On the Birds Beat-Monday, October 6th - Monday, October 06, 2008
176 Views :: 0 Comments ::  :: Team - Eagles, Brian Seltzer Today, from One Nova Care Way, but for starters... -RB Brian Westbrook's MRI revealed that he fractured two of his ribs. Andy Reid explained the team is in wait-and-see mode with his pain level. -The Eagles entered yesterday afternoon ranked first in the NFL in rush defense, but have now fallen to 8th in that statistical category. The Redskins trampeled them for 203 running yards, the most the Birds have surrendered on the ground since facing Washington 12/10/2006. -Certainly it's an ecouraging sign to see WR Reggie Brown reel in a season-high 84 YD (his best performance since 10/26/07 @ MIN w/ 105 YD), but will his increased involvement come at the expense of DeSean Jackson? The rookie receiver accounted for just one catch yesterday for a total of 8 paltry YD. Andy Reid blamed Jackson's reduced role on the Redskins' playing man coverage on him. So, that's something that the NFL's 8th-leading wideout entering yesterday, who also happened to run a 4.35 40-YD dash at the combine, can't handle? Yikes. -The Eagles last six losses, dating back to last year's defeat at New England, have all been decided by 7 PT or fewer. The Birds are now 2-7 in their past 9 contests have have come down to 7 PT or fewer. -Yesterday's defeat to Washington dropped the Eagles to an overall mark of 26-27 since their Super Bowl 39 season in 2004. -The best word to describe the predominant feeling surrounding this club right now is "stale." The Eagles simply are not responding to Andy Reid. That's not to say that there's anything close to a mutiny building inside the Birds' lockerroom, or that the players feel animosity towards the head coach. There is, however, a flatness, a lack of life. Reid deserves an enormous amount of credit for building this franchise back up from 1999 through 2004. Throw away 2005, due to the Terrrell Owens turmoil and a rash of key injuries. But since 2006, this squad has exhibited a really discouraging symptom, which is the inability to play sharp, focused football for a full 60 minutes. The team goes through lackadaisical lulls, and undiscipined spells. Some people out there explain this problem by saying the players are failing to execute. That the head coach is putting them in position to succeed, but the guys aren't making the proper plays. Ridiculous. Defeats like yesterday's are all on Andy Reid. As the head coach, it is his chief responsibility to ensure that the Eagles take the field in the proper frame of mind to perform with a crisp consistency. That's happened too little too many times in recent years. The Birds might not boast the most talent in the NFC East, but they certainly have shown they have enough of it to compete. Reid needs to figure out how to get that out of his group, and that will mean altering how he handles the team. His even-keeled approach is successful when the Eagles win, because it keeps them humbled and hungry. But when they lose, or face adversity, the head coach's mild-mannered demeanor fails to inspire.
The issue here is that while the Birds respect Reid, you don't get the sense they have the love for him that the truly great coaches earn from their players. Perhaps it boils down to Reid's dual role as head coach and front office member, but I'm not sure all 53 men on this roster would run through a wall for him. Is the answer to fire Reid? It's too soon for that. But something has to be done to shake this thing up, and it could start with a philosophical change for Reid. He's built up a lot of loyalty within the franchise, and that currency probably is worth more in football than any other sport. Still, Jeffery Lurie and Joe Banner can't be pleased that the dangerously uneven nature of last year's club has reared its ugly head again. |