Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

I agree with every last word Les Bowen wrote today, so I'm giving it all to you here:

Les Bowen: Further review: Run-pass balance: Andy Reid still doesn't get it

By Les Bowen
Philadelphia Daily News

Daily News Sports Columnist
LOTS OF PEOPLE seemed lost in thought in the cramped visitors' locker room at FedEx Field Sunday evening.

The power to read minds would have come in very handy. Two offensive linemen huddled over the postgame stat book; one of them pointed at a row of figures and shook his head in disbelief. He quickly put the stats aside when a reporter seemed interested in what was being discussed.

Behind a partial curtain, outside the closed door to the coaches' room, Eagles president Joe Banner sat on the floor, his back against the wall. Banner, too, was scrutinizing something that could have been the stat book.

A million bucks' worth of salary-cap space for your thoughts, Joe?

All available evidence suggests that Banner and team owner Jeffrey Lurie have no intention of replacing Andy Reid. If you are industrious enough, you can still dig up enough stats from earlier in the decade to layer in with what's happening now and make it seem like Reid is doing a good job. We'll leave that task to others, though.

All we have to offer you this morning is despair. Despair over whether the people in charge will continue to delude themselves, thinking that being a play here and a play there away from doing something is the same thing as actually doing it.

I asked Reid yesterday if it doesn't seem he is answering the same questions, explaining the same failings, after every loss. Reid turned on the humor: "Yeah, you guys aren't very creative."

Yuk, yuk.

The Eagles of 2008, like the Eagles of 2007, have a very good defense and an erratic, often painfully inept offense that depends on Brian Westbrook feeling spry. That combination didn't quite get them to the playoffs a year ago and it very likely won't get them there this year.

So what will change?

Probably nothing. We will be sitting in the same news conference this time next year, listening to the same mush.

In response to one question yesterday, Reid said: "I'll take responsibility for that."

That brought back memories of an old comedy album (remember comedy albums?). There was a guy named David Frye, and back in the '70s he made a good living off his Richard Nixon impression. Frye had a riff about Nixon accepting the "responsibility" but not the "blame" for Watergate.

"Let me explain the difference," the faux Nixon intoned. "People who are to blame go to jail. People who are responsible do not."

Change "go to jail" to "lose their jobs" and you pretty much have Andy's shtick. It's his responsibility, but everybody deserves a piece of the blame "pie." Because when everyone is to blame, effectively, no one is to blame.

Developing storylines

* Sav Rocca, Mr. September, is of very limited use to a team whose season extends into cold-weather months, in the northeastern United States.

* DeSean Jackson's drop of the touchdown strike in the final minute brought up a question: When did Donovan McNabb and a receiver last connect on an actual bomb, not a catch-and-run but a long heave, 40 yards or more through the air?

* Reggie Brown needed to run that last route to the end zone, not to the 1-yard line. "We tell the receivers to make sure they're in the end zone in those situations, so we could have done a little bit better of a job there," Reid said.

* Since the Eagles are playing the Cowboys this week, it seems relevant to point out that Reid could have drafted Jason Witten in the second round in 2003. He chose L.J. Smith instead. How's that working for him?

* Doesn't it seem that not only do the Eagles never win a replay challenge, the opponents never lose one?

Who knew?

That you could lose twice in the same season to Jim Zorn?

Obscure stat

The Eagles were beaten Sunday by a quarterback who completed seven passes to wide receivers, for a total of 56 yards. In the second half, Jason Campbell completed one pass to a wideout, Antwaan Randle El, for 11 yards.

Extra point

Reporters diligently flogged the dead horse yesterday.

Reuben Frank, of the Burlington County Times, asked Andy Reid why the Eagles called five runs in 41 plays in the second half Sunday.

"We probably could have run it a couple of more times, yeah," Reid said. "We were backed up and trying to make some things happen. We took some shots in there, and at the time, we weren't running quite as effectively as we would have liked to, but we probably could have stuck with it a little bit more."

A little while later, Frank persistently pointed out that Brian Westbrook averaged 4.1 yards per carry in the first half. So, he asked, what made Reid think the run wasn't working?

"We started off throwing. It just worked out that way. We started off throwing the football," Reid said. "We were backed up and we were trying to make some things happen that way. Like I said, we probably could have run it a few more times."

Another reporter wondered whether being pinned deep in your own territory, as the Eagles were most of the second half, might instead lead one to run the ball.

"The majority of the time on first and second down, they were presenting an eight-man front," Reid said.

"And so, they gave you opportunities to work your quick game, and they were playing off-coverage on the outside. We just didn't do as well as I thought we could do."

Jim Johnson might want to write that down.

Show an eight-man front, the opposition has to drop back to throw 16 successive times.

This strategy could come in quite handy against the other NFC East teams, who all presumably will have to then abandon any idea of running.

The Links to Failure

What a horrible Sunday. The Eagles choked, and the Flyers lost in a shootout to the hated Devils. At least the Flyers picked up a point yesterday after winning 7-1 Saturday. In that game, the Capitals completely dominated the Flyers for two periods, but Antero Niittymaki played out of his God damn mind, stopping 25 shots in the first period and making 47 saves in all in 48 shots. The Flyers were opportunists, scoring in the first on a goal by Joffrey Lupul and then a pair in the 2nd by Jeff Carter, one of which was a shorthanded breakaway.



Carter is now officially a star, leading the NHL in goals with 25, and his line is on fire. Scott Hartnell chipped in with a hat trick in a game where the final score really was deceiving. Washington outplayed the Flyers for two whole periods but found themselves down 3-0 because Niitty was just in the zone. That game was fun all around. Huge hits, chippy play and fights. Donald Brashear beat the shit out of Riley Cote, but Josh Gratton returned the favor for the Flyers, pummeling Matt Bradley.







This team is fun to watch. Unlike the Eagles … as some of the links will show.

-Paul Domowitch is not happy with Andy and Marty:

Thumbs down

…

-- To Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg for the lopsided playcalling. So the Redskins put an extra man in the box much of the game. So what? That's no excuse for 46 passes and 16 runs. That's no excuse for giving the ball to Brian Westbrook just four times in the second half. Enough already.

-Great read by Rich Hoffman:

They botched it, spectacularly. Destiny was in their hands and then it was clanking off of DeSean Jackson's, or L.J. Smith's, or Asante Samuel's. "It's simple: Catch the ball," tackle Jon Runyan said, tersely, eloquently, finally.

The thing was theirs. The Tampa Bay Bucs handed it to them just before the Eagles took the field against the Redskins. They had fought and clawed their way from oblivion over the last few weeks and the bright shining light of the playoffs was finally in view. They were in control. All they needed was two more wins, starting yesterday with the reeling Redskins.

So much work. So much digging. But the Eagles had done it. It was theirs. All of the carping and all of the midseason recriminations were about to be buried. They were favored, they were the better team, the more complete team, the more versatile team, the more explosive team, the hotter team, the destined team.

It was theirs. And then it wasn't. Destiny, ha.

-Phil Sheridan takes Reid to task:

Last week, Washington's Jim Zorn said he felt like "the worst coach in America" after his team lost to the Cincinnati Bengals. Yesterday, Zorn beat Andy Reid, completing a sweep of the two-game series with the Eagles.

Does that make Reid the worst coach in America? Of course not. He's the winningest coach in Eagles history. You can't just discount that. To pin this loss on Reid, you'd have to take a close look at how this 10-3 abomination came to pass.

And pass and pass and pass and pass.

The focus will be on the final 12 seconds, that final oh-so-close completion to Reggie Brown. But it should be on the preceding 59 minutes, 48 seconds, when Reid's offense was bullied and intimidated into its most embarrassing performance in a season full of contenders for that honor.

The Eagles started a three-game winning streak by running the ball more than Reid prefers, taking pressure off the slumping Donovan McNabb and giving his offensive line a chance to dictate the action for a change.

Now with a playoff berth there for the taking, Reid got back to his familiar balanced approach: He called passes as well as throws.

…

Take away the two junk runs at the end of the first half and the Eagles called just 12 runs while attempting 48 passes (not counting two McNabb spikes). That's an 80/20 split, if you're interested in percentages. That's just stupid, if you're interested in adjective.

…

Fred Smoot, whose heads-up play kept Reggie Brown from scoring the tying touchdown as time ran out, was grateful. He looks over and sees Westbrook and that big offensive line and wonders why the Eagles don't run the ball more.

"To me, it shocks me," Smoot said. "Especially having a guy like 36 back there. My goodness. If I was a coach, I wouldn't have a game where he didn't touch the ball 25 times. I make sure I put the ball in his hands."

Damn. Can we get Fred Smoot as our coach?

-The Carter line is just ridiculous right now.



Oh, and if you didn't watch the Lakers-Heat game Friday night, you missed some incredible basketball by Dwyane Wade and Kobe.



In a tight contest, the two were going back and forth, just making ridiculous shots. And Wade did it on defense too, blocking Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol consecutively. Then, the Kobe rimmed a game-tying shot as time expired. It was thrilling.

Birds are Cooked

Drop. Bouncer. Drop. Punt. Bouncer. Drop. 2 yard pass. Punt. Bouncer. 2 yard run. Drop. Punt. Repeat.

That, in essence, was the Eagles on offense today. It was just embarrassing. After receiving the best news ever following the Cowboys' loss last night and the Buccaneers' loss this afternoon, the Eagles headed into the game knowing they controlled their own destiny to make the playoffs. Beat the Redskins and Cowboys, and they're in. Easier said than done.



The defense played their hearts out, but the offense literally dropped the game away. And so did Asante Samuel. Not taking away anything the defense did, I'd like to point out how much of a disappointment Samuel has been. The guy was brought in to get interceptions. Nothing more. Nothing less. The Eagles already had two Pro Bowl caliber corners who were reliable, but they needed someone who could take the ball away more regularly. Enter Asante Samuel, he of the most interceptions over the past few years.



Well, coming into today, Samuel had exactly 4 interceptions and 1 touchdown, not exactly gaudy numbers. No, Samuel has been more accustomed to dropping interceptions, kind of like he did in the Super Bowl last year--an interception that would have iced the game for the Patriots. And today, he had another chance to come up with a huge interception. Instead, he dropped it, and the Eagles were pinned inside their own 10 yet again. I guess what I'm trying to say is, Asante Samuel fucking blows. I'm no genius, but I know Lito usually caught the ball when it was thrown at him. Asante just drops it. You blow, Asante.

And speaking of drops, how about DeSean Jackson? Wow. Just an absolutely awful, awful day. With the team desperately needing a big play, Donovan finds you deep behind the defense, all alone, and delivers the ball. And you drop it. Then, on a potential game-tying touchdown, Donovan found you again, stuck the ball right in there, and you dropped it. Way to go, superstar. You really hate the end zone, don't you?

And don't think you're getting off easy there either, McNabb. All you seemed to do most of the game was throw the ball in the ground, behind your receivers or nowhere close to anyone. It was awful. In your defense, the receivers rarely got open, but shit, you were off big time, holding the ball too long, taking sacks, and, oh yeah, fumbling the ball--which led to the only touchdown of the game. It was a horrendous performance, kind of like L.J. Smith, who just really sucks at football in general. L.J. made some of his usual lackadaisical drops, and also completely failed to block Chris Horton on a Brian Westbrook pass that would have probably went for a touchdown if L.J. had just picked up Horton. Instead, he ran right by Horton, who tackled Westbrook before he could even get the first down.



You suck, L.J. Can't wait till your gone.

Same for you, Reggie Brown. Man, was it nice having you inactive. It's a shame Hank and Curtis were hurt, meaning you had to start. You can't get open. You can't catch. And, with the game on the line, practically no time left and your team near the end zone, you can't even run a proper route into the end zone. Instead, you cut it off short, get tackled at the one and end the game. Way to go, Einstein. Go back to the bench ... for-fucking-ever.

Oh, and my favorite pal, Andy. Sweet fucking christ are you the dumbest, most stubborn coach to ever walk an NFL sideline. Excluding the Browns game, the Eagles turned the season around by becoming a balanced offense, running and passing interchangeably. Prior to that, the offense looked horrible because all Reid did was dial up pass play after pass play. So what does he do with the playoffs in sight and two of his receivers hurt? Pass the ball every damn play. What. The. Fuck?



The Eagles ran 64 plays on offense. 46 of them were throws. 16 were rushes, 2 of which were scrambles by McNabb. That means, in a game that the Eagles never trailed by more than 10 points, Reid and Marty Mornhingweg called 48 pass plays and just 14 run plays. Granted, it's a little skewed due to the 4th quarter, but honestly, they ran the ball just 16 times in the entire game. With two receivers out. One who starts and the other who plays a lot. Against a good pass defense.

Someone please explain this to me. Wait, don't bother. I don't even want to know.

Honestly, this team should be completely ashamed of itself. Well, this offense anyway. Jim Johnson and his defense don't have anything really to be ashamed of. Sure, there were times that the Redskins' offensive line was handling their small front, but they held the Skins to just 10 points and just 249 yards of offense in a game that they were repeatedly put in bad spots due to the offense. Excluding that atrocious drop by Samuel, and the equally terrible drop by Quintin Mikell in the end zone, the Eagles defense played incredibly well. The offense, the pride and joy of Andy and Marty, sucked horribly.

Now it will take a miracle to make the playoffs. That was an inexcusable, embarrassing display by the New York Mets Philadelphia Eagles. Heads should roll. And we all know, unfortunately, that Andy's fat face won't be one of them. I fucking hate these guys. Merry fucking Christmas, Eagles. You all deserve nothing but coal in your stockings. And a punch to the face. Every last one of you.

Goodbye Pat, hellooooooooooo KEVIN, and stick around Joe

I was minding my own business today when I received word, via a phone call from the Rev., that Penn State has gotten a verbal commitment from, whom Scout.com rates as a 4 star quarterback, Kevin Newsome. This was great news for the Nittany Lions especially in wake of the leaving of Pat Devlin.



Newsome is a big quarterback with the ability to run the ball well. He should have a year behind current starter Daryll Clark and then take over. I also must add that Newsome previously committed to Michigan and decommitted. That makes life that much better. I hate you Michigan. You go to hell, you go to hell and you die.



With that bit of good news, I thought my day couldn't get any better, but then I received a phone call from another friend telling me that Joe Pa is getting a three year extension. Maybe people can shut up for a while about retirement and let the guy do what he wants. I look forward to many more years of Joe Paterno as Penn State's head football coach.



On a side note, I was all for the DeSean Jackson pass last night. I love the running toward the line throw. Unfortunately, the defender made a hell of a play to intercept the ball. God forbid anything ever happened to Donovan, I would rather Jackson run around in the wildcat offense then ever see Kevin Kolb throw another pass. I hate Kevin Kolb. He represents everything that is wrong with Andy Reid. He is the representation of every draft where Andy forgets to help out Donovan with weapons and talent. If you are going to pick a quarterback of the future, while you have a great quarterback, then that guy better be a fucking stud, can't miss prospect. I'm sure Kolb is a nice man, but I will be in mourning if the day ever comes where he is the starting quarterback.

Sorry about that, Andy Reid is a douche. I can't help complaining sometimes. On another semi funny note, at the game last night a girl, in her early 20's, was at the game sitting in the section to the left of me and was not enjoying the game at all. She obviously did not want to be there and had no interest in football. She was practically sleeping, when a gentleman behind her accidentally slipped and spilled beer all over her. She was none too pleased but what made it better was the man taking his one napkin and trying to dry off her hair as she stood there furious. If you don't like sports or are a woman, just give your ticket to someone who deserves to go to the game. A fan of the game and the team. Do not waste the ticket, help out those who would enjoy the game and have it mean something to them. You people deserve beer spilled on you.

Dear Andy ...

Dear Andy Reid,

Hey there, buddy. How you doing? Common sense here. I know it's been a while since we've last met (1997), but I saw what happened to you last night and felt obligated to send you a little note.

You see, when you have the ball on the half-yard line and you're down 4 points, you really should try to use me. That's what I'm here for. It's no bother. Really. I swear. So next time you are less than a yard away, with the game on the line, maybe you should try to RUN A GOD DAMNED QUARTERBACK SNEAK WITH YOUR 240 POUND QUARTERBACK YOU STUPID FUCKING ASSHOLE!!!!! ESPECIALLY WHEN NO ONE WAS LINED UP OVER THE GOD DAMN CENTER YOU FAT PIECE OF FUCKING SHIT!!!!

Honestly, what do you have against me, Andy? We used to be friends. I know it was a long, long time ago, but I gotta tell you, I'm always here for you. And if you're too timid to reconnect, just ask one of the millions of Eagles fans you torture week in and week out what the hell you're supposed to do on 4th and 1 at the fucking half-yard line. I bet you they'll all use me and say, "QB sneak."

Sincerely,

Common Sense

P.S. Fuck off Eagles. Every single one of you tried to sabotage that game. The defense made Kyle Orton look like Joe Montana in the first half. DeSean started off gangbusters and then fumbled, dropped a pass, and looked like an asshole. Donny threw a terrible pick, fell on a play near the goal line and should have audibled on that final offensive play when he saw no one over Jamal Jackson. Jason Avant, catch a freakin slant that would have been a touchdown next time jerk. Same thing for you, Hank, on that out in the end zone. And David fucking Akers, go get fucked. You're the most overrated kicker in football. You haven't been good in three years. Go to hell. I hate you all. You aren't shit without Westbrook.

Seriously Guys, I'm So Pissed Off Right Now

After watching that debacle which was the end of the game last night, I have the strangest feeling like I want to find every Cowboys fan alive, have their parents killed and then feed them their parents in a bowl of chili.



Seriously, that was the most infuriating, ridiculous game in the history of games. The Eagles should have easily won by 10 points, if not more. But no, they had to go and give the God damn game away. What a typical ending. You would think after 10 years together, Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid would have this 2 minute offense down pat. Well, think again. The Eagles are still, by far, the worst clock management team in all of football. (OK, maybe not the worst)



First and foremost, let me get this out of the way: Sean Considine is not an NFL player. He's not a CFL player. He's not even an NFL Europe player. At best, Sean Considine could play for the Philadelphia Soul. Maybe. As a backup. He sucks so bad at football that Reno Mahe, Sean Morey and Freddie Mitchell look like Hall of Famers next to him. Why the fuck was he in the game? Honestly? Can anyone answer this question?



Immediately when I saw T.O. burn Considine, who bit horribly on a stare by Romo, I asked this question: Why the fuck is Sean Considine in the game? Didn't the Eagles learn their lesson the first time around (pre-inury)? This guy cannot play. At all. He sucks at covering, he sucks at tackling, he sucks on special teams, he sucks at life. Under no circumstance should he even be allowed within 20 yards of the field, yet there he was, pass down after pass down, out on the field. Jim Johnson, are you out of your God damn mind?

If every safety on the team was lost for the entire season, I still wouldn't put Sean Considine in the game. He should have been cut two years ago. I hate him with every single ounce of hate I have in my short, hairy body. This is how bad he is: Arkansas Fred sent me this message immediately after that travesty of a burn job:

Considine should have been cut three years ago. He is worse than Reno ever was.

And you know what? He's right. 100 percent. Sean Considine, I invite you to kindly go get fucked.

Oh, but the screw-job didn't end there. Jim Johnson should be raked over the coals for his horrific job calling plays defensively. For one, how do you expect Brian Dawkins to cover Terrell Owens on the goal line? I mean, in a million years could Dawkins ever cover Owens 1-on-1? No. That was completely conceding a touchdown. And, in case you forgot Jim, Tony Romo hates pressure. He hates getting hit, and when he does, he sucks. Like last night, when you brought pressure which allowed Asante Samuel to get his first interception as an Eagle. Or when that asshole dropped the ball in the end zone, something he has a penchant for doing.



But no, for the majority of the game, you decided to rush your four tiny defensive lineman against a mammoth offensive line, didn't you Jim? And you know what happened? Tony Romo had all day to throw the ball and picked apart the Eagles' D. Oh yeah, and you decided to play Lito Sheppard, notorious Dallas killer, sparingly. No matter that he always, always comes up huge against the Cowboys. Last night, you didn't even give him a chance. What. An. Asshole.

And speaking of assholes, I love you DeSean Jackson, I really do, but what the hell were you thinking on this?



I mean, honestly. This ain't the Pac-10 anymore, DeSean. You better get your shit together. If you ever even let go of the ball before you're 5 yards deep in the end zone on a touchdown again, you should be forced to give back your entire signing bonus. Get your head out of your ass.

And finally, Donovan, I am quite possibly your biggest supporter on earth. I support you all the time. I stick up for you when others try to tear you down. But man oh man was that a horrible choke job. All game long, you were brilliant, hitting every receiver and escaping the rush just as we've grown so accustomed to you doing. You were leading the Eagles right down the field, putting up point after point, and you looked like you just may be back to the unstoppable force you've been for so long.



And then, the fumble. A horrible fumble at that. Clearly, as much as I would like to give you the benefit of the doubt, that was in no way, shape or form Brian Westbrook's fault. You faked the handoff, which Westbrook clearly sold, and then you stuffed it back in his rib. I'm guessing you were supposed to give it to the receiver on the reverse, but instead, you put the ball on the ground, and the Cowboys recovered. Instead of continuing a drive that looked destined for at least 3 points, if not 7, the Cowboys recovered, marched down the field, and went ahead.

I felt sick to my stomach. And that was before the final few plays. Jesus fucking christ, are you serious with that shit? I mean, a sack on 3rd down? And a hook and lateral on 4th down and 17 instead of actually throwing it past the sticks? That was completely inexcusable. Remember that time you had 4th and 26 and converted? No? Let me refresh your memories.



Yeah, it can happen if you actually throw the ball downfield. What a fucking joke.

And the special teams looked like 2007 all over again. It was almost as if the Eagles' coverage team was allergic to Felix Jones, the way they were kindly getting out of his way. And the return teams didn't do jack except for the one nice return by Demps, which couldn't cancel out the 15 great returns by the Cowboys.

In summation, fuck Andy Reid, and Jim Johnson, and Donovan McNabb, and most of all, fuck you Sean Considine. That game was a travesty. And now I gotta get up early and go to work. All pissed off. With a ton of shit to do. God I hate the Cowboys.

The one bright note of the day: The Mets lost, bringing the Phils within a half game of the division.