THE EAGLES' RUNNING WOES
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
THE EAGLES' RUNNING WOES
Bob Brookover
With running back Brian Westbrook's rushing and overall numbers way down from the last two seasons, Eagles coach Andy Reid was repeatedly questioned today about the team's struggling running game following Sunday night's 36-31 loss to the New York Giants.
"We can do a better job schematically and we have to execute better," Reid said. "It's a combination of things. There's no reason we should be stopped in the run game like that."
Westbrook carried the ball 13 times for just 26 yards against the Giants and couldn't pick up three yards on two critical plays in the fourth quarter. Reid was asked if the Eagles run the football enough to be successful at it.
"The only thing I can say is ... I believe we do," the caoch said. "I guess if you look for proof, you look at what we did with the run game last year. Any time you put out a 1,000-yard rusher, you're doing something right with the run game. I know what we can do."
Westbrook, who has run 43 times for just 87 yards in the last two games, missed two games earlier this season with a sprained ankle and fractured ribs, but Reid said the running back's health isn't the issue.
"I'm not going to say he's 100 percent," Reid said. "At the same time, he's good enough where he can be effective. I think I have the best back in the business and it's important I get him going. I have to go back to the drawing board."
CLOSE BUT NO VICTORY CIGAR. The Eagles are 1-10 in their last 11 games decided by seven points or less, including 0-4 this season. Three of those four losses have come to NFC East opponents.
"We will get one here," Reid promised. "It will happen. You keep the right frame of mind and stay aggressive and it will take place."
Reid required his players to report to the NovaCare Complex after Sunday night's loss.
REPLAY REVIEW. Reid was upset with himself about burning a timeout to challenge what he thought was a Brandon Jacobs during a six-yard run midway through the fourth quarter. He threw the red challenge flag again on the next play on a 3-yard touchdown run by Jacobs that also was fumbled. Referee Terry McAulay, after reviewing the replay, ruled that the fumble occurred after Jacobs had crossed the goal line.
"The first (challenge) was terrible," Reid said. "That was strictly me. It wasn't the guys in the box. Whatever the reason, I was wrong. The second (challenge), I liked and I still liked."
Reid said the Giants' successful replay challenge of an illegal-forward pass call against Eli Manning was probably right, but he wondered if McAulay used the television red line to make the judgment.
"It looked like the line was wavering a little bit," Reid said.
I didn't know we had a running game, or the schematics to try to build one. Didn't know we had a coach either. Is our coaches name Ritchie Kotite?— starman- Perhaps we might have drafted run-stopping defensemen if we had not been so eager to trade away our first round choices (to save money, obviously, since first round picks get paid a helluva lot more than picks in lower rounds.— gilbi
Comment removed.- McNabb is a good QB, but not the kind that can carry the whole offense.— JamesJ
- Its all about pride now. Andy drafted no. 5 and he isn't going to bench him because andy things he is mike H from green bay. No. 5 isn't Brett Farve and will never be. No 4 put his heart and soul into winning, No. 5 doesn't. No. 5 has no b##ls to call a play that will work. He's too worried about his image and not about super bowls.— dsmith675
- Why didn't they run 28. He only had 1 touch for 20 yds. They were keying on 36. Andy is horrible.— dsmith675
- Simple, a big back could do the heavy work, free up the outside for Westbrook and help keep Westbrook healthy as wise. No other team in this league ignores the runn like the eagles. I live in ATL and my neighor is a redskin players mom. When he visits he says the Eagles are one of the easiest teams in the league to stop on offense. I don't have to tell you why. Andy, get the hell out of town, or get a real 2008 style running game.— starman
- The benefit of McNabb is his 10 years experience, and yet he cops out regarding the 3rd and 4th down plays by saying those were the plays that were called. Has he ever heard of an audible? Does he not have the moxie to roll out and keep the ball? He's the biggest runner we have. If he requires a quater to warm up and can't be original in response to defenses in front of hime, it's time to get a better look at Kevin Kolb.— jsam8
- We draft a 'bigger' back... Tony Hunt. He runs short yardage in preseason and appears to be a good mix. We move him to fullback and when that experiment doesn't work out, we replace him with a career defensive lineman, cut hunt and keep a "small" back - Booker who doesn't even dress. I can't believe that Tony Hunt would not have been a plus against the Giants as well as those red zone short yardage situations that left the birds with field goals and not touchdowns.— jsam8
- YOUR COACH WAS ONE OF THE TOP COACHES IN THE LEAGUE, BUT AS YOU KNOW THOSE DAYS ARE GONE. WITH HIS FAMILY PROBLEMS AND HIS HEALTH,ANDY SHOULD TAKE SOME TIME OFF AND GET REENERGIZED. BTW THE EAGLES CAN'T LOSE ENOUGH AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED— CHRISLYLE
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- IT'S ALL OVER.— JACK V
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- Oh and Westbrook will play till he's 35, if he was played in the right offense— Bubba
- In all my years watching football I never wanted a coach removed as much as Reid. Ten years and still he doesn't get it.In the NFL you win running the football. It sets everything else up. Like the announcers all say we do not posses a strong running game. I love Westbrook but he serves better as a 3rd down specialist. Give me a power runner or 2 and we win the SUPER BOWL. McNabb has been so patient waiting for this head coach to get it but he don't. Your play calling stinks REID.— Bubba
- andy reid is a woeful coach and jim johnson still can not include a run package yeah they can get to the qb on 3rd but he can not stop the run on 1st and 2nd. KISS MY @$$ LOSERS. GO GIANTS YEAAAAAAH. Maybe we can schedule temple for ya and a possible scrimmage with Pus I mean PsU— rickrick
- Over the past ten years of Andy's time as coach we have seen numerous ups and downs but one constant thing is the absolutely horrible clock management. It is ridiculous that with a team so familiar with the system that they can not manage the clock to have effective two minute drive. This type of stuff should be fine tuned by now or for that matter in MAY, after a time out I would like to think the players are good enough to have two plays called in the huddle so that a down is not wasted by a spike on the next play. Over all I have been pretty happy with ANDY except for those LITTLE things he talks about which shouldn't even be an issue at this point. and I don't know what the answer is but I don't think Bill Cowher is. If i remember correctly he and Andy have had similar careers until this point it took Bill 15 years to win a Super Bowl Andy only has 10— phillyfan94
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- This guy has to go. Please pave the way for Bill Cowher.— bleedgreen20
- There is no way Eli threw that behind the line of scrimmage because when he let the ball go his stride had him 5 yds down the field when his feet both landed. Every time they showed the replay they would stop it when he still hadn't fully taken his finger tips off the ball and the like next mili second he is clearly over the line... I understand both arguments that can be made but the simple fact is that the call of the field was a penalty so in order to change it there must be conclusive evidence and there wasn't and we all know as well that the tv line doesn't always match up w the actual one.— The Kid
- Its time to acknowledge that this team cannot win a superbowl by relying so heavily on #5. Unfortunately, while most of us have come to this realization, Reid and staff have failed to do so. No, I'm not calling for Feeley or kolb. Rather, I'm calling for a balanced attack. If you are going to have an undersized defense, you can't continually go 3 and out. Otherwise the writing is on the wall, as in a tired defense that can't get itself off the field as a bigger stronger team imposes its will. Another sad realization is that our playoff hopes are all but shot since any legitimate chance this team has would depend on winning the remainder of our games against the NFC East.— Eagles Phan in LI
- I was amazed that Reid went to the run to try to get that first down. They have shown outright disdain for the run the last few years and then they go to it for crtical yards? It makes no sense. The lineman are constantly back on their heels pass blocking and then at the most crucial juncture of the game, they are asked to drive block? It might sound trivial, but its not easy to go from passive to aggressive just like that. For me, the team has no faith in either their coached or their quarterback. It just obvious in their body language. They don't respond to McNabb these days, if they ever did.— celtic_13
