• April 16, 2024

Eagles Scrapped Plan To Use Asomugha On Gonzalez

One of the principles of drawing up defenses to stop specific opponents is that you have your best defensive players square off against the offense’s best players.

Nmandi Asomugha is probably the Eagles best pure man-to-man cover guy. He has rate combination of size, quickness, speed and the ability to change direction that are needed to cover a receiver like future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez.

It would have made sense to have had Asomugha covering Gonzalez, who is a total mismatch for most safeties and linebackers. The Eagles wanted to sign him because he has the size and versatility to match up well against all of the big and fast receivers they will face during the season.

Asomugha would have been able to do a much better job on Gonzalez than safety Jarrad Page or linebacker Jamar Chaney because Page didn’t have the size to deal with Gonzalez and Chaney didn’t have the speed or quickness.

The big tight end pushed Page around and even carried him five yards into the end zone on this second touchdown catch. Gonzalez used his superior athleticism to take advantage of Chaney. He sprung into the air and made one-handed grab on his first touchdown catch as Chaney and Page watched in amazement.

At the beginning of the week before the game, the Eagles were planning on using Asomugha on Gonzalez, but cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had sprained his ankle and the coaching staff wasn’t sure he was going to be able to play. As the week went on they abandoned the plan of using Asomugha on Gonzalez and it’s unfortunate that they did.

The Eagles decided to keep Asomugha outside at the right cornerback position because they weren’t sure that Rodgers-Cromartie would be out there. Stopping speedy wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones was the number one job of the cornerbacks, so with the health of Rodgers-Cromartie being in doubt they kept Asomugha outside and it was unfortunate.

Rodgers-Cromartie did play. During the game, I thought they should have made a change, but they obviously didn’t want to run the risk of mistakes being made. As it worked out, Asomugha could have definitely done a much better job on Gonzalez. The Falcons took advantage of the Gonzalez match-up on Page and Chaney to throw two touchdowns to him.

It’s one of the reasons they were five for five in the Red Zone.

GCOBB

Read Previous

Effects Of Lockout: Bevy Of Free Agents, But Vick Still Struggling With Blitzes

Read Next

Up And Down Day For Eagles Receivers In Battle Against The Falcons

0 0 votes
Article Rating
66 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
runtheball09
runtheball09
September 20, 2011 10:36 am

I find it funny that Andy didn’t have that much confidence in Kafka at Atlanta when we saw what he could in the NFL in preseason last year and this year, YET he didn’t hesitate starting linebacker Matthews, that even I knew sucked in college and knew wouldn’t transition into an NFL caliber line backer and a starter on top of that. This moron Andy Reid has got to GO!!!

runtheball09
runtheball09
September 20, 2011 10:40 am

Maybe we can keep Andy around as a consultant on how to acquire 15 thousand 7th round picks, and ask him which lineman he likes in the first and second round and scratch them off our list.

EaglesSuck
EaglesSuck
September 20, 2011 10:53 am

Eagles are pathetic! always have been and always will be. Philly writers are just as pathetic when you write articles like this. Think Rex Ryan would ask Revis to cover a tight end? HA!

You guys signed a offensive line coach as you defensive coordinator! bwhahaha a george lopez look a like

now you play the giants who mangandled a team you had trouble with last week and lost to a team that DA BEARS blew out week 1

Rasheed1
Rasheed1
September 20, 2011 11:02 am

thats a great tidbit of info…

andrew p
andrew p
September 20, 2011 11:17 am

I remember a few years ago we had a chance to get Gonzalez for a 2nd or 3rd round pick but we balked because we value our picks so highly, How does that look now? Does anybody remember what year that was and who we picked up that year with those picks?

runtheball09
runtheball09
September 20, 2011 11:33 am

What Hall of Fame player did Andy draft? I can think of none

schiller
schiller
September 20, 2011 11:38 am

rtb – good question, I can’t think of one either (maybe westy will get some sort of mention at the hall for being a key contributor to the RB as a WR role? – just a thought but not an induction for him)…

But tell me, how many hall of famers do you think were drafted during the Andy Reid era (that were available when the Eagles originially slotted 1rst round pick came around. I know off the bat the Tom Brady will be one, but otherwise, I’m not sure.

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
September 20, 2011 11:44 am

rtb – which coach drafted the most hall of famers? Which coach had the most draft picks that did not have a player selected to HOF? Which coach had the best ratio of draft picks to HOF players – out of the last 10 years drafts, which 1st rounders do you think will be selected to go to the HOF? What round draft pick has the highest percentage of selection into the HOF – how do we handle the old system of I think it was 14 rounds verse the current 7? Have you been to the HOF?

Does any of this have anything to do with what happened Sunday night in Atlanta or what will happen next Sunday at the Linc – interesting only to me – will Andy go with former #1 Vince Young or former 4rth rounder Mike Kafka and why does what round they get drafted in really matter in that decision?

schiller
schiller
September 20, 2011 11:44 am

Anyone remember the Adam Sandler comedy ‘tape’ (I think it just barely preceeded cds..). That song about the janitor? “mop mop mop, all day long…”

well here’s my RunTheBall version:

“Hate hate hate, all day long, hate hate hate, as I sing this song. Gonna hate that coach, gonna bitch and whine, gonna cry about past coulda woulda shoulda’s all the time!”

Run – the neighbors just called, they’re calling the Department of Human Services to complain about a suspected abusive family nextdoor because they hear constant crying from what they think is a child next door. But it’s you. At least do them the service of letting them know it’s just a bitter crotchety old Eagles fan and not a poor child.

rcp1936
rcp1936
September 20, 2011 11:47 am

Gonzalez’s catch has to be the best of the year so far and there have been some great catches

The ability of the NFL receivers to make catches and keep both in while being defended is absolutely amazing

scorpiodsu
scorpiodsu
September 20, 2011 11:58 am

Good stuff G, you would have thought that during the game they would have adjusted and make the switch. I understand why they didn’t go into the game with that plan because of DRC injury but once he’s out there and able to play, don’t see why you don’t make the adjustment. That’s the frustrating part and the subject of criticism for Andy Reid for the past decade+…… bad or no in-game adjustments. Just don’t see a good reason to not make that change and force Matt Ryan to beat you throwing the ball outside which we will killing them all game. But the short and intermediate routes on the middle of the field just made it too easy for Ryan in the 4th.

paulman
paulman
September 20, 2011 11:59 am

To Andrew
The trade talk for Gonzo was just before the 2009 Season, I believe ..
I am pretty sure it occured after the 2009 Draft in April but before the Summer Camp/Regular Season started .. So the Drafts picks would have most likely been from the 2010 Draft which the Eagles originally had 2 2nd Rounders (their own and #55 for D McNabb Trade) and I believe they also had 2 3rd Round picks in that Draft but of course they traded up to get DE B Graham which cost them some extra picks..

scorpiodsu
scorpiodsu
September 20, 2011 12:01 pm

OMG rtb and schiller….. can you guys just end the catfights? You 2 just target each other on each post. And then bitch and moan about each others bitching and moaning. Is it that hard to actually talk about football than criticizing what each other says?

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
September 20, 2011 12:02 pm

Gonzo was traded in 09 – for a 2nd rounder in the 2010 draft – why didn’t the eagles get him –

2009 seasonCelek became the starting tight end for the Eagles after L. J. Smith departed via free agency to the Baltimore Ravens in 2009.

Celek signed six-year contract extension on December 1, 2009, that keeps him under contract as an Eagle until after the 2016 season.[4]

On December 27, 2009 in week 16 against the Denver Broncos, Celek made four catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, his third 100-yard game of the season. His 47-yard touchdown catch was the longest of his career.

After having a breakout year with 76 catches (a team-high), 971 yards and eight touchdowns, Celek was named to the 2009 USA Today All-Joe Team. His 76 catches are the most in team history for a tight end.

now in 09 – Gonzalez had 86 catches for 867 yards and 6 TDs

and to answer your question (do your own research) it is very convulted – our 2nd round pick in 2010 was Nate Allen – but he came from the McNabb trade – the Eagles wheeled and dealed so much with the original I have no clue what actually became of the original second round pick other then it was traded for 2 other picks a 2nd and a 4rth – after that – no clue

AwolWest
AwolWest
September 20, 2011 12:02 pm

rtb – u go overboard, next time ur on the plank ill push u into the sharks
if you have any constructive input that would be nice, but u just sound like a little witch
waaaaaaa, waaaaaaa, want any cheese with that wine?
thats the last bit of attention youll get from me, ur not worth the time
go ahead and ur pissed or get sarcastic, it is what it is and i call it like i see it (courtesy of pman)
ur a flat out hater that follows the trend, but youll cheer when were winning the division for the umteenth time and making another deep playoff run
if we win it all, andys arse will be kissed while hes eating a cheesesteak farting in ur face
if we win and u ask him to run a 40-yard dash, it would take an hour because everyone would be hanging on his nuts

scorpiodsu
scorpiodsu
September 20, 2011 12:11 pm

Paulman, slightly incorrect. The trade talk for Gonzo began during the 2008 season before the trading deadline. Chiefs wanted a 2nd and no one bit until after the season when ATL acquired him. We could have traded the 2009 second round pick if we wanted to. But that would have been the pick we used to get McCoy. But since it didn’t happen until April 2009, we could have easily given up one of the picks especially since we netted Nate Allen and Brandon Graham off those picks. But honestly, hard to kill them for not doing that trade because at the time we had more priority or other positions and Celek looked like he was ready to become a top TE. So I can’t really complain about not pulling the trigger on that. But I can kill them for who they did take in the draft LOL.

schiller
schiller
September 20, 2011 12:11 pm

scorp – I’m sorry it bothers you so much, that is/was clearly not my intention. But the redunant broken record hating pisses the hell out of me and I am resolved to keep calling him out on it. I am fully aware that it most likely will have no effect (and again, I’m sorry for the negative affect on your right to read these posts in peace), but I’m sticking to my guns.

scorpiodsu
scorpiodsu
September 20, 2011 12:24 pm

LOL @ schiller. Not sure why you get so worked up over silliness. Just easier to ignore in my view. But I guess you like fighting which is probably why 85% of your posts is criticizes other rather than exercising your own opinion. But I digress. You may proceed with “sticking to your guns” by continuing the high school bickering LOL. There’s an old saying:

“Don’t argue with fools because people from a distance can’t tell who is who”.

schiller
schiller
September 20, 2011 12:33 pm

hmm, I always thought it was “Never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience” – guess they’re pretty similar quotes.

while (both quotes are) wise, I’m willing to take the risk. I too was upset by the loss on Sunday night (DUH), and beside being very busy, and therefore not posting anything, the most natural response for me that relieves some of my stress is calling out the *foolish* haters.

Some vent, I challenge irrational thoughts.

Kolchak
Kolchak
September 20, 2011 12:34 pm

It just looks to me that the Eagle’s just don’t have great athletes at LB or the safety positions. The guys don’t totally blow assignments, but they are always a step away or make they play too far down field. It’s not that they are horrible, but there are no playmakers at those positions.
If you consider placing Nmandi at safety to cover a TE, then why not pay a safety or LB a little more to do that job. I know they hate to pay a LB or safety any $$ but you are thinking of using your highest paid player to do just that. There seems to be a logic problem. I have the solution…Bring in a stud LB and a stud safety…but list them on the depth charts as corners and QB’s. This way the front office won’t feel sad.

runtheball09
runtheball09
September 20, 2011 12:35 pm

I heard there’s an Andy Reid porno coming out for all of you butt lovers. It was just a simple question. You guys all read these like people are yelling and bitching. Lol… Maybe you should read them more calmly.

I was just thinking about Gonzo and trying to think if Andy would know a HOF if it landed on his plate.

schiller
schiller
September 20, 2011 12:42 pm

rtb – calmly – do you think anybody can spot a hall of famer when he’s a draft pick? Or, what would you say the over/under is for the # of draft picks that were identifyable as HOFers at the time?

runtheball09
runtheball09
September 20, 2011 12:49 pm

I think a great potential player can be coached into one. It was just more or less food for thought, and I was looking to see what my fellow eagles fans thought. I just wonder why Andy is always saying “I’ve got to do a better job.” and at the same time this front office wants us to live and die by Andy Reid when he’s been saying forever that he “needs to do a better job”

Look, bottom line is I think Andy is a good coach and makes so good moves but I just don’t think he’s a great coach, I just think there are a lot of great coaches out there and I don’t understand why we continue along the same path. Why are we content with good enough? This is why the haters bitch on here because they know that there are some bone headed moves in games, and in drafts.

Stevo
Stevo
September 20, 2011 12:56 pm

I have to say that as i lifelong eagles fan who has moved away from the area- i think its crazy how we eat our own. You people care more about being right about the 1993 3rd round pick than you do about the Eagles. Your not a fan of the birds…. you are a fan of seeing your own ignorance show up on this blog.

schiller
schiller
September 20, 2011 12:57 pm

run – (still calm – this is a spooky sane conversation here…)

For those Reid quotes (can’t disagree with your assessment of their frequency) – that’s just his specific wording of the same thing Bilicheat, Mike Tomlin and so many other coaches say all the time – another way to paraphrase it “It’s in my contract to talk to the media, I really don’t care to say anything of substance here – that’s wouldn’t be good coaching or consistent with my strategy” – I don’t get why you and many others harp on that quote when it’s really ‘coachspeak’ for ‘no comment’. there’s never any significance to ‘no comment’. It’s reading WAY too much into very very little. It’s incredibly hard to win a superbowl, and it’s always best practices for a coach to just take the blame and move on with his business.

I don’t think there are a lot of great coaches out there. I really don’t. I think there are a few, but not ones available and willing. Who’s out there that is great? I think part of the problem with just wanting to fire Reid is that it’s a dumb move if you don’t have an improvement lined up.

jakedog
jakedog
September 20, 2011 1:15 pm

no one heard of an obscure qb coach before he became head coach of eagles

schiller
schiller
September 20, 2011 1:19 pm

jake, um, what does that have to do anything with anything? NFL coaches and front offices new about Reid back then. It’s not a fan popularity contest, you do an interview process and hire the most qualified guy based on your interviews. What does Andy’s hiring in ’99 have anything to do with this discussion?

paulman
paulman
September 20, 2011 1:19 pm

I thought DCR or even LB Rolle or Clayton whould have been better options than Chaney covering short and Safety Page covering deep on Gonzo for they were not effective which was quite obvious from the get go that Gonzo was going to be targeted alot and had the potential for a big game..The biggest thing to me is that you have a line up a Defender right over them at the line of scrimmage to prevent these “free-releases” and I did not see the Eagles jamming him at the line of scrimmage once during the game and what happens when they start playing teams with athletic TE’s like the 49ers (V Davis) Redskins (Cooley/Fred Davis), Jets (D Keller) Pats (Gronkowski/HErnandex) Cowboys (Whiten) etc,etc .. These other teams O/Coordinators and QB will be licking their chops..
I probably sound like a broker recored, but games today in the NFL are won more by what team can make adjustsments quicker to create mis-matches and to take advantage of match-ups or to stop the mis-matches that are hurting you and as clear as I am sitting here and typing away, this is not or never has been a real strength of a Andy Reid Coached team in my opinion
Preparation, Orginal Game plan are great, but once the whistle blows and the games begin, stuff happens and you have to be able to adjust as the game unfolds.. Watch closey the last 3 plays of the Eagles Drive to end the game.. A meltdown in my opinion about play-calling, clock and time-out management. the 3rd down play was atrocious and had little chance of succeeding, then forced to take a time out right after the 2 minute warning to try to get a good call for the now 4th Down play, It’s funny there is QB Kafka out there in his 1st NFL Game on National TV trying to mount a comeback and its this experienced Coaching Staff of AR & MM who are acting like neophytes and don’t know waht to do… Did anyone sense this debacle or am I just being too hard on the Eagles Coaches… and by the way, there will be 3-4 games over a course of a season that will come down to a final possessiion where not only play-calling, but utilizing the clock and time outs are critical and this is just an area that the EAgles suck in to be blunt and this is one of my main reasons why I don’t expect them to ever win it all because of it… Call me a hater, whateve, but I get so damn frustrated watching this team operate at the end of a half or at the end of a game.. wasted opportunities, poor execution, poor play calls, not getting the play in quickly, not thinkg 1 to 2 downs ahead, not managing the close or timeouts… We all know the routine and I am about damn tired of it anymore….
know and there will be 3-4 games that

scorpiodsu
scorpiodsu
September 20, 2011 1:37 pm

paulman, I agree with you. It’s the same ol same ol. As long as there aren’t any bad injuries to key players we will still have a very good year, make the playoffs, lose some games on the way due to the same deficiencies that has plagues Andy Reid’s team, get knocked out the playoffs by losing because of those same problems and then blame the QB, fire personnel on the coaching staff and forget Andy Reid built the team and we continue to have the same hiccups each year.

Of course we all don’t want that to happen and don’t know what’s going to happen but history is on the side of the people that believe Andy Reid will always come up short. I like Andy and I think he’s a good coach but the same problems each year…… time management, in-game adjustments, play calling, bad challenges seem that it will always plague him and his teams. We wind up losing games we should which dictates possible playoff match ups and go from a 2 seed to a 4th or 5th. Our only saving grace this year and that the real talent on this team in Reid-proof and can overcome some of the mistakes that Reid will certainly make during the games.

Stevo
Stevo
September 20, 2011 1:39 pm

Pman- agreed- reid needs to change his game during the game. If its not working… try something else. I think the biggest problem on Sunday was the 3 Timeout issues with Reid.

1) How do you not throw the red flag? I would have walked out the the center of the field if i was not able to get a replay of the NON INT. Take a delay of game….. get the red flag out…. and go from there. Its not like he values timeputs anyway… just throw the thing.

2) Y would u call a timeout when Vick went down? They give you a free 1. Stupid .

3) Coming out of the 2 min warning you HAVE to have a 3rd and 4th down play called. Y would you call a timeout then and put all eggs in 1 basket. Stupid!!!

Jon Hart
Jon Hart
September 20, 2011 1:47 pm

We couldnt stop a nose bleed in that redzone. Wow i had a bad taste in my mouth watching ryan throw the ball over the middle of the field repeadily… Why isnt Nnamdi playing on the inside similar to how charles woodson does? The falcons love to set you up by running the ball and if they can establish that then they ll start with the playaction and throwing the ball all over the place. Our LBS and Safties up the middle of the field are a huge liability at this point of the yr, will they improve? Sure, theyre gonna have to because honestly i dont think they can get any worst than this…. I think castilo is still trying to figure out ways to use his players, i guess he doesnt realize how flexible these new guys are… Nnamdi can be played all over the field and so can DRC… i just was a little fustrated watching castilo on the side line and them not making the needed adjustments with allowing those big plays up the middle of the field… yes we need a healthy nate allen, in there n get page outta there hes too slow and too weak… Too many missed tackles and guys outta position…. They need to make adjustments with this wide 9 technique, if its passing downs then yes do it but not on every down my gosh theyre leaving themselves open for huge gains on the ground…. The LBS must improve as a whole, i know theyre young but they need to be more aggressive and stay in there gaps. I also noticed also that when the eagles play in a zone the lbs wont try to cover the TE or wr in there area, just bc your in a zone doesnt mean you dont have to cover the player in your area, thats common sense, thats young mistakes to a certain degree but they gotta sure that up… Im not concerned yet just annoyed bc i know they know they shoulda won that game and could have won that but they always shoot themselves in the foot…

Gotta Luv It
Gotta Luv It
September 20, 2011 1:49 pm

DING DING DING DING************We Have a winner

Stevo
September 20, 2011 – 12:56 pm
I have to say that as i lifelong eagles fan who has moved away from the area- i think its crazy how we eat our own. You people care more about being right about the 1993 3rd round pick than you do about the Eagles. Your not a fan of the birds…. you are a fan of seeing your own ignorance show up on this blog.

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
September 20, 2011 1:54 pm

Stevo – You have never coached, you have never had to make the pressure calls. I see and hear people all the time talking about ‘how easy it is’ and then they freeze when the time comes.

as for your thought – Andy Ried will always come up short – short of what – he is already elite in the fact he became an NFl coach, he is even more elite in that he has become an NFL head coach, he is even more elite in that he is in the top what percent of winning NFL games – something most of the half baked clowns on this site seem to think is about as easy to do as walk down the end of the street and pick up the paper. There are how many SB winning coaches in history – so of the what 400,000 head coaches in High School football, maybe, just maybe 1 will win the SB.

My god – Philadelphia MUST be the football recuiting MECCA of the world, becuase only in Philly is there such a coillection of talented and wise football individuals – I am lookiing at USA Today to see sall the top 25 HS and which powerhouse colleges from this urban oasis of football prowess

Gotta Luv It
Gotta Luv It
September 20, 2011 1:55 pm

runtheball09
September 20, 2011 – 11:33 am
What Hall of Fame player did Andy draft? I can think of none

No member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been drafted after 1994.

schiller
schiller
September 20, 2011 1:59 pm

Paul, scorp, stevo, jhart – agreed all around. The D still needs a lot of work. I’m not convinced that it has to be different players brought in this year, or that the safties are inadequate. I think if Allen keeps getting more healthy, and Page get’s more comfortable, that the only thing preventing them from succeeding is Castillo/Washburn scheme issues. I think there was suspect coaching all around for the Eagles v. atl. I think Juan is in over his head.

I DO think the Eagles should draft an LB in the first round next year. I really do. There’s not a position I want them to draft more than that.

All that said, this season, Juan and Jim W. need to get their act together BIG TIME. And yes, I want to see more of Clayton and Rolle. I want to see more of DRC on the field with Nnamdi and Asante – even in run support. And I want to see more of Steve Smith, Maclin, and Avant used in slants/crosses to negate the blitz.

Stevo
Stevo
September 20, 2011 2:10 pm

navy- i did not say that AR will “alwaays come up short”. That must be for someone else…. i forgive you.

Frankly i think Andy is a good coach. I will say however he needs a guy to help him manage those TimeOuts cause he does a poor job with that.

Jon Hart
Jon Hart
September 20, 2011 2:26 pm

Let Johnny Lynn call the plays… he has experience doing that already… let him call the plays bc sometimes i think juan doesnt understand everything that is going on out there. Im sure after the game when hes looking at the tape yes he see what was happening but while its goin on on the field i dont… will he improve? Sure, hes gonna have to but im noticing a trend with coaches under andy reid, they all have trouble making the necessary in game adjustments… (They imitate there head coach and so do the players)… If they have championship aspirations and not just nfc east champs im taking SB champs then they need to make adjustments…

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
September 20, 2011 3:48 pm

Stevo – you are correct I contributed that to you when you did not post it – though already forgiven – my apologies – it was Scorp that said that

I think Ried is a great coach – 2nd tier right now. He is not a Landry, Knoll Shula, Bellicheck (yeah, that hurts to right) , Bill Cowher – but he is up there

Rasheed1
Rasheed1
September 20, 2011 3:53 pm

the funny thing about this eagles defense and their problems is this… WE HAVE THE CORNERS TO DO WHATEVER WE WANT ON DEFENSE AND JUAN NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THAT…

I remember when Nnamdi was supposedly going to the Jets.. I kept thinking… “Wow! them mofos can do whatever the hell they want on the front end of the defense with a back end like that….

Well, we can do that also and Juan needs to figure it out… more man, more the safeties down closer into the box, produce a scheme that puts Nnamdi at Saftey…..

He has all that he needs to make this a great defense.. he just needs to do it..

scorpiodsu
scorpiodsu
September 20, 2011 3:57 pm

schiller, I agree with you. I think Allen will get better as he gets healthy. Not sure it will be good enough but I do think he will get better. Hopefully the LB get better as well. Not sure there though. And I agree about the scheme. This is why I’m not a fan of this wide 9 at this point in the season. Let the young LBs get comfortable in their new positions and defensive scheme and the NFL (Matthews) before you give them so much responsibility. I don’t fault Matthews. He’s just doing the best he can and if the coach tells you to play middle linebacker, you play middle linebacker even if you can’t. But you have to protect him and he can easily be protected with the Dline. And then we he’s more comfortable, you start giving him more responsibility. It’s like he starts every down with the odds against him and that’s just not good for a guy who may be undersized for the position, never played the position and is a rookie. I really don’t get it.

I also agree about Castillo. OMG he looks lost when the defense is getting whooped. He just looks like he’s lost control and don’t know what to do. This was a fear about him being the d coordinator coming from offense. It’s good that he’s always loved defense and sat in the film room with JJ and stuff. But it’s an entirely different thing to be out there in the game and have to make those decisions. Hopefully he does get his act together because that redzone performance and not moving Nnamdi (even DRC) to Gonzo are huge blunders. Also agreed with needing DRC on the field more often with the other 2. I mean he can be used sorta like Woodson with QB blitzes and covering intermediate crossing routes. And yes, more crossing route. Too many vertical routes. Need some short passes to beat the blitz. I mean each year with our defense, we blitzed the hell out of an opposing QB in the playoffs and they found someway to negate that. Mostly by quick passes and running the ball. Not us. We keep calling the same 5-7 step drops to throw down the field. Don’t get that either. But all in all, early in the year and I just hope they get their act together.

The one that scares me about our team is that we either look great or terrible. We need a happy medium when every isn’t going our way. We are either great at position or just bad. Above average or terrible. We need some of the guys in the terrible bucket to just become solid. We don’t need Ray Lewis and Ed Reed back there. Just guys who will be in position to make fundamental plays.

scorpiodsu
scorpiodsu
September 20, 2011 4:01 pm

navy, before you attack people re-read the sentence. I said “history is on the side of all those people who believe Andy will always come up short”. And it is. That’s not saying he will always come up short, just merely pointing out the fact that in the past he’s always come up short and that merely reaffirms the belief of those that don’t like Andy or want him gone, that he won’t win the big one. Of course the past has nothing to do with the future but until he proves otherwise, it is what it is.

scorpiodsu
scorpiodsu
September 20, 2011 4:12 pm

Jon Hart…. fully agree man. Good thing about Andy Reid’s team is TYPICALLY get better as the season goes along. I just wish we didn’t have such obvious problems and recurring mistakes for a team that is supposed to have super bowl aspirations. Quite frustrating to say the least. Like I said, we should continue to have a good season (no less than 10 wins) and then it’s probable that we will meet a team that can score as much as we can and play some defense. In which that game will be tight and come down to the same mistakes, running the ball, play calling and/or getting exposed in the same problem area we knew about all year. Quite frustrating because I like Andy and I know he’s frustrated. He’s too good of a coach to not have won a super bowl. Especially when you think of some of the other coaches who have won. But in the end it will be his choice of personnel, style of play that will determine how much more successful he will be.

I don’t put Reid on the 2nd tier but he’s very close. In my opinion, first tier are those all time great coaches that have won multiple championships and built near dynasties. Second tier are those coaches who every one knows is a very good coach and has won a championship. Reid to me is 3rd tier. Very good, but just something stopping him from reaching the next level. Just my thoughts.

paulman
paulman
September 20, 2011 4:30 pm

I keep hearing or reading about how Coach AR teams get better as the Season goes along and I am sorry, I am not buying that tune anymore.. mayve a few seasons back.. but the recent trend is this
2009 – Eagles Get blasted in back to back games versus the Cowboys with Home Field Advantage on the line and of course got anniliated in the WIld-Card Game at Dallas
2010 – Eagles lose final 3 games of the Season and don’t look very good in any of them in my opinion, All losses at Home at LINC also, and that dreadful performance vs the Vikings when they still had a good shot at securing a #2 Seed still gets under my crawl for how a complete team comes out flat and unispired and lose at home versus the Vikings Team with a Interim HC, A QB in J Webb who was drafted as a WR by the Vikings..

Sorry to refresh everyones memories or open up these still hurting wounds, but lets get off this garbarge that it’s ok for the Eagles to start slow because Coach AR has them playing strong and great in the end , which is simply not accurate any longer..
I honestly put Coach AR in the same class and rank as a Norv Turner,Marty Shottenheimer who over a long period of time put up some impressive numbers but to say he’s elite or in the class of Belichek,Tomlin,McCarthy,Peyton, Dungy or even Lovie Smith is just not accurate..
I think Coaches like Jim Harbaugh, Rex Ryan, Pete Carroll will reach and win the SUper Bowl before AR ever does..

Erock
Erock
September 20, 2011 4:36 pm

Tomlin got handed a SB team.Dungy got a Super Q….Lovie Smith?

Paulman go pick the Braves to finish first while our team is dominant.Go on your rant about how the best team in baseball is gonna falter in the end caus eof there pen and back it up with your b.s..

We lost too a tough team. Our scondary will only get bettr(wow) andour d-line is a fuggin terror.NO?Backer must must improve and being a football head is see how thats possible.

So bag the doom and gloom and stop crying about AR. He’s our guy and thats that.

Giant slooked like hotgarbage last night and the mdia had them all hyped to avenge the losses they took last year. Guess what?We’re a better team and there secondary couldnt cover a kitty with a comforter.Eli is a dope and sux.

Thoughts?

Erock
Erock
September 20, 2011 4:44 pm

How do you equate a d-cord looking on the field at his players and you think he has a lost look? Dude spends more time wathcing film then any of us have watching the game. Look at some of his calls that were plays there to be made…he cant make the players get to the ball.

He’s using Nmandi the way he should.He’s letting Wash do his thing.WTF does anyone have a prob with this guy. We held the Rams too 13 and scored a defensive td. We have 3 turnovers in 2 games and tons of sacks.Buy a fuggin clue.

Erock
Erock
September 20, 2011 4:51 pm

1-1…and our offense is top 3 in the league…defense needs some tweeking and theres so many playmakers on that side i just see them getting better.Look at our sched.

The fact that anyone is killing the sqaud right now and acting like we’re not one of the top teams in the NFC is a joke.

I rank our O on par with the Pack when we’re full stride…notch below. Shady is the xfactor.They jsut lost there starting safety…much harder then losing a TE.Teams will attack them.

Saints…there d sux and we can score with them.

Bears…o-line is a sive.

Lions…year away.

Cowboys..Romo is a fraud.

KILL GIANTS!

paulman
paulman
September 20, 2011 4:58 pm

The Falcons a tought team..
last week it seemd everyone was saying they were soft and Matty Ice was a fraud, wow how a game changes perceptions.. Maybe the Eagles are a fraud or in particular their Coach Andy Reid..

scorpiodsu
scorpiodsu
September 20, 2011 5:14 pm

Paulman, the trend is that during the November-december run. The losses to Dallas were in Jan and 1 was the playoffs. And last year I agree about the Vikings we squandered that whole thing. But where do you get 3 losses? The game before that was the Giants…. the game after we loss to Dallas after we sat all the starters for rest. So should that really count? And again, the playoffs are not considered when people say that because if they were then people wouldn’t say it.

But no one ever said they go undefeated at the end of the year just that TYPICALLY the team plays better later in the season (mainly Niv and Dec) than any other point in the year and for the most part it is true even with some of the painful losses.

schiller
schiller
September 20, 2011 5:16 pm

paul – bandwaggon surfing again are we?

scorpiodsu
scorpiodsu
September 20, 2011 5:17 pm

Erock, just like I said. He LOOKS lost. I didn’t say he was lost. Just said he looks lost. Now, isn’t my own personal opinion on how I think someone is looking? Never said he was but that doesn’t change my opinion that he didn’t look in command win the defense was getting punked. Same look he had against the Steelers in the preseason. Don’t get all worked up on a purely subjective opinion. Calm it down sweetheart.