LeSean McCoy has never seen anything like it. In less than a half of football, the Eagles lost four key players for the game, two of them likely for the entire season.

"Today's the first experience for that," McCoy said after Jamaal Jackson (torn biceps), Leonard Weaver (torn ACL), Kevin Kolb (concussion) and Stewart Bradley (concussion) each went down during Sunday's season-opening 27-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers, with Jackson and Weaver potentially done for the season. "The weird thing was how guys kept going down and down and down, especially at key points of the game. It's one of those things where it's a physical sport, a physical game."

And yet, McCoy and the rest of the Eagles were able to mount a furious late rally, falling seven points short after trailing but 17.

"Being in the locker room, coach (Reid) juicing everybody up to come off the field," McCoy said. "I think we all kind of rallied back."

But the rally was quelled after a 4th-and-1 attempt from the Green Bay 42-yard-line with less than two minutes remaining was unsuccessful. The ultimately unsuccessful call was a planned quarterback sneak out of shotgun for Michael Vick, who had run for 103 yards on 10 carries up to that point. Asked if he wanted the ball in that 4th-and-1 situation, McCoy gave an honest, perceptive answer.

"I think any competitor, especially in the backfield, wants the ball," he said. "At the same token, you have to understand that coach is going to make some great calls, and do what he thinks is for the best."

McCoy ran for 35 yards on seven carries and was the team's leading receiver with 47 yards on five receptions. His 12-yard touchdown run on the Eagles' second possession of the second half cut the Packers' lead to 21-10. But in the end, the Eagles couldn't quite overcome their poor play in the first half, when they were outgained 174 yards to 49 yards and committed seven penalties for 50 yards.

"In the opener like this, to come out and have a terrible performance in the first half, kind of fight back in the second half and then get that outcome, that's tough," McCoy said.

Moving forward, McCoy believes the team is well-prepared to overcome the losses of veteran leaders like Jackson and Weaver.

"The good thing is this team has so many leaders," McCoy said. "Everybody has to come together a little bit more."

-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 9:42 p.m., September 12