Did Eagles make right call on McDermott?
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Did Eagles make right call on McDermott?
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
The Eagles have fired defensive coordinator Sean McDermott.
ESPN's Chris Mortensen was the first to report the news.
The Inquirer's Jeff McLane confirmed the report on Birds' Eye View.
On Monday, Andy Reid said McDermott would be back.
"Well I would tell you you're dealing with a guy that's a tremendous worker and is a very smart individual," Reid said. "And so I look at it a little bit different than what you do in that I've seen him work with young guys, I've seen him work through injuries, I've seen him stay positive through those situations and still put us in a position to win football games and knowing that he's going to do nothing but improve as a coach, just like all of us, with experience. And so, I have a lot of respect for him and the way that he does business."
So much for that, huh?
McDermott took over for Jim Johnson before the 2009 season. The Eagles finished 12th in the league in yards allowed (327.2) last season and 21st in scoring defense (23.6 PPG).
The team also allowed 31 passing touchdowns - tied for third-worst in the league and had a historically bad red-zone defense.
In 2009, the Eagles finished 12th in total defense (321.1 YPG) and 19th in scoring (21.1)
The news comes a day after reports surfaced that the Browns had been granted permission to interview Eagles defensive backs coach Dick Jauron. It would make sense for the Eagles to look at Jauron as one of the candidates to replace McDermott. Then again, the unit he coached (the defensive backs), did not exactly exceed expectations in 2010.
The question all season had been: Was McDermott the problem? Or was it personnel? Now we know what Reid's answer is to that question.
But it's fair to question whether McDermott is the fall guy here for a team that failed to win a playoff game in two seasons. It's also worth noting that the Eagles scored 14 and 16 points, respectively, in their postseason losses the last two seasons. Against Green Bay, one of two touchdowns the Eagles scored came after the defense created a turnover that gave Michael Vick and company the ball at the Packers' 24 yard line.
As for personnel, seven of 11 defensive starters in the Eagles' playoff game were either seventh-round picks or undrafted free agents (Juqua Parker, Antonio Dixon, Moise Fokou, Jamar Chaney, Kurt Coleman, Quintin Mikell and Dimitri Patterson).
I'm going to do a little more research on this for a post Sunday, but drafting on the defensive side of the ball has been largely responsible for the lack of talent on the field.
Many of you hit me up on Twitter with questions as soon as the news was made public. Let me try to answer a couple of them here.
Q: Should the Eagles switch to a 3-4?
A: I know a lot of people want the Birds to go this route, but I'm not sure it makes sense, given the current personnel. The linebackers are probably the weakest part of this defense. And now you want to put more of them on the field? I'd have to check the Eagles' success with zone blitzes this season, but overall, they did not seem to yield very good results. Taking away chances for Trent Cole to get after the quarterback never made sense to me. That being said, the defensive system probably depends entirely on who the new coordinator is and how they turn over personnel in the offseason.
Q: Is Rob Ryan an option?
A: This would be a GREAT PR move, but it seems unlikely. Ryan, Buddy's son, recently interviewed with the Cowboys, and according to the Fort Werth Star-Telegram, the two sides have begun contract talks. Replacing McDermott with Ryan would be the most popular choice among fans, but I don't see it happening.
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Vote: Eagles: Stay or Go?- Yeah Let's get a guy who defenses were no better than what we've already had. As if the Buddy Ryan Legacy of ZERO playoff wins is something we want to re-live. Let the Cowboys have him. He'll make their D even worse!
— bkg126 - I disagree with the firing. While the Eagles D was not very good - he had garbage all year (especially in the second half of the year) to work with.— Bobphxville
- "On Monday, Andy Reid said McDermott would be back." = The kiss of death.— JohnnyH
- SIMPLY MEANS EAGLES NEEDS ARE OL,DL,LB,CB,SAFETY AND DEF COORD— DONDEN31
- Can you say scapegoat? Flawed scheme with an undersized D. NO depth at LB or DB......and NO difference makers!
Nice job Andy, Howie and Joey! Morons.
Think we CAN get Rob Ryan?— RicanRock - Forget the 3-4 defense. There's no reason the Eagles can't improve within the 4-3. The Eagles have never found a solution at DE to complement Cole, and Cole is too small to withstand double teams for an entire season. Parker is good, but he's not an every down player. I think the Eagles are ok at DT. The linebackers are mediocre. Bradley better show he's 100% next season. If not, I'd move on - either get rid of him or keep him and find someone to replace him. What happens if Mikell is gone? I don't see anyone on the current roster who is a starting caliber S to play opposite Allen. And what about corner? Man does this defense have holes.— p-diddy
Why is the Eagles Personnel so weak for a 3-4? Chaney & Bradley in the middle with Cole & Graham as the OLBs. Plus that guy T'eoneshiam screams 3-4 player. I would start Dixon at the NT and Patterson and Bunkley at the DE. Not completely confident on how Patterson would be and would try to move him to another team but I disagree with Sheil's observation the Birds lack the personnel.
Reid would never bring in Ryan because he only hires weak personality types that kowtow to almighty giant tukus. Ryan would tell Reid he wasn't wearing any clothes.— CyaNutter
They gave McDermott cr@p to work with and then fired him cause it stinks. Disgraceful. Too bad the FO can't/won't fire itself.— tpizza- I know Jim Johnson was great, but let's not be simplistic. Johnson started with a defense that included Hugh Douglas, Hollis Thomas, Trotter, Carlos Emmons, Dawkins, Ike Reese, Rashard Cook, Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor and Al Harris. Later he had Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard. That's a impressive array of talent. Dhani Jones and Mark Simoneau stunk under Jim Johnson. Was Johnson going to turn Quentin Demps into a pro-bowler? It's not simply a matter of comparing stats in 2009 or 2010 to what we had in 2004.— p-diddy
- Is Wade Phillips available??— Nicher
(and the Eagles off-season begins w/ a bang) Wow, I know most fans aren't surprised by this, but I am. I really thought w/ all the personnel turnover in his 2 years, the Eagles would give McDermott a chance to grow into his position as the DC. Oh well, guess the Eagles brass have someone else in mind...
Can you say Scapegoat? They cant pick defensive players so what do you expect this guy to do with the cards he was dealt? Stupid frigging Eagles front office I need a new team for a while until something changes.- It doesn't have to be EITHER the coordinator OR the players. Obviously both were lousy. Reid can't fire himself, so this is the next best thing. Now they have to do what they can about the mediocre talent on the field.— filzfan
- Whoever decided to let Brian Dawkins walk is the one who kicked this defense in the groin. They haven't had any heart or identity since.— filzfan
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