Observations...

[SD_Eagle5]

The halftime stats showed a total of 10 called running plays for 69 yards and a total of 19 called pass plays for 15 net yards. Oh, and a big old zero on the scoreboard for the Eagles.

7 yards a carry (and the ONLY effective way of moving the ball) still wasn't enough to keep him from throwing the ball like it was going out of style.

Thanks feva, I'm using that as my sig to further remind me to stay pissed off when I want to give Reid the benefit of the doubt. farg him.

[rjs246]

8 running plays. That game against the Cowboys two years ago is all I will never need to remind me that Reid is a farging icehole who deserves as much hate as possible. 8 farging called runs. Unbelievable.

[Feva]

Ashley Fox is on point.

Eagles' season riding on Reid

By Ashley Fox
Inquirer Columnist

Andy Reid says it the day after every loss, and yesterday, 14 hours after the Eagles got smoked by the Giants, was no exception.

Reid's maddening response to perhaps the most lackluster, uninspiring defeat of his nine years here?

I need to do a better job.

What exactly does that mean?

I agree that Reid didn't do a good job against the Giants, and aside from the win against Detroit, he hasn't done a good job all season. The Eagles' coach has made mistake after mistake.

Some have been uncharacteristic, like failing to recognize that punt returner is an important position. Some have been characteristic, like failing to make in-game adjustments Sunday night to counteract the Giants' relentless pass rush.

Reid said yesterday that he had never seen Osi Umenyiora line up at linebacker before? So what? Do something to keep him from pummeling your quarterback. Put in an extra tight end to block. Replace poor Winston Justice, who probably got more blame than he deserved for the Giants' 12 sacks, but who was repeatedly beat on his assignment. Hand the ball off to Correll Buckhalter, who filled in admirably for the injured Brian Westbrook.

Instead, Reid let Donovan McNabb take hit after hit after hit. After the beating he absorbed, McNabb is lucky he walked away with only a sprained left wrist. The way the Giants were rushing, they could have ended McNabb's season right there, and then where would the Eagles be?

Looking at a high draft pick, probably.

But if Reid doesn't get things figured out during this bye week, if he can't devise a way to help the receivers get open, if he can't get into Reggie Brown's head, if he can't improve the special teams, if he can't curtail the careless penalties, it won't matter.

Hello, top-10 pick.

Probably the most bewildering thing about the Eagles' loss to the Giants was the players' reaction. Several players acknowledged that the team had no fire, that it wasn't jacked up for a divisional game on the road. There was no sense of urgency, before or after the game.

That's coaching.

Part of a coach's job is to get 53 players mentally ready to play. Yes, the players are grown men who should be able to fire themselves up. Yes, the Eagles were missing key players, including Westbrook, Lito Sheppard, Brian Dawkins and William Thomas.

But ultimately, it's the coach's responsibility to work with what he has, and Reid didn't do it.

After assessing the damage yesterday, Reid sent the players off for the week to heal, mentally and physically. It wasn't a surprise. He did the same thing last year after the Eagles lost to Jacksonville heading into the bye week. That loss was the Eagles' third in a row, dropping them to 4-4.

The Birds came back and beat Washington, then lost to Tennessee - in a game that ended McNabb's season - and Indianapolis before reeling off five straight victories to make the playoffs.

"It's a long season, and we've got a lot of road ahead of us," Reid said. "We need to buckle down and get ourselves right. Sometimes, when you step away, you come back a little bit stronger. That's what I expect our guys to do."

Meanwhile, Reid said the coaches would spend the week performing a "self scout."

"We'll go through every possible detail that there is," he said. "We're sitting here 1-3 at the bye. We're going to figure it out and get ourselves right for when we return."

Well, self-scout this: If the Eagles don't get it together, this season is lost. Right now, they're no better than the Falcons, Jets, Vikings, Bills and - can you believe it? - the Chargers and Bears. LaDainian Tomlinson is so frustrated by his team's brutal start under new coach Norv Turner that he looks as if he's going to cry after every game. And Chicago? Rex Grossman, as just about anyone who pays attention to the NFL knew, was replaced and then the Bears somehow blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to the Lions.

What's the Eagles' excuse?

Follow Reid's lead. It's coaching.

A lot of people have been quick to point to Reid's problems with two of his sons as the reason for the coaching slipups. I don't buy it. Although I'm sure he is bothered, upset and worried about his boys - who wouldn't be? - that's not why Reid has stumbled.

This team isn't talented enough to waltz into Giants Stadium undermanned and think it can win. McNabb isn't healthy enough to win games by himself. The Eagles are getting precious little from their receivers.

I asked Reid to offer a self-evaluation.

"I'm not very good at grading myself, especially if it's not a very good grade," he said.

Here's a grade: F. It starts with the coach. He has to do a better job. If we've learned nothing else under Reid, it's that.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

She's really coming into her own as a writer.  That article is close to perfect.

[Magical_Retard]

imagine a running attack of westbrook and buck totaling to about 30 carries a game.

[mussa]

imagine a running attack of westbrook and buck totaling to about 30 carries a game.

add hunt in the mix also and its the 3 headed monster all over again

[MadMarchHare]

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAA!

You guys are farging hilarious.  I'll also imagine having sex with Alba.  It's about as likely to happen.

[ice grillin you]

why would you want a two headed monster when you have one of the best backs in the nfl much less a three headed monster

you run give westbrook 25 touches a game until he falls out...otherwise just get rid of him if you dont think he can do that

[rjs246]

That's a great plan. Oh wait, except Westbrook can't keep his vagina from weeping at least once a year.

[ice grillin you]

youre missing the point...if you have a top 3 nfl running back when healthy then you use him as such...whats the point of having a player that good if you cant use him...half the players on the team get hurt every year...on some plays should they just go less than 11 men on the field to keep everyone healthy?

[rjs246]

Yes.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

It's also a little early to declare Tony Hunt as any part of any monster.

[Magical_Retard]

thats what i meant...since westbrook gets hurt so much...he should avg 15-20 carries a game with buck getting 10-15 carries.

not like westbrook wouldnt also get his touches in the passing game.

[Geowhizzer]

The thought of an Andy Reid offense running the ball 30-35 times is the textbook definition of insanity.

[Magical_Retard]

The thought of an Andy Reid offense running the ball 30-35 times is the textbook definition of insanity.

im not saying he would do it but thats what i want to see if he ever left and smarter coach ever came in.

reid's adjustment for the jets game will be to throw in 2-3 more rushes in and air it out for the rest of the game as usual.