Eagles fans pour wrath on Reid as Eagles fall to Patriots, 38-20

They say it on the airwaves. They say in the bars. They holler it at their televisions. Heck, sometimes they even mutter it to themselves at Lincoln Financial Field.

But never before have Eagles fans called for Andy Reid's head during a home game.

Fire Andy! Fire Andy!

 The Eagles' 38-20 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday was not the worst of Reid's 13-year tenure in Philadelphia. It probably wasn't even the worst of this season, although the margin was. But it was the culmination of a season that started with so much promise but has disappointed with growing ferocity.

The same could be said of Reid's reign as Eagles head coach. The first six years were astonishingly successful, considering the franchise's past, but the ultimate prize eluded the Eagles. Since then, there have trips to the playoffs, even another NFC championship appearance, but even the most loyal of fans have turned on Reid.

Fire Andy! Fire Andy!

If it was audible several sections up, inside a glassed-ensconced press box, then it was heard down on the sidelines after Reid called for a horribly-executed pass in the back of the end zone on fourth down and one at the New England 2.

"You really don't hear much down there," Reid said. "I didn't hear [the chants]. The way we played, I can understand it."

Fan discontent will only factor in mildly when Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and team president Joe Banner convene after the season to decide if Reid, who has two years left on his contract, is no longer the man to lead their team.

Banner declined to answer any questions after the game.

"If you're looking for answers," he said, "I can't help you."

The Eagles front office doesn't typically discuss team matters until after the season. The end couldn't come soon enough for most.

If you're a glutton for punishment, the Eagles are not technically out of the playoff picture. (Insert your own joke here.) But only three 4-7 teams in NFL history have reached the postseason - the 1995 Chargers, the 1996 Jaguars, and the 2008 Chargers.

The Eagles are three games behind the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys, 21/2 games behind the New York Giants - who play the New Orleans Saints on Monday night - and eons behind having any hope.

At this point, if the players have any say in it, they will finish out the slate to save Reid's hide.

"I'm going to go out and play hard for Andy," tackle Jason Peters said. "He brought me here, and I'm going to play hard for him the rest of the season."

Reid said that his players gave the necessary effort.

There is question as to whether DeSean Jackson shelled out 100 percent on Sunday. He short-armed several passes, dropped two in the end zone and was the only starter not to play on offense down the stretch.

"I just wanted to give the other guys an opportunity," Reid said when he was asked if Jackson was benched - yet again.

Even if Jackson had hauled in those passes, the Eagles were going to lose. The defense had absolutely no answers for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who punched holes through Juan Castillo's scheme as if it were Swiss cheese.

Castillo's unit had already coughed up an unprecedented five fourth-quarter leads. On Sunday, it found a new way to fold. After quarterback Vince Young and the Eagles jumped out to a 10-0 lead, New England scored 38 of the next 41 points in the game. Brady completed 24 of 34 passes for 361 yards and three TDs.

He was sacked only once. The book on Brady is to get in his face and rattle the lead-footed quarterback. But the Eagles' front four had no teeth a week after manhandling the Giants' Eli Manning.

"They went no-huddle," defensive end Jason Babin said, as if the Patriots offense had never played that way before.

Receiver Wes Welker caught eight passes for 115 yards and two scores. Receiver Deion Branch snagged six passes for 125 yards, and tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski finished with a combined 10 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. No one else caught a pass for the Patriots.

The secondary was mostly without injured cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who played only in dime situations. But the decision to not play exclusively man-to-man defense was a costly one.

"They were working on all cylinders," cornerback Asante Samuel said. "We couldn't figure anything out."

The Eagles offense should not get off the hook. Michael Vick, of course, missed his second straight game at quarterback with broken ribs, but Young was not at fault. He underthrew Jackson on a deep throw and was errant on a few others, but the blame should be pointed at the play calling.

LeSean McCoy, the NFL's leading rusher entering the game, finished with just 10 carries for 31 yards. The Patriots' pass defense was ranked last in the league in total yards and was without three starters at cornerback, safety and linebacker. So the book called for a pass-heavy game plan.

But Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg sprinkled in very little of the run, even when they were ahead 10 points, 3 or down just 4 early in the second quarter. How Chad Hall ever stole a carry from McCoy will never make sense.

"I think I thought I'd touch the ball a little bit more," a politically-correct McCoy said.

The same mistakes plagued the Eagles: untimely penalties (10 total), red zone inefficiency (Patriots were 4 of 5, while the Eagles were only 2 of 4) and third down incompetence (Patriots were 6 of 11 while the Eagles were 4 of 13).

The end result was another home loss - the Eagles' eighth in their last nine at the Linc. The place has become a morgue, and the fans are calling for death to the Reid tenure.

Fire Andy! Fire Andy!

 "That's horrible. You know what type of coach Coach Reid is," tight end Brent Celek said of the chants. "You never want to hear it, and I know he doesn't want to hear it."

The Eagles have two more home games - the New York Jets on Dec. 18 and the season finale on Jan. 1 against the Redskins. Reid may have to hear the chants for two more games. Beyond that is anyone's guess.