EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Running back LeSean McCoy knows what expectations are like. He brought them upon himself, and he's not afraid of living up to them.
The sixth-year running back finished the 2014 season with a 17-carry, 99-yard performance against the New York Giants, averaging 5.8 yards per rush against the Eagles' division rivals. He led the Eagles' rushing attack in the 34-26 victory, the team's 10th win of the season.
It was 1 yard shy of his fifth 100-yard rushing performance of the season. He missed a few plays with a knee injury, one that seemed scary until he got to the sideline and was able to shake it off. According to head coach Chip Kelly, McCoy even tried to get back in the game at the end, which likely would have given him the extra yard he needed.
After a career year in 2013, McCoy didn't have time to take a break this year, and he certainly didn't. He had yet another outstanding season rushing behind what was, for a good part of the year, a makeshift offensive line.
McCoy said that, as the Eagles finish off the 2014 season and begin to turn an eye to next year's far-off beginnings, one thing is clear to him: the Eagles will play even better football if they stay healthy.
"The thing is to just limit the turnovers, play Eagles football and stay healthy," McCoy explained following the Eagles' win Sunday. "That's the biggest thing, I think, is stay healthy."
With Cody Parkey's addition to the Pro Bowl roster on Monday, nine Eagles have been selected to the NFL's all-star game ...
Cody Parkey's biggest kick was his game-winner against his former team, the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2
Cody Parkey set an NFL rookie record with 150 points, also the most by any kicker in Eagles history. Parkey finished second in the NFL in scoring, first in the NFC.
Cody Parkey becomes the ninth Eagle selected to go to the Pro Bowl. It's the most by any NFC team and the highest total by the Eagles since following the 2009 season
WR Jeremy Maclin will make his first Pro Bowl appearanceÂ
Maclin is replacing Denver wide reciever Demaryius Thomas on the Pro Bowl roster
Maclin posted his first 1,000-yard season as an Eagle and won the team's Ed Block Courage Award in 2014
This is Jon Dorenbos' second Pro Bowl appearance
Dorenbos was also named a member of Pro Football Focus' All-Pro Special Teams group
Dorenbos snapped all season longg for Cody Parkey, who set an NFL rookie record with 150 points in 2014
This will be Evan Mathis' second straight Pro Bowl appearance
After missing seven games with a knee injury, Mathis quickly rebounded back to Pro-Bowl form
Mathis joins offensive linemates Jason Peters and Jason Kelce on this year's Pro Bowl roster
This is Connor Barwin's first All-Pro selection
Barwin ranks fourth in the NFL and first in the NFCÂ with 14.5 sacks
Barwin has also recorded 80 tackles and two forced fumbles on the season
This is also the first Pro Bowl appearance for Jason Kelce
Kelce played just two games in 2012 due to a knee injury, but has since rebounded in Pro Bowl style
Kelce signed a new seven-year contract wth the Eagles last offseason
This is the third Pro Bowl selection for LeSean McCoy
McCoy set the Eagles franchise rushing record in 2014, passing Wilbert Montgomery
McCoy currently has 6,693 rushing yards in 89 career games
This is Jason Peters' sixth All-Pro selection
Peters signed a new contract with the Eagles following the 20131 season that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2018
Peters has been the steady presence on an offensive line plagued by injuries in 2014
This is Darren Sproles' first All-Pro selection
Sproles has won three NFC Player of the Week Awarads in 2014 (two for special teams, one for offense)
Sproles has set a career best this season with 481 punt return yards
The unsettled offensive line limited his production in the early going this season, and the fact that he didn't lead the league in rushing for a second straight year might suggest that McCoy experienced some kind of significant dropoff in production.
When a rusher lead the league in rushing attempts, some semblance of a dropoff is expected in the following season. It happens to all running backs, no matter the caliber of the back.
But to suggest that McCoy experienced a significant setback would be inaccurate. If anything, it seems that McCoy exceeded expectations, at least statistically.
In the nine years before McCoy led the league in rushes last season, the running backs who led the league in rushing attempts averaged 1,637 yards per season. Last year, McCoy ran for 1,607 yards, just 90 feet off the pace.
But in the year following those nine seasons, those same running backs averaged just 910.8 yards per season, a dropoff of 726 yards. Instead, McCoy ran for 1,319 yards this season, a dropoff of just 288 yards, 438 yards better than the 10-year average.
Statistically speaking, McCoy came back from a work-heavy season and was able to still produce at a high rate, a rate that has him going to his second straight Pro Bowl.
And never short on confidence - not cockiness, just confidence - McCoy reflected on this year, and this year in perspective of his entire career, after the game.
"My six years here have been excellent," McCoy said. "I've been very, very, very, very productive here."
And if his ability to keep producing in the face of statistics that say otherwise and with huge payloads on his docket says anything, it certainly seems that McCoy will be back again next year, ready to rack up the yards once again.
