LeSean McCoy shows heart in first game back

LeSean McCoy would have been excused if he took the final two games off, but the Eagles running back was cleared to play after missing four games with a concussion and during the week he spoke about his desire to get back on the field.

McCoy demonstrated his hunger in Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field. On a day when he didn't have much running room, McCoy rushed for 45 yards on 13 carries and caught nine passes for 77 yards.

"It felt good to be out there," McCoy said.

When he was asked last week why he would play when the games for the Eagles are meaningless, McCoy said, in effect: Why not?

"This is my job," he said after the game. "They pay me a lot to go out and play ball."

McCoy said he was fatigued late in the game, but no matter how tired he was, he wanted to keep competing. On the team's final drive, which ended in an intentional-grounding call 5 yards short of the end zone, McCoy had four receptions for 30 yards.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from him," coach Andy Reid said. "That is just how he's wired. He loves to play the game."

Reid admired McCoy's workmanlike effort and his willingness to compete.

"Even when I took him out of the game, he battled me to get back into the game," Reid said. "He wanted to play and that says something about the kid."

With the conjecture that this could have been Reid's final home game as Eagles coach, there has been no more vocal supporter of Reid than McCoy.

"I don't see any coaches as good as Coach Reid," said McCoy, who has 3,821 career rushing yards, moving past Ricky Watters into sixth place on the Eagles' all-time list. "I know him as a coach, and as a player, you fight for a guy like that."

After rushing for 1,309 yards and 17 touchdowns and earning his first Pro Bowl appearance last season, McCoy has rushed for 795 yards and just two touchdowns this year in 11 games. The Eagles, who were 8-8 last season are now 4-11.

""I don't see any positives this year at all," McCoy said.

Actually, one positive is that he has returned to the field. He is looking forward to Sunday's season finale against the New York Giants.

"I love to compete and I feel every time you get on the field it is an opportunity to show how good you are," McCoy said.

"Plus," he said with a smile, "I haven't played in a while and I don't want you guys to forget about me."