PHILADELPHIA -- If embattled Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo is feeling the heat from his unit blowing three consecutive fourth-quarter leads, he's clearly not showing it.
Castillo, in his weekly news conference, remained calm and confident that his defense will improve and still mentioned the words Super Bowl, despite the Eagles' 1-3 start to what was supposed to be a dream season.
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"There are some things we need to take care of, and there are some things I need to take care of," Castillo said Thursday. "It will get better, believe me. We're going to get this thing turned around, and when we do, everyone will be happy again."
The Eagles, who are last in the NFC East and two games behind the New York Giants and Washington Redskins, meet the Buffalo Bills (3-1) on Sunday.
Asked why he was so confident after his team's dreadful start, and how for the first time in franchise history it allowed three consecutive opponents to come back in the fourth quarter, Castillo simply smiled.
"I've been through this before and I've had success," he said. "We believe in ourselves. I can tell you this, every week we get better and better and better. Look, we've been here 12 years, and our record speaks for itself. We're going to get better. We're going to correct the problems."
Under coach Andy Reid, this is the third time the Eagles have started 1-3. Neither of the first two teams rebounded to make the playoffs. In 1999, Reid's rookie year, the Eagles finished 5-11 after a 1-3 start, and in 2007, the team needed to win its last three games of the season to finish 8-8 after the same open.
But Castillo was on former Eagles coach Ray Rhodes' staff in 1995, when the team began 1-3 and finished 10-6 to earn a wild-card spot. That team even won a playoff game.
Castillo, a longtime offensive line coach, was a surprising hire as defensive coordinator to replace the fired Sean McDermott. And now, his critics appear to have some material to back up their stance.
The Eagles' defense ranks 16th in overall defense, 30th against the run and 24th in points allowed. While the unit has a league-high 15 sacks, it has forced just four turnovers (two interceptions, two fumbles).
"We have some things that need to be corrected, and they will be corrected," Castillo said. "Maybe I've put too much on some players. But the problems we have will be fixed.
"Remember, we're only in Week 4. The team that wins the Super Bowl is the one that gets hot in December and January."
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
