Pointless to criticize Eagles' play-calling?
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
Pointless to criticize Eagles' play-calling?
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
It's a subject we discussed during every in-game chat last season, and it was rehashed constantly in the days following every loss.
When the Eagles were faced with a third-and-one, we talked about it.
When they found themselves inside the opponents' 5-yard line, it constantly came up.
Play-calling.
Run vs. pass. Long vs. short. Gutsy vs. conservative.
We talked about it every week.
But do fans have any business criticizing Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg for their play calls?
One national radio host sure doesn't think so.
ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd sounded off last week, taking issue with those who question NFL play-calling, and using Eagles fans as his example.
"I'll give you one other group of fans that drive me nuts, and equally drive me nuts," he said. "It is call on a Monday during the NFL season and bitch about play-calling. That drives me bonkers. And here's why it drives me bonkers. Andy Reid watches 45 hours of tape. Andy Reid knows the Eagles' tendencies. He knows the opponents' tendencies. He knows injuries and probabilities. They actually use these things called computers. He knows his personnel. He's got 15 assistant coaches. He watches film all week. Monday through Wedensday, he sleeps at his office. And Bobby from the Shipyard calls on Monday and tears him apart. Local radio allows that on the air. I will not. I'll hang up on you."
950 ESPN's Mike Missanelli had Cowherd on his show earlier this week to talk about his comments. You can listen to that podcast here.
It should be noted that Cowherd was referring to all NFL fans, not just ones in this city. He just chose to use Eagles fans as his example.
It is my feeling that anyone who follows sports can have an opinion and should be allowed to voice that opinion. Without that, there would be no sports-talk radio, no sports blogs, etc.
Most reasonable fans would concede that coaches and GMs know more about football than them.
But just because Tom Heckert examines the draft more closely than fans doesn't mean we have to keep quiet about who the Eagles should pick.
Now do some fans get carried away with the whole play-calling thing from time to time? Sure. The same play-call can be termed brilliant or moronic, depending on whether it works or not.
My rule for criticizing play-calling is that you must take a stance before the ball is snapped. In other words, during our chats last season, I would sometimes make comments like, "If they throw the ball here, I'm going to slam my head into my keyboard."
So if they did throw the ball, and it didn't work, I felt perfectly within my rights as a sports fan to criticize the call.
What do you think? Does that work for you? Or is Cowherd right?
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
Agree 100%. More often than not, most fans will criticize a call that didn't porduce a desired result and laud the call that does. Fans need to be reminded of the fact that your team and its coaches and players actually want to win. Unbelievable isn't it? The method a coach employs will however ALWAYS be subject to criticism as it should. Where Eagles fans cross the line is that they don't just stop at screaming about how stupid they or moronic or idiotic they thought a play-call was. Nope, they get personal. So they start talking about how stupid and moronic and idiotic (and fat - lol) the guy who made the call is. Is that the point you were trying to make here Sheil?— CV- Cowherd is a typical talk radio jackhole.— TVGuy22
- Cowherd has the right to hang-up an anyone who call his show. As a sport fan it's completely within my rights to criticize whatever I want to criticize. So, I guess that I agree with you. I usually have some idea of what I would do in any situation and if the coach goes in a different direction and fails, then I'm critical.— Warhound
- Hey first amendment....you can criticize all you want. But anyone who criticized the play-calling of an offense that last year BROKE FRANCHISE RECORDS FOR POINTS SCORED has effectively conceded their right to be taken seriously by anyone who knows anything about pro football.
- LOL, I just figured it out. Lonewolf is one of two people, at first, with all he brilliant personnel insight, I thought she might be an unemployed personnel person trying to catch on with the Eagles...but it's been too long since anyone took her opinion seriously for her to consider making a living at it anymore...then I realized, I was wrong! Lonewolf is actually Kevin Kolb's Mom! Who else could have such a flawed, skewed opinion. At this point, there is absolutely nothing our QB can do to make Kevin's Mom happy. So do us all a favor brokenrecordwolf and give it a rest.— Puddle Pirate
- The problem is not with play calling in general. The problem is the critical make or break plays. It is the plays that result in loss of possession, having to settle for a field goal, or one that costs you the came that matter. For the Eagle, the majority of the criticism has always been directed towards the plays that cost points and ultimately the game. Plus there is the very real throw festivals that Reid likes to have.— dutchman
- Play calling, draft, free agents, etc, I don't think it matters what they do anymore... The result will be the same, No Super Bowl victory for this regime. This team needs a new direction, a new leader.. How about Urban Meyer & Tim Tebow. If McPuke had half the heart of Tebow, the Eagles would be at least 2 time Champs by now for sure!!! Talk radio rules in Philly, I love the Bandwagon, I mean the die hard Eagles fans!!!— BirdsSuck
- Reid's play calling has always been a bone of contention with most Eagles fans. His stubborness in failing to build a solid run game has cost us many games over the years. Until he realizes that a solid running game makes the entire offense better and not as predictable, the Eagles will struggle in the red zone. This years team has so many weapons that failure to score in the red zone is not acceptable anymore. Other teams players have said they know what the Eagles are going to do almost every game. There is no real imagination in Reid's play calling. 10 years of Reid's, I know better than you has produced No Super Bowl wins. And on the other hand in Steeler Country, Tomlin lead them to a Super Bowl win in his second year. Were the Steelers that much better than the Eagles last year? I think not. The coaching is better in Pittsburgh. Reid's stubborness not to make the running game more important will always keep the Eagles from being Super Bowl Champions. Running also controls the clock which for Reid should be ticking quickly with the talent this team no has assembled.— The Marco Islander
- when a player on the cincinnati f'n bengals says they knew what plays the eagles were going to run b/c the offense is so predictable, and that gets echoed by tiki barber, i don't think the fans need to say anything.— jazztafari
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- eaglesfan - setting the franchise record is not a rousing endorsement of the Birds' offensive prowess when you consider that 38% of the points were against the pitiful NFC West (during the first game the Cards were pitiful). If you include a Dallass team that quit it gets worse. 50% of the points were scored in just 5 games. Need I bring up Cincy? I would echo dutchman's comment about CLUTCH point generation. It wasn't there last year.— Joe Funk
Follow
Sheil on Twitter. And become
a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook.
Download our NEW iPhone/Android app for even more Birds
coverage, including app-exclusive videos and analysis. Download it here.
