Sudden rush on sacks for Kearse

A year ago, when their defensive linemen were dropping like flies and Jevon Kearse still was the property of the Tennessee Titans, the Eagles registered just 38 sacks for the season - their third-lowest total in 24 years.

Now, just three games into this Super Bowl-or-bust season, they already have 14. Chalked up five in yesterday's 30-13 win over the Detroit Lions, including three by Kearse.

"I feel like an Eagle now," said Kearse, who had a myriad of near-miss sacks in the first two wins over the Giants and Vikings. "I missed so many last week. I was told when they come, they come in bunches. So, when I don't get them, I know there will be a game like this where I'll get two or three.

"They brought me here basically to be the person I was in Tennessee - that's to make noise. Even if it's not always a sack, it's pressure. "

It's no secret that defensive coordinator Jim Johnson likes to blitz. But last year, the blitz became a weapon of necessity. With all of the injuries up front, the Eagles rarely were able to get within a $10 cab ride of a quarterback without sending extra troops. But blitzing as much as the Eagles did last season creates its own set of problems.

"Jevon brings a different dimension to our defense," Johnson said. "We don't have to blitz all the time. We can get some nice four-man rushes. "

Against Daunte Culpepper and the Vikings last week, the Eagles blitzed on just 11 of 58 pass plays, or 19 percent of the time. Yesterday, against less-experienced quarterback Joey Harrington, the Eagles sent extra people on 15 of 46 pass plays (33 percent).

"No disrespect to [Lions rookie wide receiver] Roy Williams or Joey, but last week we were playing against Culpepper and [Randy] Moss," linebacker Ike Reese said. "The more you blitz, the more vulnerable you are to a big play. This [Lions] group is more of a younger group. We wanted to force them to make decisions quick. "

With the Eagles constantly harassing him, Harrington completed just 55 percent of his passes and averaged just 5.2 yards per attempt. He fumbled twice, including one late in the fourth quarter that set up the Eagles' second touchdown.

Johnson is regularly rotating eight players up front - four at end and four at tackle - which was something he wasn't able to do last season because of all the injuries. By midseason, fatigue became a major factor.

"With the rotation we have, it puts us up there with the top front fours in the league," Kearse said. "We're able to keep the same speed going no matter who is out there. Hopefully, we can keep enough people healthy to keep it going." Said second-year end Jerome McDougle, who has been rotating on the left side with Kearse:

"We've been doing good with our rotation. Jevon comes out and I go in. When [right end] Derrick [Burgess] comes out, Hugh [Douglas] goes in, It's been working for us. It's probably the best eight-man rotation in the NFL. Guys are staying fresh and are able to do the things they need to do to get to the quarterback. "

All three of Kearse's sacks came on straight four-man rushes. In three games, the Eagles already have gotten six sacks from the end position, which is just two fewer than they got all of last year.

"Jevon knew [the sacks] were going to come," Johnson said. "We're going to put him in position for them to come. We're going to move him around a little bit so people can't always slide to his side and stuff like that. "

Out of range

Special-teams coordinator John Harbaugh said he and coach Andy Reid did give some thought to having kicker David Akers try a 61-yard field goal at the end of the first half after an illegal-contact penalty on a Donovan McNabb Hail Mary pass gave the Eagles a first down at the Lions 44-yard-line. But they decided against it. McNabb ended up throwing another Hail Mary pass. "We talked about it," Harbaugh said. "But [Akers] was a little skeptical that he could make it. There was no wind at his back. Then you've got the risk of getting it blocked because it's going to be coming out really low. Or them returning it. There was just too much downside." Akers booted a career-best 57-yarder last season in a Week 2 loss to New England at Lincoln Financial Field. But he had the wind at his back in that game.

Costliest injury

The knee injury to ultravaluable fullback Jon Ritchie on the Eagles' first possession. Ritchie is one of the league's very best lead blockers. If he's out for any length of time, it's going to be a big blow to the running game. Without him yesterday, Brian Westbrook, who averaged 6.5 yards per carry in the first two games, was held to 44 yards on 13 carries.

Just wondering

Why Lions coach Steve Mariucci decided to decline an offensive holding penalty on the Eagles midway through the third quarter that allowed Akers to kick a 47-yard field goal that put the Birds up, 27-7.

Scariest moment

When McNabb got decked by Lions defensive tackle Dan Wilkinson early in the fourth quarter. McNabb was getting ready to throw when he got hit, and for a second, as he lay on the ground, it looked as if he had an arm injury. "I was definitely worried," Andy Reid said. "It didn't look good."