Ashley Fox: Chat shows Eagles fans angry, despairing

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The participants in my online chat about the Eagles yesterday were not happy. They wanted Andy Reid fired. They wanted Donovan McNabb benched. One thought the Eagles would lose by 30 at San Diego on Sunday. Another thought the Eagles wouldn't win more than two games the rest of the season.

The glass was not half full. It was totally empty. Understandable after the Eagles lost to the Cowboys, 20-16, on Sunday, marking the 13th time in the last two and a half seasons that the Eagles failed to win a game decided by seven or fewer points.

Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb were targets of disgruntled fans after the loss to the Cowboys. The Eagles have not fared well lately in games decided by seven points or fewer.
MICHAEL S. WIRTZ / Staff Photographer
Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Donovan McNabb were targets of disgruntled fans after the loss to the Cowboys. The Eagles have not fared well lately in games decided by seven points or fewer.
Here are a couple of questions I couldn't get to during the chat:

How can we get Andy to call plays like he used to in '06, when Jeff Garcia was the quarterback? The big plays should be a surprise, not a staple.

- Dan

Try this on for size. In the eight games Garcia started in '06, the Eagles had 19 touchdown drives. Eight of those went for at least 10 plays, and an additional three were at least seven plays. With McNabb as quarterback, the Eagles haven't had a touchdown drive longer than six plays since the season opener.

It's almost as if Reid relies more on the big plays with McNabb because he knows McNabb has the arm to make them happen. Garcia's arm wasn't as strong, and Reid knew it, so he called plays that allowed Garcia to dink and dunk his way down the field.

Why not try putting Michael Vick in for a series as opposed to a random play in the middle of a McNabb-led drive?

- MM

Why not just let McNabb run the show like he's been doing? Why bother putting Vick in at all? So he can hand off? So he can run for 3 yards? The Wildcat is not going to revolutionize the game, not the way the Eagles are running it.

And I can't imagine Five would like coming off the field for an entire series. He doesn't like coming off for the occasional play.

I think 10-plus years of Reid and McNabb has shown us that they are truly incapable of getting it done and winning the Super Bowl. Do you have any insight about getting rid of Reid finally at season's end?

- Thingfish

Just a few weeks ago, they were talking about a contract extension with Reid. He's not going anywhere. The Eagles could lose their final eight games and he still wouldn't be going anywhere. Jeffrey Lurie and Joe Banner love him.

How much has the Phillies' success put the Eagles on a short leash with the Philly fans? Do you think the Eagles organization is aware of that?

- CoEagle

More than anything, people are upset at the repetitive nature of the Eagles' problems. They've seen the same things over and over. The mismanagement of the clock. The blown time-outs. The inability to get a key stop. The failure to come from behind to win. It's gotten old.

Fans want to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, to have a parade, to fill the Linc for a celebration. They got that with the Phillies, and it was fun. It's been 42 years and no Super Bowl here. Fans are fed up.

I don't think things are a matter of the season being young, but the team being young. The O-line has been a mess because of injuries, and a bunch of rookies and second-year guys at the skill positions. This team has a lot of talent and will improve with age. Your thoughts?

- Craig

Agreed. The season isn't over. The Eagles can get hot. Do they have holes? No question. Have they had significant injuries? Absolutely.

But the talent is there. They can get it together. If they don't, with what Joe Banner described as the most talented roster in the NFL, then heads should roll.


Contact columnist Ashley Fox at 215-854-5064 or afox@phillynews.com.

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Posted 07:44 AM, 11/11/2009
Seed
Some of the Eagles fans need prozac :-) They swing from one end to the other in matter to days :-) No wonder those fews liked TO; as they feather birds of same feather stick together :-)
Posted 08:05 AM, 11/11/2009
Phil Checchia
Seed.... News for you and Lurie. Next African American QB to win Super Bown resides in Tampa. Watched the guy this weekend. He is a no nonsense, steely eyed leader, nice touch on ball. Won a game with a fourth quarter comeback. Imagine.
Posted 08:10 AM, 11/11/2009
uncle doey
we now have 6-7 missing starters -- bradley, gaither, harris, curtis, westbrook, andrews, gocong. any team have more?
Posted 09:11 AM, 11/11/2009
Oppressed#1
The stupidity is so deep here that one must wonder about motives. No pro offense, and especially no West Coast offense, has plays designed where the ONLY option is to "go long". The playcalling DOES NOT dictate all these long passes, it is the QB's choice. Further, Fox includes the standard cheapshot at Garcia equating his arm strength to "dink and dunk", but the fact is that when Garcia threw, the passes were on target - when is that ever mentioned? And not to praise Garcia, but to point out the passing failures of McNabb? Oh, yeah, maybe that's why. This town and "the community" are going to explode when the plug is finally pulled on McNabb. But remember this: it's not the race, stupid, it's the inaccuracy. I am Oppressed.
Posted 09:15 AM, 11/11/2009
lonewolf 10
ashley,the fans are anxious for the kevin kolb era,with don unable to bring the team back in the forth quarter (1-9-1)...it doesn't matter what color the QB is,we just want a QB that can play smart football week after week and it would be nice to hit a w-i-d-e-o-p-e-n djack when the game is on the line,,...the start of the kevin kolb era is what the team and the fans need and want,he's a natural born Leader and QB...........my man.
Posted 09:34 AM, 11/11/2009
johduk
Face the fact that Reid is a terrible gameday coach and McNabb chokes and never could throw. Further McNabbs too old to run, and if continues to play the Eagle's season over.
Posted 09:54 AM, 11/11/2009
libertyof76
Most fans are impatient and not football smart. The Eagles lost to a worse Cowboys team. They had bad ref calls, bad penalties, and bad mistakes. The talent is there, the players just didn't execute. Given that so many are new and young, that is not surprising. I still place this team in the playoffs, if not the Super Bowl.
Posted 09:55 AM, 11/11/2009
EdZohn
Frankly, I'm beginning to think more and more, Andy and Mornhinweg are burnt out. The little mistakes that we see are indicative of that. The defense is playing above expectations but spending too much time on the field to be effective late in the fourth quarter. Special teams has improved. And why not have Kolb have a series or two (especially in Oakland) and see if he lights the offensive fire? I appreciate what Andy has done and he should stay with the Eagles but a fresh approach seems to be overdue. All in all, this is a typical Eagles seen since the Super Bowl. Eagles get by but just don't excel week to week.
Posted 10:29 AM, 11/11/2009
Johnnydeagle
Millions of Eagle fans around the Delaware valley love the Eagles and are happy the team is always competitive! Then there are 50, 100 more or less sad depressed people with no friends, and a family who doesn't like them either. They only have these message boards and WIP to allay their life's frustrations and their pent up negativity and desperation. Feel sorry for them as they have very little happiness in their lives.
Posted 11:19 AM, 11/11/2009
WewantaSBRing
Ha, what a bunch of morons, and stupid questions.
Posted 11:48 AM, 11/11/2009
lonewolf 10
ashley,some bird fans are just happy with second place,afraid to go all out for a championship,,it's the same way they live there lives.....no guts no glory..
Posted 12:41 PM, 11/11/2009
billgfc
lonewolf : if you ran the team they would beat Detroit s record
Posted 12:45 PM, 11/11/2009
Phil Checchia
WewantaSBRing... There you go again with personal attacks. Seems there are a lot more people that think 5 and Reid cant quite do it. However you and the minority that support them are correct.
Posted 01:17 PM, 11/11/2009
vladamir
First to win a championship - Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Eagles, Drexel Men's Basketball? I should have been a Yankees fan. :( <--sad face.
Posted 03:18 PM, 11/11/2009
Maddy44
ashley, there are some of us who don't drink kool aid, we've seen it all before year after year and we feel we have the right to express our opinions since we, have, seen it all before....it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this QB will not and cannot win a superbowl here, all it takes is a Birds fan that's been watching this game long enough to know that the Kevin Kolb era can't start soon enough...(i am also oppressed)
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