Thrust into the starting lineup once again with the late deactivation of Brian Westbrook, rookie LeSean McCoy stepped up as the Eagles' leading rusher and receiver, totaling 115 yards of total offense. But it was the yards that McCoy wasn't given that will stick in his mind following the Eagles 20-16 loss to the division-rival Dallas Cowboys.

Up three points in the third quarter, McCoy lined up as a receiver on the outside on third and two near midfield. Quarterback Donovan McNabb threw the ball to his back shoulder, and McCoy caught the ball for what appeared to be a first down. But the ball was spotted short of the first-down marker, and head coach Andy Reid unsuccessfully challenged the ruling on the field.

"On the pass," McCoy said, I just know that "I made sure I went past the (first-down) marker."

Then, in the fourth quarter of a tie game, McCoy was given the ball on consecutive plays with one yard needed for the first down. On third down, McCoy again looked to have gone far enough, but the ball was spotted short. On the next play, fourth and inches, McNabb was judged to have been short of the first down on a quarterback sneak. The play was also challenged by Reid, to no avail. The Cowboys would score the game-winning touchdown on the ensuing possession.

"(The refs) said I didn't get it," McCoy said. "I thought I did. Then, if I didn't get it, I thought McNabb definitely did."

But McCoy made sure not to place blame on anyone other than himself and his teammates.

"We made too many mental mistakes today," McCoy said. "I don't think we were the same high-flying offense as usual.

"It was those little mistakes, all those penalties that we don't usually make."

Another play McCoy and the Eagles would like to have back was an intended screen for McCoy from the Cowboys' 33-yard-line on the team's final drive. Needing a touchdown to tie, McCoy looked to have open space ahead of him with blockers out front, but he tripped before McNabb threw him the ball, and the pass fell off McCoy's hands onto the ground.

"It was just too many bad plays," McCoy said. "That was my fault, trying to get out and get free. I was tripped up. It was my fault, and then I missed the ball."

McCoy showed off his big-play ability in the third quarter on a 45-yard catch and run in the third quarter that put the Eagles in position to score their only touchdown of the game, a Brent Celek reception.

McCoy, who ran for 54 yards on 13 carries and picked up 61 yards through the air on five receptions, said he had no idea that he would be carrying the load again in Westbrook's absence until game day.

"I didn't know until today," he said. "But I am pretty much ready for stuff like this. Even if (Westbrook) was playing, we always share reps anyway. I was just preparing myself to play. He was in there, so I could talk to him the same as if he was playing."

-- Posted by Bo Wulf, 1:41 a.m., November 9