The Andy Reid Fan Club

[Eagle60]

If we blow it up, the current record is about the most we could hope for, most likely. They want different players etc. and they won't have a really high draft pick to get a franchise player in the new mold, things like that.

I'm frustrated beyond belief by this year, but I can't fire someone with a long track record of success over one bad year. Maybe the last three games will change my mind, but you have to give Reid a chance to correct the mistakes (particularly giving them a full, normal offseason to implement the changes which were made) unless you think the whole thing is on the verge of going to pieces (like Ray Rhodes' last year). There are obvious fixes needed on the defensive side (mainly replacing Castillo), and if Reid refuses to do that, I may reconsider.

I like our offense a lot, including the revamped offensive line, though losing DeSean could well be an issue. The defense is another story. It has a lot of talent, but either the scheme or the gaping holes at certain positions (or both) has been enough to bring the whole thing down. I don't think a simple offseason with the same coordinator is going to fix that (particularly given that Castillo completely wasted whatever offseason he had by trying to force Casey Matthews as a starter).

Well FO, at this point Andy is Dave Campo or Wade Phillips-take your pick. He's pretty much lost his effectiveness and hold over the players. How many times can players on this team say "we know we're good" after getting the ever living shit kicked out of them and it's always "I've got to put them in better positions". Yeah, I'll take anything over a defense that usually is positioned flat on it's back.

FO, can't you see that there is no disipline on this team? You have a coach coming to the defense of a wr who is dogging it and of course the rest of the team knows it. And you have a FO that thinks linebackers are a dime a dozen and need zero coaching. We've got a mess on our hands and it has got to start at the top when it comes to cleaning it up.

[FairOaks]

Well FO, at this point Andy is Dave Campo or Wade Phillips-take your pick. He's pretty much lost his effectiveness and hold over the players. How many times can players on this team say "we know we're good" after getting the ever living shit kicked out of them and it's always "I've got to put them in better positions". Yeah, I'll take anything over a defense that usually is positioned flat on it's back.

FO, can't you see that there is no disipline on this team? You have a coach coming to the defense of a wr who is dogging it and of course the rest of the team knows it. And you have a FO that thinks linebackers are a dime a dozen and need zero coaching. We've got a mess on our hands and it has got to start at the top when it comes to cleaning it up.

What Reid says at press conferences has no bearing to what he's saying behind the scenes. I'm sure he will tear into players in private, while he's infuriating fans with the bland press comments. Perhaps DeSean really is putting in some good work some of the time at practice (if not always on the field). I don't think the Eagles would have any compunction about sending him home if he was anything like TO was that year.

I'm not going to defend them on the linebackers -- that has basically ruined what could have been a good season. Historically that was Jim Johnson's bailiwick though -- Reid let him have full autonomy there I'd guess, so I'm not sure I really will blame the historical stuff on Andy there. And while I'm sure Castillo doesn't have that much, I will blame a lot of the current situation on him -- that had to be his call to force Matthews in there. I just can't see Reid overruling defensive coaches on stuff like that, and he's probably covering for Castillo in the news conferences as much as he does for the players. Reid gets the blame for the Castillo hire, no doubt -- that was irresponsible.

Really, there are lots of good parts to this team. It was taken down by some horrifically bad parts -- it's not like this team is a disaster across the board. Just improving that one bad aspect (DC and LB) to even average and this team wins a bunch of games. That is not the type of team to blow up and start all over, I don't think. Stephen Tulloch (who was used to playing with the Wide-9) was signed for 3.35 million this year (one year deal); that would have been a helluva lot better investment than Steve Smith. Reid is far from perfect but I just fear we'd get worse overall hiring someone else -- I've not seen the signs that Reid has lost respect among the players, unless the Castillo hire did it.

[Eagle60]

What Reid says at press conferences has no bearing to what he's saying behind the scenes. I'm sure he will tear into players in private, while he's infuriating fans with the bland press comments. Perhaps DeSean really is putting in some good work some of the time at practice (if not always on the field). I don't think the Eagles would have any compunction about sending him home if he was anything like TO was that year.

I'm not going to defend them on the linebackers -- that has basically ruined what could have been a good season. Historically that was Jim Johnson's bailiwick though -- Reid let him have full autonomy there I'd guess, so I'm not sure I really will blame the historical stuff on Andy there. And while I'm sure Castillo doesn't have that much, I will blame a lot of the current situation on him -- that had to be his call to force Matthews in there. I just can't see Reid overruling defensive coaches on stuff like that, and he's probably covering for Castillo in the news conferences as much as he does for the players. Reid gets the blame for the Castillo hire, no doubt -- that was irresponsible.

Really, there are lots of good parts to this team. It was taken down by some horrifically bad parts -- it's not like this team is a disaster across the board. Just improving that one bad aspect (DC and LB) to even average and this team wins a bunch of games. That is not the type of team to blow up and start all over, I don't think. Stephen Tulloch (who was used to playing with the Wide-9) was signed for 3.35 million this year (one year deal); that would have been a helluva lot better investment than Steve Smith. Reid is far from perfect but I just fear we'd get worse overall hiring someone else -- I've not seen the signs that Reid has lost respect among the players, unless the Castillo hire did it.

I know you feel like you are defending your point here, but to me you have just listed a great case for firing Andy. I don't think you make these kind of mistakes after all of his experience. I guess we just have a difference of opinion here.

[musicman]

I'm not so sure AR didn't have a very good idea that his D would be avg- coming in while hoping it would step up and show some improvement come playoff time. IMO he laid all his eggs in the offense will put up a shitpile of points basket and that just hasn't happened.I see a total lack of consistency coupled with a bunch of injuries.My one wish for this D and whoever is calling the shots is that they would chuck this minimite idea and get some bonecrushers in the front 7. We keep drafting these tweeners and hope for massive overachievement. It's alot to hope for, that 4-6 players on D each week go out and play to their max capability while fighting off monster blockers.How about some monster motherfuckers that will fuck you up on their bad days ? I'm tired of watching RBs navigate their way through our D like it's the combine and there's 7 cones in front of them.

[FairOaks]

I know you feel like you are defending your point here, but to me you have just listed a great case for firing Andy. I don't think you make these kind of mistakes after all of his experience. I guess we just have a difference of opinion here.

Fair enough. I did think at the time the Castillo hire was a near-fireable offense if it didn't work out, which it hasn't. But I still can't bring myself to think we should fire Reid after one bad year -- that seems more like getting one's frustration out rather than really thinking about it.

[FRESH]

I'm not so sure AR didn't have a very good idea that his D would be avg- coming in while hoping it would step up and show some improvement come playoff time. IMO he laid all his eggs in the offense will put up a shitpile of points basket and that just hasn't happened.I see a total lack of consistency coupled with a bunch of injuries.My one wish for this D and whoever is calling the shots is that they would chuck this minimite idea and get some bonecrushers in the front 7. We keep drafting these tweeners and hope for massive overachievement. It's alot to hope for, that 4-6 players on D each week go out and play to their max capability while fighting off monster blockers.How about some monster motherfuckers that will fuck you up on their bad days ? I'm tired of watching RBs navigate their way through our D like it's the combine and there's 7 cones in front of them.

Having recently watched footage of the '91 defense, I know exactly what type of monster motherfuckers that you are speaking of.

[Ike]

I've wanted him gone for years... I remember the SB well when I first called Reid a bad name when the players were wandering around waiting for a play call down 2 scores late.

I've had enough for all the reasons stated above. I just don't think he's a good enough game day coach to ever win the big one. He always gets out coached, and he needs to do a better job there.