Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb were asked again yesterday about why they’ve had so many problems in close games over the last few years.
Reid said he would responded with a non-response.
I always have a few thoughts on it, but I’m not going to share those. I don’t think everybody needs to know them. It’s good that they know that we’re not very good at that we’ll probably try to do a little better.”
I can understand him not wanting to tell what the reasons are but I’m not convinced that he knows the reasons.
It seems to me that Reid buys into the idea of living by a deep strike offense. Big plays are a positive but relying on them all the time is a weakness.
It also seems that the Eagles are sure about what they’re doing late in games. Too many times they’re calling timeouts when they have to call a play in an important situation.
They don’t seem to have sure things they can go to in certain situations to get first downs.
McNabb also asked about their problems coming through in tight games.
‚ÄúI think a lot of that is kind of overblown. There is a lot that goes into fourth quarter comebacks.”
“It could be catches, it could be doing the right things running the ball, it could be special teams picking up yards or special teams stopping them from getting good field position, it could be the defense stopping them.”
“It‚Äôs not just driving down and scoring, because if they get the ball they can do the same. [There] is a lot [that goes] into that.‚Äù
I’ve said before that teams win games and teams lose games. McNabb hasn’t been the main problem in a lot of the Eagles close games losses but he hasn’t been the answer in them as well and that’s the problem.
An experienced quarterback is supposed to find a way to help his team win more of those games. He’s got to accept that.
If he must abandon what Reid and Marty Mornhinweg are sending in then so be it. He must find a way to make the offense productive when the game is on the line.
McNabb and Reid have to be able to go to some pass plays that he can complete 70, 80 or 90% of the time. He may have to start running more, or they may have to start rolling him out.
Bottomline is that they’ve got to find a way to win more of these close games and also find a way to comeback and win some of the games with a late drive.
They’re going to play more close games this season and they must win the lion share of them.
It’s a simple as that.
