This One's On Andy
The Eagles' head coach gave away what should have been a victory in Chicago.
This One's On Andy
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Early this morning, at the end of a hectic day, your Eagletarian finally was given enough time with the stat sheet to figure something out:
The Eagles lost a football game Sunday night to a quarterback who threw for 17 net yards in the second half, and who looked like he needed a change of underwear every time the rush closed in.
Yes, they are singing Kyle Orton's praises along the shoreline of Lake Michigan this morning, because the Bears somehow won. Their four turnovers -- two picks and two Orton fumbles -- cost them a couple of piddling field goals. The Eagles turned the ball over twice, once leading to a touchdown. Advantage, Chicago, 7-6.
Remind me of this game, someone out there, please, the next time I pick the Birds and Andy Reid to beat anybody on the road, without Brian Westbrook.
Reid is the man who kept sending David Akers out to try to make 47- and 50-yard field goals, in a place they call the Windy City, even though it's been a few years since Akers consistently converted from such distances. He is the man who didn't want to run a quarterback sneak because of Donovan McNabb's contused chest, even though McNabb said afterward he would have done whatever was necessary to win, and even though it is hard to recall the last time McNabb got stuffed on a sneak. McNabb weighs 240 pounds and has the shoulders of a fullback. He can take the ball from Jamaal Jackson and lean forward to substantial effect, before the defensive line gets penetration.
Reid is the man who called four successive inside runs down at the goalline against a Bears defense that entered the day fourth against the run and 28th against the pass. Reid, the most pass-happy coach in Eagles history, watched McNabb go 4 for-4 on the drive that ended with Correll Buckhalter getting stopped short of the goalline on third and fourth down. (Buck barely functional, by the way, after getting kicked in the back making a tackle on the pick, which happened when DeSean Jackson broke off his route prematurely and went the opposite way from where McNabb thought he was going.) Reid did not call a pass, or even have McNabb roll out, on any of the four downs the Birds got following Tony Hunt's first-down catch at the 4.
It was Reid who never threw the challenge flag, though there were key refereeing decisions that should have been challenged. Here's one example: just before the two-minute warning in the second quarter, on third and 7 from the Bears' 28, Chicago rookie running back Matt Forte was given credit for a 7-yard pass reception and a first down. Replays sure seemed to show Forte's knees down before he extended forward with the ball and picked up the first down. Eagles defensive end Trent Cole said afterward he noted this, and was vocal about the need for review, which was not forthcoming. The Bears went on to score the touchdown that put them ahead for good.
To me, this debacle was all about Reid. McNabb was fine, especially for a guy with a bruised chest. The pick he threw wasn't his fault. The Eagles outgained the Bears, 340 net yards to 256. But they converted just 2 of 13 third downs, which is what happens when you don't have the weapons to get it done when the going is tough. And when your playcalling is all over the place.
Blame Jim Johnson if you want, for letting Orton throw three first-half touchdown passes, something that should have never happened. But Johnson's defense allowed three points in the second half, and took the ball away three times. The Bears gained all of 60 yards after halftime. Reid kept pushing the wrong levers from beginning to end, on an evening when he had little margin for error, without Westbrook, and the Eagles lost.
There will be a lot of positive spinning from NovaCare this week. You'll hear a little about what a good team the Bears are (from this perspective, they looked mediocre, at best) and a lot about how the Eagles continue to show their potential, how good they will be on that happy day when they put it all together.
Woulda.
Coulda.
Shoulda.
Didn't.
Oh and can someone tell me what happened to the fade pattern to Baskett I heard about all preseason?? Still waiting to see that one dialed up in the red zone.— birds4ever- 8-8, blame it on McNabb, let him go. 6-10 next year with Kolb, then they let Andy go, then in 2010 we get a new coach, and bring in a veteren QB. 2011 Lurie sells out , 2012, Birds win Superbowl, as McNabb has returned as backup so he can retire a Eagle, and looks on as the team wins the SB due to the fact the new owner gets quaility players. At this point Andy is caoch of a 2-14 Arizona cards team and is begging McNabb to do one more season with him in Arizona.— starman
- Someone needs to question AR on the personnel front. Its clear Westbrooks a tad fragile, yet look at the back ups they have, Buck with three knee surgeries, Booker, who the worst team in the league no longer wanted, and Hunt who they drafted in the 3rd round, yet has already been converted to FB. And for all the money and draft picks thrown at the secondary and d line over the years, they are still inconsistent. NYG still have a better pash rush and they lost Strahan and Umeniyora.— RG
- The way Hank Baskett played last night was pitifall.— starman
- And, imho, it looks like the Birds are the fourth best team in the city, again. Yet they often receive the most hype and coverage. I knwo its a football town, but m,aybe its time to pay a little more attention to the other teams.— RG
- Andy reminds me of the proverbial guy that stands there hitting himself over the head with a hammer. When asked why, he said that it feels so good when I stop. Smart humans learn from their mistakes. Andy makes the same mistakes over, and over, and...— JamesJ
- Blame Andy all you want (seems de riguer among the press), but Hunt should have scored (and so should had Buckholder) on the penultimate drive...and Avant let a ball go right through his hands in another goal line failure. As far as the kicker, he's got to make at least one of those long kicks. Sure, blame the coach if it makes you feel better.— bobcitydoc
- Bob, if the players aren't good enough, shouldn't we blame the GM then?— RG
- Good call les! This one was all ANDY !I though MARTY WAS CALLING THE PLAYS .The D played well enough to win ,gave the O GOOD field pos.Did any one notice only a few penalty call ALL NIGHT!— phi2885
- It's like deja vu all over again... Reid is a good coach. However, I think it's time for another Captain to take control of this "rudderless ship" If I hear him say "it's my fault" one more time, I'm gonna puke!— chadk9
- Anyone else notice that wiff Matt Schobel put on the DE who made the tackle on 4th and one?— latur99
- I can put up with one bad coaching decision during a game, but four or five. Andy had a terrible day. Once again he shows us that he is not a good game-day coach. I was screaming my lungs out when he did not challenge the touchdown and later the first down. He is one of the most overrated coaches ever. He is lucky he had McNabb all these years to bail him out. And BTW, it looks like he is still making the calls. You saw when he was giving instructions to Basket on the sidelines and then the ball went to Basket and he missed the catch?— EL Zorro
- Yes, part of this loss is on Reid but his players also didn't execute well. I do find if funny that all the people who are complaining about 4 straight running plays on the goalline are probably the same people who use to complain about Reid going pass happy in that same situation. And look- Reid will a Super Bowl someday. Maybe not with the Eagles, because all of you dumb fans will run the greatest coach we've ever have out of town (along with the greatest QB we've ever have). Then you all can be miserable with a 3-13 team for about 10 years. At least I'll be able to get season tickets then.— libertyof76
- Andy still craps himself inside the 20 yard line - and last night he took a big dump with only one yard to go. No fade as Birds4ever suggests and bootleg because his QB is still "sore". It's been said a thousand times but I'm tiring of hearing it..."I have to do a better job there..."— MrJimmy
- I think Andy should let McNabb call the plays. It can't be any worse than what is done now.— palmyra21
