PHILADELPHIA -- It took two teams to solve the mystery of LeSean McCoy's disappearance -- the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants.
McCoy, the NFL's rushing leader last season, had rushed for 120 yards in his previous three games combined. Opponents were stacking the box against the Eagles' makeshift offensive line, and McCoy wasn't finding any room to run. On Sunday night, the Giants took a different approach. They paid for it, as McCoy rushed 22 times for 149 yards in the Eagles' 27-0 victory.
"There were tons of running lanes," McCoy said, crediting his offensive line but also acknowledging that the Giants' strategy worked in the Eagles' favor. "I never lost confidence in myself and the guys up front. Surprisingly, they played a lot of two [safeties] high. They left a safety out of the box, which was different. When they moved a safety down, it was too late."
There's no denying that the Eagles are a run-oriented offensive operation. With McCoy breaking off 12- and 18-yard runs on the Eagles' first possession, the entire offense found its rhythm.
"When we get [McCoy] going," tight end Zach Ertz said, "everything else opens up. Everyone's playing more calmly. We're able to make plays in the passing game as well."
The Eagles won the opening coin toss. Earlier this season when they won the toss, coach Chip Kelly chose to defer until the second half. That meant the Eagles kicked off and their opponent got the ball first. This time, Kelly took the ball. He wanted to get his offense going right away.
"We want to start faster, and we did that today," quarterback Nick Foles said. "It helps our defense out when we can put some points on the board early. ... It's a momentum thing."
The Giants' approach helped Philadelphia establish McCoy and the running game, but the Eagles deserve credit for their execution, too.
"It wasn't a spurt here and a spurt there," Kelly said. "It was a consistent football game from start to finish. I thought LeSean did a really good job tonight. He really hit some things tonight. You saw the LeSean everybody knows he can be like."
Kelly pointed out that it was the second game together for the current five starting offensive linemen. Right tackle Lane Johnson, who was suspended for the season's first four games, played well. So did left tackle Jason Peters.
"Jason Peters did a great job," Kelly said. "He had a real big matchup against Jason Pierre-Paul. I also think [tight end] Brent Celek had a really big game blocking. The combination of our tackles and really Brent blocking today [was key]."
Foles threw two touchdown passes to tight ends. Both plays were set up by the running game. The Giants left cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie alone on Ertz, and Foles found Ertz for a first-quarter touchdown. On James Casey's second-quarter touchdown, which gave the Eagles a 17-0 lead, he was left alone because the defense was watching for the run.
McCoy said he wasn't frustrated by the lack of production in previous games, because the Eagles had a 4-1 record.
"We were 4-1 coming into the game," McCoy said. "Now we're 5-1. If we weren't that good a running team, then why was every team coming in here and stacking the box?"
Every team, that is, except the Giants.
