I like to think of the resurrection of the 2011 Eagles into a wiser and better 2012 team that will have learned from its mistakes...and will be much improved because of it.  I'd like to think of it as "evolution"... but of course, evolution does not always proceed in an orderly or logical manner. After all, the armadillo was at one time probably considered a very nice evolutionary advance for mammals...

Along comes Reuben Frank, the esteemed veteran writer for CSN Philly.com, who takes more of a "crime scene" approach to analyzing the Eagles this season. In case you missed it, here is Reuben's less-than-charitable post-mortem on the 2011 Eagles... 

"Ten Things That Went Wrong for the Eagles in 2011 ... "


     
The hardest part of coming up with a list of 10 things that went wrong for the Eagles this year is narrowing the list down to 10.

Because everything went wrong this year.

Nonetheless, we’ll give it a shot. Here, in no particular order, are 10 things that the Eagles were counting on to contribute to a big-time postseason run -- perhaps even a Super Bowl run -- that went terribly wrong this year.

This is not a list of the Eagles’ weaknesses or faults, more a list of their greatest 2011 disappointments.

1.) Asante Samuel didn’t have an Asante Samuel kind of season
We all put up with Samuel’s occasional unnecessary risk-taking because the payoff is a ton of big plays. From 2006 through 2010, Samuel had an NFL-best 41 interceptions -- more than eight per year, including five in the postseason. Samuel’s teams were 29-5 during that span when he had an INT and 24-3 in the regular season. This year, those big plays never happened. With the exception of an INT in Atlanta and an INT and TD return against Arizona, Samuel has not had a productive season. Maybe the trade talk affected him, who knows. He just hasn’t been himself. The Eagles don’t have many defensive playmakers. They couldn’t afford a down year from one of their best.

2.) Michael Vick was never Michael Vick
The guy we saw the first 10 weeks of last year never materialized. Why did 21 TDs and six INTs become 11 TDs and 11 INTs? Nobody is quite sure, but it’s clear that without an elite quarterback, the Eagles had no chance to be an elite team.

3.) DeSean DiSaster
The last few years, DeSean won games for the Eagles. This year, he lost games. When he bothered to show up at all. The Eagles tested D-Jack this year to see whether he was mature enough to handle a massive contract. The result was his worst year as a pro, at least five dropped touchdown passes, a one-game suspension after he missed a mandatory team meeting and a growing reputation as another wide receiver diva. Does DeSean deserve a top-5 wide out contract? After 11 weeks, he ranks 24th in the NFL in receiving yards, 53rd in receptions and tied for 70th with two TD catches. You tell me.

4.) The Juan Castillo Experiment
Really, not much more to say here. It’s all been said. A catastrophic failure. When you become the first team in NFL history to blow four fourth-quarter leads in your own stadium in one season, it doesn’t take a genius to realize one team is making adjustments and the other isn’t.

5.) A huge step backward for Nate Allen
It seems like so long ago now, but Nate Allen was very good last year before he got hurt. He had interceptions in his first three NFL games and looked for all the world like a big-time ball hawk at safety. But Allen has struggled this year, both with continued knee soreness and tackling and coverage issues that may or may not be related to his knee. Not the same guy. Big step backward for Allen.

6.) Trent Cole’s calf injury
Cole was off to a tremendous start when he got hurt in the 49ers game. He had three sacks in his first four games, and his explosive moves to the quarterback were opening up rush lanes for Jason Babin, who had seven sacks in those first four games. But Cole’s calf injury really ruined his season. He only missed two games, but he hasn’t been the same since he got hurt. He has two sacks in five games since coming back, and Babin only has three since Cole got hurt. If you do the math ... before Cole’s injury, Cole and Babin combined for 10 sacks in four games. Since then, they have five sacks in seven games. This defense can’t work without a ferocious pass rush, because the back seven just isn’t good enough or experienced enough to carry the unit and the Eagles don’t have any blitzers capable of disturbing the QB. Cole’s injury was disastrous for the defense.

7.) Andy Reid coached really, really poorly
From getting too conservative with Mike Kafka in the Atlanta game to the fourth-down conversion attempt vs. the Giants early in the fourth quarter with the Eagles leading to the Chas Henry fake punt against the Bears to the Ronnie Brown goal-line option play in the 49ers game to giving NFL rushing leader LeSean four total fourth-quarter carries against the Bears and Cards ... Reid made a series of inexplicable and inexcusable decisions this year, and in close games, they cost his team dearly. Reid is not an awful coach. He’s a good coach who’s having an awful year.

8.) The Nnamdi Problem
I still think Nnamdi Asomugha is a very good cornerback and this will turn out to be a good signing. That said ... what the heck were they thinking taking a guy who didn’t join the Eagles until July 29 and couldn’t start practicing with his new team until a week later -- just five weeks before the regular-season opener -- and trying to transform him overnight into some sort of hybrid corner-safety-linebacker with the weight of the defense on his shoulders? By the time Castillo finally backed off the “Have-Nnamdi-do-Everything Plan,” admitting he asked the veteran cornerback to do way too much way too soon, Asomugha seemed lost. Then he hurt his knee at practice and a disappointing season turned into a disastrous one. Castillo spoke when he got hired of simplifying the defense. Once the Eagles acquired Asomugha, Castillo did exactly the opposite, and by doing so, he effectively neutralized one of the team’s huge additions.

9.) Where are the picks?
A decent pass rush never resulted in turnovers. The Eagles devoted a lot of offseason resources to the pass rush, signing defensive linemen Babin and Cullen Jenkins to huge contracts, and both have played very well. The Eagles are seventh in the NFL with 30 sacks, just three out of third. But all that pass pressure never resulted in the interceptions it was supposed to lead to. The Eagles are only 15th with 11 interceptions, and four of them came in one game. Take out the Redskins game, and the Eagles have just seven interceptions in 10 games. They had three in their five games before Washington and just four in the last five games. The whole idea of pass pressure is to make quarterbacks feel uncomfortable and force them to make rushed, poor decisions. For whatever reason, the Eagles’ pressure never did that.

10.) No big plays
Last year, the Eagles had 11 offensive touchdowns of 40 yards or more. The year before, they had 12. This year? They have just one -- and that came on opening day, LeSean McCoy’s 49-yard TD run against the Rams. So in 33 games from opening day 2009 through opening day 2011, they had 24 offensive TDs of 40 yards or more. In the last 10, they have one. Since the Eagles always have bad field position -- they rank 25th in kick return average at 22.3 yards a pop and 29th in punt return average at 6.8 -- it’s no surprise so many drives have failed to generate points. It’s hard enough going 80 yards or more with an efficient offense. Factor in all the turnovers -- the Eagles lead the NFL with 25 of them -- the red-zone inefficiency (24th) and the absence of big plays and it’s easy to see why this offense has been so inefficient.

         
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The first thing you have to establish as a defense at any level of football is that you can effectively contain the opponent's running game...

The Eagles at some level of the organization apparently had taken this truism for granted. I'm guessing they thought they had the run defense portion of the game already covered, so they concentrated on bolstering pass rush and secondary pass coverage instead...

Interviewing Cory Redding a few nights ago on the subject---  Redding has played 9 years in the league as a 6-4, 292 DE out of Texas, mostly with the Lions and Seattle, now with the Ravens--- and he said his first priority is always to make sure the run is contained--- and only then does he think about hunting the QB (which resulted in 2.5 sacks for Redding last week against the 49ers)...

It sounds simplistic... but it works for Redding and the Ravens. Why did the Eagles get away from putting run-stopping and gap control at the top of the defensive pyramid? 

Perhaps it was a false confidence in the abilities of our linebackers and safeties to step up and fill gaps in running situations?  Did we overestimate the abilities of our LB personnel to contribute signature plays to help stop the run? Or was it a case of stacking our secondary so prominently that smart opponents decided to use the run more often?

The real answer may be all of the above...and much more.


It's a complicated and very fast-moving game at the line of scrimmage, and the margin of error may be as small as a tenth of a second or less.  So I don't mean to minimize the degree of difficulty of containing a running game at the NFL level. But if somehow the Eagles had made run-stop a bigger or more successful priority in 2011, I don't think we'd be seeing personal attacks on the coaching staff like we see in the photo above.

Stopping the big run play takes a lot of pressure off the mid-level and back end of the defense, too. It makes opposing quarterbacks have to work harder and smarter, too, and puts mental pressure on the opponent's offensive game plan.

I'm all for the wide-9 defensive line attack on the passing game of the opponent--- but when it doesn't get home to put significant pressure on the QB, all kinds of gaps and lanes open up for the Eagles linebackers and DB's to have to clean up. And a lot of times, these mid-level and back defenders have had a hesitation factor in deciding whether to stick with their primary coverage assignments or move out of position for emergency control.

This fraction of a second "hesitation" in filling exposed gaps and lanes is why we have seen so many missed tackles, guys arriving late to a play or (even worse) overpursuing a play from a bad angle this season.

Our resident analyst JB the Sage had a great take on this mental confusion of defensive coverage in a comment this weekend:

    "After forcing myself to wartch the game again... it was clear to see. Sure... some of our players aren't that good and we miss tons of tackles... but the worst part is... the relationships in the Zones are blurred. Simply put... they don't know who they have (to cover). Thats points straight to the DC."

It makes sense when you think about it like that.  If a tenth of a second is the difference between a defensive stop of a run or a pass being defended, and gaps and lanes are not being contained by the defensive line, and if there is even the briefest hesitation about what your coverage or containment assignment is supposed to be, then linebackers and D-backs are going to find themselves briefly out of position and late getting to the play.

And that hesitation in coverage is only made worse by failure to stop the run. Opposing QB's can afford to take less chances and pick their spots to throw the ball. They can beat you with a more conservative game plan... which only means they will run the ball even more to exploit uncontained gaps. 

This is not meant to be a shot at Juan Castillo. It's just an observation that the Eagles' less-than-consistent results in stopping the run have been a symptom of exposed gaps and lanes in the interior defense, and coverage confusion in the mid-level and back ends of the defense as a consequence. These things combined have caused hesitation in coverage and containment all around. 

In other words, the Eagles defense in 2011 is less a physical problem than it is a strategic design of space containment which requires better timing. 



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I feel bad for the guys who got hurt or beat up in the Seattle loss. Most guys on the Eagles were hustling their guts out... The national media's treatment of the Eagles player personnel as non-hustling prima donna's or divas is inaccurate. That stereotype only applies to a very few disgruntled personalities on the team.

I feel bad about the season. To be 4-8 is turrible. For any team.

I feel like a guy who just woke up from a coma and finds out his wife is dating Chaz Bono. This is a weird season, as Brizer alluded to in one of his solo's here the past day.


There goes Marshawn again! I thought you had him!

One perspective on the loss to Seattle at their place after a 3,000 mile joyride is the Seahawks are a pretty tough team for anyone to beat at home. As I recall, the Seahawks beat a Ravens team there this year that is 8-3 now...

So with all that in mind, I'm not going to panic or overreact about the Eagles losing to a "bad team"--- especially since we are discovering the very things about ourselves that make us a "bad team"...

You can sense that even the Eagles organization knows they have now got to find a new direction for 2012. That will involve a lot of little adjustments and a few very big ones... Stay tuned.

Right now, I choose to chillax on the worrying...and focus on the excitement and challenge coming up for Eagles fans as we play out the current season and move toward the 2012 Draft.

I also need to thank guys like Colt Anderson and Nnamdi Asomugha for playing their butts off Thursday night.  And I need to study Seattle's offensive game plan for back-to-the-future reference.

Seattle (5-7) prevailed the old-fashioned way with its defense and a dominant ground game Thursday night that allowed quarterback Tarvaris Jackson to turn the clock back 40 years or so. In a pass-first league that has three quarterbacks on pace to break Dan Marino's single-season passing record, Jackson attempted just 16 throws. But he completed 13 of them for 190 yards, a touchdown and a passer rating of 137.0.

Adding injury to insult, the Eagles lost special teams ace Colt Anderson for the season to a torn left anterior cruciate ligament and cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha indefinitely to a concussion and stinger. Both players were out of the game by the time the Seahawks' Steven Haushka kicked a 49-yard field goal to take a 17-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.

I doubt Nnamdi will be playing in the Eagles' next game, despite what amounts to a mini-bye-week. Andy Reid did say Friday that he expects quarterback Michael Vick, who missed his third straight game Thursday, to start the Eagles' next game on Dec. 11 at Miami.

Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (hamstring), offensive lineman King Dunlap (concussion) and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (ankle) are "making improvement" with their respective injuries, Reid said. 

Meanwhile Reid is also blasting the NFL Network for their candid camera shots of an apparently pouting or sulking DeSean Jackson on the sideline during Thursday's telecast.  The media is having fun with that part of it, for sure, and tying it all in with Peanut's controversial "no pay, no play" alleged conspiracy.

Just another emotional angle on a very grey week in a very weird season for Eagles fans...

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Waterlooooo! Vidalia! The Eagles met their Napoleonic destiny of 2011 in the miserable town of Seattle... and there are enough tears among Philly fans around the world today to justify the banning of the Vidalia Onion from our grilled recipes collection at EEB...

You wanted a "culture change" in this team? You're about to get one... Andy Reid may survive for one more contractual-year shot at the glory run... but a bunch of assistant coaches and some players are about to get the gun... 

Granted, it's tough to win any game in the NFL, let alone a jet-lagged date on 3 days rest in Seattle.  The other team is trying to win, too. But the self-inflicted wounding aspect of this loss to the Seahawks raises serious doubt about the current Eagles regime's ability to survive much longer past contractual obligations or buy-out option expirations.


 
 

The defeat dropped the Eagles to 4-8 and put them at the bottom of the NFC East and ended their season, for all intents and purposes, leaving them playing for draft position, while Seattle improved to 5-7.

Seattle wasn’t exactly a juggernaut, although the Seahawks’ Marshawn Lynch was a one-man dynamo, running over and through the Eagles for 148 yards (the most yards the Eagles have given up to a back this season) and two touchdowns. At times, the Eagles appeared disinterested. Many of the same ills that have plagued this team the first 11 games kept resurfacing, like a myriad of missed tackles, dropped passes and squandered opportunities with turnovers.

If there was a bright spot for the Eagles, once again it was tailback LeSean McCoy. He juked and sidestepped his way for 84 yards rushing and two touchdowns, building to his NFL-leading 15 touchdowns. Vince Young looked as if he might place the Eagles in a position to come back midway through the fourth quarter, before linebacker David Hawthorne’s pick-six 77-yard interception return (adding to the Eagles’ NFL-high 29 turnovers) with 4:24 left in the game.

“It was just a bonehead play by me; I lost the linebacker on the route,” Young said. “We know there would be a lot of crap going on this week and we have to stay together as a team. I think we did all right. I just have to take care of the turnovers, that was pretty much it. I have to take responsibility for the turnovers. We’re pros. Things happen. We’re a team first and we have to get it back together, and we still have a season going on and continue to get better and continue playing as a team. I really felt the effort was definitely there. Overall, we were driving the ball pretty good. We have to man up and the season is still going on.”

Young threw four interceptions, tossing three picks or more for the second time in three starts—losing the last two. He finished completing 17-for-29 passes for 208 yards and a 52.7 rating.

Down 24-7 late in third quarter, the Eagles showed tepid signs of life. Philadelphia mounted a 14-play drive that carried over into the fourth quarter. The Eagles showed some moxie with a 17-play, 80-yard drive. They were inspired, driving for the extra yard and with a rare sense of urgency. On the series the Eagles converted their first third down of the game, with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

That series pulled the Eagles within 24-14. That was it. That drive seemed to account for all the energy the Eagles had left in this game.

With 8:04 left in the third quarter, Golden Tate’s 11-yard touchdown reception, grabbing the ball over the Eagles’ flailing Joselio Hanson in the corner of the end zone, gave Seattle a 24-7 lead.

The Seahawks never trailed. They took a 17-7 lead into halftime, and it didn’t even seem that close. Lynch had two touchdowns and had gained 90 yards on 11 carries, averaging 8.1 yards a carry through the first two quarters. The most interesting carry came with 9:28 left in the first quarter.

On a first down at the Eagles’ 15, Lynch seemed to be trapped by a host of Eagles defenders. But there was no whistle, and Lynch never stopped churning his legs. He kept grinding and it appeared the Eagles thought the play was over and stopped. Lynch didn’t. He bounced the play out and weaved his way through a few more Eagles’ tacklers into the end zone for a 7-0 Seattle lead.

“Obviously, Seattle did a better job than we did tonight,” Eagles’ coach Andy Reid said. “All in all, we have to do a better job as a football team and it’s my responsibility to do a better job. I thought the guys played hard tonight. On the [Lynch touchdown], it looked like there were a lot of bodies around him and he squirted through. There were a lot of bodies around the player and obviously no one got a hold of him. I have good guys and I can’t complain about the effort.”

Missed tackles seemed to be theme of the night for the Eagles. They bounced off Seattle ball carriers, they ran into each other in pursuit, they took terribly bad angles and overall looked hilarious bouncing off Lynch.

The Seahawks had pounded through the Eagles, who didn’t help themselves with shoddy tackling, for 245 total yards of offense to Philadelphia’s 142. Seattle’s Tarvaris Jackson was an efficient 9-for-12 passing for 143 yards, while Young threw an interception and the Eagles didn’t convert a third down, going 0-for-4 on third-down conversions in the half.

Seattle was up 14-0 lead on a pair of Lynch touchdowns, which included the memorable 15-yard run and a 40-yard score in the second quarter.

DeSean Jackson cut reporters short after the game when he refused to answer questions about possible dissension between him and his teammates. Jackson, who caught four passes for 34 yards, supposedly wasn’t talking to his fellow offensive players and was standing with the defense prior to the game. When pressed about it, Jackson responded with a terse “next question,” then he grabbed his bag and left the media scrum surrounding his locker.

There’s also been rising sentiment that this season could be the last for Reid.

“Andy Reid isn’t going anywhere,” McCoy said assuredly after the game. ”I know he takes a lot on to himself. It’s the players.”

Bird Seeds

RB LeSean McCoy compiled 133 yards (84 rushing, 39 receiving) and scored two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving). It was McCoy’s sixth-career multi-touchdown game … He currently leads the NFL with a career-high 1,134 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns. His rushing total ranks 10th all time in Eagles history, and his touchdowns are second behind Steve Van Buren’s 18 in 1945. His 12 rushing touchdowns place him fourth. With 23 career rushing scores, McCoy moved past Duce Staley (22) and into eighth place in franchise annals … McCoy has scored a touchdown in 11 of 12 games this season and had 100 or more yards of total offense in nine. He has had a 20-plus yard rush in each of the last eight games, which is the longest streak by an Eagle since 1970 … DE Jason Babin notched his 11^th and 12^th sacks of the season. He has had at least 12 sacks in back-to-back years, joining DeMarcus Ware as the only two players to do so. It was Babin’s fourth multi-sack game of the season and the 10^th of his career … DE Trent Cole picked up his sixth sack of the season … WR Riley Cooper tallied a career-high 94 receiving yards. In his three starts this season, Cooper has amassed 13 catches for 240 yards and a touchdown, including at least 70 yards in each game. Unfortunately, Cooper had a ridiculous miss on a well-thrown ball by Young in the first quarter which could have changed the game---the ball bounced off his hands and into his facemask … The offense engineered a 17-play, season-long 10:13 touchdown drive … The Eagles have had at least 20 first downs in 10 of 12 games this season.

Final Thoughts: The Seahawks killed us last night with a "22 set", i.e., two tight ends and two running backs in the same formation... I'm vexed why or how Juan Castillo could not diagnose that deal a lot sooner or a lot more effectively. I'm guessing he was counting on the Eagles D-Line pressure to disrupt the flow of the plays coming off that set before they had time to develop... Instead we got killed slowly and softly by the Seahawks' tight ends and running backs cueing off Tarvaris Jackson's patient play-calls and audibles.

As for Vince Young's INT's--- at least one of them was not his fault. But the killers were the game-opening "why did I do that?" throw to nobody while on the run which resulted in an INT, and then the pick-six to Hawthorne with the game on the line, in which Vince telegraphed the route destination all the way like a rookie QB at the junior high school level. 

I mean, seriously? If you're a paid professional, do you not put more preparation or finesse into your game than that?   

That's my only real complaint about the Eagles this season--- there's been a huge disconnect across the board between talent and preparation.

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Open bar tonight courtesy of the smartest Phans in the Philly blogosphere... Thursday Night Football, December 1, 2011, 8:20 PM EST, the NFL Network and/or local feed TV...

The Eagles (4-7) were supposed to have the best defense in the NFL this season but as it sits right now, they are simply average. They are 16th against the pass (234.36 yards allowed per game) and 15th against the run (110.27 yards allowed per game). The Eagles are in the bottom third of the NFL in points allowed (21.22 points per game).

The Seattle Seahawks (4-7) were one quarter away from their third straight victory last week before a meltdown against the Redskins resulted in a heartbreaking loss. The Hawks played well but gave up 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Yes, they were one quarter away from three straight wins! Seattle is showing some signs of promise however on both sides of the ball.

Marshawn Lynch had 111 yards on the ground and he added a 20-yard touchdown reception in last week’s loss. Lynch now has three 100+ yard games in his last four and he has scored a touchdown in seven straight.

Seattle’s defense will have its hands full tonight... But their strength matches up well with Philadelphia’s offense. Seattle’s run defense is 11th in the NFL – a good sign against an Eagles team that promises to feed LeSean McCoy. The pass defense is 21st and will be in charge of limiting, not stopping Vince Young’s effectiveness.

Seattle is a very good home team and they are headed in the right direction... Let's hope we can say the same for the Eagles ASAP ...

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I happened to be on air with former NFL players Jonathan Ogden and Stan White a few days ago on WBAL-AM, and they both told me it takes at least four days after a game for most players just to get their bodies back to equilibrium in time to prepare for the next game... And yet, the NFL continues to put teams through the Thursday-after-a-Sunday game gauntlet... What makes it even worse for the Eagles this Thursday night, they had to travel 3,000 miles in a cramped charter jet across three time zones to Pacific time... which means, not only are they dinged up, aching, emotionally drained from a losing season, and physically dehydrated and exhausted, but when Seattle runs out on the field at 8:20 P.M.EST, to the Eagles it will feel like it's 11:20 P.M. EST...



A lot of this game's outcome will depend on how fast and steady Vince Young comes out of the box at QB for the Eagles. If he's missing in accuracy or pocket awareness, look out... this thing could get ugly in a hurry.

And speaking of getting ugly, it's time to address the insane controversy in Philadelphia right now over the alleged "incompetence" of Andy Reid as head coach and defacto GM of the Eagles...

This thing is turning into a circus of football idiocy. The story of "Andy under fire" reminds me of the Peanuts character "Pig Pen", who cannot seem to escape the cloud of dust and dirt that surrounds him---even though he's a pretty good kid.  To be editorially honest, I love me some Andy Reid... I do dig the guy... I think he's smart and football-savvy, his players love him for the most part, and he knows how to draft. Yet there's no denying his record in this "all-in" year invites attack and criticism. I get that

Andy's signed through 2013, he's won almost 110 games since 1999, so he doesn't have to go anywhere right now. As a master delegator, he can ride this out. He's done it before. And I for one am rooting for him to hold on through the current media-fan swirl of criticism and somehow manage to convince Mr. Lurie to extend him in 2013... I'm rooting for Andy Reid to get another shot at his second Super Bowl ring (he's already got one as an assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers way back when)...

But in the spirit of fairness, I hereby introduce a guest writer, Jonathan David Morris, who will give you the "con" side of the argument....

Jonathan David Morris' background in his own write:
"My main claim to fame is that I wrote a syndicated column for about six years, beginning in 2001 and ending in 2007. I abandoned the column, which was pretty successful at the time, to finish working on a book. The book, unfortunately, never got published, but I never went back to the column. I think I just needed a break from writing for a while. I was mentally and physically burned out. (Just an FYI, the book was about a sports reporter who's called upon by a serial sniper to write about the sniping of a homeless guy who thinks he's playing a very deadly game of football. So there's a sports connection there.)"
"Right now, I am finishing a new book (a novella), which I'm publishing in February on Kindle and Nook. I'm also restarting my column, though not on the weekly basis I was writing it on before. I realized I truly missed writing and needed to get back into it in a major way. The ebook I'm putting out is just a part of that process; the column is another part; and finding some writing opportunities in other locations, such as on blogs like Eagles Eye, is the third. Since my own site (readjdm.com) isn't Philly sports-centric, it's not the best place to put stuff about the Phils or the Eagles. But I want to make Philly sports one of the things I write about, because, hey, like everyone here, I'm passionate about them."

Okay, Jonathan, fire away... and don't mind the shrapnel that comes flying back...

Time to “put up or shut up” on Andy Reid is now   (by Jonathan David Morris)
A lot of people went into 2011 thinking this was a “put up or shut up,” Super Bowl-or-bust sort of season for the Eagles. Considering the flurry of moves the team made, and the general “all in” attitude they swaggered into preseason press conferences with, that perception amongst the fans was only fair.

But now here we are, eleven games in, and 2011 has been a lot more bust than Super Bowl. It has been, in some ways, the most disappointing Eagles season fans have had to endure in many years (and considering how the 2000s went for us (can you say 1-4 in NFC title games?), we’ve certainly had beyond our fair share of disappointing seasons).

 

Let’s face it. It’s been years since this guy has been popular in Philly. People have wanted to see this guy go for a lot longer than the last eleven games. And is it any wonder? Andy Reid gives us the same tired, recycled lines every single Monday, win, lose, or draw. He makes mistakes on the sidelines that even people with no real football knowledge whatsoever know better than to make. His time management still stinks, his game day decisions still stink, and although most of us will never get close enough to know for sure, you have to imagine that clump of fur he calls a mustache probably stinks worst of all. We’re tired of him. His act is old. And as the “Fire Andy” chants proved at the Pats game, fans of the Eagles are ready to see him go.

Well, how ready are you? Are you ready to do your part?

We all know Jeffrey Lurie loves this guy as much as the rest of us have come to despise him. Let’s do a theoretical situation here. The Eagles are 4-7, and let’s pretend they lost all of their remaining games to finish at 4-12. Even in that worst case scenario, is anyone really confident that Lurie would can this walrus? I’m not. 

And here’s why: Because he doesn’t have to. Because Eagles fans are some of the most loyal fans of any team in any sport, and Jeff Lurie knows it, and he takes advantage of it. He knows as long as there’s some excuse (“Let’s axe Castillo and give Reid someone seasoned to work with”), and as long as the Birds make a few moves here and there, it will have the appearance of trying to right the ship, and that will be enough to hook us at least for one more year

Eagles fans need to know that this team, and this coach, already had their “one more year,” and that was this year, and maybe even last year before it. The time has come to put a fresh face on this organization, and the time to let them know that we want that face is now.

Chanting “Fire Andy” at the Patriots game was an excellent start. But how much more impactful would it have been if there had been no one at that game to chant that chant to begin with? That’s what it’s going to take.

This is going to be tough for Eagles fans to swallow, but if you really want to see Andy leave, it’s going to take getting tough with the team you claim to love. Jeff Lurie, like most team owners, speaks in the language of money. You need to speak that language with him in order to make your point. You need to let him know that as long as Andy Reid is still around, money is something he won’t be able to count on. You need to let him know that sticking with his guy is the worst business decision he could make.

So how do you this? In any one of several ways.

First, don’t go to games. I’m serious about this. You may have tickets, and the idea of not using them may seem insane to you, but if the idea of going to games is to root for your team, then think of skipping those games as a new kind of way to root for them. What you’re rooting for is the Eagles of the future -- a future that will never arrive until Jeff Lurie cans Andy Reid. You can help usher that future in by letting Lurie know you are done with the past. That means staying home.

Second, don’t watch at home, either. Don’t even turn on the game. Watching a game equals ratings, and ratings equal interest. We need to show Jeff Lurie we’re capable of apathy.

Third, the old speak-with-your-wallet trick. You’re already skipping games, which means no one’s paying for parking, no one’s paying for beer, and no one’s buying Eagles paraphernalia at the Linc. This is something the team brass will notice. Holiday shopping season is upon us; you need to restrain yourself when you’re at the mall, too. Don’t buy that Eagles sweater for your dad this Christmas. Don’t buy that football with the Eagles logo on it for your kid. As long as people are still buying this stuff, Lurie knows he has carte blanche support -- and as long as he knows he has that, he’s going to stick with Reid.

Finally, if you really want to show this team what you’re made of, take the second part of “put up or shut up” literally. Just shut your mouth. Let’s call it radio silence. You can still talk about the Eagles in private, still read up on your favorite blogs, but when you get in the car and turn on 97.5 or 94.1, resist the urge to call, resist the urge to talk, about the Eagles. The team is going to notice that you’re doing this. And if they don’t, the hosts will, and they’re going to tell the team. You need to create the sense that there is a line and the line has been crossed, and that the team no longer has your support as long as it has Andy Reid.

Can you do these things? Will you? Do you have the strength to do them? Remember, I’m not saying you should actually stop loving this team. I’m just saying you should practice tough love with them. 

And if there’s ever been a time to do this, that time, right after a blowout loss to the Patriots, right after we stumbled to 4-7 during our supposed dream season, is now. 

You could make the case that Andy Reid and Bill Belichick are similar, in that both of them are exceedingly arrogant. The difference is, when you win three Super Bowls and come within a miracle catch by the other team of winning a fourth, you can be as arrogant as you want. Andy Reid has done none of this, and it’s time for him to go. The Eagles seem to think they can be as arrogant as they want with this city, because this city is so in love with the Eagles.

The time to put up or shut up -- the time to show them the power of that love -- is now.

Jonathan David Morris writes from Chester County. Check him out on Facebook at facebook.com/readjdm or follow him on Twitter @readjdm

Well, in his spirit of "Occupy Wall Street",  (or Broad Street), I think it was important to hear out the literate spokesman for the "Fire Reid" movement... at the very least Jonathan David Morris can communicate in good English.  Many of the Bored Members here may actually agree with Morris... I know J. Wood does... still I disagree with some of the observational cliches about "time management" and "game day decisions"... JB has already tutored us extensively on the intrinsically sound theory behind Reid's coaching technique in those areas, and there's no need to drag Morris through that mud. 

I remain a Reid supporter, and I will not stop watching Eagles football or calling into radio shows... and since I can't afford a ticket to the Linc anyway, I will not boycott the live action...  But as I watch the game with the Seahawks tonight on NFLN, I will not totally discount Morris' essay... for I will have to deal with his legions of supporters on the morrow if the Eagles tank it out in Seattle.

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The Seattle Seahawks at 4-7 are on their 4th offensive coordinator in 4 years...but the hiring of Darrell Bevell marked the return of the Seahawks to Mike Holmgren's version of the West Coast offense. That means a passing game with fewer deep throws, more timing routes and an emphasis on throwing to running backs. The biggest change, however, has been the hiring of Tom Cable as O-line coach to inject some toughness and discipline into the Seahawks running game.

Enter Tarvaris Jackson at QB... the master mechanic who may be ready to put the final dagger into the jet-lagged Eagles season...



Having only three days between games this week was expected to test the Seahawks’ quarterback, and therefore the entire offense, because of the strained pectoral in his throwing shoulder.

But Jackson threw in all phases of practice Tuesday, after also getting in some throws in the walk-throughs Monday night....

“It felt pretty good,” Jackson said of throwing the day after Sunday’s loss to the Redskins, with an eye on Thursday night’s nationally televised game against the Eagles at CenturyLink Field. “I guess it’s kind of healing a little better, so that’s good. That’s good for the future, also. We’re seeing that it doesn’t take me as long to recover, so that’s the one positive I got from Sunday.”

There was another positive for the QB Tuesday, when Jackson threw on three consecutive days for the first time since injuring his right shoulder in the Week 5 win over the Giants.

“It’s interesting, particularly in a short week,” coach Pete Carroll said. “This is a lot to ask of him. He feels good enough to do that.”

Jackson is back at practice, but not out of the woods because of the nature of the injury and the position he plays. 

“We have to manage this all the way through this,” Carroll said. “We don’t have all the answers. We listen very carefully to what he feels like and he’s been tuned in to it and the trainers have stayed very close with him to figure it out. And so far they’ve been able to get him ready to play every week. “We really rely on him quite a bit on this. He’s the one who has to tell us what he feels like.”

Meanwhile, a similar drama is being played out with Nnamdi Asomugha's delicate right knee... Nnamdi wants to play. He seems to want to make a statement in Seattle.  While playing for the Raiders the past eight seasons, you always knew where to find the All-Pro cornerback – on one side of the field, taking away any and all receivers who dared test his coverage skills; or on one receiver, eliminating him from the passing game. Since signing with the Eagles in free agency, Asomugha’s role definitely has changed.

“I’m playing the slot a whole lot more. I’m playing safety a whole lot more in certain situations,” Asomugha said today during a conference-call interview. “So there’s a few different things."

“In Oakland, you just knew it was play corner and take that guy out of the game. Here, I’ve been moving around everywhere and just figuring out where I fit based off the calls and based off the particular position that I’m playing on that down. Because pretty much every game, I’ve been at every position that you can think of in the secondary, and even some downs there in like a linebacker spot.”

At least Nnamdi (if he plays) and the Eagles' secondary won't have to worry about covering Sidney Rice... Rice is not expected to play Thursday night because of the concussion he got in Sunday’s game. “It’s very slim that he has a chance to play,” Carroll said. “There’s not a helmet that he could put on his head that he could play with this week.”

The fact that this is Rice’s second concussion this season only increases the concern. “Because of that, we’re going to be very careful at this point and that’s why I’m saying: I’m everything but ruling him out,” Carroll said. “We have to take care of him.”

Rice will be replaced in the starting lineup by Ben Obomanu. Also sitting out Seattle's practice Tuesday was cornerback Byron Maxwell, while middle linebacker David Hawthorne and cornerback Richard Sherman were limited. But defensive tackle Alan Branch returned after missing Sunday’s game and not practicing last week because of a sore ankle.

When Hawthorne and Sherman weren’t on the field, K.J. Wright moved to the middle, with Malcolm Smith stepping in on the strong side for Wright; and Roy Lewis worked on the left side for Sherman in the base defense and Kennard Cox took over in the nickel because Lewis slid inside.

Here’s the Seahawks injury report:

Did not practice:

WR Sidney Rice (concussion)

Limited participation:

LB David Hawthorne (knee)

CB Richard Sherman (calf)

Full participation:

QB Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral)

DT Alan Branch (ankle)

For the Eagles:

Did not practice:

OT King Dunlap (concussion)

LB Moise Fokou (ankle)

WR Jeremy Maclin (hamstring, shoulder)

QB Michael Vick (ribs)

Limited participation:

CB Nnamdi Asomugha (knee)

RB LeSean McCoy (toe)

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (ankle)

Full participation:

DT Cullen Jenkins (thumb)

Seahawks Stats'n'Stuff:  Rookie wide receiver Doug Baldwin ranks fifth in the NFL with 19 third-down receptions. Punter Jon Ryan is sixth in the league, and second in the NFC, in average (48.3); and ninth in the league and fifth in the conference, in net average (40.1). Leon Washington is eighth in punt return average (11.2) and 13^th in kickoff return average (24.2). The Seahawks rank 14^th in defense, 11^th against the run and 20^th against the pass; and 30^th in offense, 27^th rushing and 25^th passing.

My take on the Seahawks:  I don't take them lightly.  They're building and trying to retool things. They got older at a lot of positions and they've done some things to try to get younger... QB and offensive line are the two things they've made the most plans for change... They've changed their schemes under coach Carroll and how they draft... GM John Schneider comes from Green Bay. a size-speed philosophy... The defense they play is a a true hybrid of 4-3 and 3-4... their right defensive end, he's going to be a pass-rusher first, and the DE on the left is going to be a two-gap run player, and he'll end up on the tight-end side most of the time.  Pete Carroll is known for aggressive gambling on both sides of the ball... He loves to roll the dice on offense and hates settling for field goals. This will be a game decided by which team is the most desperate to change its current losing profile.

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I think the biggest hurt of being 4-7 right now was watching the Giants fall to 6-5 against the Saints last night, and knowing the Cowboys at 7-4 are about to be tested in the final third of their season... And wouldn't the Eagles at 5-6 right now look almost do-able?
 
But no. Instead, we are in the midst of a rare clunker season in the Andy Reid era. And I don't blame Andy... there is plenty of blame to go around upon the execution and commitment of many players...and a few assistant coaches.



There we are, sweeping off the urine-laden flood waters in our Paris apartment's patio, just as our comrade Redskins' fans are doing farther down the street...both of our teams at 4-7 being ridiculed by the national sports media...

We are "Les Miserables"...  victims of circumstance... couldn't get out of our own way as defenses and execution of offensive game plans collapsed around us.

So now we're off to Seattle to either redeem some self-respect from beating Pete Carroll's 4-7 Seahawks on a short week... or suffer further degradation and ignominy.

Our Grand Wizard and former Gatekeeper Brizer sums up the most recent debacle against New England by awarding the most Bocce Balls for inept execution he has ever unveiled for one game:

BOCCE BALLS Distribution:

1. #10
2. VY
3. Babin
4. Hans0n
5. Hughes
6. Nate da Skittle brain
7. Coleman
8. Chad Hall
9. Shady
10. Entire Coaching staff
11. Fans....deysuk!
12. Zebras( at least 4 bad calls) helped change the game.

 "Playing Thursday,..is a good thing,..in some respects. We usually play better,.after a long rest. However,..sometimes we play kinda good after a short rest,..except when we don't. It suits us."

And that Dylan-esque statement kinda sums up the entire 2011 season thus far for the Eagles. "We usually DO,...except when we DON'T"... I don't think I've ever followed an Eagles team that was so maddeningly tantalizing in its "blowing in the wind" response to execution of game plan.

There are many similarities between the Eagles and the Seahawks this year, beginning with both teams not living up to expectations their fans have placed upon them. The Eagles have been far more disappointing in that category, though, as many analysts were picking the team to go all the way to the Super Bowl. Now the Eagles post the same 4-7 record as Seattle, and are trying very hard to stay out of last place in the NFC East. Both teams have likely been eliminated from playoff contention as well, even though this is just Week 13 of the NFL season.

It might surprise some fans to learn that the Seahawks defense has played far better than Philadelphia's this season, especially with all the former and potential Pro Bowl players that the Eagles have on their roster. The Seahawks defense just allowed Roy Helu to become only the second running back to post more than 100 rushing yards against them this season, but the Eagles will present a challenge unlike what they have seen so far in 2011. Eagles running back LeSean McCoy could force the Seahawks to create new schemes to keep him under control on Thursday night..

 Eagles quarterback Mike Vick will likely miss another game due to his injured ribs, and that could force backup Vince Young into another start...although at this point, I wouldn't mind seeing Mike Kafka get some pressure reps as a starter.

So you know this game is probably gonna be crazy, with some guys already U-Hauling in their efforts, and other guys thinking "Oh yeah, this is my chance to shine for a bigger role in 2012..."

Call it the human element of the sport. Call it the battle of "Les Miserables"... that's life, as Sinatra once sang... "You're up in April, shot down in May..."  Or, in our case, November...

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It was classic Rope-a-Dope strategy by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady... lay back on the ropes and absorb and observe everything your opponent has to bring against you early...then adjust and counter.  It worked brilliantly for the Patriots.
After a fast start, the Eagles fizzled.    

Brady threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns and the New England Patriots beat the Eagles 38-20 Sunday evening.

Filling in for the injured Michael Vick for the second straight game, Vince Young couldn't keep Philadelphia's fading playoff hopes alive despite throwing for a career-best 400 yards passing. The Eagles (4-7) are all-but-mathematically eliminated from playoff contention in a season that began with Super Bowl expectations.

Angry fans made their feelings known about coach Andy Reid, chanting "Fire Andy!" in the second half.

The defending NFC East champions fell to 1-5 at home and have lost eight of nine at the Linc, including a playoff loss to Green Bay last January.

Down 10-0 early, the AFC East-leading Patriots rallied behind Brady. New England (8-3) scored on five of its next six possessions, excluding a kneel-down at the end of the first half.

Brady finished 24 of 34, Deion Branch had 125 yards receiving and Wes Welker caught eight passes for 115 yards and two TDs.

Brady, a two-time NFL MVP, has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 1,232 yards, nine TDs and no interceptions in four career games against Philadelphia.

Young led the Eagles to a 17-10 win against the Giants last week in his first start in nearly a year. He put up decent numbers against the worst-ranked defense in the league on Sunday against the Pats, but couldn't overcome another inept performance by the Eagles' defense.

Young finished 26 of 48. It was just his third career game over 300 yards.

Vick broke two lower ribs in a loss to Arizona on Nov. 13. He got hurt on the second play of that game and stayed in, but hasn't practiced the last two weeks. It's uncertain whether Vick can play when Philadelphia visits Seattle on Thursday night.

Brady engineered a 70-yard drive capped by Ben Jarvis Green-Ellis' 4-yard TD run to cut it to 10-7. The Pats converted two third downs on the drive, including two by penalty. Helped by a missed call, New England's defense then forced a three-and-out. Young was sacked by Rob Ninkowich, who spun the quarterback down by pulling his facemask. But the referees didn't see it, eliciting loud boos from the crowd when the replay was shown on the video screen.

One play after just-signed Tiquan Underwood dropped a wide-open pass, Brady connected with Branch for 63 yards to the Eagles 1 on a third-and-13. Green-Ellis scored on the next play to put the Patriots up 14-10.

Antwaun Molden intercepted Young's deep pass intended for DeSean Jackson on Philadelphia's next play and returned it 27 yards to the Eagles 34. But the Patriots couldn't convert the turnover into points. Stephen Gostkowski missed a 39-yard field goal wide right.

No problem for Brady and Co. The Eagles went three-and-out again, and the Patriots went to a no-huddle when they got the ball back. Welker blew past the secondary and Brady hit his wide-open target in stride for a 41-yard TD pass to give New England a 21-10 lead.

DeSean Jackson dropped what should have been a 4-yard TD pass and the Eagles settled for a 22-yard field goal to get within 21-13.

It was the second time in the first half that Jackson appeared to shy away from contact and dropped a pass across the middle. Fans let him hear it with a chorus of boos. Jackson, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, is in the final year of his rookie contract and has been unhappy that he didn't get a new deal. He dropped a deep pass that should have been a TD in the third quarter.

The Patriots got the ball to start the second half and Brady led them into the end zone again, tossing a 9-yard TD pass to Welker for a 31-13 lead. Brady threw a 24-yard TD pass to Rob Gronkowski to extend it to 38-13 in the fourth quarter.

Young came out firing. He tossed a 22-yard pass to Brent Celek on the first play from scrimmage. Then he connected with Riley Cooper for 58 yards to the Patriots 4-yard line. LeSean McCoy ran in from the 2 to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

Young hit Jackson for a 44-yard gain to the Patriots 36 on the first play of the next series. The Eagles' drive stalled at the 25 after three consecutive dropped passes, and Alex Henery kicked a 43-yard field goal to make it 10-0.

Besides Vick, the Eagles didn't have leading receiver Jeremy Maclin or nickel cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha didn't start after injuring his knee in practice on Thanksgiving Day, though he played in some situations.

The Patriots played without three starters: cornerback Devin McCourty, safety Patrick Chung and center Dan Connolly.
   
I'm still processing this as yet another big home loss... I haven't even yet opened up the can of disappointment that tastes like all playoff hopes are over for the Eagles in 2011.  It just seemed we were "better than that" and all our bad luck had been spent early... Now it seems like we were never as good as we had thought we were...  It is a shock to a team that was "all in" for 2011, and to the fan base that believed we were on to something big.

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Lovely day for football at the Linc... and Eagles diehards are hoping for lovely results...which will play out here with their expert in-game commentary.
 

Forecast for Sunday, November 27, 2011
Lincoln Financial Field Philadelphia, PA Updated: 11/25/11 5:45 PM ET	Lo: 52°F Hi: 64°F Precip: 20%

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