McCoy looks to rebound from Giant headache

LeSean McCoy said his play in Sunday's loss to Dallas was his worst since his rookie year, but his low point statistically came this season in Week 5 against the New York Giants.

Even though the Eagles won, McCoy was limited to 46 yards on 20 carries. He did not gain a yard in the second half. Part of the reason was the absence of Michael Vick, which contributed to the ineffectiveness of the Eagles' zone-running plays. The Giants also used a big, aggressive defensive line on stunts to clog any holes for McCoy.

Although Vick is expected to return for Sunday's rematch at Lincoln Financial Field, McCoy is expected to be the key against the Giants.

"Up front, they made some plays," McCoy said. "A lot of stunts. To their credit, they have some guys up front who are pretty good. We made some adjustments ourselves, we watched some tape, we learned from it. I think we have a good matchup."

Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said in a conference call Wednesday that the Giants' defensive focus in that game was on stopping Vick and McCoy. Vick rushed for 79 first-half yards before hurting his hamstring. The Eagles struggled rushing in the second half as the Giants keyed on McCoy, but Tuck pointed out that the Eagles hurt the Giants through the air.

"We put everything in the basket to stop the run," Tuck said. "It's something we were dedicated to."

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said defenses must determine what they want to focus on stopping. If defenses commit to slowing McCoy, then other players can benefit. Against the Giants, DeSean Jackson totaled 132 receiving yards and a touchdown. Kelly said that with the Giants stacking the box and going to man-to-man coverage, the Eagles can "uncover some things."

Kelly also said that there were runs on which McCoy was close to breaking away, and that the Eagles can make adjustments to get him going.

It could help to have Vick on the field. Tuck said the zone-running plays are less effective without Vick because the defense does not need to worry about a speedy quarterback.

The running game can still be successful without Vick, but that particular play suffers. McCoy said some teams have a designated spy on Vick, which allows McCoy to encounter more one-on-one matchups. And it would remain advantageous even if Vick was not fully healthy.

"If he's healthy or not healthy, his presence on the field, you have to account for him as a defense," McCoy said.

One week after McCoy struggled against the Giants, he thrived in a win over the Buccaneers with Vick sidelined and Nick Foles at quarterback. When Kelly was asked that week why the running game had improved, one point he cited was that the Giants' bigger defensive linemen were a tougher matchup for the Eagles.

The Giants have five interior defensive linemen who weigh between 300 and 350 pounds. Kelly said it's a bigger group than the Eagles normally see. Shaun Rogers, who hurt the Eagles in the last game, is 6-foot-4 and 350 pounds. Kelly said an assistant remarked that Rogers "looks like the state of Rhode Island out there when you look at the tape."

Former Eagles defensive tackles Mike Patterson and Cullen Jenkins are also space-eating linemen, and the best one in the group is 323-pound Linval Joseph, who did not play in the first game but will play this week.

"Bigger guys, they take up more space, and they can take up two blockers," offensive lineman Todd Herremans said. "Plus, they don't have to move their guys around that much."

The combination of the Giants' size and athleticism hurt the Eagles' offensive line when the Eagles tried to combat the stunts, allowing penetration into the backfield. The player who most struggled was center Jason Kelce, whom Kelly said "takes everything to heart."

The offensive line is committed to keeping those stunts from hurting the Eagles on Sunday. Herremans said the line must prove that the Eagles can still rush regardless of what the defense presents.

The second game against a divisional opponent is always an intriguing test for a coaching staff, and this is the first time Kelly is coaching one. How well the Eagles have adjusted could determine how effective McCoy can be against a dangerous rushing defense.

"You can't just give in because they're trying to stop the run," McCoy said. "There's things I can do to be more successful in the run game. We have a lot of adjustments."

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