Andy Reid is not used to this.
In his 13 seasons as the Eagles head coach, Reid’s offenses have finished in the top half of the league in scoring 10 times. Overall, they’ve averaged 23.8 points per game.
This year, however, has been a struggle. We’re five games in, and the Eagles are averaging 16 points per game, second-worst in the league, ahead of only the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But there’s reason to believe this group is close to breaking out.
Hey, don’t laugh. I’m being serious here.
Here’s a roundup of what the national media are saying about Sunday’s Eagles-Lions matchup.
Given that the Eagles’ offense is averaging just 16 points per game (second-worst in the NFL), you get the sense that Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg are willing to try just about anything to get Michael Vick and company on the right track.
Since Week 2, the offense has been using some form of the no-huddle throughout games – not just at the end of halves. What’s the reasoning behind the move? Well, not all no-huddles are created equal.
Michael Vick gets slammed. Andy Reid gets questioned. Here’s the roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles this week.
We’ve used up plenty of space here discussing Michael Vick’s two fumbles on Sunday.
But what did the Eagles’ quarterback do on the other 55 plays?
Michael Vick brought fate into the equation when discussing his two fumbles Sunday against the Steelers.
“I’ve never really had a problem fumbling the football,” Vick said. “It was just one of them days. Everything happens for a reason. If it was meant to be, I wouldn’t have fumbled the ball at the goal line. I have no explanation for it. There’s really none.”
Let’s break that quote down for a second:
When evaluating the state of the Eagles’ offensive line right now, it’s important to manage expectations.
A couple weeks ago, the coaches approached the Cardinals game assuming the offense would be just fine operating as it usually does. They tried little things to help Demetress Bell and Dallas Reynolds, who were making their first starts of the season. But overall, Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg believed this offense could still score points by hitting on big plays down the field in the passing game.
After a 27-6 loss, though, it appears they’ve made some significant changes the past two weeks.
Here are five numbers that matter, following the Eagles’ loss to the Steelers.
Andy Reid and Michael Vick acknowledged that the turnovers were an issue again against the Steelers, but neither seemed overly concerned.
“He didn’t want to come in and fumble the ball,” Reid said. “That’s not what he did. I mean, he was trying to make plays and they hit the ball, they knocked it out.”
Vick fumbled on consecutive possessions in the first half. On first-and-goal from the Steelers’ 3, the Eagles called a quarterback draw, but safety Ryan Clark knocked the ball out.
Michael Vick and DeMeco Ryans have formed somewhat of a leadership partnership. Each handles their respective units, and they confer regularly to make sure everything is running smoothly.
“That’s all we talk about is how we are going to lead both sides of the ball. I check in with him every day, ask how things are going. He checks in with me, and that’s how we do it,” said Vick.
“We both just feel like we are the leaders of the team and we have to step up and rise to the occasion when no one else will. Some guys just kind of…so we get everybody up, we rally everybody around us.”
Andy Reid was vague when discussing his left tackle situation Wednesday. King Dunlap is back practicing after sitting out the last two games with a hamstring strain. Closer to when the injury first occurred, it appeared the job would go back to Dunlap when he was healthy. Bell has made progress since then, however, and the coaching staff was pleased with his performance against the Giants.
All things being equal, who is the starter?
Here’s a roundup of what the national media are saying about all things concerning the Eagles:
Nnamdi Asomugha now has 20 games under his belt with the Eagles, and the jury is still very much out in the court of public opinion.
Andy Reid on Monday was asked to assess his big-money cornerback following a tight win over the Giants.
Vick continues to struggle against defensive back blitzes, and the league is wise to it. The Eagles’ signal-caller has seen the most defensive back blitzes in the league (tied with Ben Roethlisberger) through three games, according to ESPN Next Level Stats. He is 5-of-19 (26.3 percent) in those situations, which is the worst rate in the NFL.
It’s not surprising, then, that the Cardinals decided to send safety Kerry Rhodes off the edge on one of the most critical plays of the game last Sunday.
Here’s the roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles. As you might have guessed, Michael Vick takes a beating this week.
