Eagles' defensive stats may be on Castillo's side

Every Eagles fan knows that Juan Castillo's defense blew five fourth-quarter leads, each seemingly worse than the one before.

But that same group finished the season ranked eighth in yards allowed, 10th in points, and tied for first in sacks. The turnaround is remarkable.

Four weeks ago, after getting run over by the Seattle Seahawks, the Eagles defense ranked 17th in yards and 22d in points allowed.

It might still be too late, but the case against Castillo is not as open-and-shut as it once seemed.

With the defense finally showing some life, here are some questions the Eagles brass must consider as they meet behind closed doors. Some answers may come Tuesday afternoon since owner Jeffrey Lurie is scheduled to meet with the media at 2:30.

Was the defense's recent play a sign of progress or a case of taking advantage of weak opposition once the pressure was off?

If the improvement is real, is firing Castillo worth another offseason of upheaval on defense? Is it worth a third coordinator in three years?

Does the decision hinge on the Eagles' replacement options? Former Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, fired Monday, is a rumored replacement for Castillo.

But if Spagnuolo goes elsewhere or waits to explore other options, do the Eagles stick with Castillo?

A related question hovers around defensive line coach Jim Washburn. His unit excelled at pressuring quarterbacks, but Washburn's presence could be a deterrent if the Eagles want to lure another coordinator to town.

Washburn's wide-nine front essentially determines how four players attack. But any established coach would likely want control over his entire defensive unit.

Players on Monday endorsed Castillo while acknowledging that the decision will be made well above their heads.

"The coaching staff that they have in place has everything," said safety Kurt Coleman. "We showed them what we can do when we play all four quarters and play sound football. To change anything up right now, it would be kind of ridiculous. But that's not my call."

After allowing 23.5 points per game through the first 12 weeks of the season, the Eagles gave up just 11.5 per game the last four.

A reporter asked defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins if it was important for the defensive staff, overhauled in the offseason, to be able to work off of their late success.

"Oh yeah," Jenkins said. "It's something we can look back and say, 'This is what we did. This is what we were able to do when we were playing like we were supposed to.' "

He added, "Once you get that rolling, it helps you out a lot."

Changing coordinators could require a change to the mind-set of the front four.

Washburn's wide-nine system came under fire for the way it left open huge running lanes and exposed the Eagles' young linebackers. But it also produced 50 sacks, tied for the league high with the Vikings.

Defensive end Juqua Parker said Washburn wants to return, but that he doesn't know the coach's fate. Defensive linemen loved the scheme, but Parker conceded that it caused some trouble for the back seven, who had to adjust to the pass-rushing front four rather than having fixed responsibilities.

"Linebackers got used to playing off of us, which they weren't used to. We had problems here and there," Parker said.

The Eagles finished 16th in rushing yards allowed per game, 10th against the pass.

Of course, the last four games don't erase the ones that caused so much trouble before. And the Eagles benefited by facing teams that finished 20th, 13th, 15th and 26th in scoring. The quarterbacks were Matt Moore, Mark Sanchez, Stephen McGee and Rex Grossman.

"This is the NFL. All the guys you named are NFL quarterbacks," said cornerback Joselio Hanson. "They game-planned all week for us, and we played well."

Later this week, we should find out if it was well enough to save their coordinator's job.

Staff writer Jeff McLane contributed to this article.