Comments on: What’s Wrong With Our Philadelphia Eagles?

By: gcl138

gcl138 — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:23:23 +0000

At this point Im so frustrated with this team its hard to put blame on one thing. Lets first start with the players. Why do we hang on to players that are aging and/or not producing. Our OT have been great, but they are old and are not getting the push they used to and/or getting beat. Those goal line pushes might have been great calls on Andy’s behalf but not full-filled by the O-line. We had 10 draft picks this year and did not even address our sorry tight ends. All three of them are junk. Our Kicker has missed 3 field goals in two games that any younger kicker in the league can consistantly hit. Missing those kicks puts our tired D back on the field and in bad position. I like Akers, but he is just a kicker, he has only one job, he stinks, dump his A$$.
Coaching-This team has to much talent to keep hearing Andy say, “that was my fault” “we can do better then that”, then fix it! Its been ten years and every time he has taken over the play calling we have no offense in whole second half. Total frustration.

By: jjg

jjg — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:39:02 +0000

A revival of Reid’s coaching fortune minus McNabb, or a McNabb resurgence to elite playing form without Reid – which is the more likely occurrence? I think the answer could provide some direction for the Eagles.

Am not fully convinced but I wonder if McNabb’s considerable ego – and tapdancing around it by virtue of Reid’s unswerving support – has tired and demoralized his teammates to a point of distracted, inconsistent performance. One shouldn’t have such an effect – in theory.

By: jjg

jjg — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:23:39 +0000

Don’t see necessary esprit de corps on sidelines, the mark of a winning team. Has probably lost the room to an impairing
extent through repetition’s attrition and undelivered promises. Can’t imagine Lurie cutting Reid loose anytime soon though.

By: Dannie

Dannie — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:56:48 +0000

Some worrisome quotes I’ve heard lately out of the Eagles…

To the question to both Andy Reid himself and players:

Does he (Andy Reid) still have the locker room? The consistent response has been “I think so.”

You THINK isn’t the confident response you want coming from the coach himself let alone his players.

By: jjg

jjg — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:51:16 +0000

The Reid/McNabb marriage is on the rocks. Friends Lurie, Banner and Heckert are hoping against hope. Syracuse is not the best place to pick a mate. It’s sinking in for Andy. 10 years is a long time. People change. The light is gone from both sets of eyes. Parting is such sweet sorrow. They’ll always have Niagara Falls.

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:37:01 +0000

JMKinLA-

injuries are certainly not an excuse. BUT, Westbrook and Andrews are the two best football players on this team. Take the two best football players off of any team, and there will be struggles. BUT, in this case, there is much more than those two as the problem.

By: JMKinLA

JMKinLA — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:18:43 +0000

Not buying the injury excuse — sure, Westbrook and Andrews are critical components to the offense, but let’s be fair: the Skins were playing without 4 of their top defenders, including Jason Taylor and Shawn Springs. This really looks like poor coaching…bad game-planning and the in-game adjustments are just completely non-existent. I also agree with those who are saying that AR’s conservatism is robbing the team of its swagger. And he keeps saying it’s his fault — when will he start calling out some of these guys instead of deflecting the blame onto himself [thereby reducing the players' accountability]. I’m getting really tired of the act. Now going on 4 years of basically mediocre football. That night in Jacksonville feels like ancient history.

Finally, I don’t know what’s giving anyone confidence that the Eagles will sweep through these next 3 games. SF and Atlanta are no worse, really, than the Bears. Atlanta plays a lot like the Skins — slick powerful running game behind zone blocking, controlled underneath passing, and a solid, stay-at-home D. They just beat the Packers at Lambeau and will be coming off their bye. SF at home has shown that they can put up some numbers and create turnovers and just played the Pats pretty tough out there. And Seattle, while they look hideous right now, has a whole month to work things out, and I think it’s fair to say that they won’t be as bad then as they are now…they’re too talented and well-coached to continue like this. I don’t know…at this point, two out of the next three would feel like a meaningful accomplishment…4-4 at the halfway point and then try to run the table in the 2nd half like the Giants did last year. It’s not much to hang on to, but I fear it’s all we got.

By: jjg

jjg — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:32:57 +0000

Dannie, Even his strong supporters, like former players Douglas and Reese, don’t mention a motivational or inspirational quality when defending “Big Red”. His calling cards seem to be (1) preparation, (2) a reliabilty that springs from a regimented, hard-working approach and (3) a degree of loyalty to those who buy in to his system. His vaunted “West Coast” offense has seen better days; (ironically) is lacking innovation, spark.

By: Dannie

Dannie — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:31:37 +0000

JJG – I agree I don’t see Reid as the motivational type from the outside looking in. I have no idea what his locker room talks are like and the players never speak of it which could be a bad sign in of itself.

Players who are motivated by their head coach say so. I haven’t heard much of that from the Eagles players have any of you?

By: jjg

jjg — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:14:08 +0000

Can’t supply substantiation, but I’m of the belief that Andy Reid, despite getting a lot of credit for being a sharp tack, is a rather ordinary mind. As a head coach, seems like a defensive chess player in his essence, rather than a progressive genius of any sort. (The highly doubted as ready) Zorn (who was a creative QB) outcoached him up and down the field yesterday. Eagles are appearing somewhat robotic and trancelike from Reid’s reliance on the low-risk move. If his pre-game and halftime talks resemble his press conference manner of speaking, inspiration isn’t his bag either. Missing on offense -a co-catalyst to complement Westbrook, a take-charge leader at quarterback, a field confidence/playmaker named Owens, a high-quality tight end and the commitment to establish a running game.