Les Bowen: Further review: McDermott's young Eagles defense rising fast

IT WAS JUST about exactly a month ago that an ESPN reporter speculated Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott could be fired at any moment - speculation the organization quickly spiked.

Yesterday afternoon, McDermott looked pretty secure as he talked to a small group of reporters about the way the 7-3 Birds shut down the Giants' No. 1-ranked offense Sunday night, allowing just 147 yards passing and 61 yards rushing, while forcing five turnovers.

The Eagles came out of the weekend leading the NFL in takeaways, with 26. Their run defense, which ranked 27th after the Oct. 3 loss to Washington, left the Linc Sunday night ranked eighth. The Giants clearly came into the game thinking they were going to establish the run (running on first and second down their first two possessions, gaining a grand total of 2 yards) and they were thrown off when that didn't happen.

Two big things on the night the Birds took over first place in the NFC East - Michael Vick fought through some adversity, leading a late comeback for the first time as an Eagle, and McDermott's defense showed its promise, showed what it seems to be on the verge of becoming. Hard to say which development meant more.

"I don't get involved in all that," McDermott said, when reminded of the firing speculation. "That's the business that we're in. I know this - I've made a living off proving people wrong my whole life. So this is no different situation. You just continue to work hard and good things happen.

"We've got to keep in mind that we've got a lot of new faces on this defense and there's a process involved. It's a process of coming together . . . You're not going to come out with the amount of new faces we have on this defense and be No. 1 right away.

"That's probably the most satisfying thing to this point in time, we've worked hard, we've each week gotten a little bit better . . . We're just moving in the right direction."

Of course, McDermott created even more "new faces" when he subbed in defensive tackle Antonio Dixon for Brodrick Bunkley, cornerback Dimitri Patterson for Ellis Hobbs, and he recycled a rookie new face from last year, eventually reinstating Moise Fokou at strongside linebacker.

"I think it's had an impact, a positive impact," McDermott said, after stressing that he still believes in the former starters.

McDermott called his unit "younger, faster" than the defense that was run off the field by the Cowboys in those back-to-back season-ending losses last year. "It's a defense that's on the rise and developing each week," he said. "It's a defense for the future, as far as I see it."

Looks like he'll get to see it, too.

DEVELOPING STORY LINES

* The story of the Eagles' defensive transformation in some ways is the story of Asante Samuel, who now has seven interceptions. Remember the end of last season, when fans were ready to show Samuel where to stick his Pro Bowl berth? Now he's much more than a guy who gets stats, he's a difference-maker, a game-changer. Sean McDermott said yesterday that it's easy to overlook Samuel's savvy, that he "does more before the snap than any cornerback I've seen."

* Andy Reid went out of his way to laud defensive tackle Mike Patterson's quiet consistency, after the game and again yesterday.

* Stew Bradley is starting to put it together. In fact, the linebacking corps might be the key to the Eagles' recent defensive improvement.

* The Eagles won Sunday despite going 3-for-14 on third down.

* Didn't get a chance to talk to him afterward, but it just didn't seem like DeSean Jackson was feeling it against the Giants. Targeted 10 times, caught five passes for just 50 yards. Vick overthrows were an issue. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I expect the extraordinary from the little guy.

* Rookie linebacker/safety Keenan Clayton saw crunch-time action again this week.

* Shady McCoy ranked 15th in NFL rushing after Sunday - but with 726 yards on 146 carries, he had fewer attempts than any of the 14 guys in front of him, except for Kansas City's Jamaal Charles, who ranked eighth with 848 yards on just 139 carries.

OBSCURE STAT

Jason Avant has scored on a two-point conversion catch after the final touchdown of the last two Eagles-Giants games. (Previously in a 45-38 win last Dec. 13.) And Eli Manning has lost a fumble trying to "down" himself in each of those games.

And David Akers has had a kick blocked in each of those games (an extra point last time, a field goal this time).

WHO KNEW?

That Giants coach Tom Coughlin kept his challenge flag in his sock. What, he doesn't like pockets? Don't want to think about where Coughlin must store his play chart.

EXTRA POINT

What was the biggest play of Sunday's game?

LeSean McCoy's 50-yard, go-ahead touchdown run on fourth-and-1? Eli Manning's fumble with 2:51 left and the Giants down seven?

I'm gonna say Giants rookie defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul's ill-timed twitch into the neutral zone.

As you might recall, the Eagles faced third-and-a-long-5 from their 46 when Pierre-Paul guessed wrong trying to time the snap count and jumped offside. This set up third-and-a-short-1. Michael Vick couldn't connect on a pass to Jeremy Maclin. Fourth-and-1, enter the bobbled snap and the pitch to McCoy.

If it's fourth-and-6, with more than 4 1/2 minutes left there, I really doubt the Eagles go for it.

It was a marginal penalty, but a penalty, nonetheless, on a night when the Eagles (10 infractions for 119 yards) were much more sorely afflicted by ref Ron Winter's crew than the Giants (six for 54). *