Eagles Notes: Eagles going back to Coleman at safety

The Eagles' merry-go-round at safety paused Wednesday.

Jarrad Page got off and Kurt Coleman hopped back on.

Coleman took the majority of first-team repetitions at practice after Page struggled Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. Page was limited at practice because of the stinger he suffered at Buffalo, but all signs pointed to Coleman's starting Sunday at Washington.

"I'll leave that for the coaches," Coleman said.

Rookie Jaiquawn Jarrett also took a few first-team snaps, but he said it wasn't much more than he has over the last few weeks. Coleman started the season at free safety but was benched during the Giants game after he failed to wrap up receiver Victor Cruz.

"I did miss a tackle, but I gave it my all," Coleman said.

Nate Allen took his place and had his best game Sunday, when he recorded 10 solo tackles. Allen lost his starting spot just before the regular season when it was clear he hadn't fully recovered from December surgery to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his knee.

Allen said Wednesday that he still wasn't 100 percent.

"We do a few things before [the game] that take a lot of soreness out," he said.

Page, acquired as a free agent during training camp, has increasingly missed tackles over the last few games. He said he suffered the stinger early in the third quarter on Sunday. He returned to the game for another quarter but eventually left for good.

"I wasn't happy with myself on a few plays," Page said. "I thought I had some good plays, and I thought I had some bad ones, as well."

Coleman took over and will now start at strong safety. The safeties have varying responsibilities, but the positions are essentially interchangeable.

"I know both positions," Coleman said.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie admitted that his effort in the loss to the Bills could have been stronger, especially on a slant pass in which he appeared to shy away from tackling.

"I was supposed to attack," Rodgers-Cromartie said. "I was confused on the call. I was thinking something else, and by the time the play happened he was already inside. I'd say my effort could have been a little better on that."

Did his coaches point out his error?

"They got on me, but that's all part of criticism," Rodgers-Cromartie said. "I know what I did was wrong and corrected it."

Rodgers-Cromartie has appeared to give up on certain plays over the last few weeks. The third-year cornerback had never played the nickel until this season. Asked if he thought he was being employed the right way, Rodgers-Cromartie said: "I mean, shoot, it's all right."

Rodgers-Cromartie has had some opportunities to play on the outside, although that isn't how it's always been written up. He said there are times during the game when he and starting right cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha will switch spots.

"We have that leeway," Rodgers-Cromartie said.

Defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins did not practice because of a triceps strain. Jenkins said that he would be ready for Sunday's game. He said he first suffered the injury against the Giants on Sept. 25 when he was cut-blocked. . . . Defensive end Juqua Parker, who aggravated his high-ankle sprain, also didn't practice. Defensive end Trent Cole (calf) and tackle Jason Peters (hamstring) did not practice and are likely out for Sunday. . . . Here's what Asomugha had to say to Washington-area reporters in a conference call about the Eagles' rocky start: "The only people who knew that this thing wasn't going to be a perfect, well-oiled machine overnight are the people that are here. The criticism is going to come from the people who think that all you have to do is snap a finger and this thing is a perfect winning deal, and that's not the way it is. . . . We're 1-4. By the end of the season, our goal is to be 12-4."