I can't believe that Andy Reid is still coaching (read breathing), much less the fact that the Birds are in the playoffs again. They needed to win out their last five games to ensure that they made it in... So what did they do? They walked into Washington and LOST. That's embarrassing, and not in the Council Rock decisions, yet life further oon delegated.. What's even more embarrassing is how Dallas played the next week against them in a "winner gets the spot" game.
Side Story:
So I was in Amsterdam when this game was on air (it didn't even come on until midnight there...) and because of events not to be talked about, we missed the entire first quarter...
However, this could not have worked out better in the long run, as I will explain right now. As we were walking in we catch the end of that huge Buckhalter catch for 59 yards where he got tackled at the Dallas five on the TV that's outside....I don't know, I can't recall...
So needless to say, I've had a couple of beers and I start screaming: "YEAH! GO BIRDS, F*$% Dalls, you guys f'ing blow, etc., etc...and this guy (in ams I might add)
is standing outside smoking (a cig) and he turns around slowly and is in Cowboy blue from head to toe. I'm talking Beanie, sweatshirt, shirt, winter jacket...the first thought in my head was "this guy is obviously over compensating for his lack of knowledge on the game of football." So I chuckle and say, "uh, haha, go birds," and walk in.
As soon as we walk in the door we see this losers friends, also in Cowboys attire and another table of people whom, considering their demeanor at the time, were also Cowgirls fans. The next five seconds were priceless. You know when you walked onto a football field...or you were sitting in the batters box staring at the pitcher...or you were sitting across the chess table from your opponent...or you are competing against someone else in something...and you give that "look."
You know the look...
The look that non-verbally states that you are going to kick the living crap out of whoever you are looking at in whatever it is you are competing in. Well even though we weren't in Eagles attire, it was apparently obvious that we did not enjoy the company of Cowgirls fans; because as soon as we walked in, a lot of those looks were shooting all over that bar.
So even in Amsterdam, a good seven hours away from the dirty, grimy, filthy, disgustingly passionate city of Philadelphia we happened to find confrontation with Cowboys fans. I wouldn't have it any other way.
The next two hours were a blur but I remember a whole lot of E-A-G-L-E-S chants, a lot of loud discussion about the Cowgirls unraveling season, a whole lot of pointing and whispering, a whole lot of beer and a whole lot of laughing. I don't think I've enjoyed a win, as a fan, as much as I did that win.
FIN
That was seriously one of the most embarrassing losses I've ever seen. I'm not talking about in the season, I'm talking about in that franchises history. They knew what was on the line, they knew who they were playing and they got curb stomped by Edward Norton.
I would generally be exuberant about this and go out frolicking from bar to bar in celebration, but not this time. I think Andy Reid needs to go for three main reasons:
1) His continuous lack of clock management -
I can't tell you how many games I am yelling at the screen because we either: are passing the football in the fourth quarter while winning, on the road, running plays that don't take into account that there's less than two minutes on the clock, running draws on 3rd and 4.
2) His play calling selection -
This is almost a combination with the above. Why are we only successful .9% of the time on 3rd and less than 3? Why do we run so many FREAKING SCREENS!!!!! when they don't work (as soon as Westbrook scored on one last week I cheered and then cursed at the TV because this would cause Andy to call more screens even though we were 1 out of the last 90)? Why are we passing 60 times a game? Why do we abandon the run?
Do you know when the run ratio is 50/50 or favored to the run the Eagles have a better record than when it's not? Did you know that when Donovan passes over 35 times a game his QB rating is less than 90? Did you know that when he passes less than that it's over 117?
These things are obvious to all Eagles fans, it took two weeks (Cinci, Baltimore) of fans yelling at you to run the ball 50% of the time for you to realize that it could possibly be the solution. Then you went up and beat the Giants with it and then promptly abandoned it again and went 2-1 against a bad Browns team (no offense C-Town) a bad Redskins team and a lost Cowboys team.
3) His teams are too volitile -
One week they are beating the World Champions, another weak they are tying one of the worst teams in the league. It's absolutely ridiculous. Consistency wins championships, Andy can not provide that. I think Andy is the best offensive coordinator in the league but he needs a head coach sitting next to him yelling stuff like "watch the clock," "we need more runs," "stop eating so many twinkies."
4) This city is not healthy for him -
Since being here, his sons are both in prison, Philadelphia keeps chastizing him for going to the playoffs seven times in ten years but not getting a trophy, and he's put on about 200 pounds from eating Tasty Cakes. He needs to move on to the next part of his career and Philly needs to see if some other coach can bring some consistency to this team. I'm talking Steelers consistency. Not that they are the best team in the league by any means, but...every week you know what you're getting from them. Tough D with elaborate blitzes, smash mouth running and solid special teams. If you're playing a good football team, you can guess what they're going to do and scheme to stop them. If you're playing a great football team, you can assume what they're going to do and slow them down enough to win. If you're playing a great football team, you definitely know what they're going to do and they do exactly what you think they're going to. The thing is they execute it to the point that you can't slow them down or beat them.
Side Story:
So I was in Amsterdam when this game was on air (it didn't even come on until midnight there...) and because of events not to be talked about, we missed the entire first quarter...
However, this could not have worked out better in the long run, as I will explain right now. As we were walking in we catch the end of that huge Buckhalter catch for 59 yards where he got tackled at the Dallas five on the TV that's outside....I don't know, I can't recall...So needless to say, I've had a couple of beers and I start screaming: "YEAH! GO BIRDS, F*$% Dalls, you guys f'ing blow, etc., etc...and this guy (in ams I might add)
is standing outside smoking (a cig) and he turns around slowly and is in Cowboy blue from head to toe. I'm talking Beanie, sweatshirt, shirt, winter jacket...the first thought in my head was "this guy is obviously over compensating for his lack of knowledge on the game of football." So I chuckle and say, "uh, haha, go birds," and walk in.
As soon as we walk in the door we see this losers friends, also in Cowboys attire and another table of people whom, considering their demeanor at the time, were also Cowgirls fans. The next five seconds were priceless. You know when you walked onto a football field...or you were sitting in the batters box staring at the pitcher...or you were sitting across the chess table from your opponent...or you are competing against someone else in something...and you give that "look."
You know the look...
The look that non-verbally states that you are going to kick the living crap out of whoever you are looking at in whatever it is you are competing in. Well even though we weren't in Eagles attire, it was apparently obvious that we did not enjoy the company of Cowgirls fans; because as soon as we walked in, a lot of those looks were shooting all over that bar.
So even in Amsterdam, a good seven hours away from the dirty, grimy, filthy, disgustingly passionate city of Philadelphia we happened to find confrontation with Cowboys fans. I wouldn't have it any other way.
The next two hours were a blur but I remember a whole lot of E-A-G-L-E-S chants, a lot of loud discussion about the Cowgirls unraveling season, a whole lot of pointing and whispering, a whole lot of beer and a whole lot of laughing. I don't think I've enjoyed a win, as a fan, as much as I did that win.
FIN
That was seriously one of the most embarrassing losses I've ever seen. I'm not talking about in the season, I'm talking about in that franchises history. They knew what was on the line, they knew who they were playing and they got curb stomped by Edward Norton.
I would generally be exuberant about this and go out frolicking from bar to bar in celebration, but not this time. I think Andy Reid needs to go for three main reasons:
1) His continuous lack of clock management -
I can't tell you how many games I am yelling at the screen because we either: are passing the football in the fourth quarter while winning, on the road, running plays that don't take into account that there's less than two minutes on the clock, running draws on 3rd and 4.
2) His play calling selection -
This is almost a combination with the above. Why are we only successful .9% of the time on 3rd and less than 3? Why do we run so many FREAKING SCREENS!!!!! when they don't work (as soon as Westbrook scored on one last week I cheered and then cursed at the TV because this would cause Andy to call more screens even though we were 1 out of the last 90)? Why are we passing 60 times a game? Why do we abandon the run?
Do you know when the run ratio is 50/50 or favored to the run the Eagles have a better record than when it's not? Did you know that when Donovan passes over 35 times a game his QB rating is less than 90? Did you know that when he passes less than that it's over 117?
These things are obvious to all Eagles fans, it took two weeks (Cinci, Baltimore) of fans yelling at you to run the ball 50% of the time for you to realize that it could possibly be the solution. Then you went up and beat the Giants with it and then promptly abandoned it again and went 2-1 against a bad Browns team (no offense C-Town) a bad Redskins team and a lost Cowboys team.
3) His teams are too volitile -
One week they are beating the World Champions, another weak they are tying one of the worst teams in the league. It's absolutely ridiculous. Consistency wins championships, Andy can not provide that. I think Andy is the best offensive coordinator in the league but he needs a head coach sitting next to him yelling stuff like "watch the clock," "we need more runs," "stop eating so many twinkies."
4) This city is not healthy for him -Since being here, his sons are both in prison, Philadelphia keeps chastizing him for going to the playoffs seven times in ten years but not getting a trophy, and he's put on about 200 pounds from eating Tasty Cakes. He needs to move on to the next part of his career and Philly needs to see if some other coach can bring some consistency to this team. I'm talking Steelers consistency. Not that they are the best team in the league by any means, but...every week you know what you're getting from them. Tough D with elaborate blitzes, smash mouth running and solid special teams. If you're playing a good football team, you can guess what they're going to do and scheme to stop them. If you're playing a great football team, you can assume what they're going to do and slow them down enough to win. If you're playing a great football team, you definitely know what they're going to do and they do exactly what you think they're going to. The thing is they execute it to the point that you can't slow them down or beat them.
The Eagles don't have that and until they do, fans will continue to ride Andy into the grave.
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