SB Nation Philly: All Posts by Tommy Lawlor

Eagles coaching search: With no Chip Kelly, what now for the Eagles?

2013-01-07T14:08:19Z

Coaching changes are rarely boring when it comes to the Eagles. Back in 1991, the whole world knew that Jeff Fisher should be the man to replace Buddy Ryan. The problem was that owner Norman Braman didn't want to replace Ryan with a Ryan man. Braman turned to the offensive side of things and hired Rich Kotite. That was an insult to Ryan, and to the defensive unit that loved both Ryan and Fisher.

Jeff Lurie bought the Eagles in 1994 and the team went 7-9, shockingly losing the final seven games after a great start. Lurie decided to fire Kotite. Lurie wasn't going to hire from the current staff and wisely looked around. He flirted with Dick Vermeil, but that didn't work out. Lurie talked to Jimmy Johnson, but that wasn't an actual interview so much as just a meeting where Lurie could pick his brain. Lurie wanted Mike Shanahan, but Shanahan wanted to go to Denver and coach John Elway, who he had previously worked with. Lurie talked to a couple of college coaches. I had my heart set on Vermeil and was disappointed when that didn't pan out.

Lurie finally turned to Ray Rhodes, who was the defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Niners. Rhodes proved to be a good hire for two years and then things got sloppy in 1997. Jon Gruden left after that season and the 1998 Eagles were a total disaster. Lurie had to fire Rhodes, despite the fact Rhodes had been named NFL Coach of the Year in 1995 and had a pair of 10-win seasons. 1998 was bad and things weren't headed in the right direction.

The 1999 coaching search was simpler. There was one huge target in Mike Holmgren. Next up was Jim Haslett. Andy Reid was more of a curiosity. Holmgren signed on in Seattle and the Eagles had to move to Plan B. That looked like Haslett, but Reid was so good in his interview that the team hired him. The rest is history.

So Lurie has had two coaching searches prior to this year. Both times he was unable to land his primary target (Vermeil/Shanahan and Holmgren). Both times Lurie hired someone who went to the playoffs multiple times and won Coach of the Year honors. That's actually a pretty good track record. I know...we still have no Super Bowl wins. I'm not of the mindset that a coach who doesn't win the Super Bowl is a complete failure. Yes, that is the goal, but I believe there are levels of success and failure. Lurie doesnt have any home runs, but nor does he have any strikeouts (think of Ray Handley or Dave Campo or Jim Zorn).

Howie Roseman and Jeff Lurie set their sights on Chip Kelly this time around. They decided he was the Big Kahuna and flew out to Arizona to meet with him. On Saturday they got together for what was supposed to be lunch. That turned into a 9-hour meeting. While Lurie and Roseman didn't convince Kelly to come to Philly, I would tend to think a meeting that long had plenty of positive moments. It went a lot longer than expected.

I would be upset if Kelly was the Eagles primary target and Lurie and Roseman failed to make a strong run at him. You would then be forced to play the "what if" game on a regular basis. What if we could have gotten that guy? Lurie and Roseman obviously made a strong presentation. Things didn't work out, but it wasn't like they lost Kelly to another NFL team. He got homesick and decided to stay at Oregon. There will be some people who might question if the Eagles met all of his demands, but I tend to doubt there were sticking points like that. He met with the Bills and Browns. Buffalo quickly realized they had no shot. The Browns had their hopes up on Saturday, but on Sunday turned to play the spin game and said that they had decided to look around. Yeah, right. Kelly made it clear the choices were Philly or Oregon. If this was simply a case of demands, I think the Browns would have given Kelly just about anything he wanted. The Eagles didn't come across that desperate, but they absolutely wanted him very badly and were willing to go a long way to make things work.

Where do things go from here?

Think in obvious terms. The Eagles flat out pursued Kelly. That wasn't a coaching search so much as a coaching chase. There are no more big time targets. The Eagles go from chase mode to search mode. They'll actually start interviewing candidates in a more traditional way. With Kelly, you were making a sale pitch as much as interviewing him.

The three big names right now are Mike McCoy, Jay Gruden, and Gus Bradley. The Eagles have also asked for permission to talk to Bruce Arians, but I tend to think that is more of a longshot. Arians is 60-years old. He missed the Colts playoff game on Sunday after being rushed to the hospital. While Arians has a good track record, he's not compelling. I'm sure the Eagles will meet with him to make sure they're not overlooking a great candidate, but I'd be very surprised if Arians came close to getting the job.

The Eagles did meet with McCoy on Sunday. The meeting didn't last nine hours. There wasn't the same vibe as the Kelly circus. We don't yet know any details of how things did go. McCoy's team, the Broncos, will play this upcoming weekend in the playoffs. The Eagles don't have to rush a decision on him.

Gruden's Bengals lost on Saturday. The Cincinnati offense didn't have a good game. If that's all you knew of Gruden, you'd want no part of him. Gruden does have a good track record and is worth talking to. He is a former quarterback that has coached in the Arena League and UFL. He knows how to be a head coach. He has been a successful NFL assistant. The Eagles hope to meet with Gruden this week.

Bradley is the hot name with Eagles fans right now. A lot of people watched the Seattle defense smother the Skins offense and win a road playoff game on Sunday. Washington scored 14 points and had just 203 yards of offense. Go hire Bradley now...right? Maybe. Seattle has been a terrific defense in the last two seasons, finishing in the Top 10 in point and yards in both years. That is a really good group. Bradley has done a great job.

That said, people getting caught up in Sunday's win are missing some obvious points. RG3 and the Skins were red hot early on. They scored both touchdowns in the first quarter. They gained 134 yards in the first quarter. Then RG3 got hurt. He threw for 16 yards the rest of the game, before being benched in the fourth quarter. RG3 could not push off with his legs properly and his passes sailed high time after time. He was very limited as a runner. I'm sure Bradley would have made some good adjustments, but the Skins offense getting completely shutdown had more to do with RG3's knee than Seattle's defense.

The Eagles have asked for permission to talk to Bradley. They have to see about working out the logistics of the meeting, but you can bet they'll find a way to talk to him. Bradley has a strong reputation. It is perceived that Lurie would prefer an offensive coach, but you don't want to limit your options and pass on a really good candidate just because he has a different background than you were hoping for. Bradley has done great work with building Seattle's defense with mostly young players. Even better, it isn't loaded with just first round stars. Bradley has developed mid-rounders, late rounders, and even undrafted guys. The Seahawks defense is full of overachievers, and that is one of the best compliments you can give to a coach.

With Kelly off the radar, the Eagles could decide to look at some other guys. Lovie Smith is available. Ken Whisenhunt too. Both guys guided a team to the Super Bowl. Defensive coordinators Mike Zimmer and Ray Horton are still on the open market. There are offensive assistants like Pete Carmichael, Ben McAdoo, and Tom Clements out there.

There is no rush right now. The sweepstakes type of candidates are gone. This is truly a coaching search now. Lurie did well in his first two searches, despite missing on top guys. We'll see if that trend continues.

What Should the Eagles Look For in a Head Coach

2012-12-28T17:04:46Z

Andy Reid's time as coach of the Eagles is down to just a few days. Speculation about who will replace him is rampant. Oregon's Chip Kelly is a hot name. Some people focus on NFL offensive coordinators like Mike McCoy or Greg Roman. Defensive gurus like Mike Zimmer and Vic Fangio get plenty of attention.

Set aside the names for a minute. In some ways the question should not be who to hire, but what to hire. I think too often we get caught up in offense vs. defense and focus on schemes, plays, and statistics. Let's look at the big picture.

The head coach does a heck of a lot more than choose between the West Coast offense or power run game. The head coach is the face and voice of the organization. He must be able to lead people, not just players and coaches. He works with the owner. The coach works with the personnel department. He works with the public relations department. And so on.

Think about how important it is for the coach to have a good relationship with the medical staff. The coach and head trainer must completely be on the same page. Bill Parcells is famous for how he dealt with injured players and the training room. When he was hired in Dallas, Parcells went to the training room to see what it was like. He found a place where players were comfortable, if not even happy. Parcells immediately put in strict rules and had the temperature lowered in the room so that it was unpleasant to be in there. Parcells felt too many players were milking injury situations.

The head coach works with every member of the coaching staff. He works with all 53 players. Some guys can't handle this. Buddy Ryan was a defensive genius, but struggled when dealing with his offense and special teams units. Steve Spurrier was clueless outside of running his offense. The head coach must be able to work with every part of the team and not play favorites.

Dealing with the media is a big part of the job these days. The head coach will have his own television and/or radio show. He'll have postgame press conferences, as well as another couple of media sessions during the week. It is important for the coach to be able to handle this. Andy Reid drives many fans crazy with his approach, but it is safe. Bombastic coaches like Rex Ryan open themselves up to a lot of scrutiny when things go wrong. The jokes and funny comments are great when you win, but make you look foolish when things don't go well. There have been times over the years when Parcells antagonized members of the media. This can be dangerous because you're directly making enemies. I think Jeff Fisher is about as good as it gets in terms of media relations. He answers questions and shows some personality, but avoids saying anything too revealing.

The owner is basically hiring someone to come in an run the organization 24/7/365, not just to be "the guy" on Sundays. Having a great playbook is important, but having a vision for the organization is more important. The coach must understand he's very similar to a CEO. Andy Reid got this and did a great job of running the Eagles in his tenure.

The new coach will inherit a pretty good infrastructure. He doesn't need to be someone who can build an organization from the ground up. He really will need to be someone who can rebuild things. Think of him more as a fixer than a builder. The new coach will need to have a specific vision for the Eagles.

The Packers are the most homegrown team in the NFL. That organization believes in developing players. They make great use of undrafted free agents. The Niners have the most first round players of anyone in the league. Some are their own, but others were added (Justin Smith, Randy Moss, Donte Whitner, Carlos Rogers, etc.). The Niners are hesitant to play rookies. They prefer veteran players. Contrast that with the Seahawks, who play rookies every year. These aren't accidental trends. Someone wanted the teams to operate this way for a specific reason.

There are plenty of other questions to consider. 3-4 or 4-3? 1-gap or 2-gap? Massive offensive linemen or athletic blockers? Size or speed? The coach must have an idea of how he wants to build his team. The scouts need to know what kind of players to find. The general manager needs to know where to focus his resources. The Texans offensive line has just one first rounder. The Niners line has three first rounders. Both teams can run the ball and control the line of scrimmage, but they do it in different ways. Again, this isn't an accident. This is by design.

Arguably the most important thing a coach must do is hire the right staff. Reid hired a great coaching staff when he first got to Philly. The team won big. Mike Holmgren had an amazing coaching staff in Green Bay and the team won big. Jimmy Johnson had a great staff in Dallas and that team dominated. Johnson didn't have as good a staff in Miami and wasn't able to win big. Holmgren didn't have a great staff in Seattle. He got to the Super Bowl, but couldn't win it and had trouble sustaining success. Reid has not gotten the same results late in his time in Philly with a rebuilt coaching staff.

Hiring the right people isn't an easy task. You can't just go with friends. Heck, you may hire guys you've never even met. Jim Johnson was a stranger to Reid when Johnson interviewed, but he became Reid's most important hire and a great defensive coordinator. The head coach must constantly evaluate his staff to see if changes need to be made. If the team wins, his assistants will leave for better jobs. The head coach must constantly be on the lookout for new coaches to hire.

Some college coaches and NFL assistants don't understand just how all-encompassing a job being an NFL head coach is. You become the central figure in a billion-dollar organization. The futures and job security of staff, coaches, and players are all on your shoulders. The fans of a city or an entire region will live and die with your every move.

As you think about who you want as coach, ask yourself how you think the guy would do with these tasks. Has the coach been part of a successful organization so that he can see how things need to be done? Would Chip Kelly put together a good NFL staff? How would Greg Roman deal with the Philly media? Does Mike McCoy have a specific vision for a team? Would Mike Zimmer be able to help a young quarterback? Taking over as coach of the Eagles is a daunting task.

Owner Jeff Lurie needs to find someone who sees the big picture and is capable of handling the pressure of being the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. He needs to get someone who can lead the organization. He needs to get someone who can change the culture. Aside from a hot finish in 2011 and a hot start in 2012, the Eagles have played bad football in the last two seasons. You don't want losing ways setting in. The right coach can get this situation turned around quickly. The wrong coach can make things worse and set the organization back another few years.

Lurie doesn't need to find the perfect coach, he just needs to find the right one.

The Case For Andy Reid

2012-12-21T11:00:10Z

Andy Reid will be fired in early January. Or let go. Or whatever phrase Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie prefers to call his dismissal of his long time friend and highly successful coach. There will be no bad feelings. Reid did an amazing job in Philly and leaves here having failed in only one way...by not bringing home the elusive Lombardi Trophy.

Reid's overall resume looks terrific. He has regular season success. He has postseason success. His players won lots of individual accolades. The Eagles won the right way. The media loved the team. Fan support was strong. What's not to like? The argument against Reid is that his biggest success came in the 2000-2004 period. Things have slowed since then and he hasn't won a playoff game since Jim Johnson died in the summer of 2009.

The last two years have bad. The Eagles were 4-8 in 2011, before getting hot to finish a respectable 8-8. This year the team started 3-1 before falling apart and sinking to 4-10. These teams look nothing like Reid's Eagles units that won division titles and hosted NFC title games a decade ago. Some will argue that Reid has been exposed. He no longer has Johnson to run the defense or Brian Dawkins to be the star defender and team leader. Ray Rhodes holdovers like Tra Thomas, Troy Vincent, Duce Staley, Jeremiah Trotter, and Dawkins are long since gone. Heck, some want to know if Reid was ever really that good of a coach?

Yes. And he still is a good coach.

As bad as things have been since Johnson died, Reid still has a winning record, a division title, and two playoff appearances. In 10 years with the Bengals, Marvin Lewis has two division titles and three playoff appearances. Mike Shanahan hasn't won a division title since 2005. That was also the last year he was in the playoffs. Since 2004 Jeff Fisher has one division title and two playoff games. I don't think you would find many people who would say that Lewis, Shanahan, and Fisher are bad coaches.

There is no debate that Reid's star has slipped. He used to be compared to Bill Belichick, the king of current NFL coaches. That comparison is no longer valid since Belichick's teams continue to play at an elite level and Reid's don't. The Eagles recent struggles are not to be ignored. Reid has made personnel errors, poor staff hires, and some questionable decisions. The 2012 Eagles are a bad team. The struggles go beyond injuries, bad luck, and turnovers.

While Reid doesn't get a free pass for the disastrous 2012 season, it is an anomaly. Reid has never had another season quite like this. Teams that look at him as a coaching candidate have to decide if they think Reid can bounce back from this or if he's simply lost his ability to be a good coach.

Bill Walsh believed a coach should stay in one place for about a decade. He thought that was as long as a coach could keep things from getting stale, for lack of a better word. There are only so many ways to motivate players. There are only so many pre-game speeches. There are only so many ways to criticize a team after a bad loss. At some point, the message no longer works. People fall into ruts, no matter how hard they try to avoid them.

There are some exceptions to this (Tom Landry, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, and apparently Belichick), but those are some of the greatest coaches of all time. Most coaches need to move on. Vince Lombardi left Green Bay after nine seasons, the last two of which resulted in Super Bowl wins. He could sense that it was time to move on.

Reid's message no longer works with Eagles players, but that doesn't mean it won't work on new ears. The man didn't suddenly forget how to coach. He can still design plays with the best offensive minds in the game. Reid knows how to teach players how to the basics of football. He still knows how to run an organization. Coaching these days is about more than X's and O's. Reid understands that football is a business. He believes in having a young roster and not overpaying for veteran free agents.

Maybe the biggest selling point for Reid is his offensive acumen. Anyone who sat through Monday night's Jets-Titans game knows how painful it is to watch teams that can't move the ball or score points. If you don't have a quarterback, you can't win in the NFL. You will struggle to compete. The Eagles are 29th in scoring this year so it may sound funny to think Reid is a guru that can solve another team's problems. In the last four games the Eagles have gotten the offensive line to play better and rookie Nick Foles to settle in. The Eagles have averaged 22.75 points per game in that stretch. That figure would place them 18th in the NFL. And that is with Jason Peters, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Michael Vick all out of action.

In the previous four seasons, the Eagles averaged finishing 5th in the NFL in scoring. In the last 12 years the Eagles have finished in the top 10 in scoring eight different times. That's an extended pattern of success, not just a coach getting lucky with a couple of good skill players. There is no guarantee that the team which hires Reid will get an explosive offense, but the odds say that he will do pretty well. Reid has produced good numbers with various quarterbacks. He got Donovan McNabb, A.J. Feeley, Kevin Kolb, and Michael Vick to all play well for him. Reid developed Duce Staley, Brian Westbrook, and McCoy into star running backs. Pass catchers like DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Chad Lewis, and Brent Celek all thrived in the Reid offense.

Having a good offense is critical for a couple of reasons. The last three Super Bowl winners all had top 10 scoring offenses. The rules of the game now favor offenses. You must be able to score points. It also helps to sell tickets and generate highlights. Exciting teams and players sell jerseys. That stuff doesn't affect winning, but it does affect the bottom line and that is important to all 32 owners.

I think Reid can also point to player loyalty when talking to new teams. Just this week Brian Dawkins went on ESPN Radio and said Reid should keep his job. Dawkins talked about how much he still believes in Reid as a coach. Players like Hugh Douglas and Jeremiah Trotter left Philly in free agency, not real happy with less than great offers from the Eagles. Both players returned to the Eagles later on for minimum contracts because they wanted to play for Reid again. Reid doesn't just coach his players. He connects with them on a personal level and builds strong relationships. That's good for the locker room and can be good for the organization long term.

Reid is currently the longest tenured coach in the NFL. He took over that title when the Titans fired Jeff Fisher a couple of years back. Fisher was 8-8 and 6-10 in his final seasons with the Titans. He took a year off and now looks very rejuvenated. The Rams are 6-8 and look like a much better team. Fisher can still coach. Changing teams did him a world of good. John Fox was just 2-14 in his final season with Carolina, but won the AFC West title last year with Denver and is on pace to do the same thing this season. The change of scenery did wonders for him. Adding Peyton Manning this year was pretty helpful as well.

Reid can have the same type of bounce-back. The real key for him is hiring a good staff. Reid put together a brilliant group of coaches when he took the Eagles job. Brad Childress, John Harbaugh, Leslie Frazier, Pat Shurmur, Ron Rivera, and Steve Spagnuolo all went on to get head coaching jobs. Jim Johnson became a legend while working for Reid. Juan Castillo was a good offensive line coach and had some success as defensive coordinator.

Unfortunately Reid wasn't able to replace his guys when they left for greener pastures. Poor replacement hires were one of the key reasons that Reid's teams began to struggle more. Building a staff from scratch might help Reid. He'll be thinking long term and big picture. The staff will come in at the same time and start from scratch together. That should help them form a good bond and work well together.

It is possible that building a new staff could expose Reid as being out of touch with the up and coming coaches in football. Remember that Reid's great original staff featured only one coach who was a truly known commodity - offensive coordinator Rod Dowhower. Even Johnson, who became a guru, wasn't widely known. He was the linebackers coach for Seattle in 1998 and only had been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for a few years. Most of his pro experience was as a positional assistant. Guys like Spagnuolo, Rivera, Frazier, Castillo, Harbaugh and even Childress were young coaches on the rise.

Andy Reid did great things for the Eagles, but that time is coming to a close. I think he'll be with a new team in 2013. He needs to learn from his mistakes and study what Fisher and Fox did in their new jobs. If Reid does that and makes the right hires, he can be a great addition to a franchise and get his new team back on the winning track.

Evaluating the Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Line

2012-12-15T17:38:46Z

One of the biggest disappointments for the 2012 Eagles is the poor play of the offensive line. The line took some time to come together in 2011 as they adjusted to Howard Mudd's system and all the new faces in the group. Evan Mathis was new at left guard. Todd Herremans shifted over to right tackle. Rookies Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins had the normal ups and downs of young players learning to play. By the end of the season, the line was playing really well and that set expectations for 2012 to a sky high level.

Everything changed when Jason Peters ruptured his Achilles tendon in the offseason. Peters was arguably the best left tackle in the entire NFL in 2011. Replacing him would be very difficult, but the Eagles were lucky that free agent Demetress Bell was still on the market. He had the size, athletic ability, and experience to be a good replacement for Peters. Unfortunately, plans don't always come to fruition. Bell turned out to be an enormous disappointment. For whatever reason, he never got comfortable in Mudd's system and also struggled with the mental side of things. He missed a ton of assignments.

Left tackle is the most important position on the line, whether the quarterback is left-handed or right-handed. The left tackle generally faces the most talented pass rusher on the other team. Blocking that rusher is the foundation for pass plays. The coaches must know if they need to give the left tackle extra help. Do they double team to that side? Do they chip block with a running back? The coaches need to know if they can count on the tackle controlling his rusher so that the quarterback can throw deeper stuff. If the tackle can't win his battles, the coaches must call pass plays that get the ball out quicker and the quarterback must be very cognizant of getting the ball out on time.

Not having Peters as the foundation for the line really hurt. Mudd and the other coaches talked about business as usual, but I think that was them trying to paint a rosy picture and not really an accurate assessment of the situation. You can't lose a great player without it hurting. You can't lose the left tackle without it hurting. The fact that they lost the best lineman and the guy who played the most critical position was going to cause problems. That's just reality.

One of the biggest factors for success on the line is continuity. Bell was struggling mightily and that led to King Dunlap getting snaps with the starters in the preseason. Things took a turn for the worse in the second game when Dunlap and Kelce got hurt. That forced Bell and Dallas Reynolds into action. Both guys had a lot of ups and downs. Reynolds really struggled at Arizona. The Cardinals attacked him all game long (it was his first NFL start) and he was more of a speed bump than a blocker.

Incumbent players like Watkins and Herremans weren't helping matters. Watkins did fine as a run blocker, but his pass protection was very erratic. He really struggled with athletic rushers. Herremans had stretches of games where he was outstanding, but then would make a handful of critical mistakes (often at key moments) and that really hurt the offense.

More changes occurred. Rookie Dennis Kelly took over for Watkins for a couple of games. That didn't work so well. Herremans got hurt against the Saints and Dunlap slid to the right side while Bell got back on the field at left tackle. That was a disaster and Michael Vick paid the price for that. Kelly was then shifted to right tackle. Dunlap went back to his normal left side. Free agent Jake Scott was signed to man the right guard spot. This lineup has produced the best line play of the year.

You won't mistake the current line for the 2002 or 2006 lines any time soon. The current lineup might be the best of the season, but that is somewhat of a backhanded compliment. That's kinda like talking about Tony Hunt's best run or Jerome McDougle's biggest sack. We're talking about the best of bad choices. While the current group isn't anything special, let's talk about them. Reynolds has improved a great deal and is now a serviceable center. Mathis is playing at a Pro Bowl level at left guard. Scott started off well, but was more up and down in the last two games. Athletic tackles have given him some issues (Gerald McCoy, Geno Atkins). Dunlap is what he is. At his best, Dunlap is an adequate pass blocker. He struggles in the run game. Kelly is a typical rookie. He has moments where he looks pretty good, but there are other plays where you can see his limitations. Kelly must get stronger. That shows in run and pass blocking.

What will happen in 2013?

Getting healthy will solve a lot of problems. The question there is who you can trust to be all the way back. Will Peters, Kelce, or Herremans have any lingering issues? Peters should be all the way back. An Achilles injury isn't like an ACL. If the Achilles heals properly the player usually is able to get back close to his previous level. Kelce has the toughest situation. He is coming back from a knee injury. Also, his game is all about mobility and athleticism. If he loses any quickness, agility, or speed, that could really hurt him. Herremans just had an ankle injury, but there were some complications so you have to hope he's able to get past all of that.

Before we can really talk too much about specifics we need to mention that all of the offensive line plans will be greatly affected by changes to the coaching staff and offense. It seems very likely that there will be a new head coach. Mudd already said he is retiring. What style of blocking will the new coaches want? Will the new offense be based more on running or passing?

I think it is safe to project Peters back as the left tackle. The team is closely monitoring his recovery. If they have any concerns about his status the team will act accordingly in the offseason and look for help at that spot. Peters will turn 31 in January. Tra Thomas played with the Eagles until he was 34. Based on that, Peters would have four more years. Thomas never suffered a major injury so that has to be factored in as well. Maybe you plan for Peters to be good for the next two years.

Mathis is fine at left guard. Some have questioned whether he can function outside of the Mudd blocking system. The Ravens strongly pursued him in the offseason and they do not run Mudd's blocking scheme. If you study his play, you can see Mathis is legitimately good. He isn't huge, but plays strong. He plays with good leverage and that allows him to anchor well. He has excellent feet. Mathis is very good on the move and out in space.

Center is more up in the air. If the new coaches prefer big guys, that could lead to change. Kelce lists at about 300 pounds. I'm not sure he is that heavy. He has skinny legs and struggles to anchor at times. He can get stronger, but he will never be a massive mauler. Kelce needs coaches who will embrace his skill set. He is great at pulling and blocking out in space. It is possible the new staff will want a different center. I think Kelce's tape is strong enough that the staff will decide he's worth keeping.

Moving to the right side, let's start at tackle. Herremans should be healthy. Do you keep him at tackle, even after an up and down season? I think a new coach could make a world of difference with him. Herremans' sloppy play wasn't due to lack of talent. A new coach could get Herremans to re-focus and get back to playing high level football consistently. He could be a good right tackle.

There is also the option of moving Herremans to right guard and making Dennis Kelly the right tackle. Kelly has shown good potential this year. Herremans started four games as a rookie in 2005. He looked about like Kelly, maybe a bit better. The next season Herremans was a full-time starter at left guard (the only open spot on the line at that time). The current coaches are very high on Kelly. I think he has shown starting potential.

If you prefer to keep Herremans at tackle and Kelly as the top backup, right guard is up in the air. Danny Watkins has been a disappointment so far. There is some hope for him. If the new coach believes in the run game, Watkins has a chance to succeed. It doesn't look like he'll ever thrive as a guy who is pass blocking 40 times a game consistently. Watkins has the raw talent to be a good starter. It isn't translating to his play on the field. He is another player that could possibly benefit from a new coach coming in and shaking things up. Watkins needs to know that you perform at a certain level or you get cut. Period. Either he starts playing up to his potential or he's out looking for a job as a fireman again.

There is no clear answer beyond him. The team could bring back Jake Scott. Rookie Nate Menkin could be a player to watch. The new staff would have to study practice tapes since Menkin hasn't played a down this year. I don't think you count on such an unknown commodity. Right guard could once again be a spot to fill.

Let's talk about the return of some of the current players. Reynolds could actually come back as the backup center. He was a mess early on, but has gotten a lot better. He's not someone you ideally want starting, but has been effective. He's actually a solid run blocker. King Dunlap should not be brought back. He's gotten a lot of playing time this year and has been disappointing. Demetress Bell should be banished to Siberia. Matt Tennant hasn't played enough to have a good opinion on. He could be brought back to fight for a backup role. Matt Kopa was recently added to the roster as a backup tackle. He hasn't played yet and shouldn't factor into any plans. Matt Reynolds and Julian Vandervelde are on the practice squad. They could be brought back to challenge for backup spots, but won't be counted on for anything.

If you shift Herremans to guard and start Kelly at right tackle, no starting player needs to be added. Depth is still a major concern. You need a backup tackle and a backup guard. If you don't like Reynolds as the backup center, then that would also need to be addressed. You could draft the backup tackle as early as the second round or as late as the fourth. I don't think you'd want to go for a late round player and count on him.

If you keep Herremans at tackle and Kelly as the top backup, there is a hole at right guard. The new staff could give Watkins another chance there, but would need serious competition for him. This would not require a first rounder, but would need somewhat of an early pick. Right guard has become an important spot on the line. You can't just put any player in that spot. You also would want someone who could seriously challenge Watkins. That should drive Watkins to play better football or reveal him as a guy that lacks the competitive drive to succeed in the NFL.

There is also the possibility of shifting Herremans to guard and then drafting a player with the first round pick to come in and start at right tackle right away. That would keep Kelly as the top backup. It would strengthen right guard and put a very talented player at right tackle. Depending on where the Eagles pick and who is likely to be available, this is a very interesting option.

For my money the two best lines of the Reid era were in 2002 and 2006. Those lines had the ability to dominate at times. Notice anything about those seasons? Donovan McNabb was hurt in both of them and backup quarterbacks had to finish the season. That led to the coaches running a more balanced attack. Running the ball built up the confidence of the linemen. It helped them to play at a high level. There have been five games this year when the quarterback dropped back to pass 50 or more times. There is no way a group of backup linemen can play well in that setting. It is possible that despite so many backup linemen and a rookie quarterback playing the last several weeks, the 2012 Eagles will finish with fewer rushing attempts by the running backs than the 2011 Eagles. Crazy.

The biggest improvement the line can have in 2013 is adding a coaching staff that will truly embrace the running game and the importance of a more balanced offense. That helps linemen to become more cohesive. It helps their confidence. It helps them to play better. If the Eagles make the right hires, make a couple of moves, and get some players healthy, the line can go back to being a strength.

The Eagles Need A Culture Change

2012-12-08T23:36:04Z

Andy Reid has been a very good coach for the Eagles. He's won a lot of games. He got the team to the Super Bowl and came close a number of other years. He's got a lot to be proud of and he's leaving the organization better than he found it. Reid established a way of doing things during his tenure that helped the team to win games despite players and coaches coming and going. Reid's systems worked, not just X's and O's, but the way the organization functioned on a daily basis.

Now the Eagles need to make changes. They need a new coach and a new way of doing things.

You hear the phrase "culture change" in regard to sports teams more and more. Usually this has to do with winning and losing. Reid had plenty of success during his tenure so there isn't a need to get rid of a losing atmosphere. The Eagles went to the playoffs from 2008-2010. They just missed the playoffs last year (although it was only an 8-8 team). The 2012 season has been a nightmare to be sure, but this is an anomaly, not the norm.

When general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith took over the Falcons they had never had consecutive winning seasons. The Lions were an awful organization before making the playoffs in 2011. The Niners had gone since 2002 without a winning record before Jim Harbaugh took over last year. They've been a force the last two seasons. These were teams that needed to learn how to win.

The problem in Philadelphia is different. Over time, the team lost its edge. I've seen this with other teams, especially in college. Florida State was a machine in the 1990s. They put out great teams and great players. There was a 14-year stretch when the Noles finished in the top five. Every year. That's incredible. 2000 was the last season that happened. Bobby Bowden never got the Noles to finish inside the top 10 again, let alone the top five. Did he forget how to coach? Did Florida run out of great high school players? There were players like Lawrence Timmons, Brodrick Bunkley, Everette Brown, Christian Ponder, Geno Hayes, Patrick Robinson, Leon Washington, Antonio Cromartie, and Kamerion Wimbley in the stretch where FSU struggled. That's plenty of talent.

So what went wrong?

I think too many players went there expecting to be winners. They didn't necessarily appreciate what needed to be done to win. There was a sense of entitlement that because the player was at FSU he would win. Doesn't work that way. One of the things that made FSU great was the competition within the program. Andre Wadsworth was the number three overall pick in the 1998 draft as a defensive end. He began his college career as a walk-on and backup defensive tackle. I remember watching him as a backup in 1996 and wondering how any college team was supposed to handle that defense. Corey Simon and Jerry Johnson were terrific defensive tackles. Greg Spires and Reinard Wilson were star pass rushers. Roland Seymour and Larry Smith were good college players. Wadsworth was actually listed at "nose guard" on the roster. And that guy went on to be the number three overall pick. Amazing.

This was an exceptionally talented group, but they were also very driven and ultra-competitive. They knew the only way to get on the field was to practice like their lives depended on it. If you did get on the field, you better produce. If not, you'd lose your job. Players put pressure on themselves. They also dealt with it from teammates. And then there was also pressure from the coaches. You were expected to play up to a certain level. You had to find a way to get the job done.

I see similarities with the Eagles. Nnamdi Asomugha came here expecting to win. Well, guess what. You don't win because you put on an Eagles jersey or sit in a meeting room with Andy Reid. You win because you get the job done on the field. He hasn't been nearly good enough on the field. Asomugha is part of the problem. Do you see any sense of urgency or desperation when he plays? Sheldon Brown lost 21 games in his first four years with the Eagles. Asomugha has lost 20 in less than two full seasons. There is no question about which guy is more talented (Asomugha) or which guy was willing to do whatever it took to win (Brown).

Early in Reid's tenure there was a mental and emotional toughness to the team that just isn't there anymore. Maybe it was the losing of 1997, 1998, and 1999. Whatever the reason, those early teams were desperate to win. In 2000 Duce Staley got hurt. Darnell Autry replaced him. The Eagles were 3-2 with Staley, 8-3 with Autry. Staley is easily the more talented player. When he went down, the other players did what it took to replace him. You didn't get special treatment because of your draft status. Playing time was earned. First round pick Freddie Mitchell was given a chance to be the slot receiver in 2002. He got off to a slow start in camp so Andy Reid brought in Antonio Freeman. Mitchell did earn the job in 2003 and played well. Jeremiah Trotter didn't automatically get his job back in 2004 when he returned to the Eagles as a free agent. Reid let Mark Simoneau stay in the middle until it was clear that Trotter deserved to get the job back. Trotter helped the team to get to the Super Bowl that season.

Maybe the most simple way to summarize the situation is that the team trumped the individual. Andy Reid was able to get all 53 players on the same page. He was able to get them to do the little things it took to win. Those early teams were motivated, focused, and hungry for success. Those teams played with an edge. Over time, that stuff just seems to have slipped away. Vince Young uttered the infamous "dream team" line in the summer of 2011, having been an Eagle for a matter of hours. This summer Michael Vick talked about a dynasty. He at least had been part of Eagles teams that won.

You want players to want to be here. You want players to be confident in themselves and their teammates. You just don't want players falling into the trap of thinking that they will win for any reason other than earning it on the field. Being on a talented roster guarantees nothing. Being part of a successful franchise guarantees nothing. You wonder how many guys believed "We're Eagles now. We get to win."

There are too many players that you would label as "soft". Watching Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Asomugha try to tackle can be painful. Watching Jeremy Maclin try to block is also highly frustrating. DeSean Jackson was a very selfish player in 2011, but has changed his ways this year. Kurt Coleman and Nate Allen are erratic tacklers. Neither is an impact hitter. Watch special teams plays and you will see too many Eagles who can't make a big block or get off a block. Where the heck is Jason Short when you need him?

Bill Walsh felt that a head coach should only stay at one place for about 10 years. That would have had Reid leaving after 2008, the last time the Eagles got to the NFC title game. Since then the Eagles have not won a playoff game. Maybe Reid should have left back then. It is also fair to point out that Jim Johnson died after that season and his loss has greatly affected the team. That was the last Eagles defense that played up to its potential.

Reid knew what to say and do early in his career. The team responded to him. His words and actions had real meaning. The current players still like Reid very much and swear by him. Unfortunately something is lost in translation. Their level of play on Sundays would tell you they are okay with losing and don't care much for Reid. That's not the case, but the current team doesn't seem to understand that words ring hollow. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I think that road also leads you to a top five pick.

Change is needed. The question isn't whether Reid can coach (he can), but whether he's the right coach anymore. Clearly he isn't. A new coach needs to come in and get everyone out of their comfort zone. This isn't about screaming and yelling. Reid has yelled at the team plenty the last two years. The words just no longer work. The relationship has grown stale.

The new coach needs to make it abundantly clear what is and isn't acceptable. He needs to rule the roost in an aggressive, hands-on kind of way. Reid did this in his early days and it helped develop a culture of accountability and winning. I hope the Eagles choose a coach with a different personality than Reid so that the players can really see the change. I hope they avoid anyone from the current staff or past staffs for the top spot. There needs to be a new way of doing things, not just a new voice running Reid's systems.

I think the right head coach could get the Eagles back on track pretty quickly, depending on how the quarterback situation plays out. Whether the quarterback is Nick Foles, a rookie, a new veteran, or even possibly Michael Vick, the team is only going to have a chance of winning if the quarterback plays well. All the culture change in the world does you no good if the offense turns the ball over and struggles to score.

One of the reasons I think there can be a quick turnaround is that the Eagles have high character players on the roster. Many of these guys were team leaders in college. You don't see the players getting into trouble off the field. Many are actively involved with charities. These are the kind of players who are generally coachable. Clearly something is amiss now, but a staff change should get their attention and snap them out of the funk they're in. Getting rid of the sense of complacency and entitlement should do a world of good. "Should", of course, is the key word there. No guarantees.

I also like the talent that is in place. Changes need to be made, but I don't think a roster overhaul is in order. One of the benefits to the miserable 2012 season is that young players are getting experience. This isn't an aging roster that must be gutted. The new staff must decide which players fit their schemes and make the necessary personnel changes.

Jeffrey Lurie made a great hire when he picked Andy Reid back in 1999. Let's hope he can once again hire a coach that can get the Eagles back to winning and being Super Bowl contenders. Losing sucks.

Understanding The Woes Of The Eagles Secondary

2012-12-01T16:58:20Z

Back in October the Eagles pass defense was actually good. The Eagles were first or second in opposing quarterback rating and opposing completion percentage. That seems decades ago, as the defense now looks more like a 7-on-7 drill for opposing passers. Teams can't wait to face the Eagles secondary.

So what the heck happened?

Juan Castillo got fired as defensive coordinator and Todd Bowles got promoted to that spot. Bowles was doing a good job of running the secondary. Now he's trying to run that and the whole defense. Both areas are suffering. This isn't because Bowles can't coach. He's simply spread thin and trying to fix something that needs more time than he's got.

Take Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for example. He was off to a Pro Bowl start early in the year. After six games, he had eight pass break-ups and three interceptions. Since then, he doesn't have any interceptions and only four pass break-ups. He has been burned for deep gains or big penalties in each game since Bowles was promoted. Rodgers-Cromartie is still an exceptional talent. The problem is that he's an inconsistent player. He needs a coach to stay right on top of him and to push him. Bowles can't do that if he's trying to run the whole defense.

There were some coverage breakdowns when Castillo was still here, but not like there have been since Bowles had to quit focusing on just the secondary. Players have been wide open for touchdowns in three of the five games. Actually, wide open doesn't describe it well enough. Receivers were completely alone in the back of the defense. If this happens once, you live with it as an incredibly dumb mistake. For it to happen in three of five games is mind-numbing. That just doesn't compute. The worst part of the blown coverages is that you can't blame one guy. The entire secondary is to blame. Or maybe that's a good thing. As a sign of solidarity, the players are sucking as a collective group.

"Any mistake you can make, I can top with an even worse one."

"Oh yeah, watch this..."

There is no more horrific feeling for Eagles fans in the last five weeks than seeing the opposing quarterback take a deep drop and then start to throw the ball. There are only three outcomes possible: touchdown, long gain, or pass interference (which sometimes doesn't prevent the catch and/or touchdown). The days of a pass break-up or interception are distant memories. You can always hope the wind will cause an incompletion, but you sure know it won't be the defensive backs.

Opposing quarterbacks have had a passer rating of 120 or more in each of the last five games. This is the first such streak in something like 40 years. Robert Griffin III was 14 of 15 with four touchdown passes. Those are video game numbers. That's the way you shred a bad college defense. The NFL? No way. The Eagles last interception came against the Lions. Nnamdi Asomugha picked off a pass back when the Eagles still saw themselves as a playoff team.

The worst part of all this is the fact that the Eagles have talented defensive backs. Rodgers-Cromartie and Asomugha are big, skilled corners. Asomugha is a declining player due to his speed, but he should still be a solid starter because of his ability to jam receivers and stick with them on underneath and intermediate routes. He played well against Calvin Johnson for god's sake. Nate Allen is a talented safety. I know many of you just spit Fresca all over your computer screens, but it's the truth. Allen is talented. He just doesn't play up to that talent with any consistency. Brandon Boykin is a talented rookie who has really flashed at times. Remember his leaping pass deflection late in the Ravens game? That was a thing of beauty.

I firmly believe the Eagles should be a good, if not very good, secondary. The confusion, blown assignments, and sloppy coverage are not results of players who lack skills and athleticism. This group makes enormous mental mistakes. Enormous.

I think this is a result of the Castillo hire and system he put together. Castillo didn't have a defensive system of his own. He took elements of several schemes and combined them. He kept some of Jim Johnson's basic ideas. He added in the wide-nine front. He liked what the Chicago Bears did a lot. Castillo also mixed in lots of press coverage. The result of this hodge-podge system is that I'm not sure anyone fully understood it.

That may sound silly to some, but stop and think for a minute. Tony Dungy ran the Tampa 2 defense in Minnesota for Dennis Green in the early 1990s and then took it with him to Tampa when he became head coach in 1996 (that's when the defense got its name, obviously). Dungy didn't invent the defense. He learned it from Bud Carson when Dungy was a player with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dungy played in that scheme. He then coached in it. Over the years he tweaked it to be what he wanted, but it goes back to the 1970s. Dungy can teach that defense to any player or coach in the world. He knows it inside-out.

Buddy Ryan invented the 46 Defense while he was coaching the Chicago Bears. He then took that scheme to Philadelphia, Houston, and Arizona. The 46 produced good to great results in all four places. Buddy's boys led the NFL in takeaways in three of four stops. They finished in the Top 5 in scoring defense in all four stops. The players changed. That didn't matter. Buddy could teach it to anyone. He knew how to adjust it to the competition. For more than a decade the 46 Defense wreaked havoc on NFL offenses, especially quarterbacks.

Defense requires players to all be on the same page. Everyone must know their assignment. They must do their job on a play for the overall design to work. One breakdown is all it takes to lead to a touchdown, as the Eagles have proven in recent weeks.

Every defensive call that is made by the coaches is designed to work, no matter what the offense calls. If you have the perfect call, maybe you get a sack, TFL, or takeaway. If the offense makes a great call, maybe you get burned for a big gain. There still should be a player in place to stop the play. Worst case scenario, one of the defensive backs has to make a hustle play. Think about all those years in Jim Johnson's system when Brian Dawkins would chase down a runner or receiver and tackle him short of the end zone.

The calls that Todd Bowles are making right now range from good to bad, but it is the players' failure to properly execute them that leads to the disastrous plays. Bowles is not calling out defenses are supposed to leave receivers running open down the field. Sometimes there is confusion due to something the offense does with a creative formation or personnel grouping. Sometimes you have players not doing their assignments because they bite on play-action fakes. Sometimes it is double moves by receivers that leave defensive backs lost on a play.

Players who are confident play faster. They trust the scheme. They trust their teammates. They know all they have to do on a given play is execute their assignment. We've seen this from Eagles defenses over the last 30 years. We have not seen it from Eagles defensive backs in the last two years. Bowles has an extensive NFL background. He can teach players coverages. He can talk to them about how to adjust to something the offense is doing.

Bowles advice and coaching isn't working right now. Confusion reigns supreme. Players are tentative because they don't trust their eyes, their teammates, or the scheme. If Bowles was still running the secondary and could focus solely on those players, I think some of the issues would go away, as they did early in the season.

I know a lot of people think the Eagles need all new players in the secondary for 2013. I don't agree with that. I think the biggest addition would be a veteran coach with a proven defensive system that he and his assistants can teach thoroughly. The Eagles need someone who can get all of the defensive backs on the same page and make them trust again. There will be some personnel changes, but all of the individual talent in the world won't do you any good if the players don't function well as a unit and as part of the overall defense.

As far as personnel changes, the new coaching staff will have to figure out which players fit the new scheme. Just speaking generically, I would try to keep Rodgers-Cromartie. He has size, speed, and ball skills. He does need to be motivated, but he's not the only defensive back in the NFL like that. His potential makes him worth keeping around. Asomugha must take a massive pay cut to have any shot of staying. He can be effective, but the coaches must plan around his limitations. I have very mixed feelings about him. As a slower, veteran corner, I would like to see much more consistent tackling from him. Asomugha is too picky about when to be physical. Brandon Boykin is definitely a key to the future. Curtis Marsh remains a mystery, but I'm not ready to give up on him. A coaching change could do him a world of good. I think that is also true of Nate Allen. He played his best football as a rookie in 2010 when the Eagles had an established system. Kurt Coleman is worth keeping around, but as a backup and special teams player. The team must add a starting safety to the mix. My preference would be a big, physical player who is comfortable in the box.

I look forward to a day when the TV cameras show Eagles defensive backs on the sideline smiling and celebrating a big play they made rather than having an argument over a blown coverage that led to a big play by the offense. The last two seasons have provided me with enough images of confused defensive backs to last a lifetime.

Eagles Must Find The Next Jim Johnson

2012-11-24T17:21:46Z

The Eagles went to the NFC Championship in 2008 and came painfully close to going to the Super Bowl. That was Jim Johnson's last game ever. He died in July of 2009. Since his death, the Eagles are 32-26 and 0-2 in the playoffs. The Eagles are going to be making a lot of changes this offseason and it is critical that the team finds the next Jim Johnson.

Sean McDermott was promoted to defensive coordinator after Johnson had to step down in the spring of 2009. McDermott had been on Andy Reid's staff for a long time. He knew the defensive playbook inside-out. He knew the players. McDermott was very highly regarded and he was a natural fit as Johnson's replacement.

There is an old saying in sports...never follow "the man". Be the person who follows the man who followed "the man". Following a legend is hard. You're held to an incredibly difficult standard. George Seifert replaced Bill Walsh in San Francisco. Walsh had won three Super Bowls and was a legend. Seifert won two Super Bowls in eight years. He never won less than 10 games. His .766 winning percentage is incredibly impressive. And yet, the Niners pushed him out the door after the 1996 season. He wasn't officially fired, but they made it clear they wanted a different coach. Seifert was very good, but he wasn't Bill Walsh.

McDermott ran into a tough situation in Philly. He had to repleace a beloved coach and defensive legend. McDermott's results weren't terrible, but they also weren't Johnson-esque. McDermott also had some self-inflicted issues that came with trying to replace a legent. No one questioned McDermott's ability to devise a gameplan. He did some very creative things with the Eagles defense. In his first game, McDermott had Trent Cole line up like an inside linebacker and blitz up the middle. The Carolina Panthers had never seen this look and didn't know how to block it properly. Cole got a sack once and pressure other times.

McDermott had a good gameplan for the Colts in 2010. Indy "only" got 338 yards and 24 points. That doesn't sound all that great, but consider that they lit up Johnson in 1999, 2002, and 2006 for 44, 35, and 45 points respectively. They gained more than 400 yards in all of those games. Seeing the Eagles hold Peyton Manning to 24 points made me think I was watching the '85 Bears.

McDermott did have some problems. His ideas were great, but he wasn't a great teacher or communicator. You can't just draw up brilliant X's and O's on a sheet of paper. You must be able to teach them to the players. After all, it is the players who bring them to life. Dick Lebeau isn't a defensive genius because he can be more creative than offensive coaches. He knows how to devise a gameplan, how to teach it and then how to use it on gameday.

Eagles players did not always understand McDermott's ideas. Think about the two games I mentioned above. One was a season opener. The other came after a bye week. McDermott had extra time, which enabled him to be thorough with getting the gameplans installed. McDermott the schemer was much better than McDermott the teacher.

Bill Belichick is a defensive genius. He's come up with some incredibly crazy defenses over the years. His players can switch from a 3-4 to a 4-3 midseason and make it work. Belichick isn't just a master of X's and O's. He's also a great teacher. The thing so many people fail to understand is Belichick's background. He was the defensive coordinator of the Giants from 1985-1990. They did some creative things, but not that much. Offensive football was much simpler back then. The focus was on execution more than exotic packages. Belichick was than the head coach in Cleveland for five years. He got fired and became an assistant for the Jets for another three years. It wasn't really until he got to New England in 2000 that the really exotic defensive looks became part of Belichick's regular arsenal. Belichick spent 16 years running a defense or whole team before he became enamored with the fancy stuff. Belichick had mastered the art of the basic defense. That allowed him to teach the exotic packages and make players understand how to execute them.

McDermott also suffered from the fact he changed who he was. I've not heard him say this publicly, but my guess is that McDermott felt that he had to act differently as defensive coordinator than he did as a positional assistant. Some might say power went to his head. I think it was a calculated move. Instead of being their buddy Sean, he was now the defensive coordinator and that changed the dynamics of the situation.

So McDermott had the schematic knowledge, but not the teaching skills. Andy Reid then hired Juan Castillo, who was just the opposite. I don't think I need to go into his background and that whole bizarre situation. The key here is that Reid wanted someone who he felt had the right personality and could teach players. The results were mixed. This led Reid to fire his long time assistant and promote Todd Bowles from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator.

It is really hard to judge Bowles. If you go strictly off results, he's been awful. If you factor in the circumstances, it is harder to judge him so harshly. This isn't Bowles scheme. He got the job at midseason. Also, the pass defense has suffered since he took over the whole defense. He can't do both jobs at once and perform at a high level. Something has to give.

Reid wanted Marvin Lewis to be his defensive coordinator initially. Johnson was a backup plan. Both guys were very accomplished at that point. Lewis was younger and the hotter name. Johnson wasn't a star in the coaching community, but he had a great resume in college and pro football. Reid wanted a defensive guru to run his defense. That was wise for a young coach.

It is funny that after Johnson's death Reid hired three guys that were young and/or inexperienced. That was a big risk and it blew up on him. There is no guarantee that a veteran coach would have made a substantial difference. Just look at the coaches at the bottom of the NFL's defensive rankings. Steve Spagnuolo is in last place. Jerry Gray is a couple of spots above him. Jim Haslett is a couple of spots above him. Belichick and Dave Wannstedt are next in line. Those are some brilliant coaches with great resumes, but they aren't getting the job done very well this year and some have struggled for a few years.

While you don't have a guarantee, there is the potential for big success. Wade Phillips has been a godsend for the Houston Texans. They were 30th in defense in 2010, which led to him getting the job. In the last 2 years, Phillips has turned the Texans into a really strong defense. Vic Fangio took a pretty good Niners defense and put them over the top. They've been a juggernaut for the last couple of seasons.

Veteran coaches have the X's and O's knowledge. They have the experience to draw up good gameplans, some simple and some complex. They can evaluate personnel and find ways to use players. Experienced coaches are valuable in part because they have made mistakes in the past. They know what works and what doesn't because they've seen it up close. Failure can be a great teacher. Hiring the young coach means you have to deal with the failure. The veteran coach learned his lessons in the past. Well, you hope he learned.

I don't think you can definitively say the Eagles "must" hire a veteran coach, but I sure would advise them to do it. Over the last four seasons Eagles players have been wildly inconsistent. I think many of the young guys would greatly benefit from having a veteran coach run the defense. Players like Nate Allen, Brandon Graham, Kurt Coleman, Jamar Chaney, Casey Matthews, Phillip Hunt, and the rookies would learn a lot from a veteran defensive coordinator. Not all would be able to succeed, but if the veteran coach can have a significant impact on a couple of players, it is worth it.

The Eagles had great success with veteran coordinators over the years. Marion Campbell, Bud Carson, and Jim Johnson all delivered high rankings and playoff wins. The team got to the Super Bowl under Campbell and Johnson. Buddy Ryan was a defensive genius that the team hired as the head coach. He hired younger guys like Jeff Fisher and Wade Phillips to work under him, but they turned out to be great assistants as they helped Buddy build Gang Green into an all-time great defense.

It doesn't matter if the Eagles hire a defensive guru to be the head coach or coordinator. Either way can work. The key is that they need someone with a strong track record. They need someone who knows how to run the show and deliver excellent results. No more experiments. No more hoping a young guy turns out to be the right choice. Go find the next Jim Johnson.

Playing The Blame Game, Philadelphia Eagles Style

2012-11-16T19:42:29Z

One of my favorite movies is The Producers. It is the story of a man who scams little old ladies into backing a play designed to fail so that he can keep all the money. There is a scene in the movie when Gene Wilder starts reading over the list of the backers of the play.

"Mrs. Cathcart, 50 percent. Mrs. Resnick, 50 percent. Mrs. Biddlecomb, 50 percent. Mrs. Wentworth, 100 percent."

The list runs on and on since that is the key to the scam. As I watch fans and the media try to figure out who to blame for the 2012 Eagles, I can't help but think of that scene. Here is the unofficial breakdown based on my extensive research.

Andy Reid - 200 percent
Howie Roseman - 65 percent
Jeff Lurie - 30 percent
Juan Castillo - 50 percent
Marty Mornhinweg - 100 percent
Bobby April - 50 percent
Howard Mudd - 25 percent
Michael Vick - 75 percent
Demetress Bell - 50 percent
King Dunlap - 40 percent
Danny Watkins - 25 percent
Nnamdi Asomugha - 25 percent
Jason Babin - 25 percent
Nate Allen - 10 percent
Kurt Coleman - 10 percent
Donovan McNabb - 50 percent

I think that about covers it.

The truth is that one person isn't to blame for the mess that the 2012 Eagles have become. There are failures all over the place. Andy Reid is the head coach so he'll get most of the grief. That's fine. Football teams are all about the quarterback and head coach. Those guys know what the deal is. They get most of the glory so they have to take most of the heat when things go wrong.

I think the majority of the mistakes happened on the playing field. Think about some of the things we have seen this year:

* Michael Vick was terrible in the season opener. He repeatedly threw the ball into traffic or right at Cleveland Browns.

* Vick threw a bad red zone interception against the Ravens. There were fumbles by both LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown either in or around the red zone.

* The Arizona game featured all kinds of errors. Damaris Johnson fumbled a punt. Kurt Coleman bit on a play fake and gave up a touchdown. Vick failed to see Clay Harbor wide open in the end zone late in the half. A play later Vick was sacked and the ball run back for a score. Instead of being down 17-7 with a hint of momentum, the Eagles trailed 24-0 and seemed doomed.

* A dropped interception by Brandon Hughes gave the Giants a free field goal. A blown coverage gave the Giants an easy touchdown. McCoy made a bad read at the goal line and failed to get in the end zone. The Eagles still won the game, but had a chance to build a decent lead and failed to do so.

* Fumbles by Vick, including one right at the goal line, hurt the Eagles offense in Pittsburgh. Run defense was an issue and the Eagles blew their first late lead of the year, allowing the Steelers to drive down and kick the winning field goal.

* The Eagles blew a 10-point lead in the last five minutes to lose to Detroit. This game was a buffet of errors. Juan Castillo got away from a succesful gameplan in the fourth quarter and that helped the Lions offense come to life. Brandon Hughes made a couple of critical mistakes in coverage, giving up a long pass play and a touchdown. Brent Celek lost one touchdown due to a penalty and then dropped an easy touchdown pass on a different drive. Late in the game Vick had a chance to hit Jeremy Maclin for a big play, but threw the pass a bit flat and the Lions were able to bat it down. McCoy failed to stay inbounds on a late drive and that stopped the clock. There were some poor blocks by Todd Herremans in crunch time. Vick made poor decisions in overtime. He also had a chance for a long touchdown pass earlier in the game, but made a poor throw. It was a windy day. He didn't step into the throw and put a lot of force behind it. The ball got held up and was picked off.

* The Eagles had multiple chances to stop Atlanta's opening drive, but didn't and that ended in a touchdown. Jason Babin's third down penalty was the most frustrating play. Julio Jones caught a long touchdown because Nnamdi Asomugha failed to get a jam on him and also allowed him to release to the outside. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie played his worst game of the season, making a few crucial mistakes that led to big plays or touchdowns. Vick made some poor reads and the offense struggled all day long.

* The Saints game was supposed to be the night the Eagles offense got on track. Didn't happen because the offensive line had a bad, bad night. They struggled with the blitz all game long. Vick didn't help matters. He failed to see obvious blitzers before the snap and then move away from them. There were some plays when he moved into a sack. The run defense was porous and missed tackles were all over the place. Trent Cole had a free run at Drew Brees early in the game on a third down and whiffed. Dennis Kelly failed to block anyone on a shovel pass and that cost the team a potential touchdown. Vick threw a highly questionable pass that was picked off inside the 5-yard line and run back for a touchdown. Brent Celek fumbled in the red zone late in the game. Bobby April comes up with a brilliant trick play on a kickoff return and it works. It delivers a touchdown, expect that Brandon Boykin threw the ball forward instead of laterally. What could have been a hugh momentum swing turned into a cruel sucker punch to the gut.

* Sunday's loss to Dallas should still be fresh in the minds of everyone. Fletcher Cox's missed sack of Tony Romo led to a big gain. Nick Foles threw a slant behind DeSean Jackson and that ended up in a pick-six. DRC bought a double-move by Dez Bryant and gave up a big pass play. Kelly failed to block a blitzing linebacker and that ruined what could have been a huge pass play to McCoy. It also was partially to blame for Vick's concussion. Asomugha had a terrible tackle attempt on a short touchdown pass to Felix Jones. Tackles Demetress Bell and King Dunlap each had awful games.

Figuring out why all the mistakes are happening is very tricky. Think about Cole's missed sack in the Saints game. Fans love to scream about Jim Washburn and the wide-nine. Plenty of people are down on Todd Bowles. Some wonder why Howie Roseman gave an extension to an older player already under contract. Can you blame Washburn, Bowles, or Roseman for that play? The star defensive end had a free run at the quarterback and whiffed. The alignment worked. The design of the blitz worked. Cole had the ability to get to where he was. He simply failed to make the play.

These types of mistakes have been happening all year long. That's why most of this is on the players to me. I see talented players on the field. I see systems that are functional, if not better.

I'm not absolving the coaches and here's why. Something isn't right with this team. There are too many guys underachieving. There are too many guys making mistakes. Any long time Eagles fan has seen years where the offense had to carry the team. Or the defense. We've seen years where special teams were a huge boost and other times when they hurt the team. This season all three phases of the game have a hand in the problems.

One of the popular theories is that Reid has lost the locker room. I do not believe that. The team continues to play hard. Effort isn't an issue. Players aren't ripping the coaches in the press. Back in 1992 Seth Joyner threatened mutiny a couple of times and did so publicly. There is nothing like that going on.

Besides, the problems have been happening all year. Did Reid lose the locker room in August? That doesn't make sense. I do think it is fair to question whether Reid ever had a good read on this team. Some teams need a pat on the butt. Others need a kick in the butt. Some need their confidence built up. Others need to be humbled. We have no idea what Reid says behind closed doors, but clearly it isn't working.

The team continues to play hard, but they also continue to play dumb and sloppy. Reid had a full offseason to work with them. He ran a tough, physical training camp. There was plenty of work on fundamentals. It isn't showing up on Sundays.

This is where it becomes fair to question Howie Roseman and the personnel department. Did they bring in the right kind of guys? The Eagles have made it a focus in recent years to get smart, coachable players so it doesn't make sense that they are struggling with fundamentals. If Roseman and his guys brought in players with bad track records and questionable character, you could write off 2012 as a chemistry experiment that failed. I guess you can still come to that same conclusion, but figuring out the reason why it didn't work is what's so difficult. There was a lot of logic to the way the 2012 Eagles were put together.

You can also question Roseman in terms of making the right moves talent-wise. I do think his group failed with the backup offensive linemen. Again, there was logic to adding Demetress Bell, Mike Gibson, Steve Vallos, and Dennis Kelly. Unfortunately, the first three moves failed. Kelly is a late round rookie that can't be fairly judged right now. He could be out of the league in two years or a solid starter. The fact that three veteran blockers were brought in and failed is troubling. The team has since added Matt Tennant and Jake Scott. We'll have to wait and see if they get on the field.

The 2012 Eagles are all about failure. Some of the failures happened in the offseason as the team was put together. Some happened in OTAs and training camp as the coaches and players were supposed to be squaring away fundamentals and technique. Some failures happen during the week as the coaches put together gameplans. Most of the failures happen on Sundays (or when the heck ever gameday is nowadays). The coaches have made some bonehead decisions. The players fail sometimes by not doing the basics and other times by not making plays.

There is no one person to blame. Reid, Roseman, the coordinators, the assistants, and the players all have a hand in the team's 3-6 start. What happens in the final seven weeks will determine the futures of quite a few people. Lurie put up with 2011's 8-8 record because he felt that was the right thing to do. He showed patience and gave the staff and players a chance to clean up their mess. I don't think this is what he had in mind. There will be a price to be paid for failure this time around.