Debacle at the Linc: Clock Ticking on the Reid Era

As Hurricane Sandy barreled its way toward the East Coast, Andy Reid similarly felt himself and his team barreling toward the point of no return. Sunday’s game versus the Atlanta Falcons was one of the most disgraceful performances Eagles fans have endured in recent memory.

The 30-17 final score does not reflect how lopsided the game actually was. The Eagles played deplorably in every facet of the game, but the defense was the most glaring problem.

After firing defensive coordinator Juan Castillo during the bye week—despite the fact that the defensive was performing better than the offense—Andy Reid saw Todd Bowles' debut take an ugly turn right from the start.

Something had to change after the defense had reverted to its 2011 form in the prior two games, blowing two fourth-quarter leads. The result of the change was that there could be no fourth-quarter collapse because the defense collapsed in the first quarter instead and never got up.

Good, not great, defense doesn't cut it against an undefeated team

On Sunday, the Eagles defense recorded two sacks—unbelievably, their first since Week 3—but again had no takeaways. Fletcher Cox dropped an easy interception on the first Falcons drive, which may or may not have changed what happened the rest of the game.

Four times the Eagles seemingly stopped the Falcons on third down only to see the dreaded late flag come fluttering in. Most of those calls were bogus, but that is something a good defense must overcome; right now, the Eagles are not a good defense.

The defense did manage to give up only 18.5 points a game over the first six under Castillo. However, the lack of takeways, the lack of QB pressure and the late-game failures necessitated that some change had to be made. After the first game, it does not seem the change they made was the right one.

The Falcons scored on their first six possessions which, among other things, led to the Eagles abandoning their running game early, playing right into the Falcons' hands. The Falcons defense is porous against the run, and better against the pass.

Shady scores on the ground and in the air, but is still under 20 touches

The Eagles should have continued to try to run in the first half. That is easier said than done because the offensive line has given Lesean McCoy nowhere to go more often than not. McCoy is one of the best backs in the NFL. He excels at making something out of nothing, but no back can make anything out of getting swarmed in the backfield.

Michael Vick did not make any major errors, committing zero turnovers for just the second game this season; however, he just does not seem to be a dynamic player anymore. He was caught from behind by a defensive lineman again and threw too many inaccurate passes, failing to reach even 200 passing yards for the second time in three games.

The Eagles remain second-to-last in the NFL in scoring. They mustered their usual 17 points yesterday. Teams do not generally win in the NFL when scoring 17 points. Quarterbacks do not generally keep their starting jobs when their teams lose due to a lack of scoring. That is what Andy Reid has to consider at this point.

The situation that most closely mirrors the current level of hopelessness occurred during the 2008 season. The team was in disarray after a throttling by the Baltimore Ravens and McNabb was benched during the game.

Reid managed to rally that tattered team in a short week before a Thanksgiving game against the Cardinals. They looked rejuvenated and blew out the Cardinals 48-20. After an improbable playoff run later that season, the Eagles lost to those same Cardinals in the NFC Conference Finals. That sequence of events is telling. Even when the Eagles tease their fans with a turnaround, they break their hearts in the end.

Change or die

Reid’s strong suit has been resurrecting his teams when things look to be at their worst. His biggest failing is allowing them to get to that point in the first place.

He has earned the chance to resurrect his team again, but in reality, other than the fact that he has done it before, there is nothing to indicate he will be able to do so again. Castillo was not the problem and if he was, that is Reid’s fault. Vick is a big part of the problem and that is also Andy Reid’s fault. His bad decisions have led to the predicament they are now in.

The Eagles have some talented players, but it increasingly does not show up on the field. It seems they need a change of culture and the head coach is responsible for the culture. If indeed, it does needs to change, the only way to do so is to replace him.

Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez made a curious remark following the game. He said he had spoken to a number of Eagles players who said to him, “…some things are going to go down here in Philly.” (Philadelphia Daily News, 10/29/2012, Bowen, p. 76) What that means is anyone’s guess because it is unknown which player(s) said it, but it certainly sounds ominous.

That sound Eagles fans hear is not the wheels falling off, but the wheels rattling on the side of the road after already having fallen off. Andy Reid has nine games to impersonate a AAA repairman and put them back on. If he can’t, he may want to keep his AAA uniform because he will be looking for a new job.