Now that the Eagles have ripped off a pair of impressive wins including one against the hated Giants, I've got to pontificate.
flyDad and I talked at length about this over Thanksgiving. Even after the wins, my gut still says the same thing: It's time...
It's time for Reid & McNabb to consider moving on. I am grateful for them the way a fan should be, but maybe next year needs to be a rebuilding year. It's got to be considered even if the utterly improbable takes place and the Eagles "earn" a playoff bid by winning all the rest of their games & getting a LOT of help.
Even after last season when I nicknamed McNabb "Bounce Pass" I regularly defended Reid, McNabb and the Eagles system. Unfortunately, it sure feels like that system has run it's course in Philadelphia.
Reid's style of west coast offense has consistently missed a power back and a deep threat to spread the field. Over the last two seasons, teams throughout the league have developed defensive systems to stop the screen pass (Reid's version of the run) consistently. Perhaps teams really have figured him out. He's adjusting, but for how long? It's the nature of the beast. Systems come and go.
McNabb continues to live a "what-if" life. What if he hadn't gotten so many season-ending injuries? What if the team had invested in real receivers? (We do not speak of the T.O. era in this house.) Maybe he is still in the top 25% of QB's in the league. Maybe he still has some good years left in him. Should they really be in Philly?
Then I think, "What about DeSean Jackson? He's the future right? McNabb could throw to him." Sure but Jackson and McNabb are starting to feel like two ships passing in the night. If Jackson is going to be the future, then shouldn't he be the tip of the spear, not the end of it?
Brian Westbrook is my favorite NFL player of all time. He has redefined the all-purpose back role and opened the door for players like Reggie Bush to flourish. Well OK, Marshall Faulk did the redefining, but Westbrook is still da man! Unfortunately, da man is also becoming the Millennium Falcon of the NFL - down for service more than running. The Eagles should have paired him with a durable power-back years ago. Instead, he's shouldered too much of the burden and lost almost as many games by his absence as his presence.
All these points don't even get into the aging defensive secondary or the long-term cohesion of our offensive line. I don't want to be a sub-500 team anymore than the next fan, but I also don't want to languish just outside of play-off range year after year. It's the curse of the aging 10-6 team. 10-6 looks and feels really good. Tickets get sold. The team makes money. There are exciting games. Fans have "hope." You slip into the play-offs every now and then. You talk about "next season" but are afraid to make any significant moves for fear of going 9-7 or 8-8.
The problem is that you do go 9-7 or 8-8. And eventually the wheels can fall completely off the bus because you didn't make the hard choices and you become the Detroit Lions or the Kansas City Chiefs.
We are where the Packers were last year only McNabb is no Brett Favre and the Link is no Lambeau Field. Even if the Jets win the Superbowl, the Packers should not regret moving on. They should regret how they moved on, but not moving on.
Perhaps it's time for the Eagles & McNabb to do the same.
I try really hard to let that warm glow of World Champion Philadelphia Phillies & President Elect Obama shelter me from my football negativity. Then I see the tie game on the Eagles record and I get a bit worked up.
It's not the money, smoke or my inability to drink that keeps me from going to the sports bar to watch the Eagles. It's my fragile mental health that keeps me from going to the sports bar to watch the Eagles. It's stuff like that stupid tie that makes it so fragile. tie, tie, tie...
I mean, FUCKING TIE?!?!
Who the fuck lets a game end in a tie? This isn't hockey! It's football! Win or have the common decency to choke down a loss. Don't let someone tie with you. Stupid tie...
This blog post has been stopped to protect my home and my hand from being broken before I hit that rather inviting wall over there.
3 comments:
I see where you're going with this... think you may be pulling the trigger too early. This team is still in the position to be tweaked to win.
If you want to overhaul the team, then yes I'd get rid of reid. But Donovan is still more talented than most the QBs otu there. The past few games have been more McNabb-esque. He doesn't need to run like Vick did, but he can run for a few first downs and keep some drives alive.
My problem with the Eagles has alwasy been that personell is just missing a few pieces. The lack of a power running back has been really noticible this year. In the past it's been good possesiontype receivers. The recievers have gotten much better at catching the ball, this year in particular.
My difficulty with Reid has alwasy been that to me he's making more of a challenge for himself than he needs to. Almost like he's got something to prove. We don't need a power full back to win, we don't need a runnign game, we don't need a big time receiver. And maybe you don't, but boy do they help! So get rid of reid if you must, but don't sell out the talent you have, and Donovan is talent. you can overhaul and become the next NY Giants, or you can become the next Detroit Lions.
@ Cainam - I keep thinking the same thing you're thinking. I keep doing it year after year. Hey, not everybody can win the Superbowl, but this club should be in contention and they aren't.
Two games ago I may have agreed with you. I believe the play calling has been worse this year than in the past. I think if Reid stays they need to remove his GM (or director of player personnel or whatever his title is these days) responsiblities and let someone else make those decisions. The answers he gives in his press conferences annoy me to no end, but that has always been the case. I can't stand when he says "we need to get better at this" or "that's my responsibility," etc.
McNabb is and has been since 2004 pretty inconsistent, but I'm not sure putting Kevin Kolb in gives them a better chance of winning. Aside from the Ravens' game, the Eagles had a chance (and should have against the Bears and the 'Boys) to win every game. Asking a QB to drop back and pass 40-45 times a game is too much. Reid has always been pass-happy but prior instances have proved when they stick with the run good things happen. They need a few things to be better positioned to win, IMO.
1 - A real fullback. Dan Klecko is willing but not able. Get someone who knows how to take out the opponents LBs
2 - A tight end who performs consistently and can block. LJ Smith had a very good game yesterday, but he's not the answer, especially at close to $6MM
3 - Get a big RB to pick up the tough yards on third and 1 or 2
4 - Stop trading your first round picks! It's likely that the Eagles will be drafting around 20 this year and the pick they have from Carolina might be around 26-28
5 - Stop hoarding no 2 and 3 Wrs and get a No. 1.
-GB
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