Andy Reid's final defeat
Giants 42, Eagles 7
Andy Reid's final defeat
Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- For years, I had this vision of how Andy Reid would walk away. I carried it until pretty recently, until about 2010. The way I figured it, the final camera shot would go like this: Reid finishing the press conference after the Super Bowl, finding his wife, Tammy, in the crowd of reporters -- she always goes to his post-game press conferences -- and walking away with one arm around her and the Lombardi Trophy in the other.
It was cinematic and Hollywood, yes -- but didn’t the law of averages have to work for Reid at some point? Didn’t it? That was the theory, anyway. In the last 2 years, though, the vision changed. We all know the reasons -- Michael Vick, a couple of bad drafts, a failure to replace Jim Johnson at defensive coordinator despite repeated attempts. And while it was easy to see it ending badly, it was hard to predict the last day.
Sunday was the last day.
It was cold and miserable and buffeted by a bitter wind. It was sloppy and inept. And when it was over -- historians will record the final final score for Reid as the Eagles’ coach was Giants 42, Eagles 7 -- the black-clad coach left the sidelines for the last time. All that remains is the press conference where he will be fired, presumably on Monday.
He will be known for how much he won, and how much his quarterbacks threw the ball. He will be known for “time’s yours” and taking responsibility and needing to put his players in a better position and looking forward to the privilege of playing everyone. He will be remembered for being the best coach the Eagles ever had at the same time he is remembered for failing to win the the Super Bowl.
The final indignities of the final Sunday -- the bad tackling, the terrible secondary play, the erratic quarterbacking of Vick, the deserved fourth-quarter benching of cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha -- will not linger, mostly because almost nobody was paying attention. But the answer to the trivia question will be this: Reid’s first quarterback was Doug Pederson and his last quarterback was Trent Edwards, who mopped up Sunday.
There was no spotlight on the players, not on this day. All eyes were on Reid, with the rolled-up play chart in his left hand and the red challenge flag in his back pocket and 14 years of memories locked inside. As he walked off, for the last time, that is where those memories remained.
The reality is that the entire front office needs to be changed. The person in charge of player personel, draft selections, free agent signing, etc... is most responsible for the rosters. Reid got some say, but those holding the purse strings make the final decisions, then Andy gets to make the cuts in the summer (with salary cap assistance from the GM). The T.O. incident was the beginning of the end with this reign of Reid. T.O. threw so many under the bus, that the culture never changed. The Donavan McNabb story ended on a sour note. Bringing in Michael Vick after his release from prison, THEN giving him that huge contract was the karma that sank this team. Call it what you want, but bringing in Vick even though the community was against his signing due to the crimes he committed was the final straw. Vick did in fact bring some excitement and mobility to the QB position, but his int's and fumbles were too much to overcome. The Vick karma may become worse than than the Goat Curse for the Cubs. Can't turn the page on this situation, because it happened. Just like the Jets downturn after last season's signing of Plaxico, the Eagles got what they bargained for. Sorry to say, but what goes around comes around. Good luck to the next head coach of the Eagles. There are many qualified coaches available. The situation can't get much worese than the 8-8 edict turning into the 4-12 spiral downward.— drhoffman- Andy Reid is the only coach in my lifetime who was given 14 years and came up with nothing. He got 100% support from ownership, got all the players he wanted, and he couldn't get it done given more opportunities than anyone before. If he hasn't coached his final NFL game, there is at least one very foolish owner out there.— jtj06
- Secondary was secondary in every respect. Quitters never win and quitters never win. Winners left a few years back. Troy and Dawk must be ashamed of their successors. Namndi Hunkofcrap is a (censored) piece of bovine excrement.
— NewMick314 - And with a final "Harrrumph!" hanging in the air, he waddled off.— NM Eagle fan
- Confidence level in Lurie = Zero— shawnmac
- you people are so crazy and cruel, andy reed is not going anywhere i tell you now. you want roseman who knows nothing running this team?
i never liked reid i am a buddy fan, but reid does not deserve to be fired now— wildgreenman - The poor man lost his son recently, I can only feel compassion for him and his family. All good things must end, let's let him go out gracefully.— audiesgirl
- @ drhoffman-Karma, shmarma, bad coaching decision or bad play do teams in. Unfortunately for the Eagles in these last few years its been both.— realtruth
- Reid mad this franchise viable again, regardless how you feel about the last 2 years. Have respect for that.— iskabobpatel
- Reid mad this franchise viable again, regardless how you feel about the last 2 years. Have respect for that.— iskabobpatel
- According to ESPN commentator Eric Allen Reid should be given a big
thank you as he heads off into the sunset. He always " took responsiblity", never threw players under the bus, was a motivator,
won many big games,and was an offensive genius. Who knew!!
Todays game epitomized this gutless, untalented, group of quiters.
After Reid and his staff the whole secondary should be let go immediately. Nambi just plain sucks.
Laurie must now deal with his boy Howie who he unfortunately promoted and gave a big contract to recently. No way any good head coach is coming to Philly with this cast of characters in the front office.
Laurie is just a very fortunate individual who really has no managerial
skills himself.— naplesfan - This has been in the works since 09, I have never seen a bunch of quitters since Mike McCormack ran the last loser brigade. I have been following them since 1960 this team I have totally despised starting with #24 the big word talker and big play giving F/a bust, and the rest of that choking defence and quitter offence. This is a team put together by Reid and Howie, and it will get worse even with Reid gone and Howie running the show and the Boston great thinker owning this team. Jeff if you have any descent morals left you will bring in the right people to fix this mess instead of playing cap roulette. But being a carpet bagger you will bleed the fans for every nickel they got, you will probably not fire Reid just to save a buck. Andy you been here too long you had some good teams, but you being the control freak was your undoing. I wish you luck somewhere else and Jeff sell this team and go make some more bad movies because you turned the Eagles into a soap opera.— angrywhtguy
- Exactly what I wanted...Eagles beaten soundly once more (they need the better draft pick) and Giants toast maybe 20 minutes later.— PhillySubsMac
- @ audiesgirl- Unfortunately that was a big mistake by AR trying to play hero and coach thru tragedy especially one like that. I feel he should've stepped back and took the time he needed to grieve and then made a decision to come back, because the way he coached this season tells me his head was not there all the way.— realtruth
- When the rules of the game changed, the birds went from a smart hard nosed team, to a fast soft team. Howie and Andy built a team to lose, and that is what they did.— camasbud
