Heath Evans says Eagles fans need to chill...
And I agree...
With all the fan hysteria and hoopla going on right now in Philly about the Eagles at 3-3 going into their Bye week, and folks calling for the firing of Andy Reid and his staff, you'd think the Birds had just blown a 24-0 halftime lead...ahem, like the San Diego Chargers just did to Peyton Manning and the Broncos on MNF.
Wow. I guess we have been spoiled by the relative success in the W-L column by the Eagles over the past 20 years...
We as Eagles fans were called out last night by former NFL player and current NFLN analyst Heath Evans, who in essence said we are a bunch of spoiled brats.
Direct quote from Evans on NFLN last night: "Philly fans love their football...but they don't know their football..."
He might be right...
Heath Evans, former player and current NFLN analyst...
Basically, Evans said the majority of Philly fans who have given up on the Eagles and their coaching staff after only 6 games in the 2012 season are a bunch of coddled ninnies. NFL football, he pointed out, is a 6-month-long reality TV series, with a bunch of twists and turns, and true fans hang on to every episode, knowing full well that the plot can change at any moment.
Head coach Andy Reid is certainly hanging on to the hope for a better script next time out.
He plans to spend the team's open week ensconced in his office at the NovaCare Complex, searching for solutions to the problems that contributed to Sunday's 26-23 overtime loss to Detroit and left them with a 3-3 record in the first six games.
"We need to rip this thing apart and and find out how we can get better," Reid said Monday during his weekly press conference. "I'm going to go back, evaluate everything, tear things apart and make things better."
When Reid is analyzing and reviewing the offense, he can start with the stats. Sunday's game against the Lions marked the fifth time the Eagles have been shut out in the first quarter. Their only early touchdown came on running back LeSean McCoy's 1-yard run against Baltimore the second week of the season.
There is a possibility that Reid will take over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg after the break, or at least assume a bigger role.
"We started poor," Reid said. "I mean poor. We lead the league with 17 turnovers, which is ridiculous. I'm going to look at everything and every aspect of what we have (on offense)."
Defensively, Reid wants to examine the finishes. Sunday marked the second straight game in which the Eagles took the lead in the fourth quarter and then promptly gave it away.
Reid indicated that defensive coordinator Juan Castillo will retain his playcalling duties for now, but that could also change if the defense can't figure out a way to get off the field in clutch situations.
Reid has a reputation for using the open week to his advantage. They will enter their next game, against undefeated Atlanta on Oct. 28, with a 13-0 record under Reid in games played after a regular-season bye. They usually get on a roll afterward. Since Reid took over in 1999, the Eagles are a combined 84-39-1 after their bye and have had winning records afterward in every season but 2005, when they went 3-8 after the open week.
"Obviously, this was a tough loss," Reid said. "But there is still a lot of season ahead and I still believe we have a good football team. There are 10 games left and anything is possible in the National Football League."
For all the haters out there who have come to bury Reid and Vick prematurely, I'd like you to spend a few minutes with our resident analyst and former collegiate player Leo Pizzini...
Rare photo from Leo Pizzini's collegiate days as a safety and punter (courtesy of the NCAA)...
Leo had a good take on the media madness surrounding the Eagles this week.
His basic take echoed my own, which is: CALM DOWN !!!
So much of this modern NFL game is about parity of talent and in-game flux and adjustment, it is absurd to panic when your team is "struggling" at 3-3...and going into a healing Bye Week at that!.. Philly fans who are already jumping off the bandwagon may be missing the boat.
That's what Heath Evans says, that's what Andy Reid thinks, and here's what Leo Pizzini has to say about it:
"Mine brain keeps bouncing back and forth whenever I think about the Eagles...
One second, I think we're just screwed in a big way... o-line is shot, Vick and our receivers are too small to get any kind of consistency going... our studs on defense don't look like studs anymore... our "big-play" makers don't make a lot of big plays... the coaches can't figure out what to do...
Then, I think... we're in a decent position @ 3-3 (not the best)... one game back to the Giants with a head-to-head edge... we got an extra week to dream something up... we have ridiculous speed and an above average skill set otherwise.. we've made mid-season adjustments in the past with great success (although not the greatest success)... if anybody can get this line a little better, it's Mudd... our studs could and should turn it on--I expect them to really... so... I think this team can win more games than they lose if they get their act together... and it shouldn't be that hard to do it...
I don't think you can understate the negative impact from the loss of Jason Peters at LT... and to have Demtress Bell in his stead... we went from THE BEST PLAYER in 2011's NFL to Bell... I've been singing this song since Peters went down... that loss is HUGE for our offense... and...Jason Kelce's loss was big, but replacing him with Dallas Reynolds... that's the blow...
Mathis sandwiched between Peters and Kelce and Mathis was a stud... similarly Watkins looked better between Kelce and Herremans... Kelce made both Guards look better...
(OL coordinator Howard) Mudd has his work cut out for him...
That (Lions) game was there for us to win... can't blame Marty or anybody else really... we just blew it... Celek in the red zone looked good, but was a disaster a couple times (failing to catch the ball)... the play was there... need '7's...
The long ball that got picked in the second half would have been a great call if Vick threw it to the spot Djax was running to... or if Djax was 6'4" with Calvin Johnson's catching range...
Castillo was blitzing the linebackers (which I thought was a key)... but their O-line just swallowed them up... we got no pass rush skill from our linebackers and our D-line just don't have enough funk this year either... so far anyway... I miss Keenan Clayton...
Mudd did a nice job turning our o-line around through last season... I expect he can do it again... in the meantime and in general... Vick, Marty and Andy can help them out with quick hitting plays and execution... then defenses won't be able to tee-off on the o-line as much... get them to build some chemistry and confidence... we did a good bit of that against the Lions... and it didn't look bad... it just wasn't enough...
... but if we are gonna insist on passing 70/30 or whatever it is... particularly with Vick... we could REALLY use more big, athletic, handsy and aerially dominant receivers... I think Avant should be on the field all the time for Vick... probably both Harbor and Celek too... maybe... and we should be looking for our guy... I mean... we've apparently always known we wanted the big athletic receiving target to make our system really sing... I figure that's why we went after Larry Fitz and Randy Moss forever ago... and I figure we thought Maclin might be that guy too... and McNutt or Cooper... or that 6'6" kid from Colgate that we took a look at a couple years ago... blah, blah, blah...
I just don't think we have everything we need right now... and I don't think Marty or Andy are gonna make significant changes... that doesn't mean I don't think we can do something special... I just think the odds are against it...
... defensively, we gotta get the pass rush home... if our front 4 can't get there... and our linebackers can't get there... and our d-backs can't get there... and our D is still hanging in games... I dunno... send MORE linebackers!!!?!! - start Gritz Blitzing!!! - send 7 and 8 guys... Buddy Ball!!!!
I can't believe we didn't have any safety help on that big play to Scheffler... only thing you gotta do in that situation is don't give up a big play... especially a long pass... that's the easiest big play to take away...
and we shoulda kept with the run on our next drive... mix-in some counters off of that stretch play we kept running... maybe a play action if we needed it... and by some crazy chance... maybe we run a different run than just the stretch...
but still... our guys had the opportunities to win the game with the game called as it was...
I thought Vick looked pretty good this week throwing those quick passes... he could use a taller dude out there so he could go over the line a little easier there... or he could use some shoe lifts or something... those are the easy plays to tip at the line... and that's a Vick weakness... but... our receivers always seem to be open right off the line... "
Leo provided just the right dose of reality check with his commentary yesterday. At 3-3, the Eagles are just really finding out about themselves. Yeah, you'd hope they'd be at 5-1 or 4-2 at the worst right now, but stuff happens. There are holes in the program which need to be filled. And you don't find out about these deficiencies until you play the games. There's the rub.
You get a Bye holiday at just the right time. You get a chance to do a Re-Set. You can sit home with family and friends this coming weekend and watch some other highly-favored team blow a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter.
Watch and learn.
We're still very much alive in 2012... and there are 10 more regular season games to state our case.
Beans - good for your government.
This game may be ho hum type as all either team needs is a draw to advance to next round
@AbeLinc64 Our government is like....' Oh well mate, you pissed off a super-power that happens to be a close ally of ours... GOOD LUCK Dickhead!!!!'
Beans: Last I heard he was still hiding out in the Brit Embassy in Sweden. He may be somewhere else by now.
@AbeLinc64 meh... I watched France play Spain earlier..... I 'little' bit more talent in that game....ahem..
Lets Go GUATEMALA!!!!!!!! Aren't they hiding Julian Assange from you Evil Mericans?!?
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Later - off to the paperwork and an election debate.
Can I party or what???!!!!!!
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Todd BOWLES!!!!!!!!!!! Head Coach to DC.... that sounds HEAPS better than O-line Coach to DC!!!!
Who - da - F*** - is wiff me??!?!?!?
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Look - I know you guys are a lot smarter.
Just saying that in my opinion - this D has NOT looked 'right' since start of PS.
I don't PRETEND to know why.
I just think this D is a bunch of really talented guys that have not GELLED of whatever.
They are a body with no soul or something.
WHOMEVER is the culprit..........
NO FRIGGIN WAY we are NOT the most feared D in the G-D LEAGUE...my opinion.
This D has gotten a lot of TLC, love and everything else that has come down the pipe in the last 2-3 years...
Result doesn't look all that different to me.
Stats be Damned.
The rubber AIN'T meeting the road - AT ALL.
OK - I'm Done
OK - not quite done yet.
It sort of reminds me of having a really talented employee.
For whatever reason - the supervisor is micro-managing him.
He has all of the talent - may be trying to do what that manager wants - but with micro-management he is 'forced' to do it the manager's way - not use his own gifts, talent - whatever to accomplish a task.
I often see guys that maybe have been promoted past their level - insecure maybe - that deal with their 'charges' by micro-managing.
Never good.
OK - I'm getting boring and I'm done.
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@Palm Feathers Well with Juan... its also like giving a Leaner driver the keys to a Ferrari....
@Palm Feathers did somebody else say that already?!? props to whoever I stole that quote from....
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@Palm Feathers JUAN was a Great Friend and good man.....
But that doesn't make you a GOOD DC......... He got a fair shot at it... He couldn't cut it... HUGE respect to Andy for giving him a go... What does it say about him? What a Best friend to have.......
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Another thought from my dusty old head that none of you asked for.......
Did our Defensive 'Leader' just rear up his head the other day.
ASO was pretty candid in the interview - while maintaining a respectful tone.
Still - showed a lot of 'guts' to step up - I thinky.
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@Palm Feathers he sounded like a cry baby... he blames everyone but himself... it's not me it's KILLA... it's not me it's the scheme... it's not me it's Asante... it's not me it's the Dline not getting pressure... it's not me it's JC... blah blah blah
@Palm Feathers and even though he might be correct in some of these instances... it's starting to sound like one excuse after another.
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@atvcar @Palm Feathers yeah.... I agree ATV..... Jerks was looking for him to be a Safety later in his career.... I think he wants to BE a DC himself already...
Just CHUT up Aso and mark your damn guy
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@Palm Feathers leaders don't point to others faults as excuses for their own short comings... even AR took the blame for JC's firing
@Palm Feathers @atvcar I wish Ryans and Jenkins stood with him on it... perhaps a bit of solidarity from a two more Pro-bowlers would have been nice...
Meh.... SEEYA JUAN!!!!!!!!!!
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My favourite Beyonce lyrics of all time:
I could have another you in a minute
Matter fact he'll be here in a minute
I love the way she rhymes "minute" with "minute"
Genius.
@Harry Pianos whats that mean? Jay-Z only lasts a minute and she is hoping for another go shortly?
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@Palm Feathers Gudday mate!!!!! What a bit a fantastic news to start my day!!!!
Here I was thinking we two weeks more of fingernail chewing...
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I'll see your 'Dust' and raise you a fat-bottom
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eqagGuwJ4q4
Me Likey Freddie Mercury
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@BriChung At very least a better choice than your cousin's favorite..........Lady Gagme. And it ends the parade of over the hill groups or rock stars.
@dutchrubb @Harry Pianos No way...!!! chance to run to the toilet.... buy 4 beers and bolt back to your seats...
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@Harry Pianos No worse than the hag they rolled out last year.................or that assault on the ears the year before with the Black Eyed Peas.........tho Fergie is cute.
@dutchrubb Indeed,...cousin Bri sees something Asian in Lady Gaga,..or perhaps Russian,..whatever it is,..she turns him on,..
