More venting about the Eagles

The following is a partial transcript from yesterday's Eagles chat with John Gonzalez on Philly.com

Gonzo: How's everyone feeling? Good and strong? Let the venting begin. Or continue. Whichever.

Johnnie G.: What do you think of DeSean Jackson's behavior toward the end of the season? Is his attitude and ego going to keep him from being a truly great player?

Gonzo: Yeah, this is a tough one. I really like DJacc's attitude. I think his swagger is directly linked to his talent. They're symbiotic. But you have to back up the jawing in big games with big plays. He didn't do that against the 'Boys. As for being a great player, he's already on his way. He just needs to show up when the pressure is on. Then again, so do most of his teammates.

Mike: Are Joe Banner and Jeff Lurie always this quiet after the season?

Gonzo: If you recall, last year Banner went out and said there would be changes to the team because doing the same things over and over but expecting different results is madness. This year, I suspect they'll stay out of the way for a while and let Reid take the heat. They aren't stupid. They know people are ticked right now.

Rick: I think they need substantially more help than I have heard reporters covering the team discuss - offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, safeties, a possession (third-down) receiver - maybe Jason Avant, but he wasn't it the last 2 games - and all of that is before you get to quarterback, though I am of the opinion that it is time for a change.

Gonzo: Agreed. And that's what worries me. They smacked around some inferior competition this year and puffed out their chests after doing so, and a lot of us bought it. But when you're up against someone your own size - or bigger, in the case of the Cowboys - you get exposed. They have a lot of issues that need addressing.

John: Gonzo, after watching the Green Bay-Arizona game, is it safe to say that Aaron Rodgers is a better QB than #5?

Gonzo: Yes. I would agree with that sentiment. Rodgers had much better numbers than McNabb this year despite the fact that his offensive line tied for the most sacks surrendered in the league.

The thing I took away from that GB/Zona game was how wonderfully both quarterbacks ran the two-minute offense. They got their teams up to the line, didn't waste time, and executed well. Andy and Donovan should take notes.

Guest: Do you think Reid's "stubbornness" is really immaturity? Would you agree that he acts like a brooding 13-year-old who is going to prove everyone wrong?

Gonzo: He's stubborn, yes. But he's not immature. And I don't think he acts like a brooding 13-year-old at all. Quite the opposite. I think he acts like the family patriarch who's supremely confident that he knows exactly where he's going and how to get there, even though he keeps getting lost on the way to his final destination.

Time to stop and ask for directions or, better yet, let someone else drive.

Jonathan: As a coach, I think Reid is overrated nationally, and underrated locally. The only coach who I would have really wanted to replace him with this year would have been Mike Shanahan (yes, I know about his post-Elway record), and with him gone, I am happy to stick with Reid instead of chasing Bill Cowher, etc., whose record was very Reid-like during the same amount of time. Thoughts?

Gonzo: That's probably true - to a certain extent. Look, Reid has had real success here. But he's also had real failures. When he botches yet another time-out or refuses to commit to the running game or fails to win a title, those are legit criticisms.

Mike: For me the toughest thing is watching McNabb make the same mistakes every year and not learning from them. For that reason I need a change so at least I can say, "Well, Kolb will learn from it when he makes a mistake." With that being said, does McNabb even want to be back here?

Gonzo: That last part is interesting. I'm not sure. As frustrated as we are with McNabb, he has to be somewhat tired of all of us, too. If you had to hear all that noise about your performance year after year after year, you'd probably consider starting fresh somewhere else.

That said, McNabb brings a lot of the heat upon himself. You can't go out and sarcastically say you're sorry you didn't win all 16 games, and you can't say you had a good season after the 'Boys thumped you on national TV and you failed to beat a single playoff opponent all year. How does that qualify as a good season? Explain that to me.