The Andy-bashers are giving the coach grudging credit for sticking with the run game against the Vikings even though it wasn't working. This is wrong. He didn't stick with it. They weren't getting anything out of it (but for one 27-yard run by Correll Buckhalter). The rest of the time, Brian Westbrook was banging his head against a wall and he didn't look like he had the burst it would take to bounce outside. So Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg did what they almost always do in that situation -- they threw.
At the point where Westbrook caught the 71-yard screen pass for a touchdown, the Eagles has called about 68 percent passes and 32 percent runs. When they are losing, these are the kinds of numbers that get Reid barbecued. It is only a few play calls away from the sainted concept of balance, but people here insist that those play calls are the holy grail. Well, he wasn't balanced yesterday. So why aren't the Balance Police out in force?
Because it was never about the play-calling, except in the most extreme cases. It is about the players. Most of all,this was about a defense that tightened up at halftime and smothered Minnesota. On the other side of the ball, it was about Eagles receivers holding on to the ball and, especially, it was about Donovan McNabb delivering the ball under pressure. He did turn it over twice, and that can get you beat against a better offensive team, but McNabb played a tough game and absorbed a lot of punishment and functioned well overall.
Rich, I admire your work and have always respected your opinions. However, it is clear that you don't get it when it comes to the playcalling gripe fans have with Andy. Your logic has always been to blame the players - essentially saying that the coaches are incapable of putting the players in a bad position. The unbalanced approach puts the players in a bad position. Running the ball provides balance, and to be honest, Andy's philosophy yesterday was an improvement. Considering what Minny's numbers were against the run (#1 in the league), what Reid did was appropriate. It's when he's facing teams that aren't as good against the run as they are against the pass - when he's incessantly calling passes that fly in the face of logic - that drive fans nuts. Have you read the quotes from opposing defensive players?
Good win for eagles. The tight end play was main reason along with westbrook getting lucky and breaking a clinching td. I fault AR for not giving buck more touches. Hopefully McNabb dosen't get a swelled head bigger then it is now, until Westbrook broke his run McNabb looked like a deer in the headlights-ready to upchuck like in his last playoff game in 04). Laurie/Banner still need at seasons end to offer AR his choice of either head coach or GM-not both anymore. McNabb should be offered a year by year contract to see if he can continue to improve on his ground ball throws-no way in hell a extension or new a contract!!!
Rich:
The problem all along has not been that there has been an imbalance. It has been when Andy has completely abandoned the running game. You failed to note that Andy's decision to keep running the ball every so often led to the biggest play of the game. On Westbrook's 71 yard td, the Eagles ran play action to Westbrook before he went out on the screen. Because the Eagles had continued to call running plays in the second half, the play action was just effective enough to spring Westbrook.
it's not the percents that we were just worried about. It's when they were called. The mixed the run into every few plays rather than go on 7-10 play streaks of only throwing it.
I'm still not saying a thing until we face the Giants or until we are Superbowl bounded. But I believe that if Andy continues to mix it with some running during games, we have a pretty good chance.
I think Andy has proven to be among the elite coaches in the NFL. I think McNabb has proven to be among the elite QB's in the NFL. WIP and the boo birds should shup up now.
I agree with R. Hoffman. Eagles fans are the worst in sports. They don't have any knowledge of football, when in doubt blast the head coach. My biggest wish is for Reid to leave and then win a Super Bowl the next year with another team, and meanwhile these ingrate fans see another 45 years with no Super Bowl.
He didn't run the screen til the 4th quarter...Buckhalter was just about taken out for the day after just 2 rushes for 30 yards...I'm glad we keep saying 'Andy Haters go away', but was I the only one who saw that abomination called a 2 minute drill before the half? Or how about 3 consecutive drives with 3rd and less than 2 yards? Anybody remember those called plays? Lining up in the shotgun or throwing 50 yards down the field? They struck gold on 1 play on offense all day. For Andy Reid lovers who think this guy is a genius, it's been Jim Johnson and his players who've been carrying this team for 10 years... that said, the Eagles offense played well driving the ball out of the deep end in the 2nd half. I don't hate Andy at all, it's just that his adjustments and playcalling sucks-Even Westbrook had no explanation for how Andy calls a game. If Westbrook hadn't scored on the 71 yard screen, everybody else would be saying exactly what I'm saying. Winning cures all of that, and I hope the birds win in NY...
Great win, but play calling was still an issue. Buckhalter didn't touch the ball after having a big run. Needed 1 yard and threw a 50 yard pass for an interception. Even Aikman questioned this call.
How about running Westbrook underneath the linebackers, which has worked so well for the past few weeks.
One thing that was impressive is they found the hole in the middle and kept passing for 9 or 10 yards. In the past, they wouldn't have kept coming back to that play.
Lonewolf, you know this how? A stupid call especially when he had the field wide open (to run) to continue the drive, not give the ball back to Minn....keep drives going....keep your D off the field, that's what wins games. Juggs you are so right on every count. Rich, read Juggs' take on things, then you'll get it.
Lonewolf, you know this how? A stupid call especially when he had the field wide open (to run) to continue the drive, not give the ball back to Minn....keep drives going....keep your D off the field, that's what wins games. Juggs you are so right on every count. Rich, read Juggs' take on things, then you'll get it. Nate, you're right too....
McNabb made a bad decision to throw the deep ball on 3rd and 1. Not much hiding that. Sh*t happens, lonewolf's life is a great example of that. But guess what, we won, and that's pretty much all that matters
As others have noted, the play at the end of the first half was dumb and classic Andy Reid. Reid's done a good job most of these last few weeks and more importantly the players have played well but I don't have much faith in this team winning a game in the last two minutes.
You're wrong Rich. Everyone knew before the Vikings game started that this was going to be the perfect case study in support of Reid's pass-happy ways. Even so, the Eagles won because they were the more experienced and talented team at key positions (i.e. quarterback and defensive secondary)--not because an unbalanced offense is the right philosophy to win your way through the playoffs. Passing relies on a higher level of player execution to be successful and can be more erratic. Football isn't chess, but in today's NFL game when two teams have close to equal talent...preparation, day-game coaching, and play calling matters a lot--almost as much as player execution. When NFL defenses know your tendancies it makes a talented offense (or a talented player/quarterback) look bad and the defense gets worn out. When the Eagles have lost this season, we've heard several times after the games that opposing players knew exactly what was coming. Moreover, there's a synergistic effect between a balanced offense/(ball-control), quarterback play, and defensive performance. Run the ball well and quarterbacks have an easier time doing their job. Run the ball well and defenses get rest. Even when running fails for most of the game, having the largest offensive line in football pushing on the other team, wears out that defense, keeps the defense honest, gives the offense at least a chance of making a critical 3rd and 1 late, and allows "surprises" like our rarely used screen to work. Its BOTH the play calls AND the players.
please,
one of the reasons why the birds won is because Reid didn't abandon the run when it wasn't producing the results he wanted like so many time before. the issue wasnt truly about balance, but about reid abandoning the run, making our offense predictable, and allowing the defense to be pass mode for the whole game. good work reid, terrible column hoffman.
Rich, Maybe you wanna take a look at who won in the playoffs this past weekend. Every team that won, even the Cardinals were pretty close to 50/50. The Eagles werent 50/50, but they were as close as they are going to get. They werent 65 pass/35 run like normal. And the griping is about when the pass is called instead of a run. And dont give me the screen pass is as good as a run. Have you seen McNabb throw the screen lately? You dont throw the ball on 3rd or 4th and 1. And if you also throw throw throw, what keeps the defense of balance? All they have to do is cover the pass. I thought you were a smarter football person than that. You are now coming off as Eskin's long lost brother and worship the Gods of Andy Reid.
A decent point -- it always comes down to players making plays. But can someone explain to me why the Eagles only ran 1 screen in the first 3 quarters, and I don't remember seeing any play-action? That seems strange ahen the MN defenders were coming hard after McNabb on every play. Better play calling will make this a better offense... until then I guess we'll see a lot of field goals.
He did a good job and the players did a good job of executing. The next opponent is going to be the real challenge for Ried's play calling/game prep ability. We just played them and they have a coach that knows our schemes better than anyone.
I would have like to see buckhalter get more carries. I think he is playing the best of any eagle running back right now. He has something to prove and I hope he gets some touches next week. Also I likethe 3rd string big fullback like kid. I hope the eagels use him this week as well against the giants. Imagine the eagles having first and goal from the 4 and come out in double tight power eye with buckhalter at halfback, klecko and the big white guy as the power men.
Reid will do the best he can I am sure. Hopefully he gets creative at least with the personnel packages. The Giants know us better than anyone and we should know them the same. I know the defence and Big Jim Johnson will be there. I know D-Mac is bringing his A-game as well. If Westy stays healthy this could be something special in the making.
GO BIRDS.
We all knew going in that they weren't gonna run on the Vikes...they had to throw it and they did. The frustrating thing is that Andy passes 70% of the time against everybody...where is the game-planning there. And Westbrook gets 90% of those plays, so the opposition never really has to guess what's coming. This was a nice win and I'm gonna enjoy it, but unless we beat the Giants this week, it will be a fairly disappointing year. Hey, maybe we ARE spoiled.
why are people saying that the TD was their first screen? There was one in the first quarter that he missed Westbrook on off his helmet. Why do people forget these stupid little details?
Rich, let me join the chorus of your longtime fans who think you're dead wrong on this one. The problem has not been that our WRs aren't talented enough to catch the ball when 65% of the plays are pass plays. The problem has been that (a) our QB can not consistently put the ball where it's supposed to go; and (b) YOU JUST DON'T WIN IN THE NFL WITH THAT KIND OF PLAY SELECTION!!!
I was one of the Andy/McNabb bashers, but I agree with one of the Network TV analysts who said "Who else is available that is any better?" It wasn't the wins that shut me up, but it eases the pain!
jwatson, you obviously were not watching yesterday.
McNabb completed 68% of his passes with a strong pass rush in his face. He threw about 4 bad passes and I believe only 1 of them was a 'ground ball'. Agree that Buck needs more touches - I've been screaming all year for this and still am.
Re McNabb, the answer is the same - he does not have enough WR/TE 'weapons' or red-zone players to go to. It's been this way his entire career with exception of T.O. (all due respect to Chad Lewis).
PhilCali
My only complaint yesterday was the lack of use of Buc..... Westbrook, is obviously not himself......so why not let Buc grind them down? He is a better power guy anyway. Buc could have softened them up for Bwest...
It was a good win, and I don't think they should have ran more..except the THIRD AND SHORT PLAYS. I'm sick of us passing on 3rd and short, we need to either run or sneak on those plays. I mean really we are terrible on 3rd and short, one of the worst teams in the league. Thats really where we need to run more. And not those dumb late handoff runs, or draw plays. It needs to be a direct snap, or off tackle, or sneak!
It was a good win, and I don't think they should have ran more..except the THIRD AND SHORT PLAYS. I'm sick of us passing on 3rd and short, we need to either run or sneak on those plays. I mean really we are terrible on 3rd and short, one of the worst teams in the league. Thats really where we need to run more. And not those dumb late handoff runs, or draw plays. It needs to be a direct snap, or off tackle, or sneak!
It's time to stop slamming Reid and McNabb and concentrate on beating the Giants next weekend and take one game at a time after that. We could end up in the SuperBowl. We could even win it--after everyone thought it was hopeless for them to get this far. Still I think some of you will find something to whine about even if the Eagles end up SuperBowl champions.
The screen worked so well because they didn't run it until the big play. But needed to trap or screen at that Jared Allen, he was in the backfield all day. And yes, where was Buck?
Rich, your premise is flawed in several regards.
The problenm is not balance, per se, but playcalling was- and continues to be- a major issue. Yes, Rich, the Eagles passed considerably more than they ran yesterday, perhaps because the Vikings had the BEST RUN DEFENSE IN THE NFL, and packed the box time after time. However, unlike previous disatsters, MorningReid never completely abanndoned the run, as he/they did against, say, Washington, when they threw I believe 16 consecutive passes at one point (this despite the fact that the Redskins basically used nickel coverage as their base defense, daring the Eagles to run), leading to 3-and-out after 3-and-out, and exhausting the Birds' best weapon, the defense. Another aspect of playcalling regards getting the ball to players who can do something with it. Andy has stubbornly insisted, prior to last week, on including LJ Smith in the offense. Replacing him with someone marginally slower, but who can actually catach, and surprise, surprise, the Eagles have added another element to their offensive game, creating another problem for defenses to honor and easing the pressure/coverage on other receivers.
Also in regards to playcalling, Andy has shown, for the second time in 3 weeks, a surprising lack of confidence in the offense by choosing to punt on a fourth and inches in a relatively neutral part of the field. Of course, one can point to their earlier failure to convert/score in numerous short-yardage situations at the goal line (though they too had much to do with terrible play-calls) but really, you can't EXPECT yuor road-grading o-line, or your fullback-sized QB to pick up a few inches, and create a huge momentum/ego boost at the same time?
And, no we'll never know who decided to throw the ball forty yards downfield when the Vikings defense was completely out of place on a third and 1, but it, too was a horrible decision/call- there was an opening the size of Roosevelt Blvd in the middle of the field.
this is the worst article in football. no one expected him to run the ball a lot. Your paper even advised that this was not the game to have "balance." MN has a much better run defense than ny and, o fcourse, we beat ny the last time out. it's not about having balance every game, it's about having the right game plan based on your opponent. many of the game plans this year sucked, everyone blames mcnabb for the slow starts, but it also has to do with the crappy scripted plays each game.
It IS the play calls and, you said it yurself, the PLAYER SELECTION. Buckhalter was the more effective runner. He galloped to a yard eating twenty yards and, true to REid's nature, IS NEVEr HEARD FROM AGAIN THE REST OF ThE GAME. This is why games that are won by the Eagles are made harder than necessary because of stupid decisions NOT to use the more effective player in certain situations. It was obvious that Westbrook couldn't carry the heavy duty load himself. (WEstbrook is NOT very good between the tackles) and that Buckhalter should have been given a fair share of carries. Westbrook should be used to carry plays designed to be run outside, Buckhalter is the more effective between the tackles runner yet, is sparingly used. Why?
not only do we have to implore these jerks to use more running plays, now we have to tell them (from our perspective, which I think is FAR superior to THEIR perspective) WHICH players to use in WHICH situations. Coach Reid, USE BUCKHALTER MORE.
It's not the play calling? Go watch the Bears, Bengals and Redskins games again and if you don't see it, watch them again. Focus on plays called on 3rd down and in the red zone. Btw, Reid/Marty are responsible for who is on the field while on offense too. If someone can't catch or block, bench them.
Kjuggs, Reid the GM landed those players that you cite as the reason for success. Are you one of the Didinger/Cataldi followers who blasted his talent evaluation ability?
As far as Reid the coach...he may not have a SB, but his play-off record is better than say, a guy like Tony Dungy (9-10, and he went one and done 6 of 13 appearances). AR, on the other hand, is 9-6 and has NEVER been one and done). I know we'd all like a SB, but that is not the measure...if you use that ill-conceived logic, Barry Switzer was a better coach than Marv Levy or George Allen. The same holds true for McNabb as far as that as a measurement...Peyton Manning (14-7 and one and done 5 of 8 years). McNabb is 7-5 and was never one and done...oh and his TD/INT is 18/12 with an 80.1 rating compared to Manning's 21/17 and 84.6 rating. Not quite the W/L (injuries and opportunitues) but comparable...once again the SB is not the defining one...if it were Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer are superior to Dan Fouts or Dan Marino. Even a WIPinhead is not that blind.
Good game, but he looks so slovenly. Doesn't he know how to dress up and look the part ? Come on Andy, and lose some weight too. You're giving your heart some real stress.
Rich the journo has to insult the philly.com readers even though he depends on them for his paycheck. in case you missed the game, Rich - they almost lost. only the westbrook run threat opened Avant and Celek on those big 3rd down conversions. where do you think the LB's would have been if they didnt have to respect the run game. educated yourself
What I love about Philly is the depth of knowledge in the fan base. It's a tough town to play in for a number of reasons but mostly because the fans care so much and know so much about the team and the game. Rich, there are fans who love to bash for the sake of bashing, but these comments show an analysis that goes beyond "it's not the play calls it's the players." Your analysis is right to a point but the comments I see here are from people who know what they're talking about and want the Iggles to win. I know I fall into that category. Andy Reid is a good to very good coach but a liability when it comes to gameday strategy and adjustments. I'm not sure whether he has helped or hindered McNabb's growth as a QB. Go Iggles!!!
Are you kidding paytoplay? They needed Buckhalter for what exactly? To call more passing plays? They could have used a Tight End or Fullback , according to the package, to do that job and still ran Buck more. Stop making excuses for those incompetents. The Eagles won DESPITE incompetent playcalling, not because of it.
I love it, the man's never lost an entry playoff game and you bashers still don't get it.
December (and January) his teams are ready - that's when you want to be ready.
If you want to be around beyond the first generation of success, you have to backfill - as players move on you need to infuse your roster with youth, sometimes at the expense of September success, but by December the young’ns get it.
What's more, your regime might survive past its initial success, look at Noll’s Steelers , Jimmy Johnson’s Cowboys and Walsh’s 49ers, when their guys got old they fell off a cliff.
It’s also why you bargain tough so you don’t pay premium salary for past excellence. You wind up with too much cap tied up in too few productive players.
Hell, Reid’s got a whole new defense since his start. He’s not going anywhere.
Rich.. Your "out of bounds" as usual... Andy made a very respectable attempt to balance between run and pass. Just because it wasn't a 50/50 ratio doesn't mean there wasn't balance. The idea is to include the running game in the offense which was done. What game were you watching?
Rich.. Your "out of bounds" as usual... Andy made a very respectable attempt to balance between run and pass. Just because it wasn't a 50/50 ratio doesn't mean there wasn't balance. The idea is to include the running game in the offense which was done. What game were you watching?
It's always sad when the average fan knows more about the game than someone who gets paid to cover it. The unstated premise of Mr. Hofmann's post is that the Eagles offense had a strong game against the Vikings--it did not. Of the 26 points scored, 7 were attributable to the defense directly, 3 to a turnover caused by the defense, and 3 to special teams (a long punt return by DeSean Jackson). So the Eagles offense is only fully responsible for 13 points--barely average. So, now, what exactly is your point, Mr. Hofmann?
MarkP...the Ravens got five TO's, one for a TD, too. Have a great running game and only managed two TD's (thanks to another ED Reed return). Offense, Special Teams, Defense...it's a team game. Nit pick, nitpick. I bet you are one of those "Ray Didinger said" types!
Offense had 350 yards in offense in the game...NFL average is 248...For perspective, the Eagles were the #9 team on offense for the year at....350.5 YPG! And of the top 10, #1-3, 5 and 8 (in case you can't count, that's 5 teams) did not make the play-offs. Defense and Turnovers, baby. BTW, the #3 defense in the NFL was your Eagles.
What's truly sad is a fan who claims knowledge when, alas, none exists. Keep listening to WIP!
What's sad is folks who make blanket statements without searching for any specifics.
Rich, you cannot say "it's the players and not the play calls" and have any credibility. If balance isn't important than why huddle away from the opposition? Why hold up plastic cards to shield your face when calling in plays? Why use hand signals? Why not just tell the opposition what you're going to do if all that matters is your players' execution? I'll tell you why - because you want to keep the opposition guessing. You need to maintain the element of surprise. You need balance so as not to become predictable. Running once in a while on 3rd and one, or 3rd and inches, would be better play-calling. Having a bruising fullback - or at least another running back that is used more than twice a game - would also help, as opposed to stupid personnel decisions such as franchising LJ and using Cielek as your go-to TE or trading down out of the first round two years in a row, or losing Spagnuolo to the Giants. Reid has potential as well as weaknesses. Sportswriters need to be held to a standard which demands acknowledgement of that fact until Reid proves otherwise. Play-calling, better recently, was brutal earlier this year and caused losses. Because conditions warrant passing in one game (dome, Vike's strong run defense and weak pass offense) it does not support the conclusion that play-calling isn't important, Rich. I'm sure if AR thought it was trivial, he would let you do it.
Rich - If one of your arguments is that we need receivers who can catch the ball, shouldn't that indicate that passing two-thirds of the time might not be the way to go? In the off-season, you can try to change your personnel to match your coaching philosophy, but in-season, shouldn't you establish a game plan that plays to your players' strengths?
Moreover, let's not kid ourselves about yesterday. I'm certainly happy that the Eagles won, but you could hardly call it a great offensive performance. Until the Westbrook TD, ten of our sixteen points were due to the Samuel interception and the Jackson punt return. McNabb played well and made some good plays, but a more consistent running game (i.e., using Buckhalter more and employing a fullback) would have resulted in a more comfortable margin.
Rich:
You're just wrong. Are you also one of those "time of possession doesn't matter" folks too? Ask the defense what it's like to play 75% of the game running around on the field. Ask Jim Johnson what it's like to have to call every blitz he has in his arsenal (thus exposing his bag of tricks on film for the next four teams he faces,) because Big Red is too pass-happy to run the ball. You are very wrong here.
What is the job of the offense. 1. Score points 2a. Give your defense some rest 2b. Keep the other teams offense off the field. This is why people have a problem with AR play caling and if DM is changing the call then I have a problem with him too. It seems that their job is only to score points. 3rd and 2 get a first down and you can accomplish 2a 2b and still work on 1 but throwing a bomb and coming off the field. What scares me is that we are always looking for the big play instead of being able to grind out a drive. What happens when at the end of a game and you want to grind it out to run the clock out. I don't think we can do it. Do they look at the film during the week do they look at 3rd down conversions. We won but we haven't improved. SUSTAIN A DRIVE PLEASE!!!!
Although the play-calling is a huge, chronic problem with this team, the biggest problem yesterday, by far, was the pathetic performance of the offensive line. They had their chance to let loose with run-blocking early in the game (as some of them have said they enjoy), but they were dominated all day long by Minnesota's defensive front. Until Westbrook's long TD, it seemed that the offensive line's inability to give the RBs any openings was going to lose the game for the Eagles.
It was shaping up to be a classic let-the-other-guys-hang-close-and-they'll-find-a-way-to-win scenario. Scary. They were lucky to play a subpar team, or they'd have been dead meat.
Overall this was a great win for the Eagles. It also helps them for next weeks game with the pressure they faced this week from Minny's front 4.
But on to Andy. Yes I agree with Nate, Andy's play call was suspect through most of the game. I understand they used him as a fullback to replace Klecko but why not use Eckel? He's shown some grit even in the short time they had him. I would have rather seen him play as a fullback for a few series then watch Buck block for WestBrook. Oh and yes the beloved 3rd & 1 and they throw it deep when BWest was open short for the first down. Andy isn't really good at utilizing his young talents. They can't afford another week of extremely slow offense facing a team that knows us well. They need to be on point and efficient enough to give our defense some help. They can't put up points for us every week. Why not use Hank for those deep passes and make him go up and get the ball. He's 6"4 and should be used better. I like Avant in the slot but he needs to stay on his feet more. He's looking like L.J. always on the ground after a catch. Jackson they need to move him around to create miss matches with his speed. He shouldn't be on a island by his self. Buck needs more time in the offense. He's clearly been a unsung hero at times. He's displayed some great speed and hard running that we haven't seen since early in his career before the knee injuries. Hopefully they can put it together down at the Meadowlands because NY will bring the heat evening if it's cold out.
Rich, did we watch the same game? My youngest son said they should throw more screens BEFORE the game started. And Reid waits until the fourth quarter? As for McNabb, he did nothing to help win this game. Quarterback ratings, like coaches wins vs. losses, do not give you the whole picture. It's who makes it happen when it counts. Yesterday it was the defense, Westbrook, Akers and the receivers. Any coach or quarterback could have won that game-there is nothing special about McNabb and Reid.
Dumb story. Reid is a terrible play caller. The NFL is awful this year, they chould have won 12 games and had home field. Reid used to win when the NFL east was terrible. Lets see him win a Super Bowl, that is the only way he can make up for his stubborness and brutal play calling the last 5 years.
I love how these arrogant reporters want to tell fans how to feel. The NFL is so bad this year and we should be glad to win a playoff game against a bad team coached by a very bad coach with a rookie quarterback. The Eagles needed two huge individual plays to salvage a win against Childress, who coached the worst game I have ever seen. Yeah, Reid is a genious!
the writers are in AR's pocket. they always have been. oh he put them there with his iron fisted approach to media. write what is honest and true and if it clashes with the AR line you are OUT. the problem is both with his play calling, especially with single plays in short yardage, rather than with balance. and the fact that AR will NEVER concede he is wrong. NEVER, NOT EVER and THIS is THE problem. he is still refusing to run the biggest strongest q-back in the league in short yardage sneaks. and why? because he didn't do it four years ago and he was taken to task and he is NEVER going to do it no matter what because he is NEVER wrong. oh i have seen it a few times when it didn't matter. two times to be exact. but he is a buffoon and lacks any kind of self examination. I HATE IT WHEN HE "TAKES THE BLAME" IT MAKES ME WRETCH. he NEVER takes the blame. he has to go and it doesn't matter if he wins a super bowl either. bad coaching is bad coaching. and he is the worst game day coach EVER. just look at his second half stats against any other coach. i rest my case.
Dear Rich Reidlover-
Please get your numbers right. 23 rushes out of 60 plays. 23/60= 38 percent; not 32. I can't expect you to know simple math though. Second of all, they SHOULD pass more against the Vikings because their run defense is great. They should run more against the Bengals because their run defense stinks. Simple. Football isn't rocket science my friend. God knows, you couldn't cover it if it was. Third, they DID run the ball a lot more in the first half. It set up their play action passes. It also made their passes more effective. I know you love Reid. I do too. He's a good coach. But I'll admit that he makes mistakes. I still believe that he lost the first Redskins game, the Bears game and the Bengals (a tie is as bad as a loss when it's to the lowly Bengals) game. He's still a good coach because I remember what we had before him. I just hope he continues to keep it balanced. Happy New Year buddy.
Dear Rich Reidlover-
Please get your numbers right. 23 rushes out of 60 plays. 23/60= 38 percent; not 32. I can't expect you to know simple math though. Second of all, they SHOULD pass more against the Vikings because their run defense is great. They should run more against the Bengals because their run defense stinks. Simple. Football isn't rocket science my friend. God knows, you couldn't cover it if it was. Third, they DID run the ball a lot more in the first half. It set up their play action passes. It also made their passes more effective. I know you love Reid. I do too. He's a good coach. But I'll admit that he makes mistakes. I still believe that he lost the first Redskins game, the Bears game and the Bengals (a tie is as bad as a loss when it's to the lowly Bengals) game. He's still a good coach because I remember what we had before him. I just hope he continues to keep it balanced. Happy New Year buddy.
Maybe it is the players, Rich...same QB, same Coach, same offensive scheme for 10 straight years...who else has had that luxury? This offense, specifically the 2 minute drill, should run like butter...but it doesn't...maybe it is the players, Rich
Klecko was hurt, so Buck had to be kept in to chip and help protect. He couldn't run it the way Big Red would've wanted him to. Don't want B-West in there chipping OR on the bench.
robinlupe, Dec and Jan Reid's players are ready? So how many SB's has he won? Love guys like you and lonewolf who wish Andy would go to another team and win a SB just to show us. Why can't he do it here instead of somewhere else? Ever ask yourselves that? Why does a pass happy coach not gete good receivers, yet you guys cry that the receivers aren't good enough. Reid picks them! Or did you forget. When Reid runs that ball, even if it doesn't equal long yardage, it keeps defenses honest to set up screens and dumps to the tight ends. Yet you fools keep bashing knowledgeable fans who understand the game more than the arrogant coach, and buttkissers like hoffman. I will take the opinion of Ray Didinger, a man who has covered football for 40 years, who works for NFL Films reviewing hours of film each week, who is in the Hall of Fame for his work over a wannabe like hoffman and all of you Reid hero worshippers.
robinlupe, in Dec and Jan, Reid's players are ready? So how many SB's has he won? Love guys like you and lonewolf who wish Andy would go to another team and win a SB just to show us. Why can't he do it here instead of somewhere else? Ever ask yourselves that? Why does a pass happy coach not get good receivers, yet you guys cry that the receivers aren't good enough. Reid picks them! Or did you forget. When Reid runs that ball, even if it doesn't equal long yardage, it keeps defenses honest to set up screens and dumps to the tight ends. Yet you fools keep bashing knowledgeable fans who understand the game more than the arrogant coach, and buttkissers like hoffman. I will take the opinion of Ray Didinger, a man who has covered football for 40 years, who works for NFL Films reviewing hours of film each week, who is in the Hall of Fame for his work over a wannabe like hoffman and all of you Reid hero worshippers.
D Mac looked like he was scared to death! Good thing the rest of the team held him up. The Defense bent a little but did not break. Number 20 looked like a 21 year old out there. They need to get Celek the ball more.
i find it funny that we're all supposed to praise andy reid after the win now. i stand by my opinion that andy is a passaholic and he shows time and time again that his stubbornness not to run the ball costs us games. my count is at least 3 this year. but yea, way to go andy. thanks for doing just enough to get us into the playoffs.
I don't understand why Buckhalter dosen't get more touches. Westbrook dosen't seem to have the same burst. Everytime buck gets a touch he seems to make a play. I loved the split backfield with Buck and Westy together. Need to see more of it
lonewolf aka Freddie Mitchell stfu. You are a tool and you should move to Tampa you flaming **tch. Andy has been a problem for several games, games that we could have won and not had to go through the last few weeks of the season like we did (Bears, Skins, etc.) McNabb has kept this team together all season along with BDawk and Reid, and you should give him credit instead of going all Freddie Mitchell on him. Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house you idiot
I think most fans can live with what he did yesterday - passing most of the time to open up a stacked and very tough defense - if he didn't do so often to the point of being ridiculous. I saw what he was doing and held back my yelling for the run yesterday. On the other hand, a big reason why they don't score enough near the goal line is the lack of a strong run game to keep the defense honest, and you could see that against MN. I also wish he would use Buck just a little more. He's a good change of pase and it keeps Westbrook fresher. He looked very injured yesterday, and even on the TD run he was not at full speed. You can see how restricted he is.
Everybody love now wants to jump on the Reid and McFumble bandwagon, I say Andy Reid and McFumble must go! Neither moron will help the Eagles win a Superbowl, period!!! You are all morons and will never win at nothing!
This is not rocket science! Buy using Buck as your running back and mixing in Westbrook and using westbrrok as a receiver more is not that hard to figure out. very simple Reid is not a OFC, matter of fact he shouldn't make any calls so who needs him? what you need is a good OFC. But you keep thinking he is good! Wake up!
Great overall game but there were some bad 3rd down calls, 3 & 2 and they try a 15-yrd pass? One 3rd down Westbrook was on the sideline?!? Maybe he was banged up but I think I'd have him on the field, even in a 4 receiver set. Hope B West can get a 70-yrd TD screen against the Jersey giants.
Hey Rich, its not so much about having a "BALANCED" 50/50 offense but Andy's pass only attack. You have to run the ball to keep a deffense honest and Westbrook wiht 20 attempts shows that. So please get off the soap box. The numbers don't lie and give us more credit than this column to exonerate Andy! This is his talent he picked to run HIS offense. I have no problem with his philosophy, but get the players to exuecute it. The fact that he does not and tries to pass as much as he does/has is what so disturbing about him.
defense,special teams, offense all combined to with this game.
why are you whiners belly aching ? the Colts were the hottest team coming into the playoffs. third and 2.... a first down and they win.
they PASS...or try to...Peyton sacked and Chargers tie the game.
are the Colts fans ready to run Peyton out of town ? Some of you losers want the Eagles to lose because you'd rather whine than win !
I've got one major concern, when will the philly fans stop buying into running the athletes out of town and start circling the bandwagon to run these uninformed, envious non athletics writers and commnetators out of town? These people continue to poison the minds of the ignorant and innocent media driven fanbase. Remember one bad apple does not spoil the whole bunch, unless you leave the bad apple in the bushel to ferment and rot on the whole lot. Time for a change of media in Philly!
Play calling is still a problem. With the players they have, they would have had a much better record this year had they been given some good, sound and reasonable play calling.
Nonsense. They will not be able to play that same way against the Giants. They must have a viable run game to make the pass work. The Birds are lucky to have a good defense to keep the game close. Oh, and why didn't the run work? Because the O-line was getting whipped. This can't happen against the Giants, or we will lose.
Nonsense. They will not be able to play that same way against the Giants. They must have a viable run game to make the pass work. The Birds are lucky to have a good defense to keep the game close. Oh, and why didn't the run work? Because the O-line was getting whipped. This can't happen against the Giants, or we will lose.
Rich, maybe you need to join Passaholics Anonymous. I hear they have an opening, some large red headed gentleman is reported to have left the group (maybe).
I just have one question...why oh why MUST it always be a run on 2nd and 10 though? Everybody in the stadium knows it is coming, and I really don't remember it ever getting more than 2 yards.
1st - inc pass
2nd - 2 yd run
3rd - 7 yd pass
4th - punt
And there you have 66-33 pass vs run.
Yesterday somehow the receivers actually ran routes to the 1st down marker...I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Good job Jason Avant for reminding everyone that when it is 3rd and 8...you actually need 8..not 7!!!
Keep it up fellas!!!
And for the love of god...throw the ball just one time on 2nd and 10...or how about this...run on first down...i know, i know...it's crazy talk....
We got 10 points that were not from the offense. Take those away and we lost that game. This is a stupid article. Running attacks are a good thing. Wake up.
JWatson
Did you watch the game? McNabb looked like a "deer in he headlights" Really? Did you see how many times he avoided the big rush? Did you read what Jared Allen said about him? Did you see the throws he made from his own endzone? Time to open your eyes when you watch the game
The point's been made already, but why in the heck don't give they ball to Buck more often?!! All he ever does is gain yards and get first downs, either out of the backfield or catching dump-offs. I'll never understand it...
I disagree with the columnist. There has been a difference in the play calling since the Raven's game. There is an attempt to set up plays rather than calling plays because they are in the game plan. The fact that they are sticking with the run even when it isn't productive is an indication that they now realize it sets up situations that can be taken advantage of. Westbrook was correct when he said "we called that play at the right time" (the screen pass that he scored on). That was a direct result of setting that play up. They hadn't called it all day and waiting until the fourth quarter with good field position demonstrates they are improving as coaches in play calling. They have also shorten pass routes and are not as predictable as they were in their play calling. Earlier in the year I was able to sit at the TV and noting the formation along with the down and distance could pretty much predict the play. That is not the case now.
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About Rich Hofmann
Rich Hofmann arrived at the Daily News in 1980 for a job whose status was officially designated as "full-time, temporary." A senior at Penn at the time, he was hired to fill in on the copy desk during a staff illness. The notion of him covering the Eagles or being a columnist did not exist in anyone's imagination. It was supposed to be six weeks and out, but he never left. It is only one of the reasons why so many people have concerns about him as a potential house guest. Rich has blogged the postseasons of the Flyers and Eagles.
IS GETTING ITS DRAFT BOARD READY
