PHILADELPHIA Eagles defense helps 5-0 start

Cornerbacks Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown are two standouts.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown waited, watched and learned from Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor.
Now they're making people in Philadelphia forget about the Pro Bowl cornerbacks they've replaced.
Sheppard, a first-round pick in 2002, and Brown, a second-round choice that year, have developed into a formidable duo in their first season as full-time starters, helping the Eagles to a 5-0 start.
"We're not just filling guys in," said free safety Brian Dawkins, the leader of a young secondary that also includes safety Michael Lewis. "We drafted them in the first and second rounds for a reason. They can play. They can run. They have speed and they're making plays. Now everybody is seeing it."
Big question mark
Entering the season, the main question on Philadelphia's defense was how well Sheppard and Brown could fill the void left by Vincent and Taylor, who both left through free agency.
For eight years, Vincent and Taylor formed one of the top coverage tandems in the league, routinely shutting down many of the game's top receivers. But the Eagles maintain a philosophy of refusing to re-sign aging stars once their contracts expire.
So, Vincent, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, went to Buffalo. Taylor, who went to the Pro Bowl after the 2002 season, signed with Seattle.
"The organization has never questioned our ability," Brown said. "That's why they drafted us here and that's our job."
So far, it's been a smooth transition.
"We just want to go out and play well and help our team out the best way we can," Sheppard said. "If that comes with earning respect, then so be it, but as long as we continue to win and play well on defense, we are not really worried about what people think about us."
Smaller in size
Sheppard and Brown, both generously listed as 5-foot-10, are shorter and smaller than Vincent and Taylor, but their size hasn't been a factor. They held the Giants' Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard to seven catches combined in the opener and allowed Minnesota's Randy Moss just 69 yards receiving a week later.
Most of the yardage Detroit's Roy Williams (135) and Chicago's David Terrell (116) had came in the fourth quarter with the outcome already decided and the Eagles playing a prevent defense.
Best performance
Sheppard had his best performance in last Sunday's 30-8 victory over Carolina. He intercepted two passes, returning one 64 yards for a touchdown, earning NFC defensive player of the week honors.
"He's playing solid football," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "The thing you forget about Lito is that he's such a sure tackler. He's not the biggest guy, but he's an active tackler."
Overall, Philadelphia's pass defense has allowed five TDs and 1,231 yards, an average of 226.4 yards per game. The total is misleading because the Eagles have won each game by double digits, and most of that yardage has come late.