Some players in the Cincinnati Bengals locker room said they know what the reeling Philadelphia Eagles are feeling and thinking because they’ve been there.

“You’re really more concerned about yourself, just how you’re playing when the season isn’t going good,” said Bengals safety Chris Crocker, who was part of the 2010 Cincinnati team that was 2-11 after 13 games and the 2008 squad that was 1-11-1.

“It’s like ‘All right, we’re not going to the playoffs,’ and you become a lot more selfish,” Crocker added. “You’re just worried about yourself and how you do on Sundays. I understand exactly what they’re going through.”

Philadelphia owner Jeffrey Lurie said before the season that another 8-8 record without a playoff appearance would be unacceptable, so many expect head coach Andy Reid to be fired at the end of the year.

The Eagles fired defensive coordinator Juan Castillo in October, and two weeks ago the team dismissed defensive line coach Jim Washburn.

More changes are likely on the sideline and in the lineup, and performances over the next three games likely will play a big role in deciding what those changes will be.

“When you feel like you’re out of it, guys are out there proving why they deserve a roster spot, why they deserve to be on the team,” Andrew Whitworth said, speaking from experience as he prepares to make his 100^th career start Thursday night.

“You know that’s what their coaches are telling them, ‘We’re having a bad year. Who knows if we’ll be here, who knows if you’ll be here. Everybody’s got to prove it.’ That’s why it’s a dangerous football team, because these guys are going to come out and play to prove their worth.”

In addition to a nothing-to-lose attitude, the Eagles are benefiting from an injection of energy provided by a number of young players.

“I think certain players that haven’t played all season can be more dangerous because they’ve been sitting around rested and waiting,” Crocker said. “You see guys who haven’t really had any playing time and now all of a sudden they get a chance, and it’s like, ‘man, where was this guy all year?’ I think those guys are more dangerous.”

Rookie quarterback Nick Foles and rookie running back Bryce Brown have each excelled for the Eagles while filling in for Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy, respectively.

Foles, a third-round pick out of Arizona, has thrown for 751 yards and three touchdowns in his last three starts, while Brown, a seventh-round pick out of Kansas State, rushed for 347 yards and four TDs in his first two starts.

That duo and the infusion of young talent at other positions helped the Eagles snap an eight-game losing streak last week at Tampa Bay, dealing a severe blow to the Buccaneers’ playoff hopes. And they can do the same to the Bengals’ hopes Thursday night.

“We don’t get caught up in that,” Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid said. “We get caught up in trying to become a better team. Coaches and players, if we can just kind of focus in on that, that’s really the important thing. We don’t really look at it the other way.”