NFL

Eagles’ McCoy burns Giant ‘ballerina’ Osi

PHILADELPHIA — Osi Umenyiora might want to lay off the LeSean McCoy insults.

Suitably motivated by Umenyiora taunting him in the offseason, McCoy labeled the Giants’ defensive end a “ballerina” last week and then proceeded to dance all over the Big Blue defense last night to pave the way for a 19-17 Eagles victory at Lincoln Financial Field.

McCoy romped for 123 yards on 23 carries, with virtually all of that yardage coming in the second half and the bulk of it seemingly compiled against the very side occupied by a lumbering Umenyiora and the equally flailing Justin Tuck.

How lopsided were the Eagles’ rushing totals? They had 172 yards in the second half after mustering just 19 in the first half.

“We stuck with it, and eventually they cracked,” said McCoy, who erupted for 121 yards after totaling just 2 yards on six carries in the first two quarters. “I think they got tired, because we were running stuff to the outside and inside, then outside again. Our scheme really got to them.”

It couldn’t have happened to a better opponent for McCoy, whose running feud with Umenyiora the past two seasons kicked into overdrive in May when the Giants’ veteran wished McCoy a happy Mother’s Day after previous calling him a “little girl” and comparing him to Lady Gaga.

McCoy took the baton last week, labeling Umenyiora a ballerina and saying he was only the fourth-best defensive end on the Giants’ roster. McCoy proceeded to add injury to insult last night.

“Even Mike [Vick] was wanting us to run the ball in the second half,” said McCoy, who enjoyed his fourth career 100-yard game against the Giants. “That shows you the type of team we have. No one’s selfish. It’s all about one goal.”

The only opinion that mattered, of course, was notoriously pass-happy Eagles coach Andy Reid, whose stubborn penchant for keeping the supremely talented McCoy under wraps causes frequent heartburn among the Philadelphia faithful.

But after McCoy romped for 56 yards on back-to-back carries in the third quarter — getting around the edge with ease to the side of a frustrated Umenyiora — Reid was suddenly sold on his running game again.

Reid stuck with it in the fourth quarter, too, and McCoy rewarded him by nearly matching his output for the first three periods combined. McCoy had 61 yards on just eight carries in the final stanza, and the running game as a whole keyed Philadelphia field-goal drives of 11 and 12 plays that eventually provided the winning margin.

“Listen, the runs were there, and when the runs are there, we’re going to take advantage of them,” Reid said. “The whole offensive line in general was shaky in the beginning, but they settled down and we got a really good rhythm going.”

As a result, the Eagles improved to 3-1 and assumed sole possession of the NFC East race while recording their first turnover-free game of the season. The fact it came against Umenyiora and the Giants only made the outcome that much sweeter for McCoy.

“We felt like we could get on the edge against them, the line was doing a great job blocking them, and we just ran the ball,” McCoy said. “We ran the ball well, and it feels good to beat that team.”