Green Blood (10/24/07)
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by The Falcon
Welcome to the first installment of "Green Blood"...
"Green Blood: Does the coach have it too?"...
Week eight of the National Football League could symbolize the end of an era for a once perceived great coach. Andy Reid will lead (not that his team will follow) the Eagles to Minnesota to take on similar team. The similarities that are being referred to is the fact that both of these teams are last in their division, two games out of a wild card spot, and they don't show anything that would make someone think that they will turn it around anytime soon.
Brian Westbrook and Adrian Peterson are two of the most prolific running backs in the National Football League. Andy Reid chooses to abuse his star by giving him the ball on what seems like every single play; getting the ball into his hands as much as possible without running him between the tackles. This in theory is a good strategy; get the ball in the hands of your best player. It doesn't always work out because teams have figured out that, "If we stop Westbrook, they can't find offense anywhere else." On the flip side, Brad Childress for some reason has decided to keep the ball away from his best player. True Peterson touches the ball close to twenty times each game, but Childress likes to get the ball to Chester Taylor as much as possible. Why? Chester is good, but they have Adrian back there, so why not utilize him to his full potential?
The reason I bring up these two backs is that on the offensive end of the game, neither the Eagles or Vikings can function or even contend in a game without these two players. Next week's game will be about these two guys along with average defenses; Philly is ranked eighth in points against per game, the Vikings are ranked fourteenth in the same category.
This game will make or break the 2007 season for these two teams. One team will be 2-5, the other will stand at 3-4. The loser will likely be three games out of the wild card while the winner only one game out. If the Eagles happen to be the team to lose, the Reid era in Philly will officially be done. A loss for Philly (with division leader Dallas on a bye week) will knock the Iggles four games out of the division lead with nine games left to play. A playoff birth will not be out of the question given the run the team made last year, but it will be highly improbable at that point.
There is no fire under this team and there is nobody on the offensive end that can light this fire other than Reid or McNabb. Obviously Westbrook's play is not enough to rally the troops. Even with Kevin Curtis playing his heart out does not motivate this offense. With the exception of the week three match-up versus Detroit, the Eagles average a mere 12 points per game. Good luck winning to any team that cannot put up more than twelve points per game. Luckily, Brian Dawkins is due to return and motivate a defensive unit that hasn't played that badly this year. And, we've all seen McNabb light up the score board plenty of times. Maybe this team will turn it around.
If the Eagles loss to Minnesota, there are a few events that may be set into action for this franchise:
1. The team will look to replace Reid as head coach. This most likely would not happen until the end of the season, but this week the front office will have discussions about a replacement as the brains of this operation.
2. Philly fans (that already haven't done this) will call for rookie Kevin Kolb. As long as Andy Reid is the coach and Donovan McNabb can stand up, number five will take the snaps for the Green Birds. This brings back point number one, will Reid have any control over his personnel decisions after a loss?
3. Brian Westbrook may not see as many touches per game as he would be used to seeing. A smart move that the front office would make would be to rest Brian somewhat to save in the long run (his career).
4. Most importantly the loss will most likely lead to a losing record for the Eagles for the second time since the turn of the century.
A loss this week would lead the Eagles to have to go 6-3 over the rest of the year just to achieve a .500 record. With two games versus the 'Boys, at the Redskins, at the Patriots, against the Giants and at the Saints, a 6-3 record would not bee likely.
Unless you know nothing about the Eagles, you know that this is (seemingly) McNabb's last year in green. And you should know that Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid are a package (you can't get rid of one without removing the other as well). It also seems like Andy has lost control of his team. What kind of head coach doesn't have control over his team? Answer: not a good one. A losing season is all that the Eagles franchise is waiting for to push Reid and McNabb out the door, and this week shapes up to be a determining factor in the Eagles' 2007 season.
