Eagles head coach Andy Reid continues to say his Eagles football team has played hard all year, but I must disagree. Reid is just trying to protect his players, but he knows there’s something missing.
Playing hard not only involves the body, but it also involves the mind. Discipline and mental toughness are a big part of playing hard and they contribute to winning football. Playing hard involves focusing on the details, such as securing the ball when you’re carrying it. You’re not playing hard when you carry the ball loosely and don’t cover both points of the football in your hand and arm pit.
You’re playing hard when you put two arms on the football in a crowd. That’s what focusing is all about. Young Eagles players such as Nick Foles and Bryce Brown need to learn now what playing hard is all about. It’s about being passionate, but disciplined and focused as well.
It involves not getting penalties by holding because you’re out of position. You anticipate what the other team is going to do, so you’re in position and not holding.
The Eagles have been beating themselves throughout the season with turnovers. Interceptions and fumbles don’t just happen. They occur because the passer or ball carrier isn’t properly focused on what they’re doing and anticipating what the other team is going to do.
The offensive linemen and the defensive backs each have to anticipate the pass rush games and pass patterns of the opposition. If you don’t think things through prior to the game and prior to each play, you get surprised and you wind up holding.
I remember standing close to the team’s one-on-one battles between the Eagles offensive and defensive lines. I was shocked at how cavalier then defensive line coach Jim Washburn was about jumping off sides. He stressed getting off on the ball, but he never admonished the players for jumping off sides. Passionate yet undisciplined will always get you beaten.
Here’s how Reid described his team’s turnover problem.
“Turnovers destroy you in this league. There’s one thing that if we didn’t know it before the season, we surely know it now that we’re sitting there at minus-22 in the giveaway/takeaway area,” coach Andy Reid said. “You have 123 points scored on 34 turnovers, and you’re only getting 33 points on your 12 takeaways. That’s a bad stat.”
Reid’s teams for most of the decade were disciplined. Donovan McNabb was a disciplined quarterback and that had a lot to do with why they won so much. It’s not easy to run an offense against the complex and advanced defenses in the NFL, yet stay away from turnovers. The teams which are able to do it, win often because they let their opponents beat themselves.
In the 2012 season, the Eagles opponents have let the team in midnight green beat themselves.
This Coaching Staff has failed the Players and the Fans, but I still put a lot of onue of the Players for they are the ones on the Field making the plays or looking like fools.. which is why it’s paramount that the Eagles Next HC
is a Disciplinarian who stresses sound fundamentals like blocking and tackling..
I expect Donahoe to go this route when hiring the next HC so it will probably be a more boring Eagles Football which will be back to basics, but a more effective,disciplined Team who will play hard every snap and even if the EAgles win 4-5 Games in 2013 under this new PHilosophy as they re-engineer their Roster to a bigger, more Physical group, I am ok with this and would actualyl relish the thought of this happening even though short-term, they will struggle..
I don’t know enough about Donahoe to have a say so but if your right paulman then my guy David Shaw would be a perfect fit.
Big, I like Shaw too, he’s a good young, up & coming coach, but do think he’s shown enough, to make the jump? His coaching experience, has started in 95, but this is the first chance he’s had, to run the whole shebang! I’d rather get a more experienced, NFL coordinator, like my choices- Tom Clements, Vic Fangio, Greg Roman, Jay Gruden, Rick Dennison, or Mike McCoy. Retreads- I really like Billick, Bill Cowher, & John Gruden, but IMHO, I don’t think any of them, are going to leave their cushy, high paid jobs.
I would hope they interview Jay Gruden and Tom Clements, I think both of them are ready.
I also think that the Chiefs,Cardinals,Chargers and Eagles all Clean house with new Coaching Staffs
I also believe that the HC’s in Detroit,Jacksonville,Buffalo, Tennessee and the
NY Jets are on shaky ground also
Eagles better be decisive and quick with their Top Choices for many of the names we have been throwing around here as the next possible HD are also going to be in demand by these othere Franchises..
The Next 6 Weeks will determine the Fate of this Eagles Franchise for possibly the next 5-10 Years and are at a Crtitical Statge of Franchise History.. A poor Hire with no lrealy Identity, realitistic short to mid term plans will have this Eagles Franchise back were is was in the late 60’s-mid 70’s before Carl Peterson and Dick Vermiel came on board…
Lurie needs to move quickly as soon as the season is over, yet he should already have started his search for a GM/football guy and narrowed his choice for next HC with a more balanced philosophy on O and D.
Though the Eagles can’t delay on choice(s), the fact this is the Eagles makes it much more appealing and challenging for any possible HC…. great exposure in this division, long NFL history, huge supportive fan base, great city with its rich, varied cultural and historic background, etc.
Go Lurie, set your priorities with sound football FO and coaching and don’t look back to the Andy Reid era with emotions and regrets. IF’s and could’ves/should’ves don’t count. Move onto the new and better.
this is the part where Pman will tell us the GM is already in place and they’ve already met with Chip Kelly….. wait for it….. wait for it. ….
hahaha…. i didnt realize he posted it a few posts ago. Haha.. he may just write it again.
Ha Ha love it.
Paulman, if the Eagles don’t hire Tom Donahoe, you are going to take a brutal hit by the post commenters here
They hired Donoahoe last year.
good info vin as usual
the birds won’t be on any free agents wish lists
Worst team in the NFC
City Wage Tax
Howie renegotiating free agents’ contracts a year later ( Cullen Jenkins)
firing Free Agents like Jason Babin
Screwing vets like Patterson out of money this year twice
The word is out the birds are a mess stay away
They didn’t screw anyone, out of anything! He got paid to do absolutely NOTHING, for 8 freaking years, & the last year plus, to sit at home. If the front office really wanted to be scum bags, they could have released him, when he couldn’t play because of his brain issue. Jenkins was overpaid, & would have been released, & do you really disagree with the Babin release?!? I’m NO fan of the front office, but stop with the exaggerations ALREADY!!!!!!
Footnote: the thought is a brief synopsis of a Jeff McLane Philadelphia Inquire article this month. The post is not my original thought, although I believe it.
Tom Donahoe was hired last Feb as a “Senior Advisor”
To Senior Management (basically Owner Jeff Lurie) and has been working behind the scenes to clean-up the Administration Depts out of mostly Andy Reid’s hires as I stated some weeks back
He is fact the acting VP of Football Ops as Andy Reid’s fate was known by mid-season after the Saint’s loss on Monday Night in late October
If you want to know the next HC of the Eagles, it will probably be a disciplinarian with a strong fundamental approach to the game
Expect a Russ Grimm, Tom Clements, Vic Fangio, Mike Zimmer, Brad Seely and I hate to say it, But yes even Dave Wannstadt to be strongly considered due to their ties to Tom Donahoe.. We’ll know a lot more Monday 12/31/2012
on 12/31/2012 will Lurie break out his Champianshipsssssssssssss BS
.
at least if they hire Wannstadt I will instantly know I can start the off season kicking the birds as Dingbats instead of patiently believing that these new hires could lead my favorite team to the lombardi only to be let down —
We will really know much by 12/31? I thought you couldn’t interview any coaches who were still in the playoffs?
I think the NFL allows assistant coaches a certain time frame window to travel & interview during playoffs then shuts the process down to avoid conflicts with current employer
Asst Coaches can with Permission from their Team be allowed to interview
remember when they are under Contract, they can only Interview for “step-up” Positions and not a lateral move..
For Instance if Jay Gruden (OC of Bengals) could not interview simply for a OC Position for another Club, it would have to be a Promotion so anotherwards a Coordiantor would have to Interview for a Head Coach Positon.. a Position Coach for a Coordinator Coach..
This is why you see so many Asst’s have the title O?C & Asst HC or D/C and Asst HC..
Brian Baldinger and Brian Westbrook just broke down the Bengals game and stated Colt Anderson has played safety in the last 2 games better than any safety we have had since Brian Dawkins.lol unbelievable.
how bout baldinger getting some type of position in this organization ! he is a football guy
I remember Baldinger calling Assante Samuel and Dimitri Patterson the best cornerback duo in the league that year….yea the great Dimitri Patterson…I do like the guy but crazy shit comes out of his mouth all the time
No he didn’t! You’re full of $#!T! He did nothing but rag on Mesante, being soft, his entire time here, & he isn’t stupid enough to say anything of value about Patterson. You have ZERO clue of what you speak, & have zero credibility. I personally know Brian, since back when he played here in 92-93 & he is one of the brightest football analysts, that’s not coaching. He also watches A LOT of film, & games. So again, do not speak, what you do not know!!!
DCAR Im sorry to break your heart but its true.LOL I remember driving in my car and listening to him say it…and here is the credibility from back when he said it, which NFL.com reported….
http://blogs.nfl.com/2010/11/25/four-downs-eagles-have-best-cb-tandem/
You see I don’t make shit up like many on here do. I speak off what I know…I would like an apology now lol
And like I said I do like Baldinger…but like I said he can say some crazy statements sometimes…maybe he was drinking that day
Dcar, here is Baldingers statement…”1. The decision the Eagles made a month ago to put CB Dimitri Patterson in the starting lineup was the best personnel move they’ve made all season. They have totally contrasting styles, but in Patterson and Asante Samuel, the Eagles have the best cornerback tandem in the league. Samuel plays off the line and is a total playmaker. Patterson plays up, is aggressive, is a great tackler who doesn’t gamble and plays by the book with great technique. Together, they have a great blend of skills. It’s also helped Quintin Mikell to freelance and help out more in the run game. The Eagles can challenge wide receivers as well as anyone in the league right now”…
He called Patterson a great tackler LMAO and starting PAtterson was the best personnel move they made all season HAHA
I once heard Greg Cosell say Kevin Kolb was better than Mike Vick before Mike Vick chased Kolb out of town — Cosell was wrong but he still knows football
Mayock had Gabbert as a better QB than Newton pre-draft
Paulman had DJax never getting a contract from the birds
Songs had Burfict as a 1st rounder
I thought Poe was the best DT in the draft —
if you predict, you will make yourself out to be an A$$ sometimes
No doubt thats true. Dcar just thought I made that up so all I was doing was showing him proof.
Good find pheags! I stand corrected. My apologies. I’m going to have break his balls, on that one. LOL! But in all honesty, we had nobody else better than him, & he was a pretty decent cover CB, before he came here, & his 2010 with us wasn’t a complete lost cause, he did have 4 int’s, 1 for a TD, & 50 tackles, as a CB. He did get toasted a bit, but he was better than the 2 lamp posts, that we have now. LOL!!!!
Dude we had Hobbs, Hanson, Calvin, Lindley, & Mesante! Who would have been your 2 starters?!? Just saying! So that was the best move the Birds could have made. LOL!!!!
HAHAHAHA!!!!! He never said that Pheags
i would take them two right now over the two hyped up stiffs we have now
Brian baldinger is an analyst wanna be, a pandererer , the majority view is that the eagles secondary is trash, no kidding, colt Anderson shines amongst this rubble , but he is a back up in a good secondary
Brian baldinger also said foles was trash then backpedallled after the buc performance, the best quarterback showing in the modern era by an eagles quarterback, now he says foles may be special, hey baldy, stick to dr glad, get rid of your bitch tits, maybe you will be a man one day
LOL those Dr. Glad ads are pretty annoying…you hear the womens lingerie ads they got going now? its terrible..who wants to hear those guys talk about shit like that during commercial breaks in the morning. Missanelli is my guy. Bruno needs to go asap tho, he is the worst, the angelo cataldi of the fanatic
In regard to football, Dimitri Patterson was actually just released by the Browns if you want to drive him to Novacare Nev…And Colt Anderson is not a starting safety in the league. HE can be used for some plays here and there but thats it.
Jake, I bet you wouldn’t say that to his face! ROFLMFBO!!!! He never said Foles was trash! Stop exaggerating. He’s had nothing but praise for him, going back to TC. He just cautioned against getting too chunked up, before he actually played. Come on dude, get your facts straight. You’re usually better than that, except with the Phillies!
I want ZERO parts of Chip Kelly, & his gimmicky, BS, offense. NO MORE GIMMICKS!!! Because that worked out SOOOOO well with Mudd & Crotchburn!!!!!!! No thanks, I’ll pass!!!!!
Thank You DCar!!!!
I don’t agree with you G and I kind of wonder if being a player that historically didn’t have the ball in his hands is more harm than good to you on this topic. Bad nerves and desperation often times lead to mistakes…it’s as true in real life as it is in football. I tend to think some players put so much pressure on themselves to do exceptionally well that it’s lead to a lot of mistakes dealing with carrying the ball.
Also, talented, but fumble prone running backs aren’t new in the league I just think a lot of people are disappointed that Bryce Brown might be one those types.
David Shaw Coaching Career
Year School/Team Assisgnment
1995 Western Washington Outside Linebackers
1996 Western Washington Tight Ends
1997 Philadelphia Eagles Quality Control
1998-00 Oakland Raiders Quality Control
2001 Oakland Raiders Quarterbacks
2002-04 Baltimore Ravens Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers
2005 Baltimore Ravens Wide Receivers
2006 San Diego Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coordinator
2007-09 Stanford Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2010 Stanford Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs
2011 Stanford Head Coach
What more could you ask for?? A winner. At a school not known for football.
As a traditional power. He has won, after losing a franchise QB. Knows college players and has a ton of NFL experience.
No gimmicks. Forget that knucklehead at Oregon. The league catches up to your goofiness. Like it caught up to Reid.
A solid ground game makes every QB and offensive line better. Wheres out the defense and sets up play action as well as makes defenders have to think. Reid’s sorry playcalling just let defenders sell out to get the QB. And those yogurt soft WRs. Just say boo and they hit the ground.
As for Reid “protecting his players”. There in lies the problem. These are supposed to be grown men. Getting paid, big boy money. Take that mommy mentality and the sissy sized players and playcalling out of Philadelphia for good.
We don’t need a kindly old grandfather who has to protect his little boys.
Bring in a Man, to coach Men.
And get at least one crazy linebacker or strong safety that brings the fear of death for anybody who crosses the middle of the field.
David Shaw has way to much upside, brains and going on with his own Stanford Program with a Heisman Hopeful Candidate next Season, His own Recruits now taking ove rhis Roster and the legitimate chance to contend for a National Championship to even seriously consider the Eagles Job , which I hate to even say is not as desirable as many of you think it will be..
West Coast man for the last 7 Years..
The Chargers Job is his for the taking per most Sources..but word is that he wants to finish the next 2 Seasons at Stanford to win a National Championship with all of his recruits that he’s brought in since the Harbaugh Era..
Through various Reports
The Following NFL Head Coaching Jobs will be Open and Availalbe for Quality Candidates this Off-Season for the Following Teams that are just a mess right now and very dysfunctionable
#1) Detriot Lions
#2) KC Chiefs
#3) San Diego Chargers
#4) Philadelphia Eagles
#5) Arizona Cardinals
Teams with Ownership very unhappy about the direction of their Franchises and are leaning to make major changes
#1) Jacksonville Jaguars (coach on big time hot seat)
#2) Tennessee Titans (Coaching Staff has been put on notice)
#3) Buffalo BIlls (Owner Ralph Wilsons comes and goes and has been known to want to change things)
#4) NY Jets
#5) Cleveland Browns (New Ownership & President on Board- Holmgrem is out and usually New Owners/Pres want their own People in Place)
#6) Carolina Panther – GM Fired halfway thru the Season, when a new one is hired/named, they may want their own person in place though I still think
HC Ron Rivera gets 1 more season to remain as HC
So here you have 10-11 Teams (1/3rd of the NFL about to Turnover as far as Coaching Staffs..)
Detroit seems to have the most Talent to Work with as far as the Short-term goes with QB Stafford, WR Megatron Willams and on Defense with DT Suh..but they also have had a “losing culture for many years, and have many players with some Character issuses/concerns on this Roster (M Leshoure, Titus Young, Nick Farley,etc,etc) ..
recent history has 9-10 new opening day new QB’s and 5-6 new opening day head coaches from the previous season’s opening game ——- 10 is a lot, the owner’s must have a lot of extra cash to spend this year
I don’t understand how people suing that the Philadelphia Eagles job is not “desirable”. Dosent matter what some think of him, Jeffrey Lurie is a good owner. Did he make a mistake continuing with Andy through the difficulties he had in his personal life? Yes. But, these guys were genuinely friends and had a good working relationship. Jeff Lurie was faithful to a fault, and a perspective coach would consider that a bad thing? I think not. Jeff Lirie does want to win (IMO) despite what most think. JLurie is a competitive guy with an ego, he sees other owners who get glorified for a SB and that what he is striving for. He spends money, sometimes unsuccessfully, but the comitement to winning seems to be there. Again I state things on this web site that are my opinion. Unlike some people who actualy believe that everything that comes out of their own mouths are a fact.
The more I think about it, I am thinking Lotulelei is the pick for us. We are trying to get back to tough Philly defense that has been a hallmark of our organization (it has been lousy offense with no HOF QBs or RBs that has kept up the drought for 52 years). That starts on the front line. I once heard Belichick say you build front to back and up the middle. Lotulelei and Cox would be an excellent foundation to both the front and the middle. You would essentially have a top five run defense for the next five plus years with Lotulelei as the nose tackle and Cox as the under tackle and Demeco at the MIKE. Graham, Cole, Curry and Thornton round out a nice D line foundation for a couple more years until Curry or someone else can replace Cole. Any thoughts??
I agree with the pick. I really do believe that the o-line will be more than serviceable with some guys back healthy, namely peters. I know that there is some risk associated with his type of injury, but I would roll the dice and really stack up the defense. I would also try to make a deal to snag Hunter from Tennessee in the late first, early second round. Put maclin on the trade block and put the 6’4 Hunter across from d-jax. I am also really impressed with the rapport Foles is building with Avant and Cooper.
After we figure out the coach, and after taking out the garbage, I would seriously make a run at Jarius Byrd. I don’t think Buffalo can afford him at this point and we need a safety bad. Colt, Allen and Coleman can compete for the other safety job. And I would NOT pay DRC 8-10 million. I would rather draft someone in the second round or maybe trade back up into the first before wasting all those dollars on DRC.
I don’t think the Eagles should pursue any FAs outside of maybe one A lister. I would go for Byrd, let DRC walk and save your money for the finishing pieces in 2-3 years. I also would not give Maclin a new deal. He does not have the numbers to demand it and has been fairly disappointing for a top twenty pick. He can “prove it” next year. Then we cut D Jack to make room if he earns the deal.
I might re-sign Jake Scott since we are thin at OG. I don’t want to count on Watkins anymore. I would also think about taking a C/OG early in case Kelce turns out to be a system player who is just under sized and mediocre in a more traditional system.
I agree. No free agents. Not till the house is in order.
You can’t solve a debt problem be adding more debt….oh wait, that’s exactly what you guys try to do down there every year.
Per Reports the the NFL Draft Order is as follows as of Today
#1) KC Chiefs
#2) Jaguars
#3) Raiders
#4) Eagles
#5) Lions
Paulman’s Eagles 2013 Draft (Mock #3)
Also I am assuming no Trades at this Point
1st Rd (4th Overall) – DT Star Lotulelei (Utah 6-3 320lbs)
2nd Rd (36th Overall) – OT Lane JOhnson (Oklahoma 6-6 303lbs)
3rd Rd (68th Overall) – CB Logan Ryan (Rutgers 6-0 192lbs)
4th Rd (100th Overall) – Safety Baccari Rambo (Georgia 6-0 210lbs)
5th Rd (132nd Overall) – Guard Omongie Uzzi (Georgia Tech 6-3 302lbs)
6th Rd (164th Overall) – TE Travis Kelce (Cincinnati 6-5 260lbs)
7th Rd (196th Overall) – WR Aaron Mellette (Elon 6-3 220lbs)
I would take free agent Mike Wallace (WR), William Moore (Safety), or Jake Long (OT). if I were the new head coach.
Dcar I and not afraid of any man who needs to see a Dr, by the name of glat, to get some testosterone
LMBO!!! Take it easy there big guy. I was just busten your beanbag! Was just trying to correct your false assumption of Brian. He’s not perfect like the rest of us, but smart, knows his football, & a good dude! One thing I rag on him for, all of the time, was his man-love for Watkins, when he was drafted! Boy, he whiffed on that one!