive line did a pretty good job," Reid said. The coach hinted that some of the pressure was the fault of the backs for not picking up blocks.

When the Eagles threw, Kolb often was looking for safety.

McCoy, after his 18-yard score, picked up 10 more yards on four carries. Mike Bell, finally healthy enough to play, found little running room, gaining 17 yards on eight runs through the start of the fourth quarter.

Early on, it had looked like a more positive night for the embattled offensive line. In the first quarter, the team showed power, picking up five-yard chunks on two short-yardage plays. The line pushed upfield, and McCoy took advantage of running lanes for the first team's first touchdown of the preseason.

Todd Herremans' return helped. On a Vick run on third and 1, he pulled from his left-guard spot and hit two Chiefs to pave the way for a first down that led to a field goal.