Posts Tagged ‘Andy Reid’

White Quarterback II: Why Rex and Caleb are More Employable Than Donovan McNabb

Monday, October 15th, 2012

By Charles Modiano

 

 

 

 

 

Donovan McNabb is still seeking an NFL job, and never before in NFL history has a quarterback so accomplished found himself so suddenly unemployed. In quieter news, 31-year old quarterback John Beck made the Houston Texans team despite an 0-7 career record with a 67.6 passer rating. In the NFL, there are no white versions of McNabb’s free-fall or African-American versions of Beck’s remarkable life preserver. There are also no Black Tim Tebows or White Vince Youngs (out of league despite 31-19 starter record). After five years of failure, Alex Smith’s redemption is positively heartwarming — until you realize he can only be white. Hasn’t McNabb earned Smith’s respect?

In the famous Harvard study“Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal?”, resumes with White-sounding names received 50% more callbacks than identical resumes with Black-sounding names. As McNabb awaits callbacks, exactly how and why Rex Grossman and Caleb Hanie became more employable than Donovan McNabb in 2010 and 2011 demands a fuller explanation. Unlike the 2010 seasons of Alex and Troy Smith (out-of-league), these resumes aren’t quite identical. A closer look at Rex’s rise and Caleb’s climb not only reveals an NFL system of white privilege for quarterbacks, but more significantly[1], it reflects how hidden forms of employment discrimination  routinely operate across America.

How did we get here? Houston head coach Gary Kubiak explains his hiring of John Beck:

“[Beck] gives us some security here. He knows our system moving forward.”

Yes, John Beck knows Gary Kubiak’s “system”. Here is why:

As a longtime assistant coach, Gary once learned “the system” under head coach Mike Shanahan with The Broncos before he hired Mike’s son Kyle to help employ “the system” with The Texans before Kyle left to join Dad to teach “the system” to Beck with The Redskins. In April, Beck was cut by Mike, but still learned “the system” just well enough to be signed two weeks later by his friend Gary.

Did you get all of that Mr. McNabb?

While Donovan’s critics like to unfairly obsess over each under-thrown pass [2], his alleged demise has been falsely exaggerated by any objective measure or historical comparison. McNabb completed 19 of 24 passes in his final game played (with two drops), his 2011 passer rating surpassed 15 other starting QB’s, and his last two teams combined for an 8-21 record after he left

While his 2011 break with The Minnesota Vikings can be reasonably justified [3], the choices by coaches Mike Martz and Mike Shanahan were both indefensible and instructive. However, the minds of Mike and Mike tell an interwoven NFL story about the power of “genius” white coaches, “sticky” Black stereotypes, and a complex system of white privilege.  Lets review:

 

1) “The System”: Why Mike Martz Chose Caleb Hanie

Following the 2011 season, longtime Chicago Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo was fired, and celebrity Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz “resigned” at the end of his contract citing “philosophical differences” with head coach Lovie Smith. Here is why: After quarterback Jay Cutler suffered a season-ending injury, the 7-3 Bears allowed undrafted and untested Caleb Hanie to steer their playoff ship although he had never started a single NFL game. As Hanie insurance, The Bears also picked up Josh McCown who had been out of the league and coaching high school football. 

How did these men become qualified? They both knew Mike Martz and his offensive “system”[4]. Meanwhile, McNabb requested his Vikings release with the very specific hopes for a Chicago homecoming. To many Bears fans, the low-turnover McNabb running a ball-control offense on a defense-first Bears was an absolute no-brainer — just not the brain of Mike Martz.

Knowledge of Martz’s system trumped actual skill, and head coach Lovie Smith[5] made the mistake of deferring to Martz – the man who once gave Smith his first defensive coordinator position a decade earlier. As the former Offensive Coordinator of the 1999 Super Bowl Champion Rams, Martz had been credited as the architect and “genius” behind of “The Greatest Show on Turf”. By 2001, Martz became the Rams head coach and notably gave the Super Bowl away to the underdog Patriots. In Too S’Martz for His Own Good, the late great Ralph Wiley wrote:

These would-be football geniuses kill me. Don’t they kill you?

They come along now and then, like Mr. Mike Martz. Before the game teaches them the basic humility needed for any martial art, you can almost hear ‘em thinking, “Oooo, my system is so smooth. Oooo, lookit. I made separation. I made open space. I. I. I. My scheme is so sweet.”

Know who’s next in line? Spurrier. And we encourage them. Media types. “Brilliant scheme. Yada-yada.”

…Because you knew the Rams would throw it.

That ain’t genius. It’s ego, run amok.

Genius in football is simpler than that.

It’s not exploding receivers out of set like quail out of a covey.

In football, genius is simple: Do what they don’t expect you to do.

If they expect you to run, pass. If they expect you to pass, run.

Ten years later, genius in football was as simple as picking Donovan over Caleb Hanie.

But Martz never learned.

While the Rams Hall-of-Fame talent like Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, and Isaac Bruce could turn countless coaches into Einstein, Caleb’s  familiarity with Martz’s “system” produced four straight abysmal losses low-lighted by an anemic 41.8% QB rating – half that of McNabb in 2011.

Why did Martz believe he could turn Hanie into Kurt Warner?: Because he still believed he turned Warner into Warner! Speaking of the former stock boy turned MVP, Martz remarked“You all know the story about the grocery clerk, right?”  Warner wasn’t “Cinderella”, that was Martz. 

Distracting media discussions on Martz “system” replaced a very simple question: If Denver coach John Fox can completely overhaul his career-long system in a single week to accommodate a 46.5% passer named Tebow, why can’t Mike Martz adjust his for a 6-time all-pro?

Hadn’t McNabb earned Tebow’s respect?

Instead, the “system” has indirectly become one of the NFL’s greatest systems of white privilege that rewards quarterback-ups and has-beens. Predominantly white coaches create systems that often reward predominantly white quarterbacks, their past personal relationships, and the perceived ability to employ their playbooks. This perceived ability comes at a cost frequently chronicled by Black Athlete Sports Network and The Starting Five. BASN’s  Gary Gray asks:

“Over 65% of college quarterbacks are African American. What happened? Do these men forget how to play the position when they enter the pro level?”

TSF’s Michael Tillery also sees a systemic problem:

“The system of evaluating quarterbacks should be based on merit and not what our perception of what a quarterback should be.”

The great irony is that adherence to “the system” is often a statement on the coach’s own intellectual inability to adapt to player talent.  McNabb agrees:

“I thought the Bears would call. So many people continuously talked about the Mike Martz offense… If you want to win and win now, you go out and get a better quarterback and you cater your offense to his strengths, and obviously the strengths of your team.”

Unfortunately for McNabb, Martz was not alone. Sticky stereotypes from his previous year with The Redskins may have also come roaring back. On talk radio, the refrain went a little something like this: “Well if McNabb can’t even grasp the rigors of Shanahan’s two-minute drill, then how will he pick up Martz’s complex playbook!”

2) “Sticky Stereotypes”: Why Mike Shanahan Won the War

The root of Donovan McNabb’s downfall began with Kyle Shanahan – the Redskins Offensive Coordinator who never really wanted him. Kyle shared Martz’s inflexibility and sense of entitlement, but not his resume.  As a poster boy for affirmative action, Kyle obtained all four of his coaching jobs through his Dad by the age of 30. 

Kyle would sour on McNabb almost immediately in 2010, and prefer Rex Grossman because he knew Kyle’s “system” from their previous year with the Texans. Like Martz, Kyle either wouldn’t or couldn’t adapt to fit into McNabb’s superior strengths, as Eagles coach Andy Reid once did for McNabb, and then once again for Michael Vick. Kyle’s flaws and family ties would quickly become Donovan’s burden.

Humiliation #1: Rex Grossman ”gave us the best chance to win”. 

The Washington Redskins were 4-3 in 2010 and head coach Mike Shanahan famously benched McNabb at the end of a winnable game in favor of Grossman who fumbled the game away on first play. Kyle likely made initial benching call.  Afterward, ex-coach  Tony Dungy reacted:

“If I’m Donovan McNabb, I’m hot. I’m your starting quarterback. As a coach, I can’t take you out of a game we have a chance to win if I believe in you.”

Humiliations #2 and #3: Too dumb and lazy

Instead of admitting his terrible error, Mike Shanahan humiliated McNabb twice more by criticizing both his mental and physical ability to run the 2-minute drill. Shanahan’s actions were strongly denounced by many former coaches and quarterbacks (see Jimmy Johnson and Terry Bradshaw). Critics called Shanahan’s actions “completely dumb” and “personal, intended to injure McNabb’s reputation”, and more charged that “the race card had officially been dealt” with “racial coding… [worthy of] firing a coach” as Shanahan “knowingly treated McNabb like a N-­—”. McNabb reflected back in 2011:

“When you start to challenge my intelligence, you’re gonna challenge my manhood, everything that I’ve been able to accomplish throughout the years, that’s disrespectful.”

But Shanahan did far more than challenge his intelligence — he challenged his long-term future employment prospects. Shanahan’s “reference” wasn’t just an individual attack – it was institutional. For an African-American quarterback in a league that has a long and continuing history of devaluing Black intelligence at the QB position, being essentially called “dumb” and “lazy” is like a felony conviction to be seen on all future job applications.

Never mind McNabb’s 92-59 record with the Eagles; his five NFC championship games; or that a closer look at Shanahan’s coaching career reveals far more “Trent Dilfer”[7] than “John Elway”. If Mike Shanahan questioned McNabb’s intelligence, then sports media repeats it, sports radio debates it, and then it becomes fact.

Humiliation #4: Shanahan chooses Beck over McNabb

Not long after Mike Shanahan declared he would only welcome McNabb as a “back-up” in 2011, he had automatically granted John Beck the opportunity to compete for The Redskins starting job with Grossman. Both Shanahans saw something very special in Beck. Kyle stood on a table in 2007 insisting Beck be drafted with the 11th pick, and Mike effusively praised him and stated: “I think the world of him”. Whatever Mike saw in Beck would trump McNabb’s 107 – 0 advantage in career wins.

Beck would go 0-3, the “Beck-Rexperiment” would produce a 6-13 record in 2010-11, and Shanahan would quietly admit defeat sans apology. He would cut Beck, and trade a bunch of Redskins draft picks for super-prospect-in-any-system Robert Griffin III. Mike would keep his job, keep his son, keep his ego, and possibly even restore his genius. RG3 might soon make all but McNabb forget:

Rex failed. Beck failed. Kyle’s system failed. Mike’s judgement failed. And no “system” will ever turn Rex or Beck into Elway.

Humiliation #5: League chooses Shanahan over McNabb

In this copy-cat league, McNabb’s past pass-ups justify future pass-ups. This writer displays the popular circular logic:  

“All I have to say is this, the Texans and Bears both lost their quarterback mid-season in 2011, and they still didn’t give McNabb a call. What does that tell you?”

Two simple explanations are Martz’s egomania and the decades-long Kubiak-Shanahan friendship, but that was not the author’s point. 

Hiring McNabb now must first require the mental capacity to acknowledge that the genius Mikes were dead wrong, and Donovan was right. Too many fellow GMs, coaches and complicit media members are incapable of drawing this conclusion, no matter how many stats, dumb decisions, or reels of Caleb Hanie videotape turn up. None of these facts are more powerful than their belief in the “genius white coach” – a myth enabled by a sports media that can’t seem to apply such labels to the Tony Dungys or Mike Tomlins[6]. 

The quarterback decisions of Shanahan and Martz weren’t merely “incompetent” — but constituted coaching malpractice. What if McNabb was white? What if Rex-Beck were Black? Is Martz just an equal-opportunity egomaniac? While we can and should ask these questions, the answers still miss the systemic point. Institutional racism is not about Martz or Shanahan.   It’s about the incredible widespread trust in their judgment which is inseparable from their own whiteness.

That’s why Donovan McNabb remains unemployed.

3) “It’s Bigger Than McNabb”: The Real Problem

“I’m not training to be a backup in this league. … I want to be the guy out there battling and going through the ups and downs. I want to be that guy.”

Many in media have argued that McNabb needs to get a “grip on reality” and tone down his lofty expectations of ever competing for an NFL starter position. But the quote above is not from McNabb, but John Beck who just naturally expects to receive what McNabb has spent a Hall-of-Fame career (see Jim Kelly) pursuing:

Respect.

The real problem is not with McNabb, but with those coaches, writers, and fans who have the audacity to expect more “humility” from McNabb than the John Becks. Donovan has eyes, and can see the suffocating white privilege all around him from John to Rex to Caleb to Josh to Kyle to Mike and at least 50 QB’s who know all about “systems” their arms can’t cash. He clearly sees that his accolades haven’t gained him half the line of credit of Kerry Collins or Todd Collins. McNabb sees all of this. The real problem in the NFL, sports media, and America is this:

Friends Trump Facts: McNabb never built up a “coach’s friends network”[8] like Beck. In America, 70-80% of all jobs are obtained through “networking” – the most common mass form of employment discrimination. This “hidden job market” produces “hidden white privilege” as bosses naturally tend to hire family, friends and others who look, think, and act like them. Kyle Shanahan is more rule than exception. I have also benefited from networking. I earned my very first job as a teen through my Aunt, my first career opportunity through my brother, and when I messed up like Kyle, I didn’t have my intelligence questioned.

System Trumps Skill: Caleb over Donovan is not abnormal.  In corporate America, “the system” is called “corporate culture” and “fitting in” to existing white cultural norms is preferred to maximizing the skills of more qualified employees of color. Whites are also more likely to have their specific individual strengths noticed and nourished (see Tebow). Studies also show that an African-American male with a Bachelor’s degree is just as likely to be unemployed as a white male with a high school diploma (slide #10). As a white college graduate, if I really wanted to identify with the employment barriers of college-educated African-Americans, I’d have to return my degree.

Stereotypes Trump Stats:  Shanahan’s stereotype – not McNabb’s resume – stuck like glue. Such stigmas and stereotypes do not stick equally (see Kerry Collins’ transgressions). Princeton studies also reveal that a white man with a felony conviction has an equal or better chance at employment than a Black man without one. As a white job seeker, if I really wanted to understand Black employment challenges, I’d have to mug somebody and do time first.

Ego Trumps Winning: Don’t coaches like Shanahan, Martz, and others  “just want to win football games”? No. Not quite. Ego-maniacal NFL coaches (which are most) want to win games, win their way, and receive the credit for the victories. I have also held jobs where only 30% of my skill set was being used, and my worth was being (mis)judged because my strengths were ignored. While incredibly frustrating, it still did not stop me from obtaining other jobs within my profession.

Conclusion:

In arguing the case of white quarterback privilege, the most common resistance has come through variations of the following “common-sense” question:

“In a billion-dollar enterprise, wouldn’t any team definitely hire the best quarterback that could help their team win?”

Problem #1 with the question: It assumes winning is always more valuable than whiteness as the face of a franchise. While elite talents like Vick, RG3, and Cam Newton will always find homes, Michael Tillery asks the opposite economic question“Is the fear Black quarterbacks will take over the league alarming enough there will always be resistance for the status quo to submit to their physical and mental prowess and unequivocally give them a shot?”

Problem #2 is sports history: The “wouldn’t any team help itself?” logic has long been an enabling tool in justifying discrimination. It once helped deny Black players from entering Major League Baseball as The Sporting News editorialized in 1945: “There is not a single Negro player with Major League possibilities.”  The white press, white fans, and owners at the time largely accepted this reasoning at the expense of pennants and millions in ticket sales (see Brooklyn Dodgers).

More recently, this question was turned on its head when the collective judgment of all 30 NBA General Managers refused to draft or sign Jeremy Lin because they subconsciously perceived stereotype before skill. In linking Asian to African-American stereotypes, David J. Leonard writes“Race matters when thinking about Lin’s recruitment (or lack thereof) out of high school and his path to the NBA, as race matters when talking about employment discrimination.”

In the intentional scenario, McNabb is being black-balled like Satchel Paige, Curt Flood, and Barry Bonds (see 2008) before him. In the unintentional scenario, McNabb is this year’s Jeremy Lin before the Linsanity. In either case, the racial impact is just the same (cue Jay Smooth).

Donovan McNabb is the story of employment discrimination and white affirmative action in America.

But just don’t tell John Beck “the system” is rigged. He believes he earned his job.

 

Charles Modiano of POPSspot.com, for War Room Sports

[1] Beyond stereotypes based on intelligence that discriminate against African-American QB’s, many have argued that stereotypes based on athleticism have discriminated against white players at “skill positions” – even if not near a McNabb level. Stereotype research suggests that this is also likely true to some degree. While anything less than a meritocracy at any position should be corrected, such bias would not be symbolic of any widespread racial discrimination that happens in the everyday lives of whites. Employment research indicates that people of color are discriminated against in all positions at every level. If for example, athletic stereotypes on physicality were preventing whites from gaining fair access to hard labor blue-collar jobs, then that stereotype would gain far greater importance. However, the exact opposite is true. White Quarterback Privilege is especially significant precisely because it mirrors institutional white privilege in employment prevalent across society that is founded on the notions of white male supremacy in intelligence and leadership. This real-world context is the foundation that inspired this article.
[2] McNabb often underthrows the ball when missing receivers, which visually appears far worse than sailing overthrows. This is a strength disguised as a weakness as missing low over high prevents interceptions (only two in 2011). This is one reason why McNabb has the second best touchdown-to interception ratio in NFL history (behind Tom Brady).
[3] Some have misused Christian Ponder’s promotion to Viking starter by head coach Leslie Frazier to indicate that McNabb was “beaten out” by a rookie. This is false. Ponder went 1-7 with a 70.1 passer rating, but was reasonably seen as a necessary investment in Ponder’s future growth for a non-playoff-bound team.
[4] Martz “system” was once helped bring the Rams a Super Bowl when he had Hall-of-Fame talent, but has never produced results in any other stops.
[5] The Chicago Bears firing of GM Jerry Angelo, but not of  head coach Lovie Smith suggests that the pivotal decision to stay with Hanie and pick up McCown was ultimately Angelo’s, and not Smith’s final decision.
[6] In contrast to Martz, Tomlin’s brilliance was displayed in his deference. As defensive coordinator in Minnesota, he ran a very successful 4-3 defense. While new coaches customarily change defenses regardless of player talent, Tomlin won a Super Bowl in large part by keeping The Steelers 3-4 defense under Dick Lebeau in tact.
[7] Shanahan’s legacy and “genius” is largely based on two Super Bowl Championships with John Elway and Terrell Davis – not the other 16 years that produced only one single playoff victory and artificially inflated regular season win totals due to the Mile High altitude. Shanahan’s away record while with Denver was under .500.
[8]Andy Reid – who has publically supported McNabb – was his only head coach in Philadelphia, so past head coaches are not scattered all around the league to rehire him.  

Mike Vick the First to Go If Philadelphia Eagles Don’t Make Playoffs?

Monday, October 15th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

A few hours before kickoff on Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter cited an NFL source as saying that the Eagles would cut Mike Vick if Philadelphia didn’t go deep into the playoffs this season.

Anyone who pays attention to Eagles football knows that this was something that was already understood.

Since it was signed, we have known that Vick’s $100 million contract tied the team to the quarterback  for at least two years.  This is year 2. In the third year, Vick is due $16 million.  If he remains on the Eagles roster three days after the Super Bowl, he will be owed a guaranteed $3 million.  If the Birds release him, however, then Philadelphia will have no further obligation to the quarterback and take no hit on their salary cap.

What will determine if Vick gets to stay on the roster?  Whether the team gets deep into the playoffs.

The Sunday morning, pre-game timing of the report seemed premature.  But after seeing the Eagles unravel against the Lions, it suddenly took on a more ominous tone.

Let’s be clear: it’s still early in the season.  The Birds still have ten games left to play.  No one is giving up on the season or on this team (well, I’m not, anyway).  However, the coming week needs to involve some soul searching on the part of the Eagles.  We know they have the talent.  We know that they can correct the errors they’re making that largely result from a lack of discipline.

But they’re not doing it.  Six weeks in, you expect teams to find their rhythms and begin to reveal what they are truly made of.  What we saw in Week 6 from the Birds looked uncomfortably like the start of 2011 and a team that had regressed.  Heading into the 4th-quarter with a lead and not being able to hang on to win the game.  Sound familiar?

There is a lot of blame to go around but when you see the same issues popping up each and every game, the fingers have to point at Andy Reid and the coaching staff, who are on the hot seat to improve upon last season’s 8-8 record.  Perhaps the heat hasn’t been turned up high enough.

After defying the odds for three games, reality has set in and the Eagles are no longer winning games with the turnovers, fumbles, and all-around sloppy play.  The winnable games are not being won and the errors that are can be addressed are still occurring.

Tight end Brent Celek said it well following Sunday’s loss: “Yeah, it’s very fixable, but you can only say that so many times.”

The Philadelphia Eagles must find a solution to play a more consistent, fundamentally sound game before time runs out for the team to turn around their season.  If they can’t, expect an ugly gutting of the current Eagles roster and staff come the end of the season.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Lions-Eagles Preview: Taming Detroit’s Roar

Sunday, October 14th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

 

What happened to last year’s Detroit Lions team?  You know, the one that seemingly came out of nowhere to finish the season with a 10-6 record and make it to the playoffs?

That team is now 1-3 and are seeking an answer to that question themselves.  More importantly, they want to stop giving people reason to ask it.

For the second week in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles will face a team coming off of its bye and seeking to reclaim its season.  The Lions have arrived in Philadelphia rested and ready to roar, and it’s up to the Eagles to quiet their bite at the Linc.

The Lions are third in the NFL in total offense, averaging 412.2 YPG  but have little to show for it in terms of their record.  Detroit is averaging 25 points a  game, though, as compared to Philadelphia’s next-to-bottom of the league 16.  Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has struggled this season, notching more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3) with 1,183 yards after coming off a 2011 season where he tallied 41 TDs and 16 INTs for over 5,000 yards.

While we are all wondering what happened to all of the sacks we expected to see out of Philadelphia’s defensive line (they haven’t had a single one in two games and only have 7 this season), they have done well with the pass defense and have held opposing QBs to an average rating of 67.1.  Expect them to continue with the pressure but it would be nice to add some good, old-fashioned quarterback sacks to the mix.

Calvin Johnson, has 29 catches for a total of 423 yards this season but only has one touchdown, which interestingly did not come from Matthew Stafford but rather backup quarterback Shaun Hill.  The  elite receiver is still trying to find the chemistry to match the magic of last year with his quarterback and the Eagles must ensure that that does not happen on their watch.

It’s been no secret this season that the Eagles have struggled mightily in covering the best receivers of the game (I don’t even want to mention the Cardinals and Larry Fitzgerald, lest you have flashbacks.)  Megatron is as good as they come, matching physicality (he’s 6’5 and 236 lbs) with speed.  The Eagles have not gone into detail about their plans for covering Johnson but going one-on-one should not be an option.  All hands need to be on deck to limit the damage that Megatron can inflict.

The Lions have struggled to find a consistent running game this season with RB Jahvid Best out of action.  Mikel Le Shoure, however, is a significant threat,  running for 100 yards and a touchdown in his Week 3 NFL debut.  He was quiet the following week with just 26 yards but his potential is there and needs to be stifled.  MLB DeMeco Ryans and DT Fletcher Cox have been very successful at stopping the run and their efforts should be helped by the return of Akeem Jordan to the weakside.

The Eagles offense will see a similar look on the Lions defense, as Detroit also utilizes the Wide-9.  One of the team’s standouts on defense, tackle Ndamukong Suh, has recently received heavy criticism from an unnamed GM in the league for being overhyped, and it’s true that Suh has not dominated as he has in previous years.  He is still a force and the Eagles will face a pissed-off and slightly embarrassed Suh due to the comments and yet another off-field incident from Thursday.

I’m hoping he doesn’t get mad enough to stomp somebody again.

Detroit middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch has helped the Lions to limit the traction of opponents’ running  games, keeping them to 4.1 YPC this season.  LeSean McCoy had just 53 yards on 16 carries in Pittsburgh but the Eagles have tried to use the run steadily the past few games (hurray!).  For Shady to have any success the Eagles o-line has to find a way to fight a boy named Suh up front, meaning that he will keep Evan Mathis and Dallas Reynolds’ hands full all day.

It’s been well-documented what Vick needs to do today in order to lead the Eagles offense–hang on to the ball.  If he can do that and get the ball to playmakers like DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek, and perhaps Jeremy Maclin will want to make some noise in an otherwise quiet season, we will see an end to the low number of points the Eagles have been able to tally this season.  The offense needs to strike first and strike often to show that they’re being all they can be.

Like Philadelphia, Detroit is struggling on special teams, with the Lions’ unit having allowed 2 kickoff and 2 punt returns for touchdowns already this season.  Will the Eagles decide to shake things up on their own return game and finally oust Damaris Johnson in favor for Jackson on punt return duty?

A young  Lions team on the road facing a mountain of criticism from folks ranging from their fanbase to executives of another team faces another young team in Philadelphia that seeks to start its bye with a 4-2 record that makes it harder to question the possibilities for their long-term success.  The Eagles last home game was a rousing win against the Giants and the fans will be hyped.  Prediction: Eagles 33 Lions 17

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and onFacebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

It’s Time for the Andy Reid Era to End

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

By Brandon Pemberton

Catch me on Twitter @Bashir28

Angry, shocked, bewildered, and befuddled are a few words to explain how I felt after I watched the Philadelphia Eagles blow a 20-point, 3rd quarter lead, and lose 24-23 to the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.  Yes I admit, I am a full-bred, Philadelphia-raised, 4-for-4 sports fan.  But as an aspiring sports radio host and sportswriter, I am also a non-homer and I break things down objectively.

When the Eagles assembled this current team during the lockout-shortened off season, I was excited about the pieces they added, especially on the defensive side of the ball.  On paper, bringing in corners Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, along with defensive lineman Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins, made this Eagles defense look like world beaters.  They also signed quarterback Vince Young as the backup to Mike Vick and late in training camp, former Giants wide receiver Steve Smith as well.  Young coined the phrase “Dream Team” in an interview with the Philly media and the whole city ran with it.  Even before the team had played a down of football.

I had thought there were positions that were left unaddressed before the preseason and after watching preseason games 2 and 3, it was obvious to me that the offensive line, linebackers, and safeties were going to be a problem.  When I let it be known on Twitter, Facebook, and in this article http://brandononsports.wordpress.com/2011/08/21/eagles-brutal-performance-onthursday-is-it-reason-to-worry/ , people told me “calm down, it’s only preseason”.  Well the only eye test I had was the Eagles’ starters against the opposite team’s starters.  I thought to myself, “the Eagles really need to do something about these linebackers with the scheme they are attempting to play”, but this is Andy Reid we are talking about folks.  He feels as though linebackers don’t matter and aren’t a factor in winning a title.

So here we are, after this first 4 weeks of the season and the Eagles stand at 1-3 and last in the NFC East.  Unable to hold 4th quarter leads, horrible play in the red zone on both sides of the ball, along with putrid coaching and philosophy are the main reasons why.  Oh, don’t let me leave out the protection issues with the O-line, Vick’s problems coughing up the ball, and the inconsistent play of DeSean Jackson.

I and everyone else have had it with Reid’s excuses right after games in press conferences and the day after.  The same “I have to do a better job” statements along with his pompous and smug answers to the reporters’ questions the day after a bad loss or when he has made mind-blowing mistakes in a game, just tick me off.  His inability to adjust on game day and his refusal to take value in certain positions is the reason why he hasn’t yet won a Super Bowl, and why this team has fallen flat on their faces after 4 games.

Early in his career, Reid refused to acquire any big-time wide receivers, even when it was obvious it would help Donovan McNabb and take the team to another level.  He finally came to his senses and in 2004, Terrell Owens was added to the team and the Eagles had its best offensive season in franchise history while making a trip to the Super Bowl and eventually losing to the New England Patriots.  He then drafted DeSean Jackson in the 2nd round in ’08 and Jeremy Maclin in the 1st round of the 2009 draft.  It took him a while, but he eventually figured out if he was going to be a pass heavy team, he needed stud receivers.

During Andy Reid’s tenure here in Philadelphia, he has refused to put value into the linebacker position.  When he came here in 1999, he inherited stud middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and in 2000 while Tom Modrak was the General Manager, they signed outside linebacker Carlos Emmons as well.  Trotter and Emmons played together for two years (2000-01) and when “Trot” was allowed to walk after the 01′ season, this is when I realized the Eagles and the front office undervalued the linebacker position.  Reid has gone year after year refusing to address this problem.  Gardner, Simoneau, Kirkland, Jones, Wayne, Bradley, Gocong, and recently Ernie Sims are some of the names of the mediocre players that have played here since Trotter and Emmons.  They also have never found a proper replacement for Eagles’ legend and future Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins.

So when I saw the Birds send out a starting linebacker core of Moise Fokou, Casey Matthews, and Jamar Chaney on opening day, I wasn’t surprised.  You would think since the team is using Jim Washburn’s “Wide Nine” set for the defensive line, which leaves the linebackers vulnerable to offensive linemen, the team would acquire bigger, more violent linebackers via free agency or the draft.  Instead they move Jamar Chaney from his natural position of middle linebacker and hand the job to a 4th round pick out of Oregon who can’t play.  The eye test doesn’t lie.  Anyone with football acumen would have told you that Matthews isn’t a NFL middle linebacker, let alone a starter.  How Moise Fokou owns a starting spot on an NFL roster, I have no bleeping idea.  The guy is nothing more than a special teams player.  I liked what I saw from Chaney last season, but the current scheme doesn’t fit his abilities. 

There are two other teams in the NFL that currently use the “Wide Nine” scheme with its front four, the Detroit Lions and the Tennessee Titans.  The Titans are in the top 10 in 3 key defensive categories in the NFL:  7th in yards per game (299.8), 8th in rushing yards allowed per game (87.8), and they have the number 1 scoring defense in all of football (14.0 pts per game).  Their trio of linebackers include:  Will Witherspoon (6’1′ 240), Barrett Ruud (6’2′ 241), and first round draft pick Akeem Ayers (6’3′ 254).  They all are players who attack the line of scrimmage violently and are big enough to take on and defeat blocks at the point of attack.  Will Witherspoon, who played in eleven games for the Eagles in 2009, is also excellent in pass coverage, especially against tight ends.

The Lions rank 11th in the NFL in yards allowed (334.3) per game, 20th in rushing yards allowed per game (113.0), and 8th in points allowed per game (19.0).  Of course any defense with a player like Ndamukong Suh is going to make it easier on linebackers to play because he draws so many double-teams.  But there’s no way you can tell me that Stephen Tulloch (5’11’ 240), DeAndre Levy (6’1′ 238), and Bobby Carpenter (6’2′ 249) aren’t a more credible linebacker crew than the crap the Eagles have.  Stephen Tulloch has played his whole career in the “Wide Nine” scheme and was a free agent during the offseason.  It would have made sense to take a look at Tulloch and sign him since he is a proven veteran playmaker, but no, this is Andy Reid’s regime we are talking about here folks.  By the way, Tulloch is having a Pro Bowl caliber season through four games.

Before I finish, let me address the safety position as well.  As I said earlier in this article, Brian Dawkins still hasn’t been properly replaced since leaving via free agency in 2009.  Nate Allen was having a good rookie campaign before rupturing his patella tendon towards the end of last season, and it wasn’t certain if he would be 100% coming into this season.  Kurt Coleman is a 7th round draft pick who outplayed his expectations last season, but that didn’t mean he was a NFL starter.  The Eagles drafted Jaiquawn Jarrett out of Temple in the 2nd round, which was a reach and he has dressed for one game so far.  When the Eagles realized they were in trouble during the preseason, they signed 6-year veteran Jarrad Page, who has started on some bad Kansas City Chiefs teams in the past and played sparingly for the Patriots last season.  To start the season, it was Coleman at free safety and Page at strong safety, but the both of them were exposed during the first 4 games.  Whether it was blown coverage or just plain missing tackles, they both proved that they shouldn’t be starting in this league.  Nate Allen was given a shot at starting this past Sunday against the 49ers and he was a non-factor.

What more can I say?  It’s the same sad love song with Andy Reid at the helm and running things around here.  The Eagles haven’t been back to the Super Bowl since the 2004 season and they damn sure aren’t [going back] this year or any with Reid as coach.  His message, coaching style, philosophy, drafting, and antics are all old and it’s time for new blood for this franchise. 

Brandon Pemberton of Brandon on Sports, for War Room Sports

Happy For Mike Vick the Man, Disappointed in the Philadelphia Eagles

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

By Bradley Anderson

I am happy for Michael Vick.  Everyone loves a “Redemption Song”.  From a limited vantage point, he seems humbled, joyful, reinvigorated, and most importantly, eager to really LEARN the game of football, as opposed to depending on his RAW, UNBELIEVABLE athleticism to wow spectators, make games exciting, endanger his career, livelihood, and life. 

I think Andy [Reid]; having endured the heartache and pain of watching his own sons reap some of the same ills Vick did from sowing bad decisions into the most fertile soil of bad intentions, saw the potential in him.  He knew it was worth the risk to put him in a nurturing environment which would grow him amongst a brotherhood of men.  And now, we get to the fork in the road…a bad managerial decision that could potentially negatively impact the Eagles.  But Vick himself, I hope above all, Michael Vick the man is ready for the return to financial excess.  I hope he can manage the excess to create wealth for his grandkids’ grandkids. 

But more than that, here are the obstacles and the reasons this contract isn’t the wisest decision for the Philadelphia Eagles:

1) Currently, the Eagles’ offensive line is in need of a SERIOUS upgrade.  I think we’d all agree that Vick is in the top 5 or 10 athletes to EVER play the game.  And even at 31, having lost a half step, he’s still elite speed, athleticism, and talent personified.  And if HE can’t avoid getting PUMMELED in the pocket, you need to invest SERIOUS $$$ in your fat guys, otherwise you risk sledge hammers and boulders smashing up the pretty race car you paid all the money for.

2) Besides the eagles O-line being in shambles, Vick’s style of play is “balls to the wall”, “hell or high water”, “win or die”, and oftentimes outside of that pocket, Vick is engaged in near-death experiences.  Because he is able to get on the edge and extend plays and make plays with his legs, the risk of injury is raised exponentially.  Vick is RARELY (if ever) going to be able to complete a full season, and at what point do the aches and pains become permanent injuries that don’t heal?  At 31, playing as a fleet-footed athlete puts your career in jeopardy more and more with every play.  So, as management, ask yourself if you’re going to get enough out of him to get you SB wins?

3) Has he developed enough over the last 2 seasons to warrant top 3-5 QB money?  This is open to debate, but for me I’d say absolutely not.  a) He is 10x’s better with reading defenses, understanding coverage, and going through his progressions, instead of scampering like a scared deer or a neutered cheetah.  However, he isn’t ELITE at these things after only one season of improvement.  He still holds the ball too long, he still forces things a little (I know, who doesn’t?), but most alarming…MOST ALARMING…and the biggest issue I have; b) He cannot identify the blitzes.  When blitzed from the right, into his left, he folds like a deck of cards with a picture of Donovan in the Superbowl on them.  GREAT…even just GOOD QBs LOVE the blitz.  They want you to blitz.  They identify it pre-snap and even when they don’t, they can quickly see it coming, adjust, and either hit the hot read, or they are in sync with their slot guy, who also sees the coverage and the blitz, runs the appropriate option route, and the QB hits them instantly.  The Eagles don’t run option routes with their slot men (to my knowledge) and while we [the Eagles] have “hot” routes, Vick is wrapped up in thinking about the pressure rather than seeing it and making the quick read and throw.  During the last 3 or 4 games of the 2010/2011 season, Vick was EXPOSED…not as a fraud, but as a 2nd tier QB.  He is and always will be a tier 1 athlete, a tier 1 talent, and a tier 1 FOOTBALL PLAYER.  But he is NOT a tier 1, $100 Million ($40 Million guaranteed) QB…yet (If? When? Maybe? Could he? Will He?). 

I’m sure the Black protectionist, fans, and “stans” will be hounding me for not celebrating my Philadelphia Eagles for frivolously and prematurely throwing Manning & Brady money at Vick.  But forgive me.  I want to see more.  I’m a fan and supporter.  I have to be.  But I haven’t seen enough, and the difference between you and I, is that I know if you don’t spend your money on the O-line and D-Line (which we did…but just not enough), it doesn’t matter how many great skill players you have.

Bradley “B. Austin” Anderson of The War Room, for War Room Sports

If Kevin Kolb is Traded, Vince Young Makes Sense as Vick’s Backup

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

By Nairann Merceir

As a die-hard Eagles fan, I would love to see nothing more than Kevin Kolb traded once the lock-out is officially lifted, to the Arizona Cardinals for Rodgers-Cromartie (immediate upgrade at right corner) and a second round pick.  However, once Kolb is traded, that leaves the Eagles with a huge void at back-up QB, leaving only second year man Mike Kafka as Michael Vick’s primary back-up.  I don’t know about you, but I’m not comfortable with Mike Kafka having to start two to three games.  Hence the reason the Eagles must seek out a veteran back-up to Vick.  I’ve heard rumors of Brett Farve, Mark Bulger, etc. coming to Philly but I want Vince Young, and here is my argument now.

First, the offense that Andy Reid and the Eagles have installed for Vick fits the skill set of Vince Young.  Plus we know Andy has a proven track record of developing QBs who were labeled as underachieving passers, such as McNabb and Vick, so why couldn’t he do the same for Young?  Now let’s look at Vince Young the player.  Last season, Young appeared in 9 games (8 starts), and had the 4th best third down passer rating in the league, only trailing Brady, Roethlisberger, and Kitna.  At times in his short career, he has done pretty well, he’s had several come from behind victories, and he’s been effective in the short and long passing game.  According to NFL Films, last season Vince was the most accurate passer of balls that were thrown in the air beyond 35 yards and we know how that plays into Desean Jackson’s game.

Looking at Young’s first 4 seasons in the NFL, 2006 through 2009, he has amassed a regular season record of 26-13 as a starter.  That’s a .67 winning percentage for you math guys.  He’s lead 11 come from behind victories in his career, including 9 come from behind or tied performances in 2009.  That season, he started the final 10 games and led the Titans to an 8-2 record after they began season 0-6.  So the leadership skills are there.  He also made the Pro Bowl that season but we know that’s a bogus award/recognition.  

His career numbers through the first 5 years of his career are: 54 games played, 8,098 yards passing, 42 tds and 42 ints, with a 57.9 percent completion rate, 264 rushes for 1,380 yds and 12 tds.  If you compared that to Vick’s first 5 seasons, Mike played 58 games, threw for 9,031 yards, 51 tds and 39 ints, with a 52 percent completion rate.  There’s no need to even add rushing numbers, as they are not even comparable. However, as a passer, Vince Young is on par with Michael Vick through the first 5 years of their respective careers, with Vince actually being a more accurate passer.  So there is definitely something for the Eagles to develop here, and let’s not forget this guy was a top 3 talent when he came out of Texas in 2006.  If anyone has a better option out there to back up Michael Vick for this Eagles season, who may be called upon to start two to three weeks in case Vick goes down, I would love to hear it.

Nairann Merceir, Philly Sports Correspondent, for War Room Sports

Andy Reid: Yeah, But…

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

In the words of Roy Jones Jr. “Y’all Musta Forgot”, but I damn sure didn’t. Those who know me best can attest to my glass-half empty personality. With that being said, let me commence to raining on the parade of the Philadelphia Eagles and Coach Andy Reid.  As an Eagles Fan, I am ecstatic about Sunday’s win against the midgets. But I haven’t forgotten about the things that pissed me off though.

(1) Andy Reid’s gross misuse of the red flag makes me want to scream. We witnessed this dude challenge a play in the first quarter of a game because he didn’t like the spot, yet on Sunday he didn’t challenge a play where DeSean Jackson was clearly down before he fumbled. That play led to the Giants’ final touchdown. I don’t get it. It has bothered me for years. We all know that if the Eagles had lost that game, Birds fans everywhere would have been calling for everyone’s job, especially Big Red.  Everybody says, it’s not his fault. He has someone up there looking at it. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Andy Reid the H.N.I.C., The Lord and Savior, and The Alpha & Omega in the organization? That means he had to hire whoever the chump is telling him when to throw the flag or not. Andy Reid is a hell of a coach, I won’t deny that, but when it comes to that challenge flag he makes me want to throw things at him.


(2) Dimitri Patterson.  It’s still hard for me to say his name without cursing.  After the game and celebrations ended, Dimitri Patterson should have visited the nearest police station to file assault charges on Mario Manningham for the abuse he endured during that game.  Towards the end of the game, Eli stopped looking for open receivers and started throwing wherever  Patterson was positioned on the field.  It was embarrassing.  The Eagles defense has been depleted and it seems they lose another key player every week.  Therefore, we get left with the Dimitri Patterson’s of the world.  He played better in the second half than in the first (that ain’t hard to do but still…), but if this is what they’ll be going into the playoffs with, I hope the offense is ready to light up the score board.

(3) Why no adjustments?  When Dimitri Patterson was getting burned, toasted and scorched by Manningham, did it ever occur to Andy Reid to make an adjustment?

(4) Mike Vick and DeSean Jackson are making plays that are out of this world, but can Shady and Maclin get some love?  While Jackson is an electrifying player, Maclin is more consistent.  He leads the team in touchdowns.  The speed of Jackson makes Maclin look like a pedestrian, but he is fast as well.  The Eagles have long since been identified as a passing team, but McCoy has been playing well in the running game.  Now he won’t be mistaken for MJD or Jamaal Charles, but he’s doing what’s asked of him and in my opinion, he is the Co-MVP of the team.

(5) The Eagles have given up an average of 24 points per game, that‘s more than the 4-10 Detroit Lions.  If the playoffs began today the Eagles would be a (3) seed and they would face the Midgets who would be the (6) seed.  Based on what I saw during the two match ups between these teams, big mistakes by the Giants have been the difference.  As a Birds Fan, I want nothing more than to party on Broad Street, but as I said before, I have a glass half-empty personality and on top of that, I haven’t forgotten the first 3 ½ quarters of Sunday’s game…have you?

Monica Pierce, Guest Blogger for War Room Sports. Read more of her writing @ monicasthoughts.com.

Eagles commit heinous acts against The Redskins

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

Vick has earned the Job but why diss Kolb?

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

PJ Talks About Jason Peters

Friday, November 5th, 2010