Is Andy Reid’s job finally at risk? The Philadelphia Eagles coach is a frequent fan target, but this time Reid may really exit. Even better, the Washington Redskins can be the ones to help dispatch their nemesis by beating the Eagles on Sunday.
Oh, Reid won’t be fired if Eagles lose, at least not until season’s end. But who would have thought this game features the NFC East’s first- and last-placed teams and Philadelphia is the latter? That’s a million-to-one preseason prop bet.
If Washington drops Philadelphia to 1-5 with their fifth straight loss, then the Eagles may quit on the season and Reid could be canned. Washington also ends the season in Philadelphia. That game could be a payback for last year’s 59-28 loss on “Monday Night Football” and seal Reid’s ouster.
However, beating Washington would make Philadelphia 2-4 and would give the Eagles a chance in a mediocre division. The New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys don’t appear like 10-win teams, and Washington would remain unproven at 3-2.
The “Dream Team” appears a bust, though. Didn’t Reid remember Redskins owner Dan Snyder’s system of buying a title hasn’t worked? Reid and his brethren snickered over Snyder’s spending while not winning a title in 11 years, and the Eagles now made the same mistake.
Philadelphia re-signed Michael Vick to a blockbuster deal after finding redemption last year. The Eagles were the ones willing to take Vick straight from federal prison and it worked for awhile, but round two isn’t the knockout of last season.
Meanwhile, Reid spent big money on cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins and defensive end Jason Babin to heighten expectations. Too bad Asomugha is wasted in zone coverage instead of man-to-man where he’s a lockdown corner. The defense has allowed 119 points in four losses.
Worst of all, Reid replaced defensive coordinator Sean McDermott with offensive line coach Juan Castillo. Former Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer always said don’t shuffle personnel and create two problems, but that’s exactly what Reid did. The offensive line is a major problem and the defense is 30th against the run. Guess Castillo can only see the running game from the offensive perspective and doesn’t know how to stop it. He’d never even been a coordinator and not worked with a defense since the late 1980s as a Texas A&M University-Kingsville assistant coach.
Reid’s Philadelphia tenure has been terrific with 129 wins, including 10 playoff victories, two NFL coach of the year honors and a 2004 Super Bowl appearance. He’s the best coach in the business without a championship ring demonstrated by six assistants becoming head coaches.
But the end always comes and it’s looking like January unless Reid manufactures a remarkable turnaround and then replaces Castillo with a proven defensive coordinator. Otherwise, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie must make a switch.
“There’s nobody to blame but me,” coach Andy Reid said of the team’s implausible start.
Don’t worry — Eagles fans have already done so.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
