Desean Jackson

If you're looking for a positive in the Eagles' eighth straight loss - and there were a few - Nick Foles' third start would have to head any list. Bryce Brown's second straight 100-yard rushing performance was eye-opening (we'll get to that), but the rookie quarterback made some advancement with a less restrictive game plan. With a ragtag offensive line and a number of other injuries, Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg gave Foles little to do in his first two starts. But they took off the shackles against the Cowboys - well, somewhat - and gave him more opportunities to throw downfield and go through his reads.

RE: "COPS Were Robbed"/ "Sting Raise" ( Daily News , Nov. 29). School police: Sorry folks, but get in line. Do not feel like you are alone - anyone that works today is getting screwed. Especially if you work for any government agency. This includes the School District of Philadelphia. Civilian workers who work for the city have not had a raise in over five years while City Council and certain commissioners get theirs. What did Commissioner Ramsey get? A 60K raise in salary.

Raiders running back Darren McFadden hasn't been the biggest fantasy bust this year, but he's in the top 10. Injuries, particularly the high right-ankle sprain that has kept him out nearly a month, have been his (and our) biggest problem. But even when he was playing, he was maddeningly inconsistent. McFadden had 22 rushing yards in Week 2 against the Dolphins and followed it up with 113 and a touchdown the next week against the Steelers. It was the kind of curveball that made McFadden almost a mandatory fantasy starter.

ANDY REID announced his surrender on Tuesday with the release of Jason Babin and the cashiering of DeSean Jackson to injured reserve. It should have come sooner, if only for the good of the team's most dynamic players. Had Reid not been so desperate to salvage his reputation, to win at any cost, Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Michael Vick likely would be available for the Dallas trip. Instead, Reid put at unnecessary risk the players to whom he committed more than $70 million since 2011.

ABOUT A THIRD of them stayed home, and a bunch more left at halftime, the empty seats making their own statement on a cold November night. A lot of the rest pretty obviously gave the tickets to their kids, as if it were an exhibition game. It is what happens in a season such as this. They did not boo the Eagles coming out of the tunnel before the game. It is not what these people tend to do, their reputation to the contrary. They booed busted coverages and the ridiculous touchdowns that resulted, which is what you would expect.

A FEW MONTHS AGO, news that the Eagles had released Jason Babin and placed DeSean Jackson on injured reserve would have stunned. That kind of double lightning bolt would have given rise to widespread lamentation, to wailing and gnashing of teeth. But when those developments arrived Tuesday, with the season in ruins and Andy Reid's 14-year era at its low ebb, they lacked the ability to shock. Waive a 2011 Pro Bowl defensive end, in the second season of a 5-year contract? Sure, what the heck.

Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson exited Monday night's game in the first quarter with a rib cartilage injury, but X-rays in the locker room were negative. The team said an MRI and CT scans were set for Tuesday. Jackson's absence left the Eagles with only three active wide receivers - Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper, and Damaris Johnson. Jackson finished with one catch for 9 yards and one rush for 2 yards. Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, the Eagles' first-round draft pick, left the game with a lower back contusion.

Panthers wide receiver  Steve Smith  labeled Monday night's lowdown between 2-8 Carolina and the 3-7 Eagles the "Battle of the Bads. " What once looked like a meeting between new-school and old-school multifaceted quarterbacks has fizzled into a game of survival for the coaches of both teams. Andy Reid  and  Ron Rivera  both appear to be on their way out, but a victory might at least hold off the charge for one week (or not). Rivera was once a defensive assistant under Reid, as was Panthers defensive coordinator  Sean McDermott , whom Reid fired two seasons ago. Michael Vick  is out for a second straight week for the Eagles with a concussion, so there won't be a Vick- Cam Newton  matchup.

Nick Foles entered Sunday's game as the Eagles' greatest hope to save this season. In the end, those expectations were far too unrealistic and Foles performed simply like a rookie QB playing on the road behind a leaky offensive line in his first NFL start. Two things were learned from Foles' debut as a starter: He needs a lot of work. Michael Vick was not the primary reason for the Eagles' woes on offense this season. He was just one of the many problems created by Andy Reid's decisions, Marty Mornhinweg's play-calling, and Howie Roseman's evaluations.

Up-Down Drill   Jeffrey Lurie His offseason decisions to retain coach Andy Reid and give general manager Howie Roseman more authority have backfired. Lurie will have to fire Reid to pacify an angry fan base. It will be the right move - but can the owner be trusted to hire a replacement?   Andy Reid We were about done picking on Big Red at this point, but then he had LeSean McCoy carrying the football while down 25 points with less than two minutes left in the game.