Do I have to write something about the Eagles? Ugh.
Well, the sports gods have given us a swift kick of karma since the Phillies won the World Series, haven’t they? Since the parade down Broad, the Eagles have gone 1-2-1, eliminated themselves from playoffs contention, and unceremoniously ended the Donovan McNabb era. They’ve gone from a Super Bowl sleeper to a team in need of a big make-over in just 4 weeks. I haven’t seen this kind of turnaround with a team since the 1994 team went from 7-2 and 7-9.
So what’s the fix? What’s the next step? There’s really nothing easy to it at this point. A couple weeks ago, I would have told you that I wanted Reid gone, but McNabb to stay. However, after McNabb’s complete breakdown the last two weeks, it has become clear that his best days are behind him and that is time for the team to move on. But, is Kevin Kolb the answer? I’m sure that he is a better QB than he looked yesterday, but his arm strength looks well below average, and his accuracy and pocket presence left a lot to be desired. Right now, we look like a team without a quarterback. For now, and for the future.
The clear decision to me is to let Kolb start the remainder of the season and see what we’ve got. Give him a fair week in practice and see what he does when’s he’s not thrown into the middle of a game against an elite defense. My guess is that he looks quite average. You’ll probably get fewer mistakes than McNabb, but also less game-breaking plays.
If he does well, you trade McNabb to the Vikings (could there be a better fit?) for whatever draft picks you can get, and you keep Reid around for another season because that’s the best chance Kolb will have to be successful. If Kolb looks like he did yesterday? Maybe you go after Matt Cassell in the off-season, dump Reid and get Bill Cowher in here (a perfect Philly coach) and start anew, beginning with using both first round draft picks next year.
No matter how you slice it, it looks like the Reid/McNabb era is over, and we might have a long road ahead of us to get back to elite status. They took us to more playoff games and playoff wins than any other coach or QB combined, but their act has run its course. Hopefully both can exit gracefully, without leaving a bad taste in our collective mouths.
So what are your plans for the Birds? Who do you start next week? Who do you start next year? Who stays? Who goes? There is a lot to discuss, so have at it.
What I see as a major problem is how do the eagles keep the value of McNabb up while trying to see if Kolb is the future. I still think that a team like CHI and MIN would give up first round picks for him, but he is playing so bad, I do not know if we will get anything for him now. So does McNabb have to start games to see if he plays well for trade value. And with Kolb, he has to play to see what we have. Is he the QB that drove down the field, or the QB that throw the pick in the endzone. We have two first round draft picks, saying the eagles do not win a game for the rest of season, maybe one or two, they will have a high pick. Is drafting another QB in the future? This team is in very bad shape right now.
The Bryn Mawr Beagles need a new QB and head coach. After McNott forged a 13 efficiency rating in 1st half while turning ball over 3 times, Kolb was thrown to ravenous Ravens and picked apart … rough beginning, but at least he answers post-game questions squarely. Reid is to blame for personnel, play-calling and moribund team morale. His chumminess with Lurie & Banner will probably preserve job, unless things unravel to laughingstock level from here. Reno Mahe waits in the wings. As does Uncle Vai. And Louie Giammona.
The answer to this problem, and to every problem, really, is Timothy Richard Tebow.
Good name, nice college career, but Florida QBs usually peak in Gainesville. You might be right on Tebow though; could go against historical grain.
update: McNabb has been named the starter on Thursday
I guess that’s a sign from “Big Red” to baste your turkey with Campbell’s Chunky Soup, and to pass the creamed onions around the table to all of your mediocre receivers at a 30 to 1 ratio over the mashed potatoes.
Andy Reid on the Donovan McNabb and the starting quarterback situation this week:
It’s incredible and incredibly sad that this story has dominated the front page and Philadelphia sports! The Sixers and the Flyers feel like Rodney Dangerfield and are getting “no respect” for their great weekend victories.
Fans (depsite the economy)– PLEASE GO TO SIXER AND FLYER GAMES!!! THEY NEED YOU!!
The Flyers would perhaps have a better home record if fans showed up, but their road record is surprisingly great thus far.
The Sixers are 5-2 at home thus far, perhaps UNDEFEATED had they not lost the opener and that game against the shorthanded Jazz had Mo put the starters in on time in the 4th qt.
As for the Eagles, they need help and management needs to realize the glory days are all in the past and this is now! Either McNabb or Reid has to go!
Pardon me if I’m a little Seinfeldish here (in a Seinfeld voice), but what’s the deal with this city being a “Basketball Town” (with pro and college hoops) if they call it a “Football Town”?
Don’t make me go a little Costanzainish right here with the Eagles management
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjXUgxR4Z10&feature=related
(see clip starting from 4:49 to 6:05 of video)
(Quite a post for stand up comedy, huh?)
Rob – I do not believe its the fans not showing up for flyers games that has caused their woes. This season the flyers have averaged 19,295 (5th in NHL and filling 99% of arena). I think it’s the teams play that is a problem. Underacheiving goal-tending once again
Was the the first NHL related post on this website??
In regards to the Eagles I think they need to start McNabb at least one more week. I think he is our best chance to win now. I know this seems far fetched but if the Eagles can win out they will most likely make the playoffs. Stranger things have happened like Jeff Garcia winning 3 straight NFC East Road games in December…..
Pete – I can deffinately see McNabb winning a Super Bowl in Minnesota next year. This would only validate my theory that we have no clue how much we will miss McNabb when he is gone (he’s still better then 2/3rds of the qb’s in the NFL). I wish people realized how fortunate we have been to have him….
Jesse- I guess I should have specified, not only show up, but support them and make some noise!!
Watching Eagles games has become torture. I don’t think I could have been happier to see that the Birds were on in New York so I didn’t have to go to a bar to watch the misery I was sure was about to play out. I want Reid and McNabb both out. I always wanted Reid gone and McNabb to stay but I can’t handle either right now. Why has McNabb been so bad these past few weeks? He can’t play in the first quarter and now the second quarter too.
I would start McNabb this week too because of the short week and get Kolb ready for two weeks from now. Let’s see what this kid has. He was a second round pick for a reason so I have to think he has more arm strength than he has shown. Give him a game or two to get comfortable. Look at what has transpired for Matt Cassel over the season. So I wouldn’t get caught up too much into what we have seen thus far from Kolb.
Reid’s coaching has become (or always was) atrocious. The team has gone downhill the past four years. Reid has done nothing to prove he should still be the coach. His offense is stale. Defenses know what is coming. We have no run game. Why doesn’t Buckhalter touch the ball? If Westbrook is hurt, let Buck play more. Was that 100 yard rushing and receiving game against SF not enough? And yes I know Buck got hurt yesterday but this is not just about that one game. Reid cannot manage the clock, he cannot call plays, and he is befuddled by the challenge system. The team has not been good in 4 years. So a regime change is necessary.
I would rather suck next year and work towards respectability with a new QB and draft picks, then have another year like this one and last one next year as our best players continue to age. We have no depth at safety or offensive tackle so there are more issues with this team. I just hope Banner and Lurie see all this too. I think with this ownership the team cannot sink to the levels of the pre-Reid/Lurie era. So I dont agree with all of the football commentary people (Peter King, Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, et al) telling us to be careful what we wish for. I mean seriously, we should be happy with what we have right now? Its not 2004.
Pete Ranking update: After two consecutive atrocious performances by McNabb in critical games against Bengals and Ravens, I am forced to lower him to 7th on the Eagles’ all-time QB list, beneath the newly ascendant #6 Norman Snead (Congratulations, Norman. Just think if you had played a game in the last 30 years!). In McNabb’s sight at present deterioration rate: Rodney Peete, Mike Boryla and Jack Concannon.
The Birds as we know them are officially done. The next time this team is successful and has a chance to win the Superbowl, the playmakers will be totally different players than who is on the field now.
McNabb is 99% out of Philly, and I can’t imagine Reid is more than a year or 2 after him. Although I love Westbrook and what excitement and explosion he brings to the game, it would be in the Eagles best interests to trade him after the season and get the most out of him that they can. By the time this team is ready to start dominating again, he will be way past his prime in running back years. Other than Jackson, they can trade/release all of the WRs. Just trade their NOW talent for draft picks to get FUTURE talent. Its time to rebuild and start over from scratch on offense. I would even draft another QB in case Kolb really is an average player. The defense on the other hand may be young enough and good enough to get the team competitive in 2-3 years.
The Eagles as we all know have peaked for this decade and its a downhill ride from here.
jjg…Go to the “Phils Trade Once Top Prospect Golson” topic. I have something baseball related for you that I know you will want to read.
In honor of Charlie Manuel and his world series victory. “You know….like you just gotta play who is throwin the ball well. You know”
J Dubbz…I am in complete agreement about looking toward the future. There is no more “now” for this club. The “window” has been slammed shut and nailed closed, therefore every decision from this point forward needs to be about building for the future.
Let’s face it, playing for now is pointless. Even if by some miracle they sneak into the playoffs, do they actually have a shot to do anything there? The longer they cling to any false hope this year, it only delays doing what needs to be done to turn things around.
If they do decide to look to the future, the number one question has to be, “Is Andy Reid the guy we want handling the rebuilding process?”. I don’t think so. Pete mentioned Bill Cowher. I think he would be a fantastic choice and a perfect remedy. If Cowher were the coach this year, even without one single change (same players, same coaches, same injuries, etc…), the Eagles would be a much better team than they are now, IMO.
Cowher would be a great coach here. He knows how to win and will get us back to smash mouth football. You can’t pass the ball and win in the NFL today. All the good teams have diverse running games with multiple backs. This is the NFL of today. Run it to open up the passing game, not vice versa. If the Eagles would realize this and run Westbrook/Buckhalter with a more designed running game, the offense would have been much more potent.
J Dubbz, I do not think it would be wise to dump all of our WR. I think that you need to give them a chance with a different QB. Remember how good Garcia made the rest of the team look. But I will agree with the trading of Westbrook and McNabb. MIN with Childress would give up a first rounder bc he cant afford to draft a QB and work him in. He needs to win now, with a QB he has had success with, remember when Childress was here was McNabbs best years. And would a team just close to victory take an aging B-West for a first rounder to put them over the top? I would think we would have to package westbrook with a pick for it to turn into a first rounder, but it would be worth it. With trades like that, suddenly we are sitting nice with four first rounders. Thats two new O-line men, running back, tight end or safety. But if Andy keeps his GM responsibilities all those picks will be a waste.
Jesse, Your dreaming if you think this team will make the playoffs, this team wont win another game.
I’ve been serving the Eagles kool-aid on this site for a long time, but no more. Andy is clearly not into it, and needs to go. The worst? Not telling McNabb he was sitting and not telling Kolb he was starting. That’s just communications 101.
We can’t get rid of Andy’s guys without getting rid of Andy. LJ, Sean C., Reggie Brown GOT TO GO.
I still love #5, I think he’s got 2-3 well above average years left in the tank, and Kolb looks like a disaster. Another Andy guy. Kolb just doesn’t have the arm strength to make that long pass. And so slow the Defensive Tackles run him down.
I don’t blame the interceptions too much on #5 and #4, the D knows you are passing it when you pass 30 times on first down out of the last 31 attempts.
We have to get a coach that will run the ball at least 48% of the time, or we will waste whatever is left of Westbrook’s career.
Bobby Layne, Norm Van Brocklin, Bart Starr, Fran Tarkenton, Billy Kilmer, Joe Kapp, Jim McMahon, Doug Flutie … what did they have that Donovan doesn’t? … hearts for challenges.
I forgot to mention this in my post but does anyone else think Sean Considine is one of the worst players in the NFL? I don’t remember where I read the quote last year, but it went something like this “Sean Considine is always the other guy in someone’s highlight reel.”
That quote was perfect for the past week when he was responsible for poor coverage in the end zone on Wilcox (their TE who only has 5 catches all season) that led to the Ravens 1st TD. Followed by missing his blocking assignment in the 3rd Quarter which led to the block punt and safety
I really hope our worthless coach realizes Considine should be riding the bench just like Kyle Kolb…..
Considine: Terry Hoage, minus the instincts and Georgia ‘Dawg’ pedigree. Might be able to execute better in a more standard system that didn’t blitz every other play like Johnson’s.
I wrote on here once that Sean Considine should just have tire tracks printed on the front of his jersey since he gets run over so often.
he was a walk-on at Iowa…. just not an NFL athlete. He’s a special teams player.
McNabb, at this stage of his career, should simply be in a different system that best exploit his talents. Something like the old run run run, play fake and throw deep style.
Considine hearkens back to Izell “toast” Jenkins. I’m curious to see what Demps could do his his place.
I saw Ravens’ Head Coach Harbaugh talking to Considine (20 tackles – 14 solos, 6 assists) after Sunday’s game with what I took to be respectful regard. A walk-on climbs more hurdles than a scholarship athlete in countermanding perception. MAY have mental toughness and physical grit that exceeds others, developed while compensating for natural gift deficit. Talk about tire tracks, Shepherd (18 tackles – 16 solo, 2 assist) and Samuel (27 tackles – 24 solo, 3 assists) have proven this year to be great touch football d-backs.