Castillo's firing: stunning and desperate
Andy Reid fires Juan Castillo
Castillo's firing: stunning and desperate
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
First reaction: stunned.
I am not surprised that Juan Castillo is not calling the defenses for the Eagles anymore -- and especially not after cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha openly criticized schematic decisions at the end of the Eagles' collapse on Sunday against the Lions. But I figured head coach Andy Reid would protect Castillo, leaving him in place and having secondary coach Todd Bowles begin calling the defenses from the press box. That way, Castillo could continue to wear the headset on the sidelines and relay the information to the players and save face. But no.
Yes, stunning. Castillo is out and Bowles is the defensive coordinator. A year and a half after the world guffawed in Reid's face when he turned his offensive line coach into a defensive coordinator, and months after he flirted with the idea of making a change and giving the job to Steve Spagnuolo -- which would have happened had Spagnuolo said yes -- Reid is very publicly admitting a grievous error. There is no other way to read this.
All of the talk about how things were turned around at the end of last season was just that, apparently -- talk. And any benefit of the doubt that Castillo received after this defense got off to such a good start in 2012 also evaporated pretty quickly. This kind of in-season change happens very rarely in the NFL -- and it is hard to remember a coordinator who was fired from a .500 team with overall defensive numbers that are not alarming.
But the trend obviously was. I have said all along that while we all had our suspicions, it was hard to really know about Castillo because none of us are inside the process, and because they did get better in the second half of last season, and because the defense has been pretty stingy overall in 2012.
But now we know, after two late-game losses, two more blown leads at the end, that Reid feels compelled to make the kind of in-season move that he has never been pushed to make before. He fired himself as the play-caller once during the bye week, but this is different. And it is desperate.
With that, mark down two days:
The day Reid replaced Kevin Kolb with Michael Vick.
The day Reid named Castillo as defensive coordinator.
If this goes badly from here, those are the days that will have gotten Andy Reid fired.
After the Castillo firing was announced, Rich Hofmann discussed the news in a video chat with Noah Coslov of Cinesport.
Comments (199)
Time's not yours.— rickm- The reason for this mess was the hiring of Jim Washburn. Andy wanted him to run the D, Washburn said no but I'll coach the line if you run my Wide 9. So then Reid had to find a coordinator who was willing to at least partially defer to Washburn. And what guy who has the credentials to run a defense wants to defer to a D-Line coach?!? If they are 6-6 or worse after the second Dallas game then Lurie needs to fire Reid and cut Vick and get a head start on 2013. — oyoyer
- Sorry, Rich.
The biggest day was in 2007 when Reid traded out of the 1st round and drafted Kevin Kolb.
We were still in SB contention at that time and needed only a few pieces.
Here we are 5 years later and we're are NOT in SB contention.
That move alone, set this team back 5 years . . . and counting.
- Reid put Castillio in a position to fail.— ej610
- Yes, yes he did. Make me wonder, firing mcDermott then Casitllo...yet nothing ever happens on offence? Why is Morningweg/Vick/Mudd getting a free ride?
Castillo is a scapegoat here (just like McDermott was).
We all know the best defense is a good offence and the playcaling and turnover machine Vick is what's killing this team.— Professor1982 - NOMITT: THe offense before this year was very good. Top seven in past three years. That's why there hasn't been a change on O. The D was different. They weren't good for years. The firing of Juan may not be the only move coming. — SC Philly Fan
- This comment has been deleted. — bigghago
- Um, I think his little logo means that he's anti Alabama, not Obama. Use your brain. — Eintracht Frankfurt
- And "anti Alabama" guy, please tell me you're kidding. — commenter1111
- No, I'm being dead serious. Of course I'm kidding! — Eintracht Frankfurt
- Might want to crack open a dictionary next time before you call someone out, because offence is a perfectly acceptable (though British) spelling of the word. — commenter1111
- pfft what country u think we live in? in this country that spelling would be marked incorrect in 3rd grade — bhamss12
- And in other countries, it wouldn't. Your point? — commenter1111
- I don't think that anybody has anything bad to say about Juan except that he wasn't experienced enough to take over DC at a professional level. There is a chess match that happens, particulary late in a game. JJ was always exceptional at that. 2nd half adjustments. I think it takes a lot of experience to be able to do that successfully week after week. Andy didn't get his #1 choice Spags and thought that hard work could make up for lack of experience. He was wrong.— Vote for Dickie
- Now DUMP VICK...Vick will break the all time turnover record this season..and Vick has led Eagles to LAST in points scored per game...WOW with all this offensive DREAM TEAM talent Vick has Eagles LAST in scoring...any other QB on any other team would BENCHED..BENCH VICK..START NICK.— Bob112
- Start Nick based on meangingless pre-season games? Listen...the guy is a turnover machine yes. However, read Peter King's quote on Juan Castillo. It's damning. The league notices that his blitzes were vanilla, and he simply couldn't get the job done. Also, do you remember Bobby Hoying? Kevin Kolb? These were the same guys we clammored for who stunk! To put a rookie in against Dallas twice, the Giants, and the Redskins twice is flat out stupid. — PSU_Chuck
- Also, have you looked at the offensive line genious? It's a sive...the o-line stinks! I'm not putting a rookie QB behind that line. — PSU_Chuck
- Bring in Dawk to run the secondary!!— Earl J
- Marty will be the next to go, Foles will replace Vick as a starter, then Andy will be let go at season's end. Book it.— guitarman
- It is Andy Reid's job to place people in position to excel. He dropped the ball with this one from day 1. Castillo was far from ready for this job. This is as much on Reid as it is on Castillo. But since last seasdon, the Eagles are 11-11. Out of the 11 losses, 7 are blown 4th quarter leads. In turn, Castillo had to go.— FetchDixon
- Reid had to make a change in order to save the season. Letting a few minor players go did not wake up this team, letting Juan go will.— dennismithusa
- The only problem with your logic is the Eagles' defense is doing fine. It's Vick that's the problem. — Doho2008
- Doho - you are right. The problem is that replacing replacing Vick is not easy and replacing Juan is. People need to have realistic expectations of Foles. When your job is on the line 7 weeks in, do you put it in the hands of a rookie with no NFL snaps? Part of me thinks Trent Edwards may be our best option. — the-elguapo
- If Coach Reid truly wants to address the team's most obvious problem - turnovers and inept offensive performance - he'll make two changes: (1) replace Mike Vick, and (2) fire Marty Morningwig.— tbird
- Rich - you guys in the press box are all screaming for change and then it happens and you're 'stunned'? I am no fan of what's happening with the Birds but you in the press guys are clearly earning your stripes as a pernickety lot.— Diaperman50
- Juan would make a OK special team coach— camasbud
- Next date to mark down: Lurie replaces Reid...— Ohmy
- This is such a scapegoat move it is embarrassing. Offense is second to dead last, defense is 13th in the league points scored/surrendered. Juan was no Jim Johnson but the only reason this team is not 0-6 or 1-5 is the defense.— Sidewinder7
- So let's see - The Eagles are 31st of 32 in offense points per game. So, let's fire the defensive cordinator. Got it !!— VitoCorleone
- Gotta love the comment, Vito!
The giveaways are a big part of the ineptness of the offense, if it is an offense at all. T. O. Vick has been a turnover machine! but the defense gets the blame. I believe the Eagles are second worst in giveaways as well!
Seems to be the key is to cut down on the giveaways and give the defense a bit more break with improved offense. But, that would call for getting rid of good buddy Marty Mornhinweg and (horrors) pulling the turnover machine out of the starting lineup!— BEMiller - Just proves that Reid is for Reid and does not care about anything but saving his own skin. When you use and abuse others, somehow it comes back to get you. Juan may not have been a good coordinator but his side of the ball was only a very small percentage of the problem. Reid and Vick deserve each other.— Kioto
- Bring in Bill Cowher!!— Philly Squid
- feel bad for castillo. he did coach the best offensive line in Eagles history, so he's no slouch. Andy set him up to fail. Hope the best for him. Andy is falling from his high horse, fast. As a fan who's very dissatisfied overall, this doesn't make me feel better. BUT - Bowles was very close to becoming the head coach in Miami this year, so he's no slouch either. Is Bowles the new Eagles head coach after the season? If I'm Andy Reid, assuming they will finish with an underwhelming season, I'd throw him the keys and move on. It has to wear on this guy (REID). The fans, media - we are tough, and this guy hasn't had it easy in recent years. Life's too short...— sore richard
- Clap clap clap, about time the stubborn mule admits he made a mistake, it was quite obvious to everyone else laughing about it from day 1. Andy Reid will show you alright, he'll show you that he's been drunk on power and deluded into believing whatever he thinks should work will work. Fans here have had enough for the last 7 years, please Andy fire yourself if you don't win the super bowl because I'm starting to find better things to do on Sundays than watch your poor excuse for a team make the same mistakes over and over again for the past 14 years. Groundhog day part IVX— TrollExterminator
- 10 games left 'til Reid is gone.— Tyrone Biggums
- Juan was not a scapegoat. He wanted the job. It's a job with high expectations. His play calling was questioned by his players. If you believe he was a scapegoat then you believe people who signed mortgages they couldn’t afford were without fault for the houses market crash.— SC Philly Fan
- The offense is second to dead last in points. Defense is 13th. Offense leads the league in turnovers. Do they fire the O coord? No. Do they bench the quarterback? No. Do they fire the offensive minded head coach? No. The defensive coordinator whose squad is the only reason this team isn't 1-5. How is that not a scapegoat? Based on your post I don't think you know what it means. — Sidewinder7
- Nice what if on the 1-5. Let us look at facts. In 22 games, the D has given up seven fourth quater leads. The offense had leads the last two weeks which the defense gave up. Based on your post you don't watch football. Bench the QB??? Why. No QB is going to do any better. The reason NY beat Brady twice is because of the pressure on the QB. In addition, we don't know what actions will follow for the OC, so don't jump the gun on not doing anything. — SC Philly Fan
- So will Bowles get to coach the whole defense now or will he still be stuck with this ridiculous wide 9? And when does Mudd get the axe?— JLH
- 86 John Castle.— SedatedManiac
- Is Jeff "not the most interesting man in the world" Lurie too busy on the web dating sites to see the obvious??? The Reid show has run its course viewership is dropping, cancel the show Jeff, PLEASE.— muckets
- I'm not saying Michael Vick was a great choice, but can anyone honestly say that the Eagles would be better off with Kevin Kolb as their starting QB?— SteveS11
- Kolb isn't a choice, Foles is. Vick leads the league in turnovers by a huge margin, can't read blitzes, is inaccurate, has NEVER won in this league. Foles is an unknown, he will not turn the ball over more then Vick (it isnt possible) and we have 10 games to see if he is a QB. If not you need to go shopping next offseason. — Sidewinder7
- 13 turnovers and juan still has the defense 12th overall. oh yeah. andys offense puts up 16pts per game and is ranked 31st overall. eagles at their finest this morning. this team hasnt done anything right in the last 6-7 years. ANDY REID IS THE PROBLEM. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. ANDY REID IS THE PROBLEM. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. ANDY REID IS THE PROBLEM. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. ANDY REID IS THE PROBLEM. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED. NOTHING HAS BEEN FIXED— Apollo Creed
- I hate to resort to cliches, but... too little too late.
PS: So long, Cas-See-Ya! (Stolen)— Jerome99RIP - Get rid of Reid and Vick now— Midnightman322
- Getting rid of Reid now will NOT happen. — SC Philly Fan
- 7 blown 4th quarter leads is horrendous. Castillo had to go and
Andy knew it. If Andy kept Castillo and the defense continued
to play that same way then Andy's job would have been on the line.
Andy knew this and he fired him to save his job. If the team
doesn't do any better the rest of the season then Andy will be
shown the door also. Where oh where is Gruden.— associate - If the offense scored points like an average defense, you would not have to have the defense make a last stand every game. As for Gruden, at least how he comes across on TV i think the man has gone insane. — Sidewinder7
- An insane Gruden is possibly better than a delusional Reid — lostintheburbs
- The big question will be if Todd Bowles will be forced to coach the entire defense or be forced to continue this wide nine garbage?— rvb2321
- It won't matter what AR does as he has shown in the past 13 seasons he is not smart enough on game days and draft days to help this football team. First round pick of Kolb, Watkins etc. Passing the ball 50 times a game with a turnover QB.Running a QB sneak from the 1 yard line with a fumble prone QB instead of using your all pro back to get you 1 yeard. Putting an inexperienced Castillo as DC. Time for a change Lurie as AR will never win a SB here.— Pap
- Obviously Reid thinks Vick will beat the Falcons now. Who will he blame next? Jackson? Machlin? Celek? That's right Andy, keeo sending Vick out there so we can finally get rid of you. Do you understand that Todd Bowles is in line for your job?— mario1239
- This will fix everything!!! Except for, um, wait a minute...— Bobby G
- It was the stupidest decision in NFL history to move an experienced offensive line coach to defensive coordinator. You hung that man out to dry. That is on YOU, Andy Reid! I'll pass over the rest of the stupid, yes stupid is the word, decisions, comments and other things you have done. Now, turn in YOUR resignation, "Coach!" Time's yours, and there's not much of it left.— MidStaterUXB
- How is it "stunning or "desperate?"
95% of the writers, pundits & bloggers in this were against Juan as DC from the get go. And if it was a bad decision, is it better to wait 'til the end of the season to correct it?
Not "stunning" or "desperate."
— wordsword - Based on the performance of the units, do you not think Morningweg deserved to be fired first? Or Vick benched? The offense has been twice as worse as the D. Thats what he is getting at, Juan was no stud but he was far from this teams biggest problem. — Sidewinder7
- Don't disagree w/ you.
But the issue was Reid recognizing that Juan was not ready for DC, despite his personal desire to give Juan a shot at coordinator position.
— wordsword - If anyone should have been fired ...it should have been Mornhinweg. The Eagles defense minus the short fields provided by offensive turnovers has been playing pretty well. The Giants put up big numbers against everybody but us. Quit the gimmickly trying to get too-cute-play-calling on offensive and move the damn ball.— mwarren400
- Juan Castillo did everything he could to save A. Reid behind, hold others team offense for under 17 points per game during the 4 games. A. Reid made the wrong call again, winning by 10points, under 5:18 left in the Game. As a coach or offense coordinator u tried to surprise the Lions with another 60rd pass and gets intercepted, put the defense back on the field, 17 turnovers how can a defense maintain its domination if they have to be on the field for so long... no wonder they ran out of gas in the 4th quarter, but hey blame it on the Defense......take care Castillo thanks for your hard work.....— T.K.O
- Juan Castillo did everything he could to save A. Reid behind, hold others team offense for under 17 points per game during the 4 games. A. Reid made the wrong call again, winning by 10points, under 5:18 left in the Game. As a coach or offense coordinator u tried to surprise the Lions with another 60rd pass and gets intercepted, put the defense back on the field, 17 turnovers how can a defense maintain its domination if they have to be on the field for so long... no wonder they ran out of gas in the 4th quarter, but hey blame it on the Defense......take care Castillo thanks for your hard work.....— T.K.O
- Juan never had a chance. Reid undermined Juan's authority by hiring Wasburn then Bowles. The players loyalty was split among Juan, Washburn, and Bowles. It was a no win proposition for Juan. Reid is just deplorable.— Carlos2
- reid is basically the offensive coordinator of the worst offense in the nfl. how is he still employed?— sgamble077
- Andy made several impulsive decisons in recent years.....please tell no1, but they traded the WRONG QB (#5) ..They fired McDermontt prematurely....They gave an option QB the keys to the most complicated passing offense in the nfl...and gave him 100 mil...the special teams coach...the oline coach (mudd), who by the way, forced juanny (andy's loyal asst coach from 1998) to defense..— Wizmix
- McNabb had a great career here, but he was done by the time they traded him. — Sidewinder7
- dude...#5 was the rite QB for this pass happy coach..although he was inaccurate at times on some short/intermediate routes, he took care of the ball...stayed in the pocket..and played with toughness!! We traded the wrong 1...Kolb is a back-up...Vick is an option QB..if vick had a clue he would not DRIFT n2 sacks...it's borderline impossible to read defenses when you spend a majority of your career doing the read option..#5 IS THE BEST QB ON THIS ROSTER RITE NOW,AS HE SITS AT THE NFL NETWORK & CSN STUDIOS — Wizmix
- Eagles are 2nd to last in scoring offense. Why wasn't the offensive coordinator fired instead?— Griffer
- derp— richardecredico
- Reid is the dumbest football coach on the planet.
- Vick and the offense is much worst than the defense.....Defense is ranked 13th....while Vick and offense is LAST IN ENTIRE NFL in points scored per game.....DUMP VICK.— Bob112
- Andy Reid is such a coward. He makes Juan Castillo the scapegoat here for his failures. He has failed as a coach and I am sure in other aspects of his life. Juan Castillo is twice the man Andy Reid will ever be. Reid is a joke.— rockinrob
- i think juans a good coach, just should have never been put on the defensive side. bowles definitly is the better coach and this is why they made the move. honestly, i dont think the D has been awful. the offense hasnt produced in the 4th, leaving them on the field all quarter. they get worn down because of it. honestly, i think marty should have been gone before castillo, but they dont have a set replacement. with all that talent on offense, they need to produce better and reid/marty have been terrible. i think reid is trying to divert the attention from himself and buy some time to get the team better to keep himself off the hot seat— HDemetriou
- The Eags are fundamentally flawed in two places.#1- The "Howard Mudd type" (smallish athletic) O line and their scheme. #2-They have more of a running back playing QB.— Mike Boryla
- As for Juan- I was always concerned about him since I saw him head butting guys with helmets on....— Mike Boryla
- When is Andrew Reid finally going to be held accountable?!?!? This franchise is turning into a joke— pflynn20
- v— Professor1982
- I guess Castillo's "work hard" philosophy just did not "work Out" the way he thought it would. Unfortunately, the FAT MAN and CONVICK did not get fired by the wimpy owner Lurie after the Lions loss. Fat Andy is disgusting!!— oneway
- Its not so much that he decided to start Vick over Kolb, as we have seen from his time in Arizona, Kolb would not have been the answer either. But that he put all his faith in Vick. I think we've seen, aside from McNabb, Andy can make backup QBs look good in the short term, but in the longer term 2 things happen: 1) teams see the weaknesses of these backups, or 2) Andy buys into the players hype, and stops runnings offenses that treat them like backups and switches to offenses that put all the weight on their shoulders like they are Peyton Manning.— Greg S
- Now, how are they going to fix the offensive line? Which stinks.— jerseyshorefan
- That was a Peter Principle event if ever there was one. Juan was a perfectly competent O line coach but wanted to do a job he was incapable of doing in defensive coordinator. It's not Andy's fault because Andy didn't ask him to move to the other side of the ball, Juan asked for it. Plus, that move ruined their O line because now that idiot Mudd is getting Vick sacked multiple times in every game. Good firing, now all we need is to fire Mudd. And don't worry about how disloyal it was by Reid, Castillo will get the last laugh on New Years Day, when Andy meets his fate.— drbob1
- This in-season firing is so unlike Andy Reid. But desperate men do desperate things. REid finally admitted to making an egregious error appointing JC as DC. Now will he have the stones to admit to making another such error with Michael Vick. Times Yours!— thegoldman
- Love Juan, but how do you take n offensive coach and expect him to master the Defensive Coordinator job so quickly? Andy just set up Juan for failure. Bowles is a seasoned D coach,I think he'll get more done with them than Juan could. Good luck to Juan wherever he goes and also for Todd with his new position! Just sayin'...— DJ
- If Reid decided that he must do something big in order to gain fan support for HIMSELF, he once again shot himself in the foot. Based on the many comments herein, this move is not going to win him any support. Based on the comments, it appears that only one move will help Reid's case with the fans. Bench Vick.— Carlos2
- Gruden...Gruden...Gruden...Gruden
He already won a superbowl when all the parts were in place and with a mediocre QB— Just G - Players did not respect Castillo hence he had to go... Bowles is obviously the better coach and the right choice. Great move by a true leader... Andy Reid.— Theo1980
- Yes blown leads by the D....but um, with the lead, isn't an offense supposed to get at least one or two first downs to drain the clock? In the losses to Arizona and SF last year at home, same script as the Detroit loss...O doesn't move the ball, D makes no big stops.
If were into fixes, the red zone offense needs some new imagination. Vick's not adept at quich slants or fades, Shady's not a power runner, and the bubble screen to Clay Harbor is a wasted call. So what to do. I've said if before.... inside the 10, put Foles in with Vick in the back field with Brown. Teams have figured out MM/Reid, so you need a new look. Heck I can draw a quick 30 plays while sitting in Court. This team has turned the ball over or settled for fgs far too often in the past two years to keep doing things the way— retzlaff - The defense has made late games mistakes but we don't score points! The offense puts pressure on the defense all game long with turnovers and keeps coming up short.— hawk18
- After all the comments calling for Juan's firing over the past 1-1/2 years, I cannot believe that columnists are calling this "stunning" and commenters are calling Reid dumb for doing this. Face it. He was not up to the job, and had to go. And for those of you calling for Reid's firing, forget it. Lurie has said that Reid has this season to turn things around, and I doubt he'll go back on that until the Eagles have lost at least 8 games.— dlscholt
- Hey Apollo, you forgot to take your meds.— Sheriff Bart
- Poor Juan Castillo. First Andy Reid puts him in a position he was in no way qualified, basically setting him up to fail in true Reid-like style and now the poor guy is out of a job completely after 18 seasons. This is on Reid for making such a ridiculous choice in the first place.— Marie Elena
- I disagree Kioto. If nothing Andy is fiercely loyal to his staff and players; he is also a slow learner. It is one of the things I admire about Andy Reid as a person. Can't stand him as a football coach though. This was a bad hire straight from the gate and he stubbornly tried to make it work.— bigcityballer
- Mark down a bunch of other days as well: Draft Day 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008...— bobby
- A good manager puts his people into positions where they can succeed, and boost the overall success of the team. Andy didn't do that with Juan...Castillo has been a stand-up guy; AR could have found a better way to do this. But AR's feeling the heat and had to make a splash— Polecat_39
- Wow. ...tough business. Sure we'll see Castillo catch on somewhere else in the league if not this season, then definitely next. Gotta pull for a man like him.— Reality Speaks
- Can you say SCAPEGOAT!!!. Andy Reid, always has been, and always will be the problem.— sackvicknow
- Dead man walking. The cracks in the walls at Novacare are starting to weaken the foundations. Rubble is now hitting the floor. Reid has lost the team. The players can sense he's got one foot out the door. This may rejuvenate the team for a week or two but really are entering the last chapter of a tragic comedy. This last-ditch attempt to salvage his job is pathetically too late. It's time to focus on who runs this organization in 2013.— guyguy4
- Why is it for years people screamed fire this guy or dump that guy and people would scream Andy's too loyal and berate him for not firing someone. Now all of a sudden it's a desperate move and some people are slamming Andy for it. Yes the offense needs help and yes I believe it's time for a QB change, but let's face it, this Defence is WAY too soft. We're the big plays? We're's stopping a team cold and forcing a punt from deep in their own end? It's almost a bend but don't break and that needs to stop.— joeydub
- My 2 cents....Reid's an offense guy. And he's hard headed. Vick is a turnover machine, but Reid knows as much blame has to go on the O-Line and himself (for not drafting another o-lineman or letting Winston Justice walk). As bad as Vick has been, He has been good in the 4th quarters this year. The Offense gave the defense a lead late in the 4th quarter for 2 straight weeks. You have to get off the field, period. The Eagles could really be 5-1. Reid has so much juice in the Eagles organization, the only man with more is our favorite owner. Mr. Lurie. And it will only be Mr. Lurie to either get rid of Morninwheg (I spelled it wrong and I don't care) or just out and out fire Big Red.— mjwilliams75
- Has reid ever fired a guy in mid season - not reassigning him but firing a coach successful in previous assignments.— robinlupe
- Oh and can people stop with the Gruden talk. You're assuming he wants this job, which could be a stretch. By all accounts, he loves TV and breaking down film on that ESPN bus. He knows Philly and knows this is a tough place to coach. I'm not sold he even wants to be here.— mjwilliams75
- Good move...hope it's the start of many...Juan was in over his head from an IQ standpoint...a good rah rah guy but not the sharpest tool in the shed. I'll say this for the thousandth time on these boards...Vick is not the problem...the o line is. Nick will get KILLED out there with this o-line and the playcalling. Get an offensive coordinator in here who can work with the personnel he has instead of trying to show everyone how smart and tricky he is.— CrisK
- Juan was in over his head and sounds like he tried to outsmart the other teams late in the game and it blew up on him. This is a good start but Marty needs to go too!— connorjr
- First Obama dumps on Hillary. Then Reid dumps on Juan. Here is a novel idea - how bout the people in charge take the blame?— Poppys
- Vick is a much larger liability than Castillo was, yet he is still here.— drog
- This was definitely Andy's mistake to appoint JC to that position. I agree that a change had to be made. I don't know if Andy offered JC a lesser role...and maybe JC chose to walk instead? Still we have this dynamic that Washburn is entrenched with the wide 9...unless Todd is empowered to blow that up and try a new approach...— Qman
- Hey Crisk. How did Vick do last year with a very good offensive line? Case closed.— guyguy4
- DUMP VICK....OFFENSE IS LAST IN POINTS SCORED IN ENTIRE NFL— Bob112
- wiznix , your idiotic comment about #5 at QB deserves a response. The FAT man stayed with the mediocre McNabb while Jimmy Johnson had the best defense in the NFL. Years of great defensive schemes were wasted as #5 could never win playoff games. QB s are the difference in the NFL, Brady Montana,the Mannings etc. T.O. had the guts to say what players knew, #5 couldn't hack it in the big games.Westbrook took 5 yd flips and turned them into 30 yd gains. Everyone liked Donovan and he was a loyal company guy but not a top QB.— toubibcal
- The flaw with the team is the O-Line. An inability to sustain drives, as well as an inability to block long enough for the deep ball keeps the defense on the field too long. By the 4th quarter, they are spent. Jason Peters injury and the failure to adequately respond to it doomed thi sseason before it started.— Bobphxville
- Why would they fire Castillo? The Eagles D is doing fine...it's Vick that's the problem, fire Reid.— Doho2008
- You Philly writers are not the swiftest..no wonder you are stunned!— fafink
- Hmmm...and what about the offense?— Phillyfan666
- I've been reading about how this is Reid's "last" season for the last 8 years. You media guys really need to stay out of the prediction business when it comes to that and just let the season play out. Castillo was the obvious scapegoat here because almost no one liked the move of him to D coordinator in the first place, but his defense didn't perform THAT bad this season...and certainly better than last season: The defense's NFL ranking in points against (13th), yards per play (10th), 3rd down percentage (4th), red zone TD percentage (4th). That's with HORRIBLE field position most times too thanks to all the turnovers and bad kick return coverage. There have been much bigger problems on offense where the line can't give Vick anytime, all the turnovers, inability to put together drives, long periods where the line can't open up holes for McCoy. The blame for 3-3 falls squarely on the offense. 5 out of 6 games have come down to the last drive. You can't let every game come down to the wire and expect the defense to just continually shut down teams on the last drive. In all 5 of those games, they could have had a comfortable lead at the end of the game if the offense hadn't left so many points on the board. Castillo was replaced for one simple reason. Reid needed to do something to shake up the team and motivate everyone and get that sense of urgency out there and Castillo was the most replaceable. He wasn't doing the worst job out there but he wasn't doing anything necessarily all that great either and they had a very capable replacement waiting in the wings: can't say that for QB, offensive coordinator or offensive line.— JimG
- If Laurie had any B's he would have dumped them all. Andy is a loser and now just trying to save face which by the way looks like Wally the Walrus........— Rick O.
- I'm stunned that Castillo returned. He should have been given the opportunity to find a new job beforee this season started. Marty Morningwood, you're next!— aNutter1inDgutter
- Feel bad for Juan. Defense was average at best. But offense is where the real problem lies. No imagination. Everybody seems to know what the eagles are going to run before they run it. No screens, too many deep throws, no intermediate routes. MV gets one more shot, then if the turnover machine doesn't show improvement , get him outta there and give Foles a shot. Can't be any worse.— gdwilkinson
- Reid you make me sick! You are a low life! Just remember what goes around comes around!— lost eagle
- Reid you make me sick! You are a low life! Just remember what goes around comes around!— lost eagle
- any head coach that would just move their offensive line coach to defensive coordinator must be questioned about his ability to be a responsible head coach.— bloodymess
- Dawk the ball Hawk as secondary coach would be an excellent move. He has the knowledge and respect of the players and coaches.— phildunphy
- How about you don't hire the O-Line coach not play the Def Coordinator to begin with. What championships are you going to win with such sub-par coaches? None.
Big Ben Rothelisberger - 6'4 - 243lbs
Nick Foles - 6'4 - 246lbs
It's not hard Andy. The MV experiment failed the last 10 years. You think he's suddendly going to become a worthy QB?!?
Come on!— Canadalovesphilly - Rich, I'm as shocked and stunned as you are. A friend of mine knows Will Woolford, ex-Steeler, who told him that Andy Reid has the biggest ego of any man he ever met. So it had to be immense fear of losing his job that forced him to publicly admit he made a huge mistake and make this change. He should have been gone after last year's 5 fourth quarter meltdowns. I'm glad I'm not participating in next week's practices - there's going to be blood on the field!— joberzut
- What's funny is that it was Castillo's defense who made up for the horror movie that is the offense this year. So when will Reid take responsibility for that a fire himself?— Hemingway
- Worst team in the East.— tonyceez
- Now finally Vick will stop turning over the ball..— Dexter-Morgan
- I guess the Offensive Line Coach is next. They dont have the personnel to compete physically.— tr88
- Always thought McDermott got the shaft. He was at least worth giving another season to prove himself, as well as the talent infusion that only came after he left. But it'll be interesting to see if Todd Bowles can improve the defense. One has to wonder how much decision making power Castillo had with all of the experienced defensive coaches around him. By the way, I think some other team is going to get a very good offensive coach by hiring Castillo. Give the man his due on the offensive side - the Eagles had a good offensive line for a long time.— p-diddy
- So if Nnamdi questioning the 4Q/OT playcalling contributed to getting the DC canned, can Herremans' questioning why they weren't running the ball on the final possession of regulation help get the OC canned? Please?— Only in Philly...
- Juan is really at a loss for words over this. His defensive scheme worked so well at Guadalupe High School and Andy was very impressed by that on his resume! Up next, Booby A, Marty M and Mike Vick reviews. Critical topics to cover, dead last in Special teams play, last in the NFL in scoring and 39 QB turnovers in only 26 games. The Insanity continues!— cooperhawk
- Castillo had to go after that horrible playcall on the end around to DeSean on the 2nd play of the game that lost 14 yards. And then he gave up the long special teams return that set up the Lions 2nd FG. And then he made Celek drop a sure TD and...um...oh, wait...never mind. Scapegoat.— tornadoh
- I also think a number of other posters are correct in pointing out that Mornhinweg deserves the axe at least as much as Castillo.— p-diddy
- Worst article ever written. Rich, you are a moron. Juan no puede trabajar con las aguilas...— BirdinParadise
- Whoever runs the offense should be fired too. All those weapons, yet last in the league in ppg.— dcn
- Unfortunately he can't correct his other big mistake as easily. Kolb is now in AZ doing very well. Vick needs to GO— intelliwoman
- Thats awesome. Blame Juan for everything. The offense is poor but lets fire Juan who should be coaching the offensive line! I would not want Andy Reid as a friend who puts me in position to fail.— joeyrofrano
- Wake me up when they replace the human turnover machine at QB. Until then, it's all just window dressing.— dlivesay
- Hoffman is right only because Andy NEVER admits a mistake. Ever.— gluteman
- The wheels are finally starting to fall off!— Chief_Negotiator
- Vick may die this season if they do not get linemen who can block like they are supposed to. If you were knocked down every play you would be error prone too.— poogie
- The only change that will matter is when Jeffrey Lurie is so finally sick of Andy Reid that he comes down to the locker room and fires him unceremoniously, ala Jerry Jones or George Steinbrenner. Reid doesn't deserve the courtesy of a private meeting. Reid will probably throw a few more people (Vick? Mornhinweg?)under the bus in order to deflect attention from his own idiocy. It may be as late as after game 16 when Reid gets fired but make no mistake it's going to happen. The really tough part of their schedule starts after the bye week. Does any reasonable person think they're going to win 7 out of the remaining 10 ballgames to get to 10-6 which should still not appease Lurie. They have to go far into the playoffs or Reid should be history.— 1republican
- How about Laurie allowing this to go on for this long, letting the fans suffer year after year? He deserves some blame.— Chief_Negotiator
- Rich Kotite: Tanned, rested, and ready.— Bruce in NM
- lol andy reid is the problem and lurie knows it it is over— stayoutofphilly
- STUNNING???? how so? you've been calling for this for the last year!— sgamble077
- Stunned-are you kidding me? Castillo should have never been placed in the position. Blame the head coach and now, will Big Marty be next? Let's hope so and then the whole circus will finally be over when Laurie finally steps in and fires arrogant Andy in January...Happy New Year fans!!!— jmmdk5
- The nice thing about this move is that a quality offensive line coach is now on the market for Reid to hire.— mkk9772
- Yup Vick cost Castillo his Job...statistically the Eagles D wasn't that bad. Losing the way we have in the last two weeks somebody had to be a scapegoat. Like the rest of you, I'm wondering why Vick and Marty get a pass?? This is the most predictable, anemic offensive I've ever witnessed. With the O line problems, why isn't the power running game utilized against the Giants a staple? Why aren't we seing more quick slants and screens- which we're supposed to be great? This would get the ball out of Vicks hands (no pun intended) faster and keep defenses honest. Then they could every 12 plays go for a big strike. Fire Marty!!— John Dealoni
- Fire Morningweg. Terrible in the red zone, getting zero or three instead of seven. Just that will lose you games. Since the MNF blowout of Washington, the offense has been terrible. They are near the bottom of scoring so far this season, with all those 'weapons' that the analysts are telling me about. Why did Detroit run 33 plays in the 4th qusrter, and the Eagles run 11? Head-scrtaching play-calling. In OT, the plays that were called were criminal. For 60 minutes the O-line hadn't protected Vick, but in OT, deep in their own territory, Morningweg calls slow-developing plays that rely on protection. Who called for Michael Fumblerooski to run the ball at the goal line against Pittsburgh? Bad decisions on offense, and some weak special teams, got Castillo fired. And firing Castillo isn't gonna fix what is wrong.— Cazptain Philadelphia
- Good news for Juan, Taco Bell is hiring, despite Obama's handouts!— jmmdk5
- Rosie O- It's time to let the whole dog thing go. Vick sucks as a QB but he did his time. There's no Fn curse! Besides do some fact checking, he did not murder hundreds of dogs!!! He was primarily a financier to a dog fighting ring in which most of the abuse came at the hands of his friendns. Duhhh!!!!— John Dealoni
- Talk radio hosts in Las Vegas are seriosly talking about Andy Reid being the next coach of the Chargers.— 2smart4philly
- Makes me feel sorry for Chargers fans. — lostintheburbs
- Was it not Todd Bowles who convinced Juan to play Fitzgerald straight up?? How did that work out???— Armyloggy
- 2smart4philly, Turner and Reid are the same guy. Why would they want him. I can't wait to hear the national media reaction to this, as they always go to the wall for Andy. The "be careful what you wish for " phrase that I always hear should not be uttered again.
— watsonmr - I could see Reid getting another job right away... national types love the guy for some reason. Any time the subject of Reid getting fired is broached on a national show, the question always turns into who are you going to replace him with that's better? Anyway, good luck elsewhere Reid, you have long overstayed your welcome here in Philly.— oyoyer
- Yep the national types love them some Andy. They also have no clue, however.— oyoyer
- REID MUST GO...He hired JC and placed him a bad positon...he hired washburn and the stupid wide nine (it cannot stop the run)...he drafted the personell and the ol-line flat out stinks....Dunlap is worthless, Bell is a backup at best, the mouth mathias is a joke, the fireman is just no good, and on defense, Mathews is not an NFL player ( I dont care who his brother is) Coleman is flat out stupid....and the d-line is too light (duh big and bad beats fast an light period)...he has not protected Michael at all....He tries to fit square players into round holes in HIS scheme....He has not won anything that counts (ONLT the SB Counts) for his 14 years...and his rudeness and arrogance is an embarrasment to any fan or owner....Come on Jefffery...Just do it....Have you no pride.....are you not embarrased by this obnoxious loser.....— nuggett
- Can't wait until January when REID is finally fired! 3 years too late.— ArtieLange
- The offense has a league-worst 17 turnovers and Reid fires the defensive coordinator?Seriously,does anyone know if Reid has his 'bearings'?— aloha gary
- So many fed up with Andy's same ol' story with no improvement but how many of those same people are going to vote for Obama. Oh, the irony.
— phillyborn4 - As soon as it was annouced that Juan Castillo was going to be the defensive coach, Andy Reid shouldve been fired immediately. How is an offensive line coach qualified to be a Defensive Co-ordinator ? Mr. Lurie, please blow up the coaching staff, and bring in REAL people who know what they are doing.— Potstirrer
- That's funny. I thought his HIRING was stunning and desperate.— Mike Boryla
- With all the other grips about Sunday's game, I haven't seen any questioning of the Eagles decision to receive on winning the coin toss for OT. With the new rules, I think that is foolish - similar to opting to bat first in baseball. Perhaps the Eagles brain trust wasn't aware of the new rules....— fen4134
- Time for Reid and Vick to go. Neither one is producing
at an NFL level in order to get to the superbowl— donher - I'm sure a lot of folks think that in promoting Bowles he is moving up his own eventual replacement.— Cactusjim