Posted: Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 3:36 PM | 48 comments |
 

If Kolb Starts, Who Will Finish?
options
 

Or, more to the point, will Andy Reid and the Eagles stick with the kid regardless of what's happening Sunday, just to make the point that they stuck with the kid?

If Kevin Kolb manages the game well enough and the defense plays as it did against Carolina, it's a moot question. The Eagles take a win over New Orleans, Donovan gets another week to heal, and Kolb gets the start again the following game against Kansas City.

But what if that's not how it goes? What would it take for Jeff Garcia to get on the field this Sunday. It could be a game in which the offense is flat, the outcome is still in doubt and the game is headed into the fourth quarter. Andy Reid doesn't like to be wrong, but he also doesn't like to lose games, particularly conference games when you never know how many wins are necessary to secure home-field advantage in the playoffs.

When Garcia was here the first time around, he was amazed that the backup never got to take snaps with the first-team offense during the week. The starter got all the reps with the starting unit -- unlike many other places -- and that's still the case. Kolb, according to Reid, will take all the snaps with the No. 1's, while Garcia and Michael Vick split snaps on the scout team. What good that will do Garcia as he runs the other team's offense and hands the ball to Eldra Buckley is difficult to determine.

Perhaps the point is that Reid has zero intention of putting Garcia on the field unless Kolb is injured and can't continue. He intends to give the kid every snap of this game, live and die with the results, and learn more about Kolb than he knew before.

 At Reid's press conference Wednesday, he was asked about where he thought Kolb was in the development process. He said:

“I think he does a nice job for only being here a short period of time and really had no game experience with practice prior to that. I think he’s done a nice job. I think we all keep in mind that he’s a young guy and doesn’t have a lot of experience, so there might be a misfire here and there. Overall, I feel very comfortable with him in there knowing the offense. He’s very well advanced knowing where people are and the defenses that he’s playing against and I think he’s got a great feel for the game. I think between myself and the coaches and the players, we all have a lot of confidence that he’ll go out given the chance and perform very, very well.”
 
But does he get the whole game if that's not the case? That is the most interesting question of all.
Posted by Bob Ford @ 3:36 PM  Permalink | 48 comments
48
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:23 PM, 09/16/2009
    Bob,Id bet you my milk money he would NOT get benched.Reguardless of how brutal he will be.Kevin Klump has shown absolutly nothing to this point.He said yesterday he was having trouble "flicking the switch",to me it translated"blah blah bal excuse bl blahbla Excuse"
    — stupidgurl
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:24 PM, 09/16/2009
    Bob,Id bet you my milk money he would NOT get benched.Reguardless of how brutal he will be.Kevin Klump has shown absolutly nothing to this point.He said yesterday he was having trouble "flicking the switch",to me it translated"blah blah bal excuse bl blahbla Excuse"
    — stupidgurl
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:32 PM, 09/16/2009
    we will lov 2 se kolb...saints #1fan
    — joe beez
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:35 PM, 09/16/2009
    Or, what if he goes out and lights it up for 34 points and 4 TD passes and zero INTs then does the same thing vs KC one week later?
    — MidGreen
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:37 PM, 09/16/2009
    The guy has never started a game that matters in the NFL. So, if he goes out and loses, he stinks; if he wins, he gets to start the following week. You can't judge a guy on just 1 or 2 games. Regardless of how he plays this Sunday, we really won't know how good he is until he plays a full season. You got to give a guy a chance to prove himself. 1-2 games does not a career make.
    — Moozsha
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:48 PM, 09/16/2009
    stupidgurl, you are named appropriately. Kolb has never practiced with the first team. Give him a break. You obviously know very little about football. And you are stupid.
    — frankfj
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:51 PM, 09/16/2009
    11-29 for 129 yrds. 3 picks 2 fumbles
    — stupidgurl
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:57 PM, 09/16/2009
    stupidgurl: Your name says it all. Plus, your spelling and grammar are horrible. Do you think anyone will give you a inch of credibility with posts like your first one? Think not.
    — gho_matt
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:00 PM, 09/16/2009
    No one gets a whole season to prove he good, the Eagles have a good team around Kolb now. If Kolb is any good he will play well with the starters from day one. Like Sanchez, Ryan , Roe..burgher, Brady etc.... If he has the IT factor he would definitely have his fair share of good moments. He has not one good moment yet, and the pre-season does not count.
    — Stanford
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:03 PM, 09/16/2009
    stupid, yesterday i clearly ddnt agree with you and today i could not agree more.. it seems as though every time he talks about sundays game he gives an excuse as to why he wont win.. I also agree that no matter how bad he does (which i think will be pretty bad) there is no way he will be taken out of the game..
    — bleed green forever
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:09 PM, 09/16/2009
    frankfj: since you are such a football brain.. can you please tell me where you get off saying that kolb never practices with the first team.. I was at training camp for two weeks and there was plenty of times when the only person to leave the field was mcnabb and the only person to come onto the field was kolb.. look at all the success that the eagles have had in the past with back up QBS (garcia. feeley,etc) do you morons really think that is because they go all year playing with the scout team? you cant be that dumb... i know they do not get as much as the starter but that is because they are the BACKUP that is what a backup is brought in to do.. kolb should be ready to go into every game at any second and he clearly is not ready to do that based on all of his professional games...
    — bleed green forever
  • Comment removed.
  • Comment removed.
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:26 PM, 09/16/2009
    Wow, I can't believe how many idiots are on this post. Bleed green, that's training camp. Backups don't get any reps during the week before a game. The week before a game is when the GAMEPLAN is instituted. Therefore, they are focusing in on a particular package of plays. Training camp focuses on a watered down version of the entire playbook. It is used more for getting in football shape and fine tuning routes and throws. Apparently, you've never played organized football. Give the kid a chance you bunch of know-it-alls!
    — Jamerock


48 comments | View All Comments | View All By Latest
View comments: 1  |  2  |  3  |  4
About Bob Ford
Bob Ford has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 1981, and is still trying to figure it all out. A former beat writer covering the Phillies and the 76ers, Ford became a general sports columnist for the Inquirer in 2003, following in and occasionally falling in the deep footsteps of Bill Lyon, Frank Dolson and many distinguished others. He comes to the Philly.com blogosphere after award-winning success as designer/editor of the fabulous Pen & Pencil Club softball blog. Likes: Palestra, inside-the-park home runs, sunny days. Dislikes: phony people, cloudy days, rewrites.
Follow on Twitter

Advertise Here