Cullen Jenkins

Here are some observations and ruminations about the Eagles-Falcons game: Despite being ejected the last time the Eagles played, an overtime loss to Detroit on Oct. 14, Fletcher Cox was given his first career start at defensive tackle on Sunday. The rookie certainly has earned more playing time, and he already had been playing as much as any defensive tackle on the team. But the start was a nod from the coaches for his improving play, and he ended with five tackles. A cynic may say Cox got the start by default.

Andy Reid's end, if it finally occurs after this season, won't come with a bang. In most cases, the first signs of a dead coach walking come with a whimper from the locker room. The pulse of the Eagles is a hard one to accurately gauge, following their devastating loss at the hands of the Falcons on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. But there seems to be a disparity among the players in recognizing the urgency they now face at 3-4 and with their coach's job on the line. Several players said they were aware of the ultimatum that Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie gave Reid before the season, that his team must show "substantial improvement" over last season's 8-8 record.

IT TOOK 22 games. It took a .500 season from last year's Dream Team. It took five close games and a blowout upset in the desert. And, last week, it cost them the head of their most devoted soldier. It appears as if the Eagles finally have grown up. The tenor among the Birds of Promise finally has shifted from entitled to entrenched. The tone was set at the beginning of the shortened 2011 season, enbodied by Asante Samuel, of all people. "Pick-Six," as he calls himself, constantly crowed during practices without admonition.

THIS MAN gave you nine games of Doug Pederson when you wanted Donovan McNabb. This man stared down an angry linebacker adept at axework. He exiled the best receiver in team history. He benched a franchise quarterback in favor of a felon. He let the most popular player in team history roll away, tread still on his tires, steam coming from his ears. Andy Reid pandered to Pederson, cut Jeremiah Trotter, suspended Terrell Owens, sat Kevin Kolb for Michael Vick and insulted Brian Dawkins' pride.

THE EAGLES started the season with this impossibly deep, imposing defensive-line corps that was going to terrorize the league. It didn't look so imposing down the stretch Sunday. Rookie defensive tackle Fletcher Cox was ejected for throwing a punch at the bottom of a pile following a Lions extra point with 10:30 left in regulation. Veteran Derek Landri, who frankly hasn't excelled this year, was playing with a bad knee and looked really creaky. More under the microscope, though, are the three veteran starters who lead the group - defensive ends Trent Cole (30 years old)

AFTER 3 WEEKS without a sack, it might be time for the Eagles to consider a change along the defensive line. Brandon Graham's playing time was already on the rise - maybe they should shake things up, and accelerate that process. While no Eagles lineman exactly stood out on Sunday against Detroit, Graham was active in his 21 snaps, notching a tackle and three quarterback hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. If you exclude the Giants game - when Cullen Jenkins' play earned him increased action - Graham's snap count has risen each week.

THE EAGLES' lofty notion of who they are collided head-on with reality late Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field in a 26-23, overtime loss to the Detroit Lions. Survivors huddled in the locker room, stunned, mumbling about needing to watch film to figure out what had happened. Here is a rough draft of an explanation, delivered without the benefit of film study: You took a 10-point lead, at home, with 5 minutes and 18 seconds remaining in regulation. This came despite three egregious turnovers, even though you'd spent the whole week talking about turnovers.

Jim Washburn was sitting in his office at the NovaCare Complex one day last week talking about the difficulty his defensive line was having getting to quarterbacks this season. He talked about the maxprotections his linemen were dealing with every week and he talked about how fast quarterbacks were getting the ball out. Then he pointed over to the screen on the wall, where the game tape he had been watching was stopped on a picture of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. "It's not going to be any different this week," he said.

The Eagles locker room seems happier this season as opposed to last. Winning will do that. Despite the popular perception four months ago after Joe Banner stepped down as team president, the locker room didn't suddenly turn into Tijuana when general manager Howie Roseman formally assumed the handling of all contract matters. Roseman had been in charge, really, as far back as February. He, with Jeffrey Lurie's blessing and Andy Reid's counsel, engineered contract extensions for four key members of the Eagles.

LeSean McCoy's strong effort against the Steelers was another example of why statistics, especially in football, can be overrated. If you were just looking at the running back's numbers on Sunday - 16 carries for 53 yards and four catches for 27 yards and a touchdown - you could surmise that McCoy had a so-so day. Actually, he turned in his most gutsy performance of the season. McCoy's most impressive moments came in the fourth quarter during the Eagles' 17-play, 79-yard drive that briefly gave them a 14-13 lead.