Until this year, Juan Castillo spent his entire Eagles tenure as an offensive coach. So when he was named defensive coordinator during the crazy off season, there was, predictably, much confusion. Why Castillo? Why now? Questions abounded and many were directed at Andy Reid.
He said the move was made to allow the team to hire retired and famed offensive line coach Howard Mudd. But there were still holes in Reid’s answer. As the season started, and went downhill in a hurry, blame shifted squarely towards Castillo.
Aside from a post-bye week annihilation of the Cowboys, Castillo seemed overwhelmed and overmatched all season long. Prized free agent acquisition Nnamdi Asomugha looked lost and out of place and DRC was nowhere to be found. A defense loaded with talent was playing uninspired and selfish football. The bulk of the blame was aimed at their leader, Castillo. Rumors circulated of his impending departure after the season.
But since the Thursday night loss to the Seahawks, the veterans have taken control and the young players have matured. Jason Babin has wreaked havoc on opposing offensive lines and Jamar Cheney has assumed a leadership role at the middle linebacker spot. In the last three weeks, all wins, the Eagles have given up only 12 points per game. In short? The Dream Team is finally playing like a Dream Team. They are playing inspired and emotional defense. And they are making a case for Castillo to keep his job.
If the Eagles end the season with a win over the Redskins, the much-maligned coordinator may return next season. In Castillo’s defense, it was after a shortened offseason when the overhauled and unfamiliar defense started the season in St. Louis.
It is not out of the question that it took this long for the new coach to assimilate to a new position and develop cohesion between his players. Is he blameless? Of course not. But are the Eagles really better off bringing in a new coordinator and making this defense learn a new system again? We have seen how this has worked out recently. And if the past three games are any indication, this squad is finally starting to gel and come together under the tutelage of Castillo.
Keeping the former offensive line coach at the helm will certainly not be the popular decision. But it may be one the Eagles have to make. This defense, which played much of the season with a lack of tenacity not seen in years here in Philadelphia, is now playing together. They are swarming to make tackles, forcing turnovers, and preventing big plays. This is a testament to Castillo. And if the Eagles want to prevent another disappointing season next year, they will give him another chance.
I think there is very little doubt that DC Castillo is back
If there there is one thing that Coach AR will Stress to the Front Office and probably win them over on is Stabilitly,Stabilitiy, Stability, and by bringing in another DC in what could be AR’ final Season, would be too much angst and change again for Team, it’s Players and to Coach AR to deal with .. Coach AR knows that 2012 is it for him, either a deep playoff run or he is out of job… He is going to surround himself with who is most comfortable with and more importantly, who he trusts. Coach Castillo is going nowhere my friends..
By the way, the Eagles Defense now ranks 8th in Total Defense in the entire NFL.Take away the -13 Turnover differential mostly caused by the Offense couging up the ball like Halloween Candy the first 1/2 of this Season and the Eagles are probably a Playoff Team.
Sorry but these last 3 games should’nt be the major factor, last time i checked the season was 16 games not 3, your suppose to look at the whole body of work (16 games),if you want to go by the last 3 games keep in mind the QBs they played against, does anybody really think JC would be able to slow down Rodgers or Brees? We saw what Brady did to them, yes, he does that to everybody but thats what everybody thought when he played the Bills this year and the Giants in the SB, remember, those coaches put together a Game Plan and also made halftime adjustments that i dont believe JC has in him, lets not kid ourselves people over these last 3 games, we see defenses all over the league bringing in new coordinators and doing very well (49ers to name one) this organazation prides itself on upgrading the team to make it better, that should hold true concerning the coaches also, if someone like Spags becomes available that would be a major upgrade and the Eagles owe it to us and the team to make that move, you can make JC your linebacker coach to make AR happy.
well Andrew P – go back and check the eagles stats after the lose to Buffalo – go ahead – Philly.com looked at the Eagles D pre-buffalo and post buffalo – the team – if rated over the last 10 games – is #6 in rushing D and holding teams to an avergae of I think 19 pts a game – 6-4 record – 5-2 with Vick in line-up
but really – when I read your post – slow down Rodgers and Brees – I’m sorry – what DCs have slowed down Rodgers and Brees and Brady? Jacknuts crack me up – 2 games in History where Brady gets ‘slowed down’
and one other thing – Nobody owes you SHIT – don’t like the product – go find a new team – but for god sacks – stop your freakin whining –
and another – Navy on a rant – here is Spags D philosophy:
Spagnuolo learned under Philadelphia coach Jim Johnson, and shares the same aggressive, blitz-heavy approach as his mentor. Spagnuolo uses a 4–3 base defense with a heavy emphasis on multiple blitz packages, including corner and safety blitzes. While defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, he often used a smaller defensive line, with three or even four defensive ends to further pressure the quarterback.
wait – we can’t stand ‘fastball small D lineman
that’s right – cause GCOBB bloggers don’t know SHIT – they beg for a guy that will give them EXACTLY what they have been bitching they hated
I have been posting to all those ‘Graham is small’ douche bags’ Graham is/was the same size as all those DEs the NYG used to have……….
oh – wait – really – just keep bitching and complaining – evetually you guys will stumble into a fact – dude is 10-37 as a HC – how did the Rams D do this year – anyone, anyone, anyone, but wait – they have a guy – hired by Spags – who coached D for over 21 years???? wait – hold on – my head is spinning –
ok- im actually hoping to see the “rollercoaster” (when he gets frustrated and throws hands in the air during the play) by DRC this week. If a tottal melt down to the skins is what it takes… im “all in”.
I like Juan,,,,, i do. But this D needs a coach. It also needs someone that can stand p to Reid a bit… not a guy who brings him coffee and reports the number of hours he works to the Media.
I shall end with a quote from our dear friend ASAM- “the line coach?!!”
navy, if gcobb bloggers don’t know jack, what’s your purpose here, to prove you are the tallest midget in the circus?
while I rant – Spags was a DC for 2 years – 2 – in 2007 the Giants were the #5 seed to get into the playoffs and had a great run – winning the SB (yeah!) The next year 2008 – they got beat in theDivisional round of the playoffs by – wait for it – the EAGLES – so you guys are blowing loads all over yourselves for a guy – based upon a season in 2007?
Does anyone think before they post shit here – who from that 2007 team that went -wow- 10-6 and was the #5 seed – who did Spags aquire or draft?? Anyone – Anyone – that 2007 giants d was 14th ranked in the NFL – 14th oh – warm stuff dripping down my leg – the D got hot in the playoffs – great for them – they deserve tons of accolades for the 2007 season – but now we are basing hiring a guy based upon one game in 2007 – with a philosphy that many on this site bash constantly – talk about a freakin Bi-polar group
What’s your purpose in here Jake – for me it is to discuss Eagles football with fellow Eagle fans – as I live in a region where daily interaction with Eagle FANS is difficult – this is one place to ‘get together with’ fellow fans –
but even better question – as the majority on this site seem to hate the eagles, the coaches, the front office – why are they on here?
And I would think you would appreciate someone coming on here and pointing out the very coach you are trying to bring in actually supports the smaller lineman philosphy? And has an absolutley un-inspiring record as a HC and his two year body of work as a DC is clouded by people focusing on one playoff run (but not the other)
a
and Jake – what’s good for the goose, is good for the gander –
how come Reid has a SB ring for being a coach at GB when they won – but that ain’t shit – but Spags has one for walking onto the staff at the Giants and winning in his first year – but thatmeans everything – see ‘smart people jake, intelligent people jake, football intelligent people jake – look past the glitter and the shine and look into the realities – in three years, spags hasn’t done anything for the rams – he hired the OC and the DC – I think 10 games in three years? so based upon a game in 2007 -he’s a great fit
Navy? What defensive ends the Giants use to have were Graham’s size and height?
Navy- i have gone on record to say that i have ALWAYS felt that JJ’s D’s had often come up a short in the playoffs. I want spags here for a # of reasons Navy…
1) The line coach? really?
2) JJ always wanted to get to the qb with the front 4 and NEVER COULD with the lack of talent we had up front. We have that now and i dont think they would need to drop the wide 9 to get spags.
3) The Key to JJ/spags kind of D is being able to lock your man down on the outside. I feel that we have the tools to do that.
bottom line- this team needs Fire and leaders. We have 0. i think Spags could bring that. in all honesty… with the talent we have on D…. id take anyone that has EVER coached a D.
jake – I can’t answer for Navy, but you left out another possibility – to enlighten and educate. If you walked into a room with people saying 3+3 = 2, you wouldn’t stay to make yourself look smart, you’d stay to make sure they learn math.
Navy, I have to disagree with you on your thought process with Spags. If he actually HAD the talent to pair up with his schemes, he would have a HECK of a team out there in St. Louis.
The same St. Louis team that stiffled and confused the vaunted New Orleans Saints offense and embarrassed the NFL Record Holder for passing yards in a season.
Give Spags our defense and I promise you we will be one VERY nasty defense.
and Navy- i disagree with many on here about their views on the coaches and owner and stuff but THIS is what makes it our team. I live in MN and they just watch the Vikes. No fire…. no passion. just watch. They love the draft picks…. love the coach….. love the owner who waves at them from the press box with a smile on his face while his team is getting BLOWN OUT 9this actually happens). You know what happens? 4 games in… when they are 1-3 and out of the playoff hunt…. they click off the TV. THEY DONT CARE. and so… while i agree with you that most of the fabs on here make no sence (including you and I from time to time). id rather that then be Vikings fans.
this is what would happen if spags came.
1) Our D would have pride!! do you think they have pride that they are being coached by an OK Oline coach? its not like he was even that good there.
2) Our D would have fire. This man is a leader…. he makes players want to fight for him. I know St Louis sucks but….. have you watched? they play hard. our D does not.
3) He will chall the coach. AR needs someone in his face.
stevo – agreed on Philly being a better sports town that most because our fans are pretty much, always passionate. BUT – you’re mixing apples and oranges here – Navy made a comment about those fans that frequent this particular website – not about Eagles fans in general. They’re two different things. The Gcobb posters or bloggers or whatever you want to call them/us, are by no means a cross-section, and accurate sample, or a good representation of ‘eagles fans’ or ‘philly fans’.
I hope you get that…
At the very least, he’s gone! Although he is a clueless @$$clown, & will be made the scapegoat, he didn’t hire himself! Get rid of this entire staff already! Enough is enough! I’m starting to get sick of these repetitive, delusional articles. The season is dead. Lets start talking about options to make the team Championship quality, the draft & free agency.
Navy has a point here because many Eagles fans are desparate – we all know why – and therefore ‘the grass is always greener’. That’s why they always want a change – see the Andy Reid debate… yada yada yada. It’s not that Spags sucks or isn’t a good idea for the Eagles DC position – it’s that many fans have now put him on a pedestal WAY above his actual worth. He’s a good DC. A very good one perhaps. But it’s not a guarantee that he’d come in here and make our defense sick. It’s also not a gurarentee that our D could be sick next year, just with a few added pieces and more time/training camp to gel. It’s entirely possible that the D could succeed with Juan going forward, same for Spags…
But the fans crying for spags as a savior are elevating him above what his actual resume suggests is a reasonable expectation.
This Kool-Aid tastes great, but less winning!
Songs – you area lazy, sorry piece of crap – why don’t YOU go look up the size and wieght of the two starting DEs for the giants and compare to graham – go sho – want to prove me wrong – prove me wrong – go –
Schiller- i disagree. My brother- who does not post on here- gets fired up like us. My Dad- who does not post on here- thinks this AR guy needs to run. All the eagles fans i talk to back home in NJ are just as fired up about this stuff as we are. Its not like im FROM MN and growing up…. these are the convos ive had with all the PHilly/Giants fans. we have opinions and not afraid to speak them.
Not a savior Shill…. a D.C.- we dont have 1 here. I really dont care who becomes the D.C. as long as we go and get 1. we dont have 1. we didnt get one this year. we went and upgraded our D line….. our 2ndary…… and we didnt get anyone to coach them. NOONE. do u see that at all? who was lined up on Fitz when we played the cards? who? ive seen DRC do the “rollercoaster” 2 times this year…. DURING A PLAY. was he benched? did you see what happened to NNamdi this year? explain this to me please. oh…ok Shill….. your right… it was the OTA’s
Dummer windbag – has the kool aid thing not been played out – really – the epitome of idiotic GCOBB posting – constant references to a cult event that happened in 1978 where almost 1000 people died – including 200 children – really – are you that freakin stupid – gee – dummer – a real ‘whip’ with those comments – but just shows the idiocracy that exists onthis board – everything non-negative is the equivalent of cult killings –
Steveo – I can go through every team – every game and find EXACT examples of ‘why oh why oh why oh why oh why oh why oh why oh why oh why oh why oh why’ every team – I can show you – for example the freakin St Loius Rams where Spags was coach (guess you missed that ) where the guy was a d coach for 20 soem odd years in both college and the pros – and guess what – they sucked!
i think someone peed in navys coffee again.
and Songs – just to prove waht a know nothing ASS you are – Graham is 6’3 268 we all agree – OSi U 6’3 261 Kama or whatever was 6’5 260 and the other DE was 6-4 263 – Strahan – STrahan is listed on NFL.com at 6’5 255 pounds
quick Songs – make some more bullshit up!
im not understanding what your saying on that last post Navy. please reword
Stevo – I’m not saying that there aren’t many fans who want Reid to be fired, but Gcobb is Gcobb – the Eagles fanbase is larger than just Gcobb.
And the definition of a DC is someone who has the job of DC. Juan is a DC. He had no experience as a DC prior to becoming one – that phrase is true for every single DC in the past, present and future too though.
Morning stevo – no its just freakin cold out here today – like 50 degrees this am – only going up to 75 today! I missed you guys so wanted to see if I could stir up some crap early
navy, i agree that many of the posters on here say the oppposite of what they said 2 weeks before hand. but the bottom line is…. we can say what we want. i love being the GM. i know what i would do. Its not what you would do… but thats fine. I wanted Andy out afgter the Cards NFC champ game a few years ago but i resist that because i like SOME of what he is doing. NOW…. i just want some of his power removed. I hate our D. I hate that we value draft picks more than we do actual MLB’s… i dont understand why we cut tied with some LB’s so fast because we want to give young guys a shot (wetherspoon, Spikes as examples). y not pay them, and keep them around?
Stevo – the 1241 post – its in response to Songs and the others who somehow believe Graham is ‘smallish’ for a DE – Songs asked which DEs were on the giants that were similar in size to Graham (at 1208) so I listed the hts and wts of the 4 giants DEs
Shill- he is an Oline coach. it was a stupid move from day 1. we have no DC. none. and im sticking to it until they actually hire 1. its not that im desperate for spags, In fact…. id prolly rather them have the guy they had in TEN with Washburn. GIVE ME A DC!!!!
i was talking about the one before that but it does not matter.
stevo – that is an interesting question – Tracey White is up in NE, Wetherspoon, Dhani Jones had a couple good years in Cincy –
I don’t hate our D – they had lapses ealry in the season that killed them – way too many missed tackles that killed them – and I think the plan (I am reading someone elses mind here) was that with our loaded O we would outscore teams early in the year (al la NO, NE) until our D got their balance and was ready to go – now – our O moved the ball, but WAAAAAY to many turnovers, and O mistakes at critical moments –
the internal discussion is do we look at the the first 5 weeks or the last 5 weeks – in every business, or organization – a positive improving trend is a good thing – you haveto remove the emotion from it – factsare facts and the eagles D has played well – one more game for the full body of work. I am not interested in how we would do against GB or NO – they ain’t on the schedule
and really – I don’t have a problem if the change DC or HC – I will still ‘drink the kool aid’ either way
Stevo – we don’t have a DC is a cliche – Castillo is a ‘former’ OL coach – let it go – it may not have been the best move – but it is in fact the move that was made –
another coaching point – sorry brag alert – when you coach – you go to clinics – Pop Warner guys go to clinics with local high school coaches, high school coaches and staffs go to colleges – small colleges go to big colleges etc. – and in these clinics – you learn how to build a program, and a staff – and I will tell you right now – no clinic or coach would ever, ever, ever bring a coach into his staff another coach ‘that will get in his face’ – you develop a core philosophy and you build around that – you don’t bring in people that disagree with your core teachings to build a better team – that’s just mythical, wistful thinking
not going to happen – last thing any coaching staff wants is an incident like with Washburn adn MM – bad enough the team is struggling, but ot then have coaches (or coaches and players) having words – hell no
and all of you that disagree – again – you just prove my point that 1) you have never coached and 2) you have never played the game at a high level
ok- now we are getting somewhere. I think the coolaid commentss are crap too BUT… there is no doubt that the birds are masters of spin. The lates spin is this “we are jelling as a team now…. finally coming together…. young at LB and Safties…… Juan is learning…….” its all crap. All of it Navy. and i know you are not buying it.
1) Its easy to jell when you have to face a Cowboys team that has NO REASON TO PLAY ad has a BACKUP QB. i know Jones wanted to win. But the game was pointless.
2) the LB’s and safties are who we thought theyd be. We ALL knew they were not good enough. Im not saying Allen, Mathews, Role are no good (illl leave that to Songs) but they SHOULD NOT have been expected to shine. They were poor from the start and thats on ANDY because he does not value them enough.
3)Juan is on Andy. This was an “all in” year. And they put this guy in the drivers seat. STUPID. i dont want to hear ANY excuses. NONE. bad call- bad move. It cost us games to start.
Navy….settle yourself. Damn you are hot today! Take it easy Buddy. These guys have some valid points. But I think Spaggs is over rated because once upon a time he came up with a good game plan against a team that happened to be 18-0. A team that also went away from their strength and ran the ball too much in the first half and tried to be too cute. And all he did was watch a tape of what JJ (his mentor) did to them in November and copied that with better personnel against a banged up O line.
I don’t think anyone is going to confuse Juan with Dick Lebeau but it may be best to just keep him here for the sake of continuity. They aren’t going to win the SB next year anyway so what difference does it make really? The safeties are not going to improve. The LBs probably won’t improve much and the DTs will not be any better either. It will be the same defense with maybe a small upgrade to one LB position and a rookie DT replacing Trevor Laws as their first round pick that will either be another flop or just not much of a contributor as a rookie but a solid player down the road. I can guarantee you they will not bring in a FA safety of note or draft one before the third round. They will also not bring in any FA LBs that will make us all do back flips and they will not draft one in the first round because frankly aside from rolling the dice on Burfect (which I think they should but won’t), none of them are worth a first round pick. Let’s just hope Devon Still is not another Penn State bust because thats who we will probably get. And he is no Albert Haynesworth. Don’t see PB material there. But maybe Delaware is due for another HOF DT. We haven’t produced one since Randy White. Keep dreaming.
Eagles Defense has been playing well (minus the Seahawk game where the entire team played like crap) for the 2nd half of the season in my opinion..
Build on what they have done.. They are the 8th Ranked Defense in the NFL which is higher rank than they been for a few Seasons.. Finish the Season Strong, go out and get a LB,Strong Safety and another DL and figure out what to do with Samuel and build from there…The Eagles Turnovers the 1st half of the Season is what killed them as they ran into Hot Teams who were on a roll when they played them like Buffalo, Bears and Cardinals and probably would beat these Teams 7 out of 10 times,but when you turnover the ball and give the other team more chances to score, it will catch up to you and bite you in the Ass which is what happened… It’s Life, It’s Football and it’s in the past so there is nothing that can be done with it..
Navy- about the D plan- i 100% agree that they figure to have a lead abd the D will be good enough to hold it. But how did that work for us?
I also agree that AR isnt going to all of a sudden have a Ravens D. BUT…… look at what his former coaches have done AFTER they left….
Chilly- came to MN and the first words out of his mouth were “we are going to run the ball!!”
Harb- goes to the ravens and keeps the D we all love and droooooooolll over.
Spags- goes to the Giants and his D plays with passion and fire.
I disagree abpout the yelling on the sideline. I LOVED IT. someone please tell Andy/Marty to give the D a few mins to rest.
pman- stuff it with the stats. They played the Seahawks, a pointless cowboys team, got smashed by the Pats on national TV, let a backup to a backup in Arizona look like Montana-.
JB – I am actually freezing! and I gotta run soon – only a few moments to stir the pot!
Stevo – all plans look great until the first time you meet the enemy – Yeah – i think I could DC in Baltimore – give me Ray Lewis and Ed Reed – I could get something done –
You guys all have fun the rest of the day!
Don’t forget NT Hgata too from the Ravens who was a 1st ROunder I believe
This is what my defense would look like next year if I were DC:
DE-Cole
DT-Dixon/Jenkins
DT-Patterson/Graham
DE-Jenkins/Babin
OLB-Chaney or Mathews
MLB-Burfect
OLB-Rolle
CB-DRC
CB-Asomugha
FS-Allen
SS-Dawkins
Yes Dawkins. We need veteran help and leadership and Denver will unload his contract this off-season. Plus this is a GREAT suck up to the disappointed fans move.
jbird – first you tell me to calm down then you print something about Dawkins – the dudes neck is screwed up – he hasn’t played – his career is probably over due to that neck injury – now – bring him in as a coaching intern… (on the pathway to being a coach) – that would score you some points –
Wasn’t Turnover Machine QB VY playing versus the Pats/Seahawks and the #1 Playmaker in D-JAx (who always opens up the field for everyone per most posters) suspended for the game versus the CArdinals since he chose to break team rules nad blow off a Special Teams Meeting..so it’s wasn’t all onthe Defense in my opinion and that’s what I am bitching about.. Everyone wants a reason, a scpaegoat on wht the Eagles underperformed and the real answer is, that the entire team was not ready to play form the get-go.. The Coaches, the star players and everyone else for that matter..Hell, Even Merrill Reese was off his game the first few games… Many in the media and fans thought this Season (and especially the beginning) was going to be a cakewalk…. The Rams,49ers BIlls,Redksins,Cardinals.. were not even considered worthy opponents by many.. The problem is I don’t care what the fans and media think, but there was no doubt that many of the players and probably coaches bought into the hype too.. that hey, were are more talented,therefore we show up and we should win.. but guess what, it doesn’t work that way in professional sports and in Football.. There is a thing that’s hard to measure or see on the surface or on a stat sheet and it’s called “HEART” and the entire Eagles Team and Coaches were simply lacking in having it in many games this Season.. SO maybe this Seasons shortcomings and failures may end up in the long run being a good thing for the Team to experience (not that us fans will understand) but a little humility has never hurt anyone and I thnk this 2011 Team and many of its players and coaches were not only reminded of this, but hopefully learn from it…You have to be prepared to play each and every week like your hair is on fire and that the other team is out to beat you so you have to up for the challenge.. Time will tell..
Paulman’s Eagles Defense in 2012
DE Cole/Hunt
DT Jenkins/Landri
DT Patterson/Dixon
DE Babin/Graham
OLB B Lindsey (2nd Round Pick from Pitt 6-3 245 lbs)
MLB J Cheney (Matthews back-up)
OLB B Rolle (Jordan/Clayton back-up)
CB Asmo & DCR (Hanson slot CB, Hughes and Marsh as Back-ups)
SS Mark Barron (1st Round Pick from Alabama 6-2 220lbs)
FS Nate Allen (Coleman and Jarrett as back-ups to both SAfety positions)
My scapegoat is Andy Reid. ive explained why.
hired the waterboy to run D
Bad lb’s- then later blamed it on youth
penalties and poor effort are ALWAYS on the coach.
you dont give up 4th quater leads- 5 FLIPPING TIMES!!
i dont care how well we played against teams the last 2 weeks….
pman- your LB list is not good enpough in my opinion. We need a vet.
Bottom line for me on the D is this….. we have to be able to play with the big boys OUTSIDE of our Div- we did that maybe 3 times this year and lost all 3. What game did we win this year that we should not have? What game did our D show up BIG? the dallas game last week? can anyone even tell me who the qb was? ive already forgot.
We do need a Veteran LB in Free-Agency (I am sure who is a Free-Agent but there should be some good ones out there)
should be, I am not sure whose available in Free-Agency at the LB position but the Eagles need to have a veteran stud in the Middle ..