Everybody has been wondering for years about who to blame for the Eagles constant time management problems. Was it head coach Andy Reid or was it his veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb?
I thought I would definitely be able to find out which one was at fault when they went up against each other at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
With seconds to go in the half, I thought our answer to the question had finally surfaced.
The Eagles had the ball on fourth down on the one yard line. There were seconds to go in the half, and the Birds needed a touchdown in the worst way.
Big Red had nearly five or six minutes to make a decision about what play he wanted to run. He couldn’t make a decision. All that time and he couldn’t make a decision.
He may be able to make a tough decision during the week approaching a game, but he may be the worst game-time decision maker to ever coach in the NFL Despite his success as a head coach, his problems in this area can’t be denied.
His mistake or goof as he termed it after the game, cost the Birds severely. They could have grabbed the momentum, but instead they let the Redskins stay in charge.
I thought we had our answer until the Redskins had the ball late in the fourth quarter. The Redskins were sitting on a 17-12 lead and were trying to run out the clock.
It was third and long when McNabb dropped back to pass. The Birds pass rush got on the snap with the defensive ends heading upfield and the defensive tackles trying to get some pressure up the middle on McNabb.
The veteran quarterback looked at the coverage and recognized man-to-man. He then took the game into his own hands but taking off a scramble. It was a brilliant play. He was in the process of ending any chances the Birds had of coming back.
One the way to the first down, he gave the number one signal to rub it in on the Eagles fans. Surely, this was the crowning moment of his return to Philadelphia.
With the first down secured and the clock still running, McNabb got Reid off the hook for being the only reason for all of the stupid game management decisions. He foolishly ran out of bounds to stop the clock and kept the Eagles’ chances of winning alive.
If he had slid it would have forced the Eagles to burn their last time out and left them with the two-minute warning as their only other chance to stop clock. That mistake almost cost them the game. It was inexcusable for a veteran quarterback to make such a foolish mistake.
So where does that leave us. It’s simple, Reid and McNabb were co-conspirators on all the stupid time management decisions that were made throughout the years.
They won a lot together, put the effort and time in to prepare, but they’re both lacking when it comes to making game time decisions.
I used to until VERY recently stick up for ried ALL THE TIME. I mean honestly how can a coach that AVERAGES TEN WINS a season for 11 years be a terrible coach. He honeslty spoiled us and most true eagles fans KNEW going into the season even though it may have been microscpoic we had a CHANCE to go all the way each and every year. BUT that fat pig is under my skin for the last time. As much as i tried to turn a blind eye he clock management is by far the worst in the nfl. Combine that with his AWFUL play calling and it couldnt be anymore more clear why we never made it over the hump. I always tried to take the attiude that i would take playoffs and a chance OVER the acutally super bowl ut this is getting ridiculous. GET RID OF RIED NOW PLEASE. ill take the next 11 seasons being like 2 and 14 if we can just get a coach that will get us that ONE TROPHY.
Don’t forget Donny Mac burned 2 of the Skins 2nd half timeouts within the first 3 minutes of the 2nd half.
G- you didn’t even mention McNabb calling 2 timeouts within the 1st two minutes of the 3rd qtr. I thought Shanahan did not look pleased on the sidelines. You are right however, they are both pathetic when it comes to clock management.
I have watched and coached “Pee-Wee’ teams that have better clock managment than this Phialdephia Eagles team…. It’s brutal to watch and at the point of after 11-12 years of it, as comical…
The Eagles were always known as a Blue-Collar, bring your lunchpale and hard working, over-achievers but a smart type of team..
Now they are known as a “Gadget Plays”, “Dink & Dunk” , “Don’t hit me hard” and just an overall “Soft” team… It all starts at the Top… This is not the type of Eagles team that we have grown up with over the years
@ Paulman,…u are correct, but i want to elaborate that when u say “the top”, its NOT Reid! Its Banner, and now Roseman. These guys dont even KNOW what it feels like to be hit on ANY level playing football! McNabb said what he said about the front office not opening their mouth in support of him, because he WAS the scape-goat for TONS of Philosophy problems Personel wise and in Performance on the feild. There is fact after fact to support what im saying. Everybody blames McNabb for NFC championship losses, but they have SUCH short memories!!! ALL OF THOSE TEAMS WERE BETTER TEAMS PERSONEL WISE!..Rams, better. Tampa, just examine the Linebacking situation, strong saftey, and recievers, and tell me we were better? Kirkland(90 years old) Barry Gardner, Matt McCoy???? Blaine Bishop(90 yrs old)..”We dont value Linebackers and Wide Recievers”- Joe Banner….??? Hunh??? who says that???? then the whole “Playmakers” thing. its just rediculous!
Apples and Oranges. Reid had forever and one day to run a play.
I don’t think McNabb can slide. I would not try that with a repaired torn acl.
I think all of us Eagle fans can sense when this team is not going to win the game.
When the Packers back up runningbacks looked like Jim Brown and Walter Payton I knew we had a problem with this defense. But when I mention it last week (don’t wait until it rains to get an umbella) everybody had a fit.
Well when the Redskins ran right down the Eagles gut and puncuated it by steamrolling over Quinten Mikell, I got up and made a sandwich with chips and a cola and decided I was’nt going to let the Eagles mess up my Sunday. After Vick got hurt, I remembered the famous line Samuel L. Jackson uttered in the Star Wars movie. “This Parties over”.
The Minnesota Vikings with Carl Eller and Alan Page, use to always get steamrolled in the SuperBowl. You won’t win a championship with undersized linemen. You will win games, but not a championship. The 49ers, who Luries said he wanted this team modeled after had a genuis for a coach. Bill Walsh was a master at using his offense to manage a clock and rest his defense at the same time.
I may know all the words to a Frank Sinatra record, but that does not make me Old blue eyes.
Andy Greed is smart and will continue to win games in the NFL whether he is with the Eagles or Elsewhere. But he will never win a championship with that BYU mentality. If Don Coreyell could not do it with Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner and JJ Jefferson and Chuck Muncie. Then who can?
That’s why I just sat there and watched the game waiting for the girl on the saints nfl shop commercial (summer brees) to come on the scene and give just a few seconds of joy to an otherwise horrible game.
“McNabb comes up small in the BIG games” – McNabb haters…Ok, i will tell you he has not played hs best, but this town NEVER EVER wants to give credit to the other team. Like they are just out there collecting a check. Tampa game, Tre Thomas got his ass handed to him so bad by Simeon Rice the he LITERALLY asked for him to autograph a jersey for him after the game!!! 2004 Hank Fraley got by all year inside without being challenged, so, Bellichek being the great coach that he was, from the first snap, lined Seymour over his nose and they blitzed the A gap and OWNED us in there. Then people forget, in the carolina loss, Westbrook didnt play, as well as Tampa, he wasent a major part of the offense, Brian Mitchell was!!! So carolina game McNabb had, thrash, pinkston, duce and buck..PSSSH!..They had Steve Smith, M Muhammed in is prime..deshawn foster, and steven davis in his prime!!…favorite???us?…why??..lmao
Wilcher. Mcnabb was horrible yesterday and was the main reason the Eagles had a chance at all.
MUGZY….What does that matter? Why still hate on McNabb?,…he’s gone!..Our Qb situation is MORE TRASH!!! Thats the point! So for as bad as he played in the second half. They still won, cause our “savior” cant throw a pass beyond 15 yards without threat of interception. Thats the point. For eleven years we had stability at a position we no longer have it at! Just like when they let Trotter go, and had Levamn Kirkland play MLB…psssh. Then last year let Dawkins go, and had Macho Harris and Demps….psssh!. Let McNabb go and try and sell me Kolby Hoying???..FOH…i know football and im not dumb! Its not about McNabb, he is stil learning the system there, and they are building. We have players who’s talent is being WASTED, cause Kolb cant get them the ball! T
4th and 26 McNabb did his part to win that playoff game.
NFC championship against the arizona cardinals. Eagles last posession. On 4th down McNabb throws a perfect pass that speedy slot reciever. The WR drops it after being pushed from behind. McNabb did his part to win that NFC championship game.
McNabb has the lowest interception percentage of all time. ALL TIME.
How many turnovers has the Jimmy Johnson defense forced in championship games? Give McNabb the Ravens defense and we are looking at a couple of SuperBowls. Find a way to keep TO happy and it’s 3 peat time.
His gopherballs got on my last nerve. But Andy Reid’s play calling is horrific. Shanahand is already taking advantage of Play action with McNabb. I hate to think how difficult the redskins might be when they actually have some talent on the roster.
Peyton Manning for all his stats did not win a Superbowl until the Colts defense started playing lights out and he would audible to a run play in a heartbeat.
Elway for all his stats did not win until he got a great ground game.
Those wins that Andy Greed gets are like cocaine to Eagle fans. They make us high and we feel good, but in the end we come crashing down in disappointment. Just say no. Go through the withdraw pains of losing, and build a foundation of winning with a coach like Dick Vermeil who analyzed the stats of winners and modeled his game plan and team to duplicate the success of champions. To this day Vermeil can still spit out the stats of championship teams. It’s just non common common sense.
I always thought both of them were the problem but McNabb would have had a split second to figure out what we wanted to do while defenders are chasing him down. Remember QBs aren’t used to sliding unless someone is coming head on. No excuse though. But Reid had plenty of time to get the right play in. I can’t even think of any possible excuses for that. Don’t tell us you “goofed” as if it’s no big deal. That play more than likely cost the game.
Where’s the free coke at this week..
To Wilcher,
When I mean at the Top as far as Football Operations, Game Planning, Schemes to utilize on Offense and Defense, I am talking about the Head Coach..(AR)
Here is another example of a horrible play call (by the Redksins this time) who are up 14-0 and just whooping up on the Eagles up and down the field.. After that long catch on like 3rd and 12 in which Sammuel thought he had Safety coverage with COleman who was way late in getting there..
The Redkskins had 1st Down and Goal at about the 5-6 ytard line and they call an “End-Around” which loses like 5 yards and then a penalty follows and eventually the Redskins settled for a FG which kept the game at 17-3 instead of the 21-3 that it could have been…
Why,if your the Redskins Coach and the Eagles haven’t stopped the Run up the gut and off tackle all game so far, and you call for an “End Around” in the Red-Zone…
Just another example of how some teams and coaches try to outsmart themselves instead of sticking with what works.. The Eagles are not the only team immune from poor play calling ..
You have to be good enough to get the win in close games and we had that for YEARS before trading McNabb, before getting rid of Dawkins without a plan and while the defense was small (for the entire last 11 years). The point is if McNabb had DeSean Jackson (just ONE exceptional receiver) the skins would have blown the Eagles out. McNabb might be comfortable enough in the Redskins system by the second Eagles/Redskins game to blow the Eagles out without a star WR. Even worse if the Vincent Jackson trade happens. It could get seriously ugly.
I suspect there’s going to be a three player trade: Haynesworth to Chargers for Jackson -> Smith from Panthers for Haynesworth.
WR Steve Smith got injured in yesterday’s game and will most liekly be out for 2-3-4 weeks, it’s very unlikely that he will be going anywhere
The Panthers are completely rebuilding and not going to spend big $$$ on any Veteran players
and especially one with a shaky background, the Panthers just don’t go for those type of players..
Where is Schiller to say Reid is no better or worse than any other NFL coach and that this is just one game and Kolb needs more time to show his wares and more denial bullcrap and that all the other teams in the league are no better. Dufus.