Eric Marmon2013-05-21T07:56:06-04:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=eric-marmonCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Eric MarmonGood old fashioned elbow grease.Philadelphia Eagles Draft 2013: Chip Kelly Gets Chip Kelly Guys (Oh, and Matt Barkley)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.31772402013-04-29T13:25:20-04:002013-04-29T13:25:27-04:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/
Eagles fans, this ain't Uncle Andy's team no mo'.
Long gone are the undersized linebackers, the D-II school projects set to learn a new position or the "fastball" defensive ends who aren't built for more than 20 snaps an afternoon.
Chip Kelly and his side-kick GM Howie Roseman are rounding up themselves a few good athletes.
It started with the selection of Oklahoma offensive tackle Lane Johnson. Calling him an athletic freak doesn't do him justice. Jevon Kearse was an athletic freak. Lane Johnson is the offspring of Godzilla and Roadrunner marinated in the ooze from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He'll beat a defensive end into the ground, and has a 40 time that bested Anquan Boldin... the wide receiver.
Yeah. Chip Kelly now has a right tackle that could outrun Anquan Boldin.
Johnson's athleticism can be summed up accurately as such; during his introductory press conference to the Philadelphia media, the six-foot-six three-hundred pounder made up a story about how he use to wrestle bears... and they believed him. He's like something out of an Old Spice commercial. If you were using MADDEN's create-a-player to design the perfect Chip Kelly player, Johnson would be the final product.
(Side note: The addition of Johnson not only gives the Eagles a new Week One starter at tackle, it also allows Pro Bowl caliber guard Todd Herremans to slide back to said position of Pro Bowl Calibration. Also worth noting, chip-on-the-shoulder Danny Watkins is now your first offensive linemen off the bench. Considering the O-line depth issues that did in Reid, that's a pretty ideal scenario.)
In the second round, Kelly went for Stanford tight end Zach Ertz, who had 11 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown against his now-coach back at Oregon. While some may read it as the beginning of the end of Brent Celek, it's likely more an opening line for Jason Avant's midnight green obituary. Look for Ertz to set up in the slot, using his height and build to beat down on smaller nickel backs.
Kelly said it himself: "(Ertz's) a mismatch nightmare. If you get him isolated on a defensive back it's very, very difficult to cover because of his size, but he's also too athletic to put linebackers on."
Athletic. Versatile. A mismatch. Another Chip Kelly weapon for the Chip Kelly arsenal.
And in the third round, the Birds flipped to the defensive side of the ball, drafting LSU defensive tackle Bennie Logan. Here's what NFL.com had to say about the former Tiger:
Athletic tackle with a wide frame and solid thickness and strength throughout. Nice lateral quickness to step into a gap after the snap, can penetrate through to get a hand on the ballcarrier or hold his ground with a shoulder against single blocks to stuff the hole.... Strong tackler who swallows ballcarriers when in position and also slows them with an arm even if engaged.
Are we seeing a theme yet? With his size and speed, Logan has the ability to play anywhere on the defensive line.
Chip Kelly wants mesomorphic. He wants versatile, he wants mismatches, he wants smoothie-drinking bear-wrestling science-observing athletes. In the first three rounds (and for a majority of the remainder of the draft), that's exactly who Roseman and the Iggles scouting department delivered.
And then.... well, then in the fourth round the Eagles traded up to get Matt Barkley.
Drafting the quarterback out of US C was a head-scratcher, and it may be little more than a flier on a discount value. A year ago, Barkley likely would have been a first rounder. He was once even rumored as the first overall pick. To get him in the fourth round is like the frat-boy buying tampons in bulk under the justification of "well we're gonna spill something eventually." High value may outweigh lack of ability or fit.
Or maybe, just maybe, Kelly meant it when he said he builds his system around his players, and not vice-versa.
But don't count on it. Barkley doesn't fit the Chip build. He's not athletic. He doesn't move well. And he hasn't run the read-option. Furthermore, an injury this past season has brought his already-suspect arm strength into question. The first three picks display Kelly's appreciation for strenuosity. The Barkley pick reeks of bargain hunting, and if he's starting games for the Eagles under Chip, it seems reasonable to suspect something has gone horribly wrong.
When asked about the kind of personnel he was looking for, Kelly was recently quoted as saying "big people beat up little people." The Eagles emphasized this thought-process with their first three picks, and again with their final four. Earl Wolff, Joe Kruger, Jordan Poyer, David King... the Eagles were loud and clear about the content of their job ads.
Beyond the odd Barkley pick, Roseman and the Eagles draft squad appears to have done an exceptional job acquiring Chip Kelly type guys. Time will tell whether the Chip Kelly style of man translates into a winning professional football program.]]>Philadelphia Eagles Hire Chip Kelly, but the Next Move Could Be More Importanttag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.25010962013-01-18T15:17:30-05:002013-03-20T05:12:01-04:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/ending the conflicting era of Andy Reid, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, General Manager Howie Roseman, and Team President Don Smolenski convinced Chip Kelly to be the 21st head coach in Philadelphia Eagles history. They interviewed practically everyone on the planet who could even spell the word football, but in the end came up with the man at the top of their list all along.
While many Birds fans want to immediately jump into the question of who Kelly will have under center come next season, the question of who will be running his defense is the true jugular on the neck.
Firstly, lets halt the speculation that this spread offense won't succeed on the professional level; it already has. The Washington Redskins, the very team that swept the Eagles last season and won the division on a seven-game winning streak, implement parts of the Kelly offense. The New England Patriots, who know a thing or two about offensive innovation, implement aspects of the Kelly offense as well. To ponder the success of Chip Kelly from an offensive standpoint is as pointless as trying to predict the ending of Zero Dark Thirty.
Where the eyebrows should be raised when evaluating the prospective success of the Iggles new head honcho is on the defensive side of the ball. And anyone who owns a PSL at Lincoln Financial Field should be on Red Alert after reading the following quote from Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti, via Les Bowen:
Chip has not said one word to me on the headset in four years as a head coach... He's never been in a meeting, he's never questioned a call. He's never said anything when we've played badly. He doesn't say a whole lot when we've played well. He's left me completely alone. It's been unbelievable autonomy.
So not only does Kelly have zero professional defensive experience... he has zero defensive experience at all! When it comes to defensive resume, Kelly finds himself out-qualified by Juan Castillo.
Talk about leadership and innovation all you want, but as the old saying goes, it's defense that wins championships. Kelly could turn out to be Napoleon Bonaparte and Steve Jobs reincarnate, it won't bring a Lombardi down Broad Street if he can't produce an above-satisfactory defense.
The legacy of Chip Kelly is suddenly, blatantly, and supremely tied to whomever he picks to be his defensive coordinator. Pick right, and the Birds should be in pretty good shape. Pick wrong, and Kelly seems doomed to suffer the same fate as the mustached man he just replaced.
Currently, a plethora of above-satisfactory defensive minds stand reading magazines in the unemployment line. Rod Marinelli. Dick Jauron. Rob Ryan. Even Lovie Smith could probably be coerced, with the right (financial) motivation. And don't sleep on Ray Horton; even though he looks like Allen Iverson's long-lost grandfather, if the Birds had given him the gig two years ago, Andy Reid probably wouldn't be renting a condo in Missouri right now.
Speaking of ol' Uncle Andy, the fact that his brightest achievements came when he had the legendary Jim Johnson running his defense is a point that has been hammered home pretty hard in this space, and it shouldn't be forgotten. Also worth noting is that while Reid's Eagles were the NFC East team of the decade, it was the New York Giants and that dangerous D that ended it all with hardware for the trophy case.
The three-headed monster that was the Eagles head coach search committee has given themselves a pretty big pat-on-the-back since the hiring, as they well should. Nabbing Kelly was a suave move, the kind of headline-grabbing signing that should result in offensive success like this franchise have never experienced.
The next step is finding someone who can equal that success on the defensive side of the ball, because Kelly doesn't appear to be that guy. Whether they do or don't could define this chapter in Eagles history.]]>Baseball Hall of Fame 2013: For Mercy's Sake, Put Barry Bonds Intag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24064012013-01-04T11:25:47-05:002013-03-06T05:12:01-05:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/I come to bury Barry Bonds, not to praise him.
No Hall of Fame election has shivered with as much anticipation as this, the Year of Our Baseball Lords 2013. For the first time, the likes of alleged Performance Enhancing Drug users Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa will be on the ballot, and many view the moment as journalism's opportunity to properly define The Steroid Era.
If it was simply a matter of numbers, all three would be in. Of course, it's not that simple. Some think Bonds should never be allowed in. Others think he should, but not on the first ballot.
But the bottom line is, it doesn't matter. The Hall of Fame is nothing but a minor footnote in the Despicable Tale of the Alleged Steroid User. So if the Baseball Writers want to do what is right for the game and for the public that pays to obsess over it, they'll let Bonds and his ilk into the Hall and be done with the whole mess forever.
For those who object, ask yourself; what will keeping them out prove? What does it achieve?
Does anyone honestly expect a first-ballot rejection to be the magical epiphany for Bonds' selfish soul? Do the naysayers imagine a major press-conference by The Asterisk King where he confirms all the shady details of Game of Shadows, bursts into tears in front of the national media and throws himself on the mercy of the public, begging for forgiveness?
How far a future will it be when Father takes Son to the baseball Hall of Fame and tells his offspring "here's the plaque for Barry Bonds, baseballs Home Run King... and that is all there is to that story"?
Bonds, Clemens, Sosa... their legacies are forever tainted, linked permanently to an era of baseball defined by needles and capsules. Acting as if a spot in the Hall, or lack of a spot, would somehow change that is genetically-altered baloney.
Baseball made this bed a long time ago. The sooner they get in between the itchy sheets, the sooner the morning sun will rise again. The debate will halt, the arguments will silence, the ride will come to a complete stop and those of us ready to vomit can finally get off.
Keep them out, however, and you force the baseball public to endure another year of speculation, another season of debate, and another round of these wretched drug-filled cheaters (allegedly, of course) smiling back at us on our TV sets (For Example, See: Rose, Pete).
Put Bonds in the Hall of Fame, and bury him deep into its tomb of hallways, so we're finally rid of him forever.
Put them in the Hall, not to praise them. Put them in and free us of them permanently.]]>Philadelphia Eagles and Andy Reid: A Wordy Eulogy for a Lengthy Eratag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.23817322012-12-30T22:35:22-05:002013-03-01T05:12:01-05:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/
It is a bummer of a story, the demise of Andrew Walter Reid. Highly successful for the first half of his head coaching career, Reid's windows of opportunity (and yes, there were many) have finally closed. And yet, as we sit here fourteen years after he was introduced as the NFLs youngest head honcho, the people of Philadelphia appear to be prioritizing feelings of relief above those of sadness.
Yes, the masses in the 2-1-5 want him gone. Desperately, in fact. They'll be dancing on his casket in Philadelphia when owner Jeffrey Lurie finally does the deed; the public excitement will likely match that of any of Reid's NFC East title victories.
Don't misinterpret that for a second; the need for Reid's exit doesn't mean fans don't appreciate what he's done, or the years of consistent winning. A 12-4 season sure beats the snot out of a 4-12 one, and the Reid Dynasty brought a lot more of the former over the latter. For that, Philadelphia appreciates, and that appreciation will grow in time (For proof, see: McNabb, Donovan).
It is like any real relationship; as one gets farther away from it, they can sit back and reflect upon the good times and bury the bad, to such a degree one may even forget why it ended in the first place. But even being aware of this fact doesn't change the burning anger of the present; that feeling in ones gut that screams Lord Almighty if I have to look at this persons stupid face for one more second, the next stop is going to be a jury of my peers.
How did it get to this point of such disdain? Let me count the ways.
Reid was, and remains, a frustrating dummy, a stupid jerk who was seemingly incapable of learning from his own mistakes. He displays the football IQ of a third grader who's parents never bought him Madden. He'd go up against the leagues toughest secondary and throw the ball sixty times. His offensive philosophy was best described as "throw to set up the pass."
Every loss was followed by the same thing; some nonsense cover-all excuse about accountability, with none being put on display. He said that word more often than he used a first down draw play; accountability. Like Vizzini in The Princess Bride, one wondered if he knew what that word actually meant. Year after year he went to battle with the likes of Todd Pinkston and James Thrash, ignoring the talent in the free agency pool or the sure-fire prospects that arose in the draft. Year after year, he struggled with time management. Year after year, he left points on the field with atrocious red zone strategy.
He'd leave his most talented weapons on the bench, at the most crucial of moments. He'd make you scratch your head, then pull out your hair, then chuck it at the TV.
Reid has coached in Philly for a generation, so for an entire generation, children in Philadelphia public schools have been taught that Einstein's definition of insanity is an Andy Reid Monday morning press conference.
For crying out loud, he took a lifelong offensive line coach and made him the defensive coordinator! No greater example of Andy Reid Insanity exists, and no other bold adventure likely contributed stronger to his conclusion.
And yet, he was brilliant, for both his boldness and his brawn. His first real move was bringing in a linebackers coach from an unremarkable Seattle team. Jim Johnson built Reid's defense into a perennial strike of thunder. Johnson was a mad scientist, and his genius came to Reid's benefit. His schemes and blitzes would put him in the coordinator Hall of Fame, if their was such a thing, and it seems no coincidence the Iggles have not won a playoff game since his death.
Reid's next bold move was ignoring the public outcry for Ricky Williams and instead drafting a goofy quarterback out of Syracuse. No player is more linked to Reid's legacy than Donovan McNabb, and it can be argued no player benefited more. While his final few years may have damaged his public reputation, the reality is that for over half a decade, McNabb was one of the top quarterbacks on the planet.
Reid took a 5'10" running back from Villanova and maximized his talents to perfection. Brian Westbrook would have been a no-name for any other coach; for Reid he set franchise records.
He turned the likes of A.J. Feeley and Kevin Kolb into highly-desirable quarterback prospects. He got one last productive run out of diminutive Jeff Garcia. He rescued the career... scratch that, life... of Mike Vick, and while that redemption didn't end in a parade down Broad Street, it doesn't alter the remarkableness of it. For an impressive, albeit brief, moment, Mike Vick was back on top of the Sports Universe. And that is due almost entirely to the brilliance of Andy Reid.
"Stinkston" & "Trash" may be punchlines in South Philly now, but the fact that a coach could get anything out of those guys is a gridiron miracle. When Reid finally did win that elusive NFC Conference title, he did so with Freddie Mitchell as his top wide out. FredEx may have thanked his hands for being so great, but if Fourth Down Freddie spoke sign-language, his hands would have been thanking Reid.
And for as PO'd as he got the paying public, he was that beloved by the gentlemen in his lockerroom. Boy, could he rally the troops. Whenever the Birds were left for dead, somehow, someway, Reid righted the ship. In fact, entire seasons went by without Reid's club dropping two in a row. His play-calling left much to be desired, but his week-to-week routine was a recipe for winning.
Whenever a trusted veteran would depart... and many a vet did just that... they would often speak despicably of the front office, of the men in charge who treated players like trading cards. So many bridges were burned on the way out of Philly, it's remarkable the Delaware has any remaining.
But these departing vets, they'd always speak highly of Reid, just as the vets on today's 4-11 roster have. All this, despite final say over roster and personnel being totally (allegedly) under Big Red's control. For some reason... some inexplicable reason... the wrath of a former players scorn was another responsibility Reid somehow found himself free of.
Ah yes, how the locker room loved him. It is a pity, as that level of love was never matched outside of it...
And therein lies the indisputable sadness; if his legacy is indeed close-but-no-cigar, Reid will never receive the unconditional love of Philadelphia that is heaped upon many significantly less-successful men that came before him.
Reid wasn't as brash as Buddy Ryan; he didn't tear up like Dick Vermeil. This, as many a Delaware Valley resident will tell you, proved Reid wasn't a "Philly Guy." After all, if the emotion isn't worn on your sleeve, it must not exist.
That makes as much sense as vomiting on an 11-year-old girl. Reid was more Rocky Balboa than any of them, taking hit after hit and never faltering. He was like a zombie, a thought-less moron with a mustache who just kept marching steadily towards his goal, never deviating from the path he knew was right. In a city like Philadelphia, that's a plan of attack that takes some pretty big stones.
Earlier this season, Reid's right-hand-man, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, said "there are some players that can't play in this city. It's that simple. The tough guy, physically and mentally, can thrive, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and this city."
Reid is the tough guy. Reid thrived in Philly longer than a plethora of its largest heroes did. Longer than Ron Jaworski or Reggie White, Charles Barkley or Dr J. Iverson requested a trade. Dawkins took more money. And yet year after year, through thick and thin, never a rumor arose about Reid considering departing or calling it quits. And make no mistake; it would have been a heck of a lot easier on him to have taken that San Diego or Jacksonville job half a decade ago.
When the hits against Reid came... and oh boy, did they come... the big fella took 'em with a grunt and a cough and some muttering about having to do a better job... and more often than not, that is exactly what he did.
Reid is not just being fired; he is going down with his own ship. What could be more Philly than that?
And therein lies the true tragedy; not that he didn't win the Big One, not that he goes out with barely a whimper. Not even, though it feels insensitive to write, the terrible havoc the life of a football coach played on the Reid family at home.
The true tragedy is that this is who Reid forever is. This is how he is permanently defined. Even if he pulls a Vermeil and wins that elusive ring in spectacular fashion somewhere else, it will never be him in the way these fourteen years will.
Reid is forever linked to Philadelphia; it is his legacy. But the legacy of this city is not forever linked to him; he is not, nor will he ever be, its favorite son.
It is that dreadful thought that puts a lump in the throat a thousand coughs couldn't clear.]]>Andy Reid Must Stick With Nick Foles, Even When Mike Vick Is Healthytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.21955082012-11-27T11:05:33-05:002013-01-27T05:12:01-05:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/
According to Reid, the only duck lamer than the Aflac mascot, despite the lost season the Eagles will hit the brakes on the youth movement once the vets get healthy. Most notably, quarterback Michael Vick will likely pass the league-required concussion tests this week, and all signs point to Big Red inserting the 32-year-old back into the line-up over 22-year-old rookie Nick Foles.
Vick has given this squad his all. Despite that, for the sake of the team, the fanbase, and the franchise as a whole, Reid needs to stick with Foles for the remainder of this despicably hideous season.
Anyone seriously short-sighted enough to even consider inserting Vick back into the line-up need seek immediate medical assistance, preferably a neurologist. Or if you're over the age of 26 and can't hop onto your parents health insurance, consider the following:
Will Vick be on the Eagles roster next season? Allen West has a better shot of being in Congress.
Can Foles learn anything from watching Vick play? Again, see the Allen West comparison.
Playing Vick brings no advantages; there is nothing to be gained, no goals to be accomplished. On the flip side, every rep for Foles is invaluable, either as a stepping stone towards success or as a bit of evidence used to justify ditching him like a fat guy during the Zombie Apocalypse.
Now is for the future. Vick is not the future. Foles, however, might be, and Reid owes it to Philly to try finding out.
When assessing blame for the 2012 NFL season, little of it should be put on the shoulders of Vick. It is doubtful anyone would have succeeded under these circumstances; a Swiss cheese offensive line and a pass-happy playcaller with no will or inclination to design a gameplan aimed at protecting the quarterback. All things considered, Vick has performed commendably; heroically, even.
For these Rocky-esque heroics, Philly fans should be thankful. And it's not all bruises and sorrow; Vick's impact on the game still deserves respect. His story of redemption still earns admiration. But that doesn't put this franchise in his debt, and it doesn't mean he should be starting anymore. Give Vick a handshake and a thank-you-for-your-service, and offer him a nice safe seat on the bench. Do one better, and have a Mike Vick bobblehead game; just make sure the spring lets his head bounce off the ground. It needs to be realistic, after all.
See what you've got in Foles, and Mayans be damned, get ready for 2013.
It's a tricky thing, asking Reid to look towards the future, even though he most certainly won't be a part of it. After all, you don't pick out paint samples when you're a month before the lease is up. You vacuum the carpet a little less often, clean the bathroom a little less diligently, and pray to the residents of Kolob the slum lord doesn't care about the scuffs on the hardwood so you can get your security deposit back.
The thing is, Reid's slumlord has made him a very rich and successful man, and he owes it to the owner to make sure the house is in the best possible condition for the next resident. Doing so would prove selfless and honorary; it is the right thing for Reid to do, the proper way to make his exit.
And just so we're all clear, Reid is most certainly making his exit. When Vick passes his concussion test this week, the coach in his final season will get to decide just what condition he wants to leave his home for the past fourteen years in.
Eagles fans can only hope he leaves it with an eye towards the future.]]>The Philadelphia 76ers Need to End the Andrew Bynum Experiment (Already)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.21706282012-11-21T14:37:49-05:002013-01-21T05:12:01-05:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/
Don't blame the Sixers brass. In fact, give them praise; they made a significant, albeit risky, move in an effort to take the team from the doldrums of mediocrity to the possibility of legit contender. After spending what felt like 100 seasons with Andre Igoudala as "The Guy," any change from the road-too-often-traveled should be saluted.
Sure, it should have been a red flag when a historically successful franchise like the Los Angeles Lakers opted to dump Bynum in favor of a slightly-older guy who plays the same position. It also should have been a red flag when Bynum, after completing his first (and only) fully-healthy season, needed to go to Germany to get a procedure on his chronically injured knee... a procedure recommended to him by former teammate and Not-Doctor, Kobe Bryant.
Still, the Sixers took a risk. And that should be praised, especially considering the risk comes with a one-year "eject" button. Bynum is a free agent at the end of the season, and despite the fact that he can't play a "max" number of games, he'll be looking for a max contract.
The Sixers would be wise to let him walk. Or better yet, trade him. Get some value for the allegedly-talented center (the writer chooses the word 'allegedly' because no one in Philly has actually seen Bynum play). Try to fleece a lottery-bound team out of some first round picks and look to build around the young talent on the roster that is actually healthy enough to ball.
As Bynum said this past week when a bowling accident set his rehab back, "if that happened bowling, what happens dunking?" He's exactly right, and the Sixers would be wise not to pay big bucks to an athlete who can neither bowl nor dunk.
In the NBA, where committing to a bad contract can set a franchise back for years, the risk with Bynum and his balky knees is just too great. The Sixers know this well enough; they've burned countless pages off the calendar as a result of the injuries suffered by Chris Webber and Elton Brand.
They can't afford to lose six-more watching Bynum style his hair from the end of the bench in a suit. If the former All-Star can come back -- that is, can come back healthy -- and adequately show his offensive game is what the Sixers need to reach an acceptable level of championship contention, then and only then should this team consider making him their face.
If Bynum can't come back, or does come back but his minutes need to be monitored, or he's forced to miss vital games down the stretch, or he starts complaining about his playing-time, or starts bickering with teammates, or starts fighting with his coach -- all of which seem a lot more likely than a successful integration into the Sixers push for a playoff spot -- then the Liberty Ballers need to shut the whole thing down.
Without even playing a game, it feels safe to conclude the Andrew Bynum Experiment won't produce the desirable results. It's time Philly moves on to the next one.]]>Andy Reid Should Be Fired for Thousands of Reasons, But Here's the Biggest Onetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.21161522012-11-14T16:42:01-05:002013-01-14T05:12:01-05:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/
That being said, of all the inexcusable failings of the Philadelphia Eagles over the last 18 months, no botch is more unforgivable than Reid and Marty Mornhinweg's blatant inability to feature LeSean McCoy as the centerpiece of their offense.
Breaking it down to its most basic form, when McCoy touches the ball, the Eagles win. When he doesn't, they don't. Literally. The Eagles are 3-0 this year when McCoy has 20 or more rushing attempts. They're 0-6 when he has less. The formula for success could not be more simplistic.
But it goes beyond merely not giving McCoy the ball. On far too many plays when the Birds weren't handing it to Shady, the Pro-Bowler found himself on the sideline standing next to Big Red, while a rookie named Bryce Brown played in his place. Not only are the Eagles removing their best option from the play, they're removing even the threat of him being in the play. When McCoy is on the field, you can bet your beers every player on the opposing defense takes notice, an unquestionable advantage for every other offensive weapon. You think anyone takes notice when the Birds call a play-action fake to Bryce Brown?
No matter what the sport, when the game is on the line, you want the ball in the hands of your best players. It is one of sport's most obvious, consistent rules, along with "you can't win 'em all" and "there's always next year."
And yet this past Sunday, with the game, season, and his career in Philadelphia entirely on the line, and his starting quarterback out, replaced by a mid-round rookie with zero NFL completions, Reid put the ball in his best players hands a meager 16 times. This wasn't a Week 3 loss on the road; it was a divisional must-win, and the Birds brass bumbled it.
Two quick notes to point out that call for a plethora of more head-scratching:
According to CSN's Reuben Frank, despite averaging nearly nine yards a touch in the second half, McCoy was featured in just seven of the team's last 39 plays.
According to PDN's Les Bowen, the Eagles changed nothing about their play-calling after losing Mike Vick to injury.
McCoy's lack of involvement Sunday evening isn't the main reason the Eagles were defeated. In fact, on the list of reasons, it might not even crack the Top Five. However, the fact remains that the Birds have one of the least productive offenses in the NFL, while seemingly muting their most extraordinary talent.
It is as if General Custer had stood up before the Battle of Little Bighorn and told his men "leave your guns on the bench today, boys. Today we're gonna win by throwing dirt at them!"
In the end, it may not have mattered. At first glance, the roster Reid and his cronies have put together seems so tremendously flawed, it appears unfathomable that a simple change in basic play-calling philosophy would make enough of a difference.
It is just a shame that, if this is General Reid's last stand, he decided to leave his best weapon on the bench.]]>Vick? Foles? Reid's Best Option Remains LeSean McCoytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.19120732012-09-27T10:56:11-04:002012-11-27T05:12:01-05:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/going with presumed started Michael Vick "right now" and that the team would "evaluate it as we go." Many tea-leaf readers interpreted this to mean that if the currently 2-1 Vick can't step up his game, he may find himself on the bench. Citizens who subscribe to this theory also believe that the cause of the Eagles embarrassingly-ugly defeat to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday is solely, or at least mainly, the fault of Vick.
This is knee-jerk beer-induced nonsense. As the fictional Leonard McCoy once said, "if you're going to ride in the Kentucky derby, you don't leave your prized stallion in the stable." On Sunday in the Arizona desert, Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg left their prized stallion, LeSean McCoy, alone in a pile of his own excrement.
Not counting the plays where Vick was flushed from the pocket, the Eagles ran the ball a brow-furrowing five times in the first half versus Arizona, four of which went to McCoy. On the flip-side, they threw the ball 25 times. That's a 5:1 ratio.
"We've got some explosive players," Reid said later, as if that somehow excused throwing it 60 yards down field more frequently than running it. Alas, he is right. With DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek at his disposal, Reid's offense is filled with explosive players.
But none are more explosive than his Pro Bowl running back, who spent a majority of this past Sunday bottled up by his own teams logic-defying gameplan.
Vick is not the Eagles best player; McCoy is. And if this team is going to fulfill any of their offseason Rollins-esque Nostradamus attempts, it's going to be on the back of #25, not #7.
Oh, and it is also worth noting that every time Reid calls for a draw to his ridiculously talented running back, it's one less chance the defense has to smack up his savagely beaten QB. So to sum up, running the ball offers the Eagles a chance to keep the ball in their best players hands, a more balanced offensive attack, and a means for keeping the injury-prone signal-caller cleaner. Seems like a no-brainer, right?
It's not the first time during the Andy Reid-era the pass-happy coach has struggled with the reality that his quarterback wasn't his most talented player. Following the exile of Terrell Owens at the end of 2005, it became obvious to many Iggles observers that the best offensive player at Reid's disposal was no longer quarterback Donovan McNabb, but versatile running back Brian Westbrook.
Despite this obvious reality, Reid continued to make McNabb's arm the teams offensive focal point, until his ACL blew out running away from defenders during a Week 11 match-up at Tennessee. After that, the Eagles offense started running through Westbrook, who had his first 1,000-yard season and tied his career-high in touchdowns. The Birds, meanwhile, won their last five games and a divisional playoff game against the New York Giants.
While not a Lombardi-lifting finish, the result of the 2006 season is the exact kind of result Reid likely needs to have in 2012 to keep his job.
When Westbrook was at the top of his game, it was said defensive coordinators had to always account for where on the field the shifty running back would be. So far in 2012, no defensive coordinator has had to concern himself with the whereabouts of LeSean McCoy. For Reid and his yes-man offensive coordinator have made this top five Fantasy Option a non-factor.
The reality is, if Reid and Morningweg keep up this indefensible pass-run ratio, they are going to get Vick killed. And maybe that'll be an upgrade. His death would open the door for rookie Nick Foles, a 22-year-old unknown whom many a Philadelphia hatorade-chugger already think is the better option.
And he very well might be. But even if the rookie from Arizona has the arm of Johnny Unitas and the ferocity of Godzilla, he's still not a better weapon right now than McCoy.
In the end, it won't matter which quarterback Reid has playing. As long as he keeps locking his prized stallion up in the stables, Reid's offense is going to sputter, his quarterback is going to get hit, and his team is going to continue to suffer demoralizing laughingstock losses like they did this past weekend.]]>NFL Week 2 Results: 0-2 Teams, Bring Out Your Dead!tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.18928722012-09-18T15:41:18-04:002012-11-18T05:12:02-05:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/crowning champs after a single week is a quick and easy way to look a fool. Any man who places his bets based on what he witnesses in Week 1 typically ends up watching his hard-earned cash go towards paying the casino electric bill.
Alas, here we are, at the end of the NFL Week 2 set of games, and conclusions can now be made. The future Super Bowl Champions haven't revealed themselves quite yet, mind you, but some teams have already proven they aren't even up for the task of being in the conversation.
In nature, the sick and the weak tend to be the first in a herd to get picked off. So too is the reality of the NFL and its compact 16-game-regular-season. No 0-2 team has made the playoffs the past three seasons. In fact, since the NFL expanded the postseason to 12 teams in 1990, just 12 percent of the 0-2 teams have made the playoffs. And while any arrogant New Yorker can remind any moron silly enough to listen that their 2007 New York Giants recovered from an 0-2 start to bring home the greatest upset in Super Bowl history, in actuality no team without a victory at this point in the season is going to lift the Lombardi trophy.
Seriously, fans of these teams will get more enjoyment this autumn by stalking the twitter feeds of the NHLPA lawyers hoping for lock-out updates. Psychiatrists who find themselves within these cities limits would be wise to raise their hourly fees. Season ticket holders can confidently discard any "playoff ticket deposit requests" they likely received in the mail sometime in the middle of August, and begin counting the days to the 2013 NFL Draft in April. Your team will be pickin' early.
Some of the early victims are no brainers. The Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars never had any real shot at contention, unless you're the type that believes in Santa Claus or that Paul Ryan ran a sub three-hour marathon. There's not enough duct tape in the world to fix what's wrong with these three stooge franchises, though all three fanbases have reason for optimism in the near future... if only because they have nowhere to go but up (or in Jacksonville's case, west).
The demise of two other 0-2 teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans, won't be remembered as tremendous shockers, but most certainly as head-scratchers. Kansas City entered the season optimistic that a season of good health would produce better results, an optimism that has now proven undeserved. Matt Cassel hasn't been horrible, per say, but it has been four seasons since they brought Tom Brady's back-up in and it's reasonable to suspect this roster is ripe for significant turnover.
The Titans, meanwhile, have been suffering from a plethora of different factors, none more inexplicable than the sudden demise of running back Chris Johnson. The former Pro Bowler has made Vince Young's fall-from-grace appear gradual. The only thing comparable in the history of sports would be when a group of cartoon aliens stole the talent of four NBA All-Stars (and Shawn Bradley) in the thrilling historical documentary Space Jam.
Worth noting: Tennessee had the unfortunate destiny of facing New England in Week One, followed by a trip to San Diego for "Junior Seau Day." With Detroit and Houston up next, the Music City Men will be lucky to enter October with a victory, and there's little reason to blame them.
New Orleans seems the only winless team with even a slither of hope, a slither based solely on pedigree and recent history. Fans of the Browns, Chiefs, Raiders, Jaguars and Titans have had little to cheer for the past handful of years, whereas the Saints have been the NFL's ultimate feel-good story. Powered by a high-flying, spread-it-around offense and an (allegedly) cash-enhanced defense, the Saints have been amongst the NFL's elite for a half-dozen seasons, which stands alone as reason enough to believe they can force themselves off the mat.
But they won't. This team is coach-less and GM-less, an equation that has resulted in them being win-less. Losing to a mediocre-at-best Washington Redskins team and a division rival only deepens the hole. Not helping matters is the reality that the Saints are the only... only... team in their entire conference without a victory. Sometimes, when it's you-against-the-world, the world ends up winning big time.
Sure, one is allowed to continue on, to root and hope and pray for some inspirational turnaround. Sports are a funny thing. The Charlotte Bobcats could make the NBA playoffs, the NHL could end the lockout, and Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz could co-author a dieting book together called Getting Slim With The Jim's. Anything could happen. Just ask the Giants.
Each team has 14 games to go, so if you believe in things like "numbers" and "math," then yes, you may trick yourself into believing your two-loss team has a chance. But you'd be wrong. So please, use your Sundays for something more productive. Start training for that marathon you keep telling your bud's you're going to run. Go see one of your kid's soccer games. Re-organize your collection of LOST DVDs. And stay warm this harsh winter by repeating over and over again the greatest four words in the existence of sports fandom...
There's always next year.]]>NFL Week One Review: Instant Overreactiontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.18732762012-09-11T15:13:03-04:002012-11-11T05:12:01-05:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/Week One of the 2012 NFL Season is officially in the books, which can only mean one thing: It's time to throw out all those sure-fire predictions you made once the preseason was over and start using all the sights and sounds of the past weekend to reason out how the rest of this season is going to end up. So break out those jump-to-conclusion mats and get ready to overreact to Week One results!
Overreaction #1) Tony Romo has turned the corner
Well, the Giants were always his Achilles heel, right? So the fact that the PGA wannabe won a nationally televised game on the road against the Super Bowl champs clearly proves this 32-year-old quarterback is finally entering his prime... just like they always said he would! Also worthy of assumption: the Rob Ryan defense will prove unsolvable, Dez Bryant will go 22 consecutive weeks without trying to choke his own mother and Jerry Jones is gonna pay off the city of New Orleans so that when the 'Boys do make the Super Bowl, he'll get to host it in Big D. (Side Note: Tom Coughlin has lost his team and should be canned. Bring back Spags!)
Overreaction #2) RGIII is Canton Bound
Oh man, can you believe the Colts took Andrew Luck over this guy? Robert Griffin III beat the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome just a few days after it got hit by a hurricane, which is like calling President Obama a liar in the middle of his State of the Union address; it can happen, but it probably shouldn't. Mike Shanahan is clearly an offensive genius, as is his son Kyle, who obviously knows quarterback development better than anyone in the world. Oh, and Pierre Garcon was apparently the one making Peyton, not the other way around. Just hand the Rookie of the Year award over to Griffin now and get ready for the NFL to implement sock-cape requirements for 2013 (which will naturally feature atrocious GEICO advertisements on them). Cowboys - Redskins NFC Championship Game, here we come.
Overreaction #3) The Saints and the Packers Are Done
Oh, and Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers? Completely overrated. Can't believe the Saints overpaid for a 5-foot-11 33-year-old quarterback. And the Packers? Had they been savvy enough to find a way to draft Alex Smith in the first place over the car insurance salesmen they have in there now, we may have been talking dynasty. Smartest thing they can do now is ask Brett Favre to come back. But there's no way he'd ever consider that...
Overreaction #4) Mike Vick Is The NFL's Worst Quarterback
Man, Andy Reid's play-calling kills offensive momentum faster than Mike Vick killed... okay, yeah, too easy. The guy threw more interceptions against Cleveland than he sold copies of his new auto-biography, a trend that's only gonna end when he inevitably gets hurt. Reid's already proven he'll never win anything, it's fitting he's bet his last dollar on a quarterback who has the same trait. If the Birds want to have any shot this year, they need to give the gig to young Nick Foles, or at the very least bring back Donovan McNabb (or Iverson!). That being said, while Vick may be out the door, bet on Andy to stay; he'll be saved by that unbreakable Juan Castillo defense...
Overreaction #5) The Cam Newton Era Is Over
He should have been on the cover of MADDEN when he had the chance, 'cause this guy is cursed. The Panthers would be wise to go the Tennessee Titans route and cut this Vince Young impersonator before he starts fighting security guards in strip clubs. Jonathan Stewart was clearly this teams MVP last season, and without him, they're doomed. Cam actually threw an interception to Ronde Barder on Sunday, the Jamie Moyer of NFL defensive players (How does he keep getting it done?). Yet despite the inevitable implosion set to go off at the quarterback position in Carolina, this team will still win more games than the Bobcats did.
Overreaction #6) The Kevin Kolb Era Has Just Begun, And It Will Be Good
Trading a second-round draft pick and a pro bowl cornerback just entering his prime for an unproven signal-caller from Houston? Totally worth it. The Kolbinator came off the pine to save the day for the Cards, proving once and for all Arizona features the most brilliantly run franchise in sports. Those pesky injury problems are a thing of the past for Kolb, as are the question marks surrounding his offensive line. And when incumbent starter John Skelton gets healthy, no one will be clamoring for his return. Smooth sailing ahead for Big Red!
Overreaction #7) The Denver Broncos Are Your AFC West Champs
I mean, they did it with Tebow, they'll most certainly be able to do it with a future Hall of Famer whose own team cut him loose for an untested rookie. Bronco Peyton looked like the Peyton of old, which means you can pencil Denver in for an 8-0 start, a 13-3 season, and zero playoff wins. Little known secret about the eleven billion neck surgeries Peyton had last season; they were all designed specifically to ensure he wouldn't choke come January.
Overreaction #8) The New York Jets Offense is the New Greatest Show On Turf
Just like The Sanchize promised, Gang Green was saving all its offense for the regular season, a testament to the fantastic leadership present in their locker room. Expect Mark Sanchez AND Tim Tebow to make the Pro Bowl; Sanchez on apart of leading the NFL in passing yards and Tebow for his phenomenal special teams play. Also, Tony Sparano (who should only be referred to as "Cyclops," because his omnipresent sunglasses are surely holding back his mutant power) is an offensive genius; if Karl Rove and M. Night Shyamalan had a son and he coached football, it would be Sparano. Rex Ryan will get his "great coach" validation when Bill Belichick comes to the Canyon of Heroes to personally kiss his ring, which will produce less-messy results than if Beli-cheat had kissed his sexy feet.
Next Week: The Titans are going 0-16, Jay Cutler locks in his Hall-of-Fame spot, and we all start planning for the Harbaugh Bowl]]>Andy Reid and the Eagles Have Bigger Issue Than Michael Vick's Healthtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.18219462012-08-22T12:25:11-04:002012-10-22T05:12:07-04:00Eric Marmonhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-marmon/
Vick's fragility is the center of sports conversation in the City of Brotherly Love, and not just because of the rapid speed at which the Phillies Window of Opportunity snapped shut. In the minds of many Eagles fans, Vick's inability to stay on the field is the only obstacle between them and that unbelievably elusive Lombardi trophy.
While a serious injury to Vick wouldn't be a good thing, it wouldn't ensure certain disaster, either. Rookie Nick Foles has looked beyond serviceable in both preseason games, and Andy Reid has proven time and time again he can win with back-up quarterbacks. Just ask Koy Detmer. Or A.J. Feeley. Or Kevin Kolb.
The Eagles offense will find success in 2012, even if Vick misses significant time. But the biggest obstacle standing between Eagles fans and a parade down Broad Street is the clearly in-over-his-head defensive coordinator, Juan Castillo.
Last offseason, Reid promoted his long-time offensive line coach and put him in a position he was blatantly and obviously unqualified for. The Results: the Juan Castillo Defense lost five fourth-quarter leads to notable gun-slingers like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Alex Smith, and Josh Skelton. Not exactly a Pro Bowl trio, to be sure.
And it looks like little has changed. In what felt like a 2011 instant replay, Castillo's starters gave up a 13-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to some guy named Ryan Mallett on Monday night. Twice during the drive, defensive penalties on 3rd down kept New England on the field. Like last year, the Eagles D seemed completely incapable of sniffing out a running back screen, or getting to the quarterback on third down.
No evidence exists to suggest Castillo can right the ship. This was the same guy who thought starting fourth round rookie Casey Matthews at middle linebacker without the benefit of offseason OTAs was a good idea. You don't need to be Dick LeBeau to realize that's a plan doomed from the start.
That being said, Coach Reid has won a lot of football games in his bar mitzvah's worth of seasons in Philadelphia. Well aware of his own short leash, Big Red must have seen something from Castillo that gave him confidence in retaining the defensive coordinator for what could be his own career defining season -- for better or worse.
Fans of Reid can only hope so. In a game like football, where one missed opportunity can define an entire season, Castillo's ineptitude could end up costing Reid his job.
After all, the Eagles head coach hasn't won a playoff game since 2008. Not coincidentally, that was the last year Reid had Jim Johnson running his defense.]]>