It was recently reported that Eagles management has every intention of continuing this marriage into another decade. Naturally, everyone’s favorite radio station has had its fair share of callers on the topic. For the most part, the only calls that get on the air (and this goes for any sports radio topic) are the negative ones. Look, I don’t really need to go down the whole laundry list for you – we’ve all heard it a million times, usually highlighted by: Andy’s play calling, Andy being ‘outcoached’ in big games, his annoying and painfully boring press conferences, and so on and so forth. And you know what? I get it. With each season that doesn’t end hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, we need to find reasons to justify why it didn't happen so that they can be corrected to ultimately put us over the hump the following year.
People love to hate and bitch incessantly over the same things year over year. Those things are usually Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb. But this is about Andy being worthy of an extension. Is it a bad move? Should they wait and see how this season - dubbed a do or die type year (again) - plays out?
Dare I say.....no?
It is a good move. If you honestly don’t think so, you sir, are an idiot. Bottom line - the guy puts a competitive product on the field each and every year. Going into each season, the Philadelphia Eagles have more than a legitimate shot at not just making the playoffs or winning their division. They have a realistic chance of winning a Super Bowl. In the NFL’s age of parity, teams come out of nowhere every year (oh hello, Cincinnati). Good teams fall apart after a few years of success (see ya Jacksonville and Carolina). This happens all the time. The Eagles are one of a just a few teams that have been a consistent force to be reckoned with. I don’t know about you, but for my own rooting spirit, I LOVE having that chance every single year. Knowing that your team will be there in the end. Living and dying with each game. Sure, we’ve always ultimately ended with heartbreak. But you know what, Andy Reid has never left me feeling like an upcoming season will be lost before it even starts.
Some will say the team needs a new voice to put them over the top - much like Jon Gruden did in Tampa with all of Tony Dungy’s players when he won a Super Bowl. In some situations, that may be the right thing to do. I don’t, however, think a change in coaching or philosophy at this point in time is a smart move in the least - especially with the particular players and makeup of this team. The team is built perfectly for the system that has been implemented. And don’t give me any nonsense that the system doesn’t work. You don’t win over 60% of the time by doing things that don’t work.
While this city and its’ fans are starving for an NFL Championship, maybe it’s not far off as it sometimes seems… Andy Reid’s body of work resembles that of former Steelers coach Bill Cowher. It’s uncanny how many similarities there are between the two. It clearly shows we will be NFL Champions in a few short years. Numbers don't lie people. It's science.
Through the first 10 full season of their careers:
Andy Reid: 97 wins, 5 division championships, 1 NFC Championship, 0-1 in Super Bowl
Bill Cowher: 99 wins, 6 division championships, 1 AFC Championship, 0-1 in Super Bowl
Cowher coached 14 years before finally winning a Super Bowl - and he’s regarded as one of the best coaches in the last 20 years. Just sayin'.
To sum it up - players play, coaches coach. A coach cannot win you a game. I do not for a second buy the notion of a coach “not being able to close” at the end of games. That is the players’ job*. A coach's job is to put his team in the position to win. Andy does that - consistently.
*this is NOT a dig at McNabb. I'm a huge Donovan supporter, but that's an article for another day
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