Caution: Low-Flying Birds
This is too depressing to write about. Just quoting others makes me want to go off to the woodshed with a bourbon and some Joy Division CDs.
"Eagles Can Kiss Playoffs Goodbye" is the headline on the first post I read after the Birds' lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, 13-6. I wish I could say it is some bitter fan's opinion. It's from Eye On the Eagles, the Inquirer sports department site, where Marc Narducci writes the team off:
After each loss the Eagles have talked about what a great team they still are, but that conversation was missing after Sunday's 13-6 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now the Eagles are answering questions (and probably asking them among themselves) whether this season is over. ... The Eagles are in deep trouble.
Enrico "this game just disgusts me" Campitelli Jr., writes at AOL's Fanhouse in a post titled Eagles Lose Third Straight, Fans Nearing Ledge:
After what was previously thought to be the easier part of their season, the Birds are four and four. The road to the playoffs is going to be a tough one. To get to just 10 wins the Birds would have to go 6 and 2 in their final eight. I wouldn't be surprised if they fail to be a .500 team for the season.
Philadelphia Police detective/turned Eagles blogger Wyatt Earp composes an "everyone's a suspect" post. Rush Limbaugh was right about Donovan McNabb being over-rated, the blogging cop argues. And coach Andy Reid gets the trophy for being "the biggest fraud in the league." Earp's issues:
"Famous for clock mismanagement and questionable play calling. Today was his coup de grace. After his team failed to stop the run at all today" Reid held another press conference featuring one-word answers. ... "When you get completely outplayed in your own stadium before by BYE week, maybe, like Lucy Ricardo, you got some 'splaining to do! Will somebody please fire this man, post haste?
Even 17-year-old Eagles season-ticket holder Kate Wells is disheartened:
This team is in a position that I never would have imagined. I am so angry and disappointed with the players because the talent is here, just not the desire. The actual team we have is a very good team but no one can put anything together. I have no idea what the problem is, there is an obvious lack of urgency but I don't know how to fix that.
Bleeding Green Nation doesn't so much write as open a vein:
This was a team loss in every sense of the word. They were fully dominated on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. McNabb wasn't terrible, but he wasn't good either. The receivers dropped 5 balls, McNabb was sacked 4 times, and when he did have time no one was getting open. They were penalized 8 times for 50 yards and seemingly every penalty came at the worst possible time. They were held to a season low 227 yards total and gave up a whopping 209 yards on the ground.
A game like this calls for a visit to Negadelphia. Paulomon Grundy writes:
For the third week in a row, the Birds got manhandled by a horrible team...this time at home. You would think that coming off 2 games that they "shouldn't have lost", the entire Eagles organization would be pumped up to tear the Jags apart. Yes, that would be the case in other cities, but we're talking about the Philadelphia Eagles here, a team that has trouble staying motivated for NFC Championship Games.
It was evident from the kickoff that the Birds, especially the O and D lines, were more interested in getting to their Bye Week than playing today. They only have to play once a week - motivation shouldn't be a problem. In my opinion, this Bye Week is coming at the worst possible time.
Anyway, my conclusion is simple and a reiteration of what I've been saying for a while: ANDY REID'S TIME AS HEAD COACH IS OVER.
It's evident that Big Red's formula and coaching style don't produce championships. As I've been saying, he's a very good GM and game planner, but sucks as a leader, as a field general. He's never going to lead this team to a Super Bowl.
Feeling better already.
"He's never going to lead this team to a Super Bowl." I'm not crazy about Reid either, but didn't he already lead them to a Super Bowl a couple of years ago? Am I thinking of a different Andy Reid?
Mark, I guess Grundy was talking about a "win" in the Super Bowl. He makes a lot of specious assumptions, and I haven't the time or energy to debate. As far as Reid being "over" as head coach ... don't hold your breath. The worst thing is that the team is limping into the dreaded bye week, while we have to endure 13 days of teeth gnashing and otherwise talking in circles about a football team that clearly isn't as good as those same people thought it was in August.
This is a coaching and GM meltdown. But these guys have taken the Eagles to a level where we can call 4-4 meltdown. So they still deserve something. It looks like the Front Office decided that last year was such an aberration, there was no need to fix this team. This year, there's no Owens, no major injuries, all the losses are due to failures at the coaching and GM level: Penalities, Clock Management, Game Plans, Personnel. The Eagles could have been 1-6 just as easily as 7-0. They have the talent to go 6-2 over their last 8 games, but do they have the coaching? Short of a players mutiny, Reid & Co. deserve another year.
I can't wait for spring training. When do pitchers & catchers report?
Maybe you guys should consider the fact that the coaches allowed their team to get to pumped for the Cowboys game as if their entire season depended on it when it didn't. Each time they do this against the Cowboys they lose 2 or 3 games. In a sense I'm glad the Iggles beat us because now the players think they have already won the superbowl.... I guess now you guys know that TO wasn't the reason for the Eagles down fall. The truth usually comes to the light in the end.....
WHAT IS HELL???...LIVING IN DALLAS, TEXAS AND LISTENING TO COWBOY FANS FOR THE NEXT 13 DAYS. THE PROBLEM IS SIMPLE...ATTITUDE REFLECTS LEADERSHIP...ANDY REID MUST GO!!!!!...HE LETS THE TEAM THINK THEY SHOULD BE UNDEFEATED...FROM THIS POINT ON NO PLAYER SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SAY OR THINK THIS STATEMENT AFTER LETTING A TEAM "RUN & RUN & RUN & RUN & RUN" OVER THEM.
It's all about the GIANTS, YANKEES, RANGERS, METS. philly has no trophies and rings. If u look geographically the surrounding states have: 26 worls series for the yankees, 2 for the mets, 2 sb trophies for the Giants, 3 for the skins, 5 for dallas, 5 for the steelers, 3 patriots, 1 jets....nothing for philly. mUST BE THE WATER.
It's all about the GIANTS, YANKEES, RANGERS, METS. philly has no trophies and rings. If u look geographically the surrounding states have: 26 worls series for the yankees, 2 for the mets, 2 sb trophies for the Giants, 3 for the skins, 5 for dallas, 5 for the steelers, 3 patriots, 1 jets....nothing for philly. mUST BE THE WATER.
same old story...makin excuses. As a Big blue giants fan, I am loving it....To have the overated eagles saying this and that. Go look in the mirror. Your coach can't coach. Derrick gunn's comcast show is so bias. Brown 24 gets burned every game. The Giants will run away with the division again. dallas will peak soon. Philly is so depressing. look around. nowhere good to eat drink, everone is fat and obese. so grimey. I can't wait till Brandon Jacobs runs thru the beagles defense again. Go big blue. (Go NY Rangers as well)
This is not shameless self-promotion, I just have too much to say to clutter up Dan's comment space. So here's my lead: "It's downright depressing. There's blame to spare. This is supposed to be a winning team. So why can't the Eagles take what's on paper and put it on the field?" And here's the link to the rest: Bye Eagles Bye
This team has no stones, onions, oysters, whatever you want to call them. It starts with Lurie, falls down to Reid and then McNabb. Somone in the locker room should have settled the T.O. thing last year but it didn't happen. That was a CLEAR indication that this group has no heart, leaders, etc. DUmp them all and start over.
Everyone knows that it is T.O's fault! Oops, my bad ... no more T.O. to blame. This is what you Eagles' fans get for letting cheap Lurie and the rabid media like ESPN and Erskin convince you that T.O. was the cause of things evil that befell the Eagles last season. I saw that McNabb was puking and taking oxygen with no T.O. around. All Lurie had to do is restructure T.O.'s contract giving him more cash up front and Donovan reach out to T.O. You would have at least one good receiver who could make the tough catch and move that passing offense that Reid insists on running with no wrs. You Philly sports fans always get what you deserve, it is the athletes like McNabb, T.O. and A.I. who deserve better. Sports hell is your just deserts.
As just an example of poor, almost laughably dumb decisions: Why punt with 6-7 minutes left and you need two scores? You defense hasn't stopped them all day--why not go for it on fourth down? Here's the Philly sports reality: the Phillies are our best team. And they don't begin the six-month chase for a playoff spot for five months. Going to be a long fall and winter.
They need to bring in Coach Fraz from Lower Merion High School. He'll fix this mess.
If the Eagles were a broadway play they would be pulling down the curtain and closing the show. I spent $800 on tix to take my son to his first Eagles game this pat weekend. It would have been nice if the team showed up. He brought his TOUCHDOWN! sign which he never was able to use and memorized the Eagle fight song which he never was able to sing. Shame on these so called professionals who are paid a lot of money to entertain us.
For Emir: You forgot to add in the SB's and World Series victories from your neighbor just south along I-95...rhe Ravens, Orioles, and, oh yeah, let's not forget the SB's earned by the Colts when they were in Balmer. The window is closed on this edition of Eagles (aka,the team who can't win big games, even with home field advantage)...this group will never earn the coveted SB Ring... p.s. If you'd like the Ravens to toss you a few crumbs from their stable of coaches....Coach Fassel is available
I am thoughly disgusted with the Eagles play call. Andy Reid needs to go. Being a transplanted Philly fan on the West Coast, I have had to deal with Raider Nation, and now the Chargers, but also the Dodgers, Angles, Padres, Lakers, even the Clippers, need I say more. At this point I hate to even say that I am from Philly. Something needs to drastically happen to change this team. The season is lost, good bye playoffs.
I have been watching the eagles for 50 years and you know what, I have had it. I just can't stand to see this team lose anymore. I knew at the very beginning of the season this team was not going far. I thought possibly 8 and 8. Do you know why? Because this team does not have the gonads to play smash mouth football. They got no run game. Every body and their sister knows they are going to pass. And do you know what? You got to have players that can catch the ball to sustain a drive. You can not put your defence on the field all day long because your offence go's 3 and out or go's 3 plays and scores. Donavan was great till he got the big bucks then suddenly he lost his legs. This guy is the most dangerous when he runs. But he stands in the pocket waiting for who knows what and then takes a sack, 4 times. If Donovan would just go back to the Donovan he was in the early days and begin running the ball when there is no one open, I believe this team could turn it around. Did you notice they do not even spy him any more. This guy weighs 240 or more, he got the guns to move the ball just about any time he wants, I said when he wants. Unless Donovan starts running the ball and getting those first downs like he used to, this season is over. He is the leader of this team and unless he takes it upon himself to give it all he's got its over. As Donovan goes so goes the Eagles
I'm back...Lets go rangers. I cant wait till the giants beat up stinky philly on dec.17 for the 4th time. All you rednecks and woman dressing your kids in that ugly jade uniforms to genuardi's and whole foods and wegmans. makes me wanna throw up. middle america sucks. I am so happy livin in the best city on earth....ny baby!!!! open 24/7. see u in january for the nfc title game. giants-bears.
My question is why has it taken over 3 years for the Philly fans to wake up and see Good Old Andy Reid doesn't even make a QB's coach let alone head coach! When Brad Childress left this year it prove that he was not the fault for the offence as you can see what he is doing with the Vikings! Plus Donvan Mc Nabb is a average QB that can not throw with any kind of consistancy! Reid was a QB coach in Green Bay Ha! Banner and Laurie will not spend any money on good players! Name the last super star player on the Eagles? Number 11 Norm Van Brocklin! The day they get of Reid, Banner and then Laurie who is from Boston you know that town up north that hates Philly teams! Think about it! Now take action instead of crying in your beer. By the way I have been a Philly fan for over 50 years!
The Eagles are so pathetic that they might even lose to Danny's Redskins! Thank Christ they scammed the Ravens out of the T.O. Freak Show!! Ravens/Billick/Ray Ray headed for more Super Bowl Glory while the Eagles continue their descent to football mediocrity!!! PURPLE REIGN
The real shame is that Reid is making all of the offensive decisions, thus rendering any Offensive Coordinator useless. He's gotta go.
It's quite sad to see a PROFESSIONAL team display such carelessness and neglect for their profession! It's been said over and over, but there are NO excuses for STUPID penalties, clock mismanagement...not rushing the kicker thinking that the game was over etc!!! Pee wee teams show better pride! McNabb, you don't have anything to PROVE any more. It's okay to RUN the ball and keep defenses honest. Do you WATCH post game films? You and the team are predictable!
What a bunch of cry babies here. Cripe it was just a preseason game!