Eagle Eye

  Befuddled line The Eagles have given up a league-worst 11 sacks in just two games this year and looked befuddled by blitzes last week. Can the line patch itself together enough to give Michael Vick some time to throw?   More McCoy Lost in the quarterback drama has been Shady McCoy, who is coming off the best running game of his career. He said Michael Vick's presence in the backfield helps because defenses have to keep an eye on the quarterback, too. How does he follow up last week's 120-yard, three-touchdown outburst?

Judging by her shy expression, 2-year-old Raechelle Walker-Ellis might have felt a little goofy about meeting Minnie Mouse at John Wanamaker's in Center City yesterday. But she managed to steal the show anyway from the veteran Disney character.

AS THE FATHER of a Philadelphia policeman, I'm outraged at the judicial system. We've lost five officers in 2 1/2 years at the hands of low-life career criminals who have worked the system. When will it stop? The D.A. says this man (I use this word loosely) is a career criminal, so why was he on the street? Police arrest them and the judges let them out. He was arrested twice in the last two weeks once with a shotgun and bench warrant and they let him out with no bail. It's time for all citizens of Philadelphia to band together.

The Eagles, now 2-1, are in sole possession of first place in the NFC East after thumping the Jaguars in Jacksonville, 28-3. Although the Dallas Cowboys won their first game of the season Sunday, the Washington Redskins and the New York Giants lost their second straight games. Dallas revived its season with a 27-13 victory over the Texans in Houston. The Cowboys have a bye next week. The mistake-prone Giants fell to Tennessee, 29-10, as New York missed two field goals, turned the ball over twice on drives inside the Titans' 6-yard line, gave up a safety, and committed five personal fouls.

The state police corporal, trained to find marijuana plants while flying hundreds of feet in the air, had received an unusual assignment: help Philadelphia police with traffic control during the SEPTA strike. So, for the last few weeks, Douglas Brigham has flown his helicopter daily from Reading to his new assignment. But this week, old habits - five years' worth - took over. And apparently paid off. On Monday evening, police said, Brigham spotted a Philadelphia man tending 22 marijuana plants behind Cedarbrook Mall near the Cedarbrook Hill Country Club.

This is a post by Les Bowen on the Daily News' Eagletarian blog. CONSIDERING THE central role Andy Reid played in the Eagles' slide to a rebuilding team coming off a 4-12 season, it's only fair that Andy should offer them a helping hand, all the way from Kansas City. Reid's Chiefs on Wednesday released right tackle Eric Winston, a big free-agent signing a year ago from Houston who didn't get off to a great start in his new home. (Geez, that story line seems familiar, can't imagine where I might have heard it before.)

THIS EAGLES offseason has largely been about giving Juan Castillo the tools to succeed. If the Birds' 2012 defense blows fourth-quarter leads, can't tackle and frequently looks confused, it won't be because of personnel that doesn't match the scheme, or offseason work lost to a lockout, or a lack of size and talent up the gut. There will be only one person to blame. Well, two, actually - if the defense falters, Castillo probably will lose his job the same day Andy Reid bids farewell, since it was Reid who made the former offensive line coach the defensive coordinator, and Reid who kept him in place after last season's wobbles and stumbles.

Here are some things to look for when the Eagles visit the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday:   Coughing it up The Eagles' league-worst 35 turnovers are the most the team has had since the 39 they committed in 1999, Andy Reid's first season as head coach. They are on pace to finish with 40, which would be the most in franchise history since the Eagles coughed up 43 in 1991.   The Babinator Just three games ago, Jason Babin stood at a very respectable 10 sacks.

Here are things to look for when the Eagles face the Redskins on Sunday.   Turnovers On the field, turnovers have been the biggest story of the season for the Eagles. They have coughed up the ball 15 times, including five giveaways against the Bills last week that killed their chances for a win. Michael Vick has 19 turnovers in his last 11 games, including 10 in just five games this season. He has to hold on to the ball Sunday against a fierce pass rush and ball hawk DeAngelo Hall.

INDIANAPOLIS - Compared with Eagles president Joe Banner's media tour last week, general manager Howie Roseman's session with reporters yesterday at the NFL scouting combine was kind of tame. Roseman didn't set any deadlines for coaches to win the Super Bowl, he was reluctant to even acknowledge the possibility of trading Kevin Kolb, and he drew no parallels between the Birds and any other franchises. Roseman did strongly indicate that the Eagles, who neglected the offensive line in last year's draft, won't do so again, given what Roseman and many other observers consider a much deeper pool of o-line talent.

By losing to the Bears on Sunday, and with the Giants rallying to trip the Jaguars, the Eagles failed to keep their one-game lead in the NFC East. The Giants' victory ended a two-game losing streak and set them up for Sunday's game against the Redskins and Donovan McNabb. If McNabb has any hopes of sneaking into the playoffs, he needs to win that game. W   L   T   Pct.   Pts.   Op.    EAGLES 7   4   0   .636   310   257    N.Y. Giants 7   4   0   .