Reid and McNabb Deserve a Pass

Get Rid Of Reid?:

The Eagles are off to a dreadful start this season. I doubt anybody expected a 3-5 record to this point of the season. While everybody is searching for answers, let me remind them of this.

Andy Reid is a great coach. Take a look at his body of work in Philadelphia.

In 2006, Reid overcame a 5-6 start and the loss of two of their most explosive players in quarterback Donovan McNabb and defensive end Jevon Kearse in leading the team to season-ending, five-game win streak to capture the NFC East division championship.

The 2004 Eagles clinched the NFC East title with five games remaining in the regular season and the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs after a 13-1 start. Along the way, Reid passed Greasy Neale (66) for the most wins in franchise history. The Eagles earned their first trip to the Super Bowl since 1980 after defeating Atlanta in the NFC Championship game.

In 2003, the Eagles overcame a 0-2 start and a slew of injuries to post their second consecutive 12-win season. During that season, Reid registered his 50th career win (in his 81st game) to become the fastest coach in team history to reach that milestone. A year earlier, Reid was the overwhelming choice as the NFL's coach of the year as the Eagles thrived without the services of McNabb to still capture home field advantage in the NFC playoffs.

After a 5-11 mark in his first season, Reid led the 2000 Eagles to the greatest turnaround in franchise history, finishing 2nd in the NFC East at 11-5 and earning a trip to the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Reid's 8 playoff wins are most in team history and tied for 18th in league history. Of the 20 coaches who have won eight or more playoff games, only Vince Lombardi (10), Tom Flores (11), Jimmy Johnson (13), and Mike Shanahan (13) have manned the sidelines in fewer playoffs games than Reid's 14.

Andy's teams have never had back to back losing seasons.

What he has done here is more than impressive. Reid has built a foundation here, to have a lot of winning football teams.

To those who want Andy Reid gone, I ask you this. Who do you want to take his place? There are not very many good candidates even available. More than likely if Reid were to resign, Marty Morningweg would be promoted to head coach. Is that really the answer?

It's time to calm down this get rid of Reid nonsense now. Right now he is dealing with a family crisis, and fans should show support during this rough time. Reid will pull this team together again, and the Eagles will rise up once again.

McNabb Can Not Win:

No matter what Donovan McNabb says, he will be criticized by the media. There has been two days of stories about Donovan not taking the blame for the teams losses, and it is all based off one sentence from his press conference. McNabb has had to defend himself in his own blog, and he was even ripped for doing that.

The media makes a habit of taking McNabb's words out of context, to create a controversy. They especially like to pull these stunts when the Eagles are not doing well. When the Eagles are losing these stories seem to catch a lot more fire, then when the Eagles are doing well.

It truly is a no win situation for Donovan. If he does not answer the question, he gets ripped for that. If he speaks honestly he is told to shut up. If he gives a politically correct response, he is labeled a company man. No matter how he approaches the questions directed his way, there will be a negative story to follow.

McNabb is payed to play football, not worry about what to say in his press conference.

I know that McNabb is having a poor season, but people need to remember that he is still under a year removed from major knee surgery. Most athletes will tell you it takes about two years before you are fully right from an ACL. Donovan has to play through this to get better, and there is no other way around it.

We all know how well Donovan can play when healthy. Did everybody forget the 2004 Super Bowl season already? How about last year when Five was an early MVP candidate before getting hurt?

The same fans who voted McNabb the best QB in Eagles franchise history, are now calling for rookie Kevin Kolb to replace him. Does anybody really think Kolb is ready now? How about next year? I sure don't have faith in Kevin Kolb. I have never seen him play outside of the pre-season.

Ironically Kevin Kolb is the same pick that fans booed on draft day, and ripped ever since. Now people think he is the solution to this Eagles team?

I think people should be more careful for what they wish for. When things are going bad everybody wants to bench the QB and fire the head coach, but it is not the smart move in this case.

I would hate to see fans reaction when Kevin Kolb is the starting QB, and Marty Morningweg is the head coach.

Brown defends wide receivers

Reggie Brown has one word for all those who claim the Eagles wide receivers never got open Monday against Washington.

"Hogwash," he said Thursday.

"Do these quote-unquote experts actually watch the game, or are they just looking at the quarterback?" the third-year wide receiver said. "Most of the time when you see a game, you can't even see the receivers."

Brown has been conspicuous in his absence from the Eagles' play-to-play offense so far in two games, both defeats in which the offense underperformed.

He has a total of three catches for 41 yards so far, but late in the 20-12 loss to the Redskins, there were some rays of hope. Brown made a tough 19-yard fourth-down catch to keep alive a Philadelphia drive.

On Wednesday, head coach Andy Reid pointed to that drive as a sign that the Eagles offense might be emerging from the fog that has cost them two games.

Brown agreed.

"I think we started playing with a little bit more energy," he said of the fourth quarter. "Everybody focused in and we feel like we had to do it.

"It didn't feel like a sense of panic in the huddle. It felt like a feeling of confidence and unity and a sense of responsibility that we needed to go down and do this.

"Not panic."

Brown was a significant part of the Eagles' big-play potential in 2006, a potential that has not yet been realized this season.

Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said that Philadelphia's inability to hit on plays downfield has partly been a function of the defenses they have faced, which have sought to cut that aspect off.

Brown said that because the offensive timing has been off, the Eagles haven't been unable to hit on the shorter routes enough to draw defenses out of their prevent modes.

>>CourierPostOnline

Run Eagles Run

THE EAGLES HAVE A NEW EMPHASIS ON RUNNING THE FOOTBALL

Posted May 15, 2007 - 12:43 PM

I remember prior to the one Packers Super Bowl Championship season under Mike Holmgren, that the head coach came out at the start of the training camp that season and proclaimed that they were going to run the ball on everybody. He said this with MVP quarterback Brett Favre lining up behind center. Holmgren had been frustrated year after year by the Dallas Cowboys and their power running game. Holmgren and the Packers dedicated themselves to the run that season, a young Dorsey Levens ran for over 1500 yards, and the Packers dominated the league and won a Super Bowl Title. Maybe last year's stretch run by the Birds reminded Reid of that training camp and the emphasis on running the football.

With last season in the rear view mirror, the most recent draft concluded and last weekend's mini-camp completed, you can see that the Eagles are emphasizing running the football much more now, than they have in the past.

Nothing teaches better than practical knowledge. For years fans and media types clamored for Andy Reid to get a big back to work along with Brian Westbrook, as well as begging him to not rely so much on the passing game. It fell on deaf ears, until Donovan McNabb went down with a knee injury and the Birds had to rely on weak-armed veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia to lead the Birds to victory. Andy Reid saw what the running game did for the offense, as the Eagles put together a five-game winning streak, which allowed them to capture another divisional crown.

Big Red seems now to be convinced that a running game can bolster the Birds already potent air attack, when Donovan McNabb gets back under center. He had to remember the way Holmgren emphasized the run during the Pack's Super Bowl year. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who took over calling the plays a year ago, concurs. Marty's decision to center the offense around Westbrook was the decision that turned the 2006 season around. He's brought a new way of thinking to the Eagles and most importantly he has the trust of Reid.

You can see their new thinking most of all, when you examine what they did in the draft. The Eagles selected two big backs in Penn State's Tony Hunt and Hawaii's Nate Ilaoa as a testament to that new mindset. They also drafted a big physical tight end in Brent Celek, who may be more of a blocker than pass receiver. You'd have to be blind to not see that the Eagles are a different team from the standpoint, that they have now made more of a commitment to the running game. No longer do they plan on throwing the ball 40 to 50 times a game. They're much more interested in passing it 30 to 35 times a game and running it a bit less, say 30 to 35 times. They'll keep the throwing under 55% and the running over 45%.

It makes sense because of the team's strengths. In the past Donovan McNabb had to carry the offense on his back. People try to point the finger at McNabb when the Eagles lost the Super Bowl to New England but Donovan threw for nearly 400 yards and three touchdowns despite not having much of a run threat, as Westbrook was held to a little over 40 yards on the ground. The Eagles didn't emphasize running the ball during those days and that's why they could afford to line poor run blocking Hank Fraley up at center and smallish guard Artis Hicks. Richard Seymour destroyed both of them and that put the entire weight of the offense on McNabb.

That has changed dramatically because the Birds present offensive linemen are all big and physical, especially in the interior. With All-Pro Shawn Andrews at right guard, power blocking Jamaal Jackson at center, and big physical Todd Herremans at left guard the Birds are as big and physical inside, as anybody in the league. There's no question that they now have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. You can see that they plan on using it.

The new offensive mentality will place more importance on the abilities of Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter. Buck told the media this weekend, that Marty let him know he's going to get more carries. That makes sense because I don't think the Birds want to hand the ball off to the diminutive Westbrook, any more than they did a year ago. That's why Correll was informed of his new role, and that's why Hunt and Ilaoa were picked up in the draft. It's also why they didn't mind letting Garcia go and resigning the lesser priced A.J. Feeley as their backup quarterback. I think wisely realize Feeley can be just as effective as Garcia if he's given the same rushing attack to hide behind.

I like this new Eagles mentality because by building a strong running game, they're also putting themselves in position to battle the big, physical AFC teams, if they're fortunate enough to get to the Super Bowl. Now with a new found running game, which has both speed and power components, they can take pressure off of McNabb and ask him use the deep throwing arm and playmaking ability only a few times a game under optimum conditions.