Contributing Writer
For all of you Philadelphia Eagles fans out there, you are probably familiar with Andy Reid’s famous press conference words, “Time’s yours.” But as the Head Coach of an underperforming, self-defeating, and “soft” team, “Time’s yours,” Coach Reid. It is time for you quit blaming other coaches (Juan Castillo) for your own wrongdoings, and it’s certainly time for you to make smart, calculated adjustments to the problems you claim are easily fixable. Most importantly, however, it is time for you to go.
I have been an Andy Reid supporter throughout his tenure, but enough is enough. Over the last few games, it has become crystal clear he cannot make the necessary in-game adjustments to help his team. Let us go back in time to the Eagles-Saints game, where Vick is getting driven to the ground on every drop-back. With four out of five of the offensive line injured, Reid approves a third-down play without a running back in the backfield or a tight end to help block. Instead of calling a timeout to change the blocking scheme, the ball is snapped and Vick gets absolutely clobbered. To make matters worse, the same formation is used later in the game, and Vick takes a huge hit and is sacked.
So, why did Reid not call a timeout in that situation? While no one but him really knows, it could have to do with the fact that he burned a silly timeout on the Eagles’ first drive of the game.
On a third down during this drive, Reid and Marty Mornhinweg, offensive coordinator, were late to call the play and were forced to call a timeout. Had the play been called in a timely manner, the timeout could have been saved for a dire situation, such as the third-down play where the Eagles lined up with an empty backfield.
While I could go on and on about Reid’s incompetence on the offensive side of the ball, let us move to the defense, where Reid has also displayed absolute ineptitude.
So, how does Reid compensate for his inability to put the defensive talent in the right positions? Well, he places the blame on others and then proceeds to fire Juan Castillo, defensive coordinator. Let’s get this straight; the firing of Castillo was nothing but a cop out. Sure, I did not agree with Castillo’s decision to play zone coverage at the end of the Eagles-Steelers game, and I wish he had done a better job disguising the defensive formations, but Castillo had the Eagles’ defense ranked in the top fifteen in most defensive categories. Was Castillo really the problem?
The effects of Reid’s miscalculating firing of Castillo are telling. Under Todd Bowles, the new defensive coordinator, the defense has shown no improvement, and in many categories, it has actually regressed. This is not to say that Bowles cannot run an NFL defense; in fact, I think Bowles will be a very effective coach in this league one day. Rather, the reeling defense shows Reid’s decision was premature and irrational. Most importantly, it shows Reid fired Castillo to cover up his ineffectiveness as a Head Coach.
There’s nowhere for Reid to hide anymore; he is on the hot seat, and if the Eagles continue to spiral downwards, Philly fans will boo him out of town (just like they did to Santa Claus). Personally, I’m sick of the pathetic time-outs and the lack of in-game adjustments on both sides of the ball. And when Vick is calling player-only meetings, it is an obvious sign the players are not being fully motivated by Reid.
Throughout his time as Head Coach, Reid has had the final say in all football operations. Now, it’s time for him to have none.
Questions? Email Dylan at dgordon@fandm.edu.