Pig-Headed Monster

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AUTHOR: Mr. X
TITLE: Pig-Headed Monster
STATUS: Publish
ALLOW COMMENTS: 1
CONVERT BREAKS: 1
ALLOW PINGS: 1
PRIMARY CATEGORY: Sports
CATEGORY: Sports

DATE: 01/20/2004 09:45:58 PM
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BODY:

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This season the Eagles ran the "Three-Headed Monster" at running back. Brian Westbrook, Duce Staley and Correll Buckhalter shared the running duties to great success this season. But there is another monster in the Eagles locker room. It's the very monster that makes the Eagles a contender every year, that also prevents them from going all the way. Let call it the "Pig-Headed Monster"...really let's call it Coach Andy Reid.

The Eagles have thrived under Reid. He's led them to three straight NFC Championship games...all of which they've lost. In 2001, as expected, the Eagles lost to the Ram. That's fine, it was an improvement over 2000. Then the Eagles lost to the Bucs in 2001. Uh, that's not good. Now at the end of the 2003 season, the Eagles have done the unimaginable - lost three straight NFC Championship games, two of which they played at home.

Now, Andy Reid refuses to accept - at least publically - that this team needs a big time wide receiver. Reid says there is nothing wrong with his top two wide recievers Trash (James Thrash) and Stinkson (Todd Pinkston), who in this year's NFC Championship game combined for one whopping catch, nine yards and about 10 drops...not to mention causing two interceptions. Now, Jide has glum predictions for the Eagles. I seem to think he might be right. But there is that part of me that says, "There is no way team management, which desperately wants the Lombardi Trophy, hasn't noticed this team has stagnated." Reid is a great coach, but he sucks at evaluating talent. Maybe he was watching some other game or tape of other recievers -  hopefully Terrell Owens - and mistook them for his wideouts. I only hope that Reid's public support for his players is just in line with his policy of not criticizing his players in the press (a very good thing).

If not, that is very scary. It means Reid is out of touch with what is happening on the field. Reid thinks the system he uses is more important than the players in it. He is wrong. He needs a playmaker. Reid needs to cede control of personnel to a general manager since exactly one of his first round draft picks (Donnovan McNabb) has worked out...though Freddie Mitchell and Corey Simon are showing signs of life they'll never justify their first round status.

1) The Eagles need one big time receiver and a solid number two. Personality aside, I think the Eagles need Terrell Owens. I think they should look to his other side and grab Tai Streets while they're at it. Freddie should stay, but to free up even more cap space (the Eagles have about $20M next year) they should jettison Trash and Stinkson.

2) Duce Staley will likely be gone next year. That leaves a hole in the Eagles running game. One, I think, that can be made up in the draft, even though Buckhalter and Westbrook are very young.

3) Corner Backs Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent are free agents. One, if not both, will not be back next year. Lito Sheppard (another 1st round bust so far) and Sheldon Brown were very blah filling in for the injured Taylor and Vincent this year. Simply put, they're not ready to start. We need help at the corner. I'm not saying bring back both Taylor and Vincent, but one (my choice is Vincent) needs to be on the roster next year while Sheppard and Brown develop.

4) The Eagles defense was descimated by injuries this year. Run stuffers like Derrick Burgess, Carlos Emmons, Paul Grasmanis and Holis Thomas either were out all year or couldn't finish the year. Mark Simoneau was too tired to finish the year. The Eagles need real depth there next year and need to cut players like Burgess who has missed the last two seasons with injury.

5) Most importantly, the Eagles need a general manager who will make trades and free agent aquistions and not rely on Reid's spotty drafting to fill holes on the team. The Eagles need someone to tell Reid that a standout wide reciever is a priority. It's time to give DMc a target who can get some respect from opposing back, get free of coverage, catch the ball, hold on to the ball and make plays. Someone who will recognize where the Eagles need help and tell Reid not everything is all right.

I'm very happy the Eagles made you happy this weekend. The best way to tell you how Eagles fans feel is that they couldn't even muster any boos when it became clear the Eagles were done. Booing is a Philadelphia pasttime and we were just too sad to do it.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: ryan
DATE: 01/22/2004 01:17:52 PM
oh jide, one more thing, any thoughts on the democratic primary.  maybe you could make a post since things are actually getting a bit interesting....if also grim.
just a thought.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: ryan
DATE: 01/22/2004 01:15:22 PM
screw that jide, we're not stopping til we make buffalo look respectable again.

ps  you're probably right about the birds blowing it next year.  maybe i'll transfer schools to tennessee....or dc....chuckle chuckle (the return of the king my ass)
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: jide
DATE: 01/22/2004 12:26:28 PM
Ryan, you just don't get it.  

You keep parroting that the Eagles have been one of the top teams in the league for the past 3 years - as if that somehow proves they'll be one of the top teams again next year by default.  

You don't seem to comprehend this long-standing rule of the post-free-agency NFL: the longer you stay on top, the less likely you are to be on top the following season.

You know why it's so rare for teams to even make it to the championship game for 3 years in a row?  

Because it's very, very hard for teams to stay successful.  Just staying the 4th-best team in the league for 2 years in a row is really fucking hard - much less for 3 years.  Which makes it that much more unlikely that the Eagles will do it again next year.  Windows of opportunity are very, very small in the NFL.  This is football, not baseball.  Teams don't just stay good indefinitely.  

Look at the Giants.  They made the Super Bowl 3 years ago, and made the playoffs for 2 straight years after that.  Do you think their fans figured they would drop to the bottom of their division and fire their coach a year later, with almost the exact same roster?

You think the Raiders figured they would be one of the worst teams in the NFL one year after making it to the Super Bowl, with almost the exact same roster?  

Just based on sheer odds, how likely is it that ANY team will go to their conference championship 3 straight years, lose each game, but goes on to win that game and/or the Super Bowl within the next 3 years?  Look that up for me and tell me what you find.  The fact is, it just doesn't happen.  Even before free agency, it almost never happened.  

I could be wrong, obviously.  But given Reid's level of personnel control and stubbornness, it doesn't seem likely unless SIGNIFICANT philosophical changes are made in the way things work there.  If the Eagles conclude a disappointing season next year (and by disappointing, I mean not making it as far as they have the past 3 years), don't say I didn't warn you.  They did have a nice run, though.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: ryan
DATE: 01/22/2004 11:00:56 AM
oh yeah but back to the argument.  its stupid to say the eagles need to make personelle moves in the offseason......dddduuuuuhhhh. EVERY TEAM MAKES moves in the offseason.  they are still the fourth  best team in the league and one of the most consistent over three years.  yes, they need to make moves. yes, carolina is an execellent team.  and yes oh yes, the pats will win the superbowl.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: ryan
DATE: 01/22/2004 10:54:07 AM
who are the patriots? we're talking about hockey here.  how bout those first place flyers.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: noah
DATE: 01/22/2004 09:35:55 AM
Blah, blah, blah. Why don't you guys start talking about a team that's IN the Super Bowl: The New England Patriots!!!
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Ed
DATE: 01/22/2004 09:04:53 AM
Another prespective on the Eagles's needs

<a href="http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/7767731.htm">http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/7767731.htm</a>
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: jide
DATE: 01/21/2004 02:29:26 PM
Actually, I think they do need to turn it around.  You saw what happened to the Raiders after they lost the Super Bowl?  This loss is going to have serious psychological effects on the Eagles.  In many ways, it's a lot worse than what happened to the Raiders.  

Also, the Eagles are bracing for the departures of their 2 starting corners, and their most consistent RB.  Their O-line was suspect all year, and their run defense was practically nonexistent.  There are far more holes to fill this year than there were the previous two, and it's unlikely they can all be filled this offseason.  

That's why I said they need to turn things around.  Right now they are gettting worse as a team, not better.  You'd better hope Eagles execs aren't wearing the same green-tinted glasses that Ryan seems to be...because if they are, the Eagles could very easily hit one of those "playoff-team-to-below-.500" slides that have become very common in today's NFL.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Ed
DATE: 01/21/2004 02:19:56 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, Ryan, but, Jide, I think he was referring to your Eagles post about the Eagles needing to turn it around. Ryan's point is well taken about just needing another game or two out of these guys. I think the Eagles had a lot to do with their own destiny against Carolina, but I think, Jide, that you make excellent points about Carolina's play. You don't go out and suck as bad as the Eagles did without serious contributions from both teams.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: jide
DATE: 01/21/2004 02:14:50 PM
Ryan, what did I say again?  To refresh your memory, I said

"They gave a superhuman, commendable effort just to make it to the NFC title game. But ultimately, INJURIES and poor personnel moves left them too weak to beat the other best team in the NFC."

Pundits around the league have stated that this is the WORST Eagles team in the past 3 years (I fell the same way).  Thus, it stands to reason that they would have the lowest odds of actually winning either then NFC Championship or the Super Bowl, since the last two teams couldn't do it either.  

This Eagles team could have brought their AAA game; it would have made things closer, but they probably still would have lost.  Do you think this year's Eagles were better than the Rams at home?  Please.  And Carolina got past the Rams, didn't they?  

The bottom line is that the Birds weren't good enough this year.  They were too injured, too suspect on defense, and their offensive line underperformed all year.  Even though Philly was slightly favored by bookies, nobody (outside of Philly) is EXTREMELY surprised that Carolina took it to them.

Just because the Eagles of the past two years were dominant and consistent doesn't mean this team was anywhere near that level.  They did well just to make it as far as they did this year.  But Carolina beat the Rams (a better team at home than anyone in the NFL besides the Patriots), then they cold-cocked the Eagles.  The Eagles got worse this year, not better.  And given their current free-agency situation, they'll need a serious overhaul to stop their slide from the league's elite teams.  Because make no mistake, that slide is in full swing.  Just watch last week's game for proof.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: ryan
DATE: 01/21/2004 01:58:32 PM
the carolina panthers did not beat the eagles, the eagles beat themselves(was that cliche enough) oh yeah and our star courterback was illegally injured and more or less taken out of the game. oh yeah, our star runnning back was injured. 10 drops, two missed routes leading to interceptions....ouch. this was not the "normal eagles" this wasn't their "A-game" this was very abnormal.
anyway, the eagles don't need to "turn it around" jide, they are consistently one of the best teams in the league. they need to go one or two steps further. the skins need to "turn it around" and a girl with a big butt laying on her back needs to "turn it around".........peace
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: jide
DATE: 01/21/2004 01:27:38 PM
There's a reason why the Eagles' WRs played especially bad in that last game:  The Carolina secondary rattled them, hit them and owned them.  They also broke McNabb, too, and deserve some credit for punishing him (regardless of whether you agree with the big hit or not).

The Eagles missed tackles at the goal line because their defense was tired; their defense was tired because Carolina's defense wouldn't allow the Eagles' offense to move the ball; the WRs couldn't get open or catch consistently because of the pressure applied by Carolina's secondary; and the Panthers' effective passing, running and pass defense early forced the Eagles to have to throw late.  It's all related.   

To say that Carolina's win was mostly due to Philly mistakes does not give Carolina the credit they deserve. But I guess you might be just one more person in a long list of people that sell the Panthers short.  

It seems hard for Philly fans to admit that their team just wasn't very good this year.  They gave a superhuman, commendable effort just to make it to the NFC title game.  But ultimately, injuries and poor personnel moves left them too weak to beat the other best team in the NFC.  Both Philly's football team and fans think that Philadelphia was the better team, even by January.  And both are simply kidding themselves.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Ed
DATE: 01/21/2004 01:07:00 PM
See, it's not that hard to understand. The Eagles offense got messed up. As much as the Panthers play was the Eagles, which led to Carolina's trip to Houston. You'll never win when your receivers drop everything thrown to them and you miss tackles at the goal line. When DMc completed 60 percent of his passes against Green Bay, there were very few drops and the D held GB to 3 points after the first quarter (and you can't really blame the first TD on them since Donnovan fumbled right outside the red zone), the Eagles came from behind and won.That being said, the Panthers are a very good team and deserved to win. Remember, I said they mostly won because of Philly's mistakes, not entirely.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: jide
DATE: 01/21/2004 12:49:52 PM
Wait a minute. So the Eagles lost because they screwed up a lot, not because Carolina was the better team.  Yet the Eagles won the week before because they outplayed the Packers, not because of Packer miscues.  

Hmmm...methinks I detect "Eau du Double Standard!"

Not only that, but perhaps his definition -- and other people's -- of "going pretty easy" on the home team differs from Philly fans' definition of the same.  I think that's the point he was trying to make.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Ed
DATE: 01/21/2004 12:34:52 PM
Ugh! Not only doesn't he understand Philly fans - who went pretty easy on the Birds - he missed the fact that there was an "old fashioned" pep rally for the Eagles on Friday...just like there was the Friday before for the Green Bay game. The Panthers won mostly on Philadelphia mistakes, bad tackling and double digit dropped passes. It was an ugly game.
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COMMENT:
AUTHOR: jide
DATE: 01/21/2004 12:11:31 PM
Here's a not-so-flattering column about Philly fans that might not surprise you: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28238-2004Jan18.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28238-2004Jan18.html</a>
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