Eagles Red Zone Redux
It's becoming a rerun of last season in close to the goal line.
Eagles Red Zone Redux
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
As we begin the ritual dismemberment of Andy Reid, I have start with a personal confession: I don't tend to criticize individual play calls very much. To me, it's just a waste of breath. There are so many things that we don't know about a given situation -- mostly, what the defense is showing -- that it is really hard to make an intellectually-honest case that you had as much information as the head coach when he chose a particular play in a particular spot.
In an over-arching sense, I get on Reid all the time because he throws too much -- mostly because it puts his quarterback at physical risk. But down near the goal line at the end of Sunday night's game, I'm not going to tell you that play-action would have worked any better, or that running to the other side would have mattered, or that they had a pass play that might have shaken something free for the tight end (not the starter), or the running back (not the starter), or the fullback (who has about 4 games' experience), or the wide receiver (missing one of the starters).
I honestly thought that, given everything, handing the ball to Correll Buckhalter from 18 inches away was OK.
But because Buckhalter got stuffed -- because the Eagles got stuffed four times from inside the 4-yard line -- the recriminations will be long and loud. That's all fine and all a part of the gig. We need a head to stick on the end of a pike -- at least until the baseball playoffs get started on Wednesday -- and Reid's is as good as any.
In the end, though, it is about the continuing saga of trying to improve in the red zone, and about the talent on the field. Without the big receiver who was not acquired in the off-season, you limit your options. Without that receiver, tight end L.J. Smith becomes an enormously important target, you limit your options further. Without running back Brian Westbrook, you limit your options even more. And without All-Pro right guard Shawn Andrews, well, you get it.
The Eagles now have only eight touchdowns in 17 red zone possessions. The number by the week. Here are the touchdown scorers: Westbrook 5, Smith 1, Buckhalter 1, McNabb 1.
Key stat: Westbrook 5.
They had tried throwing it the previous time into the red zone (an unsuccessful trip that ended with a field goal). There was a 6-yard pass to Brent Celek, a 4-yarder to Jason Avant, an incompletion to Hank Baskett, a 4-yard loss when McNabb tripped coming away from center, and an incompletion to Avant. It was a fairly typical Reid trip into the red zone. He threw -- oh, and it didn't work. I'm sure there was wailing about that sequence, too.
Look -- I don't know the answer. But I have to believe their impotence on that earlier red-zone trip left Reid wondering if he had any viable passing options down there at the end. He also said McNabb's chest contusion took the quarterback sneak out of the arsenal. And we all know that things would have been much different had Westbrook been able to play -- you know it, I know it, Reid knows it. Even with injuries at tight end, receiver and guard, all significant players, Westbrook would have covered for all of them.
But Westbrook wasn't there.
Given that, given everything, I really do have to admit: I didn't hate a handoff there to Buckhalter from 18 inches away.
I think this year's Eagles team is every bit as good as the three that lost NFC Championship games. Only problem is their division now is the best in football. Back then it was 4 to 6 automatic wins. That's a big difference.— doorspj24- I don't either. But the handoff seemed to happen too far in the backfield. Buck didn't seem to hit the line of scrimmage all that hard. A sneak would've worked. I'm really sick of talking about McNabb's injuries. It's the 4th game, for crying out loud. You don't point to a chest bruise as a reason for a loss.— p-diddy
- For a guy who always uses a dismissive claim to the press like "it's on me," Andy Reid actually rarely takes specific blame for his coaching mistakes. He could've have easily said "perhaps a QB sneak would've been a better call," but instead goes with the lame excuse of not wanting to injure McNabb. Andy, you put him out there for the whole game and subjected him to hits and sacks but not a QB sneak? Injuries don't come on QB sneaks which are over in a second and everyone's in a pile. They come when players get hit or land funny or by freakish events. You are not taking the blame for this Andy - you're passing excuses.— hairball
- Enough of "it's on me"! It's on me doesn't win Superbowls and we fans deserve better. A lump of clay could call better plays, pay more attention to the game (how about those two questionable plays that weren't challenged and ended up as two TD's), and mange the clock better. Perhaps like a good lump of clay Andy should be "fired". I know if every week I went to may boss and said this is on me I would be looking for work!— jakster
- Where's the fade pass to Baskett in the red zone? Where's the tight end in this offense? Where's the fullback in this offense? Where's this team headed?— DonnyB
- I tell you were the Eagles are headed -is to the couch watching the play-offs at home-just like we did last year--Please be advised I am a die hard eagle fan -But something needs to changed with this organization--maybe the talent scouts need to go—and I know we get a nice player every now and then -but we are falling behind all the other teams.— phillyboymike7
- 10 years of de ja vu— JamesJ
- Rich, Here's the deal with the Red Zone failures: Avant dropped that pass which would have been a TD. Baskett dropped the pass which would have put the ball on the 2 (and I believe a 1st down). Reid is an idiot for thinking he could run 4 straight times from the 5/closer when he doesn't have Westbrook, the Bears are good in the middle, and the Eagles typically do not run the ball well in the middle of their line period. Oh, and the defense couldn't stop a 3rd and four running play from the 6 yard line which cost us 2 minutes and 2 timeouts. And Akers needs to make the 48 yarder. Summary: No big receiver for the Red Zone and Reid still can't call the right plays when it counts. Peace.— PhilCali
- McNabb usually has a lull in October each year. This year his lull started last week. Also, when he needs to win a game in the last few minutes, he gets flustered. He overthrows, underthrows, holds the ball too long. Also, Akers misses field goals. Unbelievable. On that last play, with only a few seconds left, the receiver should have been closer to the sidelines, to step out of bounds.— Jann
- the bottom line is they are supposed to be a professional football team....you should be able to run any play no matter who is in the line-up. if the coaches can't, or won't call they're number, that's on the coaching staff.....
- Westbroke is hurt and so are a lot of other Eagles: get Cephalon to donote perc-o-pops to the team and we'll be fine. he he— Huge
- Westbroke is hurt and so are a lot of other Eagles: get Cephalon to donate perc-o-pops to the team and we'll be fine. he he— Huge
- PhilCali gave the perfect summary...there were sooooooooo many underachievers on Sunday night and once again Andy sat at the top of the todem pole.— joey2times
Comment removed.- if you don't run the ball REGULARLY outside of the red zone...one should not be surprised that one cannot run it inside the red zone...pass blocking and run blocking are as different as night and day so you really need to cultivate both in your OL— xatsmann
