PHILADELPHIA -- LeSean McCoy has drawn the spotlight by proclaiming himself the best running back in the NFL, dissing Adrian Peterson and declaring a goal of 2,000 rushing yards this season.

That spotlight doesn’t switch itself off when things aren’t going so well. McCoy has as many games below 25 yards rushing (two) as he has games above 100 yards. He is averaging 3.7 yards per carry, 1.4 yards below his 5.1-yard average last season. After leading the NFL in rushing yards in 2013, McCoy is sixth in 2014 -- respectable but no threat to the 2,000-yard barrier.

So it wasn’t a big surprise when McCoy lashed out at reporters this week. Indeed, McCoy lashed out partly because the reporters asking him questions know that he is prone to such outbursts. It’s not that they dangle bait and see if he’ll bite, exactly, but it’s close.

"I'm not even going to address 'am I the same player?'" McCoy said. "That's for you all to figure out. Are you crazy? I am the same player. I'm not going to sit here and play that game, like, 'Am I the same player?'"

One reason for McCoy’s quick trigger: His contract guarantees him just $1 million of his 2015 salary of $9.75 million. He will count $11.9 million against the salary cap. Considering the Eagles released Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson last winter, it may have crossed McCoy’s mind that no one is secure here. Coach Chip Kelly seems to have a genuine affection for McCoy -- which was not the case with Jackson -- but affection doesn’t overrule logic. Being the key to a league-leading running game provides better security than the coach’s affection.

Earlier in the season, McCoy chafed at the ongoing questions about what was wrong with the Eagles’ running game. Injuries along the offensive line were part of the picture. So was the way defenses were approaching the Eagles’ zone blocking schemes. Several teams came out in defensive looks that the Eagles had not seen them play on game film.

McCoy had two rough games against Washington (19 carries, 22 yards) and San Francisco (10 for 17). Then he had four consecutive games above 80 yards, including those two games above 100 yards. With the offensive line returning to good health, it seemed like the problems were over.

And then McCoy ran for just 19 yards on 12 carries in a win over Carolina. In Green Bay Sunday, he amassed 88 yards on 23 carries in a 53-20 loss.

So the questions began again. McCoy heard them. Clearly, he didn’t like them.