HARBAUGH ON REID: 'IT'S NOT STUBBORN IF YOU'RE RIGHT'
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
HARBAUGH ON REID: 'IT'S NOT STUBBORN IF YOU'RE RIGHT'
Bob Brookover
Break scrambled eggs with Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh early in the morning and you come to this realization: It would be wonderful if he was providing the coaching quotes at the NovaCare Complex.
That's not to say that Harbaugh is a better head coach than Andy Reid. He'd have to lose four more AFC championship games and a Super Bowl to reach Reid's status, and that is meant as a compliment to the Eagles' coach.
Harbaugh just gets the media part of his business a lot better than Reid, and he's comfortable enough to have an open discussion about all sorts of different things.
Here are some interesting Eagles-related subjects Harbaugh discussed at breakfast this morning in the swanky St. Regis at Monarch Beach hotel:
Could you talk about Quintin Mikell?
"Quintin Mikell is a really good player. I don't know why he doesn't get recognized more. Everybody who plays against him thinks he's a really good player. He will hit you and he doesn't make mistakes and he covers ground."
Did Reid give his assistant coaches input into personnel decisions, especially during free agency and the draft?
"The coaches didn't make decisions, but he always listened to their input. You had to watch all the guys, rank them out and tell them what you thought. If you didn't want a returner or a corner, I don't think Andy was going to take him if the coaches didn't want him."
Is Reid stubborn?
"It's not stubborn if you're right. That's being convicted. I think he really listens a lot. To me, the perception that he doesn't listen to anybody is completely incorrect. Andy listens to his coaches, listens to his scouts and I think Tom (Heckert) has a ton of impact."
Why do members of Reid's coaching tree like Harbaugh and Minnesota's Brad Childress run the ball so much more after leaving the Eagles?
"I think you do whatever gives you the best chance to win. Last year, we ran the ball I think 60 percent of the time and that's what we had to do to be successful. We had a young offensive line and a young quarterback. But it is pretty good to be able to run the ball. We think running the ball and stopping the run is pretty important."
When you realized Donovan McNabb had been benched against you guys, was it a shock to you?
"I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it, but Andy was doing something that he thought was best for the team. When you're a coach and you make a decision like that, there probably are a lot of things that are going on ... and for a lot of reasons, he did that at that time. It's hard to second guess because it turned out to be a great decision. Maybe it unified the team a little bit. Maybe it got Donovan's attention. Whatever the case, Andy had to do something and he did it and that was the right move."
How difficult of a situation was it for Kevin Kolb?
"He did pretty well actually. He moved them down the field on that one drive and then Ed Reed just made a ridiculous play -- an Ed Reed-type play -- and took it back 109 yards for a touchdown. I thought (Kolb) did pretty well when he was in there. All I know is I saw Kevin Kolb every day in practice for a year as the secondary coach when he was going against us as the scout-team quarterback and we'd get in the red zone and we couldn't defend him. I think he's a good player."
How will L.J. Smith fit in with the Ravens?
"I think he's really talented. For us to get a talented tight end like that in the place we got him in the second tier of free agency, even though it's only a one-year deal, we were willing to give him a one-year deal because it was fair to him. It gives him a chance to prove himself."
Why has Smith underachieved?
"The only guy who can pull him out of that is himself. I think the timing in his career is probably really right. Just in talking to him, he has a great perspective on it. He really wants it."
Do you think it helps him to get out of Philadelphia, where he was truly disliked by the fan base?
"It's pretty hard to over estimate the impact of something like that. That can bring a person down pretty quick."
Tra Thomas said Reid and the Eagles' coaching staff needs to be more fiery. Do you agree with that?
"Did anybody tell Tra Thomas he should show more emotion? Andy told Tra Thomas to let your personality show. Andy coaches to his personality and I guarantee you he coaches with plenty of personality and fire inside those four walls. Those players know what Andy is all about. For him to say that, I'd be surprised if that's what Tra meant."
THOUGHTS ON BUCKHALTER
Great to see that former Eagles running back Correll Buckhalter had his good name restored by the drug dealer who claimed he had sold him marijuana.
Of all the athletes I've ever covered, I never saw one who grew up and became more of a quality person than Buckhalter.
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
Do all sports reporters have va-j-jay's?— Richard Saunders
Yoytas...we have had a decade of good solid football teams(most of the time). Reid has helped built a solid foundation where they have a chance to go to the playoffs every year. In this era, if you can make the playoffs you can get to the superbowl. Eat that fact and like it.— jtg170- Comment removed.
There should be a grass roots organization to rid this city of Angelo. I don't know what his ratings are, but I stopped listening in the morning a long time ago. His routine is loud, old and annoying. He is the Chris Wheeler of Morning Sports Talk...if they talked sports.- Is Reid stubborn? What a great question to ask a former assistant...not being sarcstic, that is awesome. That's like asking if Reid has a weight problem. Harbaugh simply is not going to throw an old friend under the bus but any true fan who pays attention knows the real answer to this question: YES because a) he never answers to anyone...ever. b) he's uttered the most spine taxing words ever spoken by a Philadelphia coach "we are happy with what we have" far too often c) he refuses to trade/draft/sign a big-name receiver yet still passes 137% of the time (see "b") and d) he puts his beliefs and morals over talent on a yearly basis, costing the team opportunity (see Buckhalter, Sheppard and any other player with a checkered past...hey, if a guy is going to average 5 yards a carry but smoked a little pot who gives a sh*t?!!!!)— elektrika
- 5isakig and you're an idiot. Westbrook is the offensive leader, not 5. McNabb never takes the blame for anything. Did you ever hear him say he got benched because he played lousy for three games? No, it was "I don't know why coach benched me." McNabb should wish he had the guts Westbrook has. The man plays hurt, never complains, never says the line didn't open up a hole. Just goes out and gives all he has. 5 doesn't need a new RB, he needs to grow a pair and stop being a whiny momma's boy. And for all those that say Reid will win a SB some day, don't make any long term plans for a parade, unless you want to watch the Phillies do it again.— mike l
- Lets keep blaming Reid, and insulting Reid because of the trouble his children got in to. And becuase hes overweight, and because he hasnt won us a SB, you know what F*** aall of you guys. More than half of you are probably 200+ lbs chubby bast**ds that just sit home and play on the computer while taking online classes at philly comm college. In all seriousness, Andy Reid has had probs with his children just like MOST parents do. It gets exploited much more when you;re a coach of a professional team. To add, the weight thing? Come one, get out of the 5th grade people. You or someone close to you is probably a fat mess. Thirdly, Best coach we;ve ever had. So you all can stfu. Harbaugh had every reason to back up Andy.— Will.i.Am
- amen.will.i.am— eglftbl1
- Andy Reid is a good coach.— vegasflyer
- In the above picture, Harbaugh is congratulating Reid on the 400 lb. mark. Reid looks like he just ate one of his players.— christopherkmaddaloni
- Voytas are you kidding? Are you only counting the 3 years Kotite coached here and not the bang up job he did with the Jets. Do you remember How prepared he was when they had the #1 overall defense against every category and missed the playoffs because his backup to the starter was more injured than the starter and the third stringer was BRAD F-in GOEBEL!!!!! he won games with the talent Buddy Ryan assembled and never coached. I still wake up in a cold sweat hearing the words "we really gave it our all". Voytas go back to your cave in North Jersey and worship at your Richie the K altar. MORON!— rhcjr2
- dang....its b-ball tourney time.yet the boo-birds are in ( and will remain)....in EAGLE-HATER MODE.......i said here before. if u haters don't like your team, get off the wings,and stop complaining. this team has been here for years.win or lose, this is philly's team.u cannot beat em down in cyber space,and they will suit up this year.win or lose. its still Philadelphia Eagles. with or without the reids or mc nabbs or whoever is here when they go, its still the eagles.quit whinning, if u don't like em stop supporting em,and cry in ya beer in dallas— t_darb_56
- There is no denying that AR has had a large amount of success while coaching the Eagles. I think the fans and media are so mad at him because he HAS been so close to a championship so many times and yet he HASN'T made the little adjustments to push the team over the edge and actually win a superbowl. If he had tweaked his style just a bit, say an effective running game, the eagles could have been a dynasty over the last 10 years. Instead they are a team of almosts...— dabest
