Wait, Really?? REALLY???

[barnaby]

That was a horrible, horrible display of playcalling and quarterback play yesterday. Absolutely terrible. I know if Jackson catches that ball in the corner the game is tied up, but that was McNabb's only good pass of the day yesterday.

I don't know if I want to watch another game that Reid coaches or McNabb plays in ever again. It is THAT bad as an Eagles fan. I have tickets to the Cowboys game that I've been looking forward to for the entire season and I think I'm going to try to get rid of them. It really is a shame for Jim Johnson's defense too...they were brilliant again yesterday.

Not sure you can put that loss on McNabb.
There were 2 WRs out, wind was blowing 30, McNabb was off and the Skins were playing a 2 deep and dropped a safety for another CB.

And Andy throws the ball 46 times!!!

Sure McNabb was shaky, but the last drive when it counted he hit Jackson square in the hands and made some other good throws.

This loss and the fact the Eagles will most likely miss the playoffs lies squarely on the shoulders on Andy Reid and his stupid playcalling.

Sad thing is Andy will be back next year, McNabb will be gone, and we will be stuck with a rag armed Kolb.

[Ian]

You know if the Eagles don’t fire Reid after yesterday’s game … you can be 100% certain that they don’t give a hoot about winning. That game was just a total microcosm of the same problems that have plagued this team since he took over.



Consider the following:

• Despite coming off 3 games in which they won largely by having offensive balance between the run and that pass, Reid called 48 passes out of 62 plays yesterday. And that’s in a game where conditions on the field dictated the run (very windy) and they were missing two of their starting wideouts. At one point, Reid called 16 passes in a row.
  

• Their time management was, again, miserable. It never should have come down to that final play running out the clock, because they shouldn’t have WASTED their timeouts like they always do. In addition, they ran like a minute 45 seconds off the clock down to the 2 minute warning to run just three plays. The biggest bonehead play of that final drive was one I haven’t heard anyone mention yet … they throw the ball to LJ Stiff … er … Smith for like 6 yards. He catches it and takes off towards the sidelines. Immediately after crossing the 1st down marker, he inexplicably turns the play back inside and gets tackled inbounds!! He gets 0 extra yards by turning the play inside and, in fact, probably gave up a yard or two vs. heading for the sidelines.
  
  
• The Eagles had 7 dropped passes yesterday, which just showcases AGAIN the fact that their receivers are totally substandard.

[Ian]

Okay ... so that was the single most exciting day in Eagle football I can remember in a long time.

Watching it unfold all day, having everything break right for the Birds in the early games, and then just watching them flat out embarrass the overrated (and hated) Dallas Cowboys ... that made my year.

[PirateLover]

Try being at the Linc all day. What an experience. Glad I didn't sell that ticket!

[barnaby]

What a roller coaster season. Frustrating, but in the end it worked out so far.

I just hope Andy sticks with the run next week. Gonna have to stop Peterson too.

Game is 4:30 next Sunday.

[Daddy Mouse]

Try being a Lions fan.

[DAKustodial]

I am the biggest sucker on the planet, but I'm happy that I am. I kept my tickets, went to the game yesterday, and had an absolute blast! I was getting text messages from my wife while we were tailgating a little, and everyone in the stadium knew that the Birds could get in with a win.

It is amazing though...Reid runs the ball and the Eagles put up a lopsided number. A lot of that was because the D kept scoring, but still. The Vikings game should be interesting next week!

[Missy_Mouses_Dad]

Yesterday was the most enjoyable I can remember watching football in a long time. Da Barez lose, Da Cowboys lose, Da Giants lose...

There is nothing better than watching Mr. Jones cry as his beloved 'boys get spanked. How about an Eagles/Indy Super bowl. that way the Eagles can make both Mannings cry in one season...

Can Philly handle that many championships in one year?

[magicman]

You know if the Eagles don’t fire Reid after yesterday’s game … you can be 100% certain that they don’t give a hoot about winning.

I wish they would have fired Mr. Reid when you recommended it a week ago.

As a Cowboy fan, it appeared that the Eagles & Mr. Reid cared about winning when it counted. (I wish I were fortunate enough to be rooting for a team in the playoffs...enjoy it)

[Ian]

I know people will rip me for this, but I still think Reid is very overrated and should be fired.

What I take away from games like yesterday's is this ... if the Eagles are capable of playing like that, how come they finished 9-6-1 and were so inconsistent all season??

Lately, it's become a hallmark of Reid teams, these mid-season collapses and late season miracle runs. But I blame the coach for not keeping his team focused (or himself, for that matter) all season and putting them in a better position to be successful.

And as DAKustodial pointed out, Reid runs the ball and he wins ... so why last week did he "forget" that and refuse to run the ball again?? He's maddening!

No, I'll root for my team (the Eagles), but Andy Reid is not the Eagles. The Eagles were around long before Andy got here and they'll be around long after he's gone. I'm a fan of the team, not the coach.

[Pagan]

The Philadelphia Eagles.....the New York Jets of the NFC.

*ducks*

[PirateLover]

I pretty much stand by all the statements I made earlier in this thread as well. When the Eagles win it's great, but there has been so much inconsistency with this team lately that I really think (and hope) this run will be the last hurrah with the current set up. I don't really care if we have to go into rebuilding phase for a year or two. To be honest, even if the Birds were to win it all this year, I would be happy, but not half as happy as I was for the Phils or as happy as I would've been had the Birds won in '05. That whole season was just a magical run that I'll never forget. I loved that team. There are very few people that I care about now on this team... I love Brian Dawkins, he's my hero. Also Westbrook and Runyan. Those are really the only three that I would love to see win it all. McNabb just makes me ill with his smugness. After yesterday's game he said "I proved you all wrong." Umm.. no. Try executing a hurry up offense at the end of a Super Bowl without puking and win the game, then you'll "Prove" something.

[Ian]

I'll tell you, I wouldn't even include Westbrook in my list of players I like on this team. He really turned me off with the way he handled that whole overpayment thing and also with his contract re-negotiations.

Plus, he can't stay healthy. He's great when he plays, but ... he doesn't play enough.

And McNabb, yeah ... I mean that guy just doesn't get it. Never has, never will. I used to feel bad that that handful of idiots booed him at the draft, but honestly he's such a whiney crybaby that now I just don't even care.

[PirateLover]

I was never quite sure what side I fell on with the Westbrook situation. I think that comparatively he was always underpaid and the Eagles could've done a good faith gesture and let him keep the dough. On the other hand, he did put his name on a contract (even though NFL contracts are the biggest joke since they aren't even guaranteed).

I wouldn't hold being injury prone against him as he isn't one of those players that milks an injury. He has played through many of those injuries and he plays his little heart out every time. I will never forget watching him run clear across the field chasing down the interception and assisting in the tackle during the Browns game I went to. He ran so hard that he could barely walk back to the sidelines. That image really resonated with me.

[Ian]

I wouldn't argue that he plays hurt and plays hard every game ... in some ways he reminds me a little of Allen Iverson minus the attitude problem ... I'm just not a big fan of guys who reneg on contracts and I really was annoyed with the way he handed that $3 million.

He complained all season that he "wasn't getting paid", which was ridiculous. He spent money that he knew wasn't his!

[barnaby]

Try executing a hurry up offense at the end of a Super Bowl without puking and win the game, then you'll "Prove" something.

Although McNabb definetely choked, try running a hurry up offense with no timeouts and little time on the clock beause the head coach wastes time outs and is the worst clock management guy in the NFL.

[Ian]

Although McNabb definetely choked, try running a hurry up offense with no timeouts and little time on the clock beause the head coach wastes time outs and is the worst clock management guy in the NFL.

Sort of a funny story related to this ...

We were watching the Minnesota and Tampa games this Sunday and my cousins and I were laughing like crazy because Gruden and Childress (both limbs of the Andy Reid coaching tree) had some horrific time management issues in their games.

We were like, "It runs in the family!!"

[PirateLover]

Barnaby you are right, Reid was definitely the culprit who put him in that position. That being said, it's times like those that separate the champions from the also-rans. Right now, McNabb is still an also-ran and has proved nothing except that he never knows when to stop running his mouth.

[PirateLover]

Boy, that old adage is true, "Winning changes everything." I still have my grudges against Reid and McNabb but boy was it fun to watch them kick giant booty in the 2nd half today. Reading through this thread, people who don't live here or follow this team like a religion as most of us do, probably think we are all nuts for complaining so much about a team that is headed to the NFC Championship for the 5th time in 10 years.

[Ian]

Look ... outsiders can say whatever they want. And I'm sure they will.

But the fact remains that, when most of the things in this thread were said, the Eagles were playing like a dead dog. They deserved the criticism we heaped on them. It's not like they were playing well and just catching some bad breaks. They stunk.

I'm happy they've turned it around. I'm still not a huge fan of Reid. Naturally, though, I will root for the Eagles, as I always do. They're my team. I pull for them every week, but I also criticize them when they don't play up to potential. That's what fans do and I'll point it out again ... Andy Reid is not the Eagles. They were here before him and they'll be here after him.

Anyway, the way I see this just serves as vindication that we were all right to rip them. Obviously, they were dogging it, because we all see now that they're a much better team than what they gave us mid-season.