Reason #1,018 to Fire The Walrus

January 25, 2011

The Terrell Owens Debacle

Aside from the late-80’s/early 90’s Reggie White-era underachieving Eagles, this has got to be the most frustrating and infuriating episode in Eagles history.

The whole Terrell Owens-on-the-Eagles thing felt doomed from the start(*). We all remember the long, drawn-out soap opera (including his agent, David Joseph, forgetting to file papers voiding the final two years of TO’s 49ers contract, the “trade” to Baltimore, the subsequent protest and arbitration) that famously culminated with TO signing a seven-year, $49 million deal with the Eagles on March 17, 2004.

(*)I was “in college” at the time – meaning I sat in my apartment all day, not going to class, getting stoned, watching movies and furiously following every move the Eagles made. I’ll never forget turning to my roommate after the whole Eagles-TO acquisition finally played out and (honest to God) saying “this isn’t going to end well.” I think it was due to the fact that McNabb and Owens instantly became best friends in an odd, forced way. Watching the two of them playfully joke around during interviews on ESPN almost felt like watching a Hollywood sham-marriage – where two stars are “set-up” by publicists to further an agenda (ie. Tom Cruise not being gay).

2004 was one of the most memorable and exciting Eagles seasons ever. Thirteen wins, the most by any Philadelphia Eagles team. The third-highest point total in franchise history (at the time). NFC Champions for the second time in franchise history. The team that finally got over the hump and went to a Super Bowl – though unfortunately without finishing the job.

With the 8th ranked scoring offense (would have been in the top-five had TO not broken his ankle in Week 15 and Reid not sat his starters in Weeks 16 and 17) and the 2nd ranked scoring defense, the 2004 Eagles were arguably the best Eagles team to ever take the field. But then the 2005 offseason happened, and everything fell apart.

After playing the Super Bowl on that semi-healed broken ankle – miraculously catching nine balls for 122 yards, but not getting into the endzone – and realizing that the “$49 million” contract he signed the previous year was only worth $20.27 million, TO signed with superagent/superasshole Drew Rosenhaus and demanded a raise. This led to:

  • The Eagles balking, and rightfully so. Though Owens was definitely a top-ten NFL receiver, he wasn’t paid like it. But he signed the contract the Eagles offered him and nobody held a gun to his head to do so.
  • Owens taking shots at McNabb’s Super Bowl choke-job, and rightfully so.
  • Owens attempting to play in the NBA Summer League with the Sacramento Kings, and the Eagles denying him.
  • Owens threatening to hold out, but not following through, choosing to submarine the team’s season instead.
  • Owens wearing a Michael Irwin jersey following a brutal loss in Dallas, just to piss off the fans.
  • Owens continuing his assault on McNabb, dividing the Eagles locker room.
  • Owens and a retired Hugh Douglas coming to blows in the locker room in front of the team.
  • The Eagles not celebrating Owens’ 100th career touchdown reception, leading to TO calling the Eagles “a classless organization,” and rightfully so.
  • The Eagles suspending Owens for four games for conduct detrimental to the team and then deactivating him for the remainder of the season.
  • Owens’ famous driveway sit-ups.

Whether TO was deserving of a raise or not is beside the point. The Walrus, The Devil and The Billionaire allowed their diva wide receiver to hijack a championship-caliber team at the height of its talent, causing an irreversible divide in the locker room and officially outing McNabb – a supposed leader – as a big puss who couldn’t fight his own battles(**). Even worse, the mess was documented on a national stage. Owens was the lead story on ESPN on a daily basis and his antics totally outshined an Eagles team that went 6-10 in 2005.

(**)Though the turmoil did give us the classic Sam McNabb “Black-on-Black crime” line, so at least we got that.

Sure, the Andy Reid-led Eagles have been back to the playoffs four times since 2004, including one NFC title game appearance, but the Terrell Owens debacle was the unraveling of the Reid-era Eagles.

 

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Posted by Chase Wexler

Eagles Fan Book Club: Bringing The Heat

January 22, 2011

A lot of readers have been asking me about my affinity for a hard-nosed, head-hunting, Buddy Ryan-style defense. Well aside from the old adage “Defense Wins Championships,” there are a few reasons:

  • Football is a game of chess and it’s all about blocking your opponents moves.
  • The way to win is to strike fear into the heart of your opponent.
  • The Eagles teams that truly resonate with Philadelphians are the ones that dominate on defense.

That last point is key. The seminal Eagles teams are the squads from 1988 to 1992. The Buddy Ryan-era. The Reggie White/Jerome Brown-led defenses. Easily the best defense ever to not win an NFL championship, but unfortunately, a team that desperately underachieved – going 1-4 in the playoffs with division rivals grabbing three Super Bowls in that span (Washington Redskins twice and the New York Giants once).

As infuriating as it is to look back on what those teams didn’t accomplish, Eagles fans still hold that era in the highest regard. Much like Buddy’s son Rex’s current Jets team, those Eagles teams were boisterous and loud-mouthed, tough, terrifying and vicious, and, above all else, cared more about beating the Cowgirls than stats and records. They were the “Bounty Bowl” team. The team that once beat up the Redskins so badly the game was deemed “The Body Bag Game.” Those moments endeared them to Eagles fans forever.

For fans that weren’t around during that era, it’s hard to articulate why those teams are still so beloved. If you were to look at stats and their win-loss record on paper, you won’t be blown away. You had to be there. You had to witness it. No Eagles team really compares (though Jim Johnson’s defense at the height of its powers with Dawkins, Douglas, Trotter, Vincent, Taylor, etc. comes pretty close) and the current regime – with its focus on a high-powered downfield offense – is a far cry from the smashmouth, brutalizing football played here in the late-80’s/early-90’s.

If you really want to understand why those teams were so meaningful, why its so heartbreaking that they severely underachieved and why Eagles fans still pine for the days of that defense, I implore you to read Mark Bowden’s 1994 tome, Bringing the Heat.

Bowden, a Philadelphia Inquirer staff writer from 1979 to 2003, and author of the award-winning Black Hawk Down, chronicles the Buddy Ryan/Rich Kotite-era Philadelphia Eagles in immense and surreal detail. He beautifully explores the cast of characters – from Ryan and Kotite, to White and Brown, to Cunningham and Joyner and even Norman Braman – and absolutely covers every angle, story, season and meaningful moment from that timeless Eagles era.

Bringing the Heat extensively covers the 1992 Eagles season, following the devastating and tragic death of Jerome Brown, and the subsequent destruction of the team, but, as the title suggests, explains why Buddy Ryan’s mentality (and defense in general) is so important to the game of football.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Bringing the Heat. You won’t be disappointed. You’ll fall in love with what Rex Ryan is currently doing (last week’s win against the Patriots epitomizes this sentiment).

Most importantly, you’ll fully comprehend why it’s time to finally Fire The Walrus.

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Posted by Chase Wexler

The Curious Case of Michael Vick… Or, How I Learned to Admit I Was Wrong and Love the Quarterback

January 20, 2011

On July 6, 2010 I wrote the following (presented unchanged):

For the record, I was never a fan of adding the (once) phenomenal athlete to the team – and, unlike many people, my displeasure had nothing to do with the fact that he killed dogs(**). I’m not really sure what people ever saw in him besides his speed and agility, but “Earth to football executives…” he is NOT AN NFL QUARTERBACK!

**Though as a dog lover, I can’t say that didn’t play some role.

Has anyone ever seen Vick throw a legitimate pass under 60 yards? No, because he couldn’t execute a proper screen pass, cross pattern or out route to save his life. And he’s a left-handed quarterback to boot, which gives him an automatic handicap(***). I get that he has a cannon for an arm and can throw a tight spiral the length of the field, but how the hell is that supposed to work in Andy Reid’s dink-and-dunk west coast offense?

***Can anyone name the top-five left-handed quarterbacks in NFL history? Number one is obviously Steve Young – the model for all left-handed football players (and I would have called him the “gold standard,” but Jeffrey Lurie and Joe Satan Banner have forever tarnished the meaning of the word). But then it goes Kenny Stabler, Boomer Esiason and Mark Brunell. Number five? Detroit Lions great Scott Mitchell. That’s how pathetic the list of southpaw QBs is, and the number one reason why you should NEVER trust a left-handed passer (sorry to break it to you Arizona fans, but Matt Leinart ain’t the answer).

Wow, how’d that turn out? I’ll be the first to admit that I was horrifically wrong – except for the Matt Leinart/left-handed QB part – but I absolutely stand by the first paragraph. That was 100 percent my opinion on Michael Vick prior to Kevin Kolb’s brain being shaken violently by Clay Matthews, Jr. in week one of the 2010 NFL season.

And honestly – unless you were an out-and-out Vick fan and apologist for his entire career, claiming he was Superman – you probably thought something along the same lines. He was a glorified running back with an inaccurate cannon of an arm.

Then he came to the Eagles.

The Walrus gets very-little-to-no credit for Vick becoming the ultimate weapon he eventually became this season. Coaching-up Quarterbacks is one of Andy Reid’s that I truly appreciate, but let’s get one thing straight: He had no idea what Vick was(*).

(*)Copyright Mike Missanelli.

The Walrus convinced The Billionaire and The Devil to “take a chance” on Vick when nobody else would – partly because of the issues with his sons, but mostly do to the fact that Reid thought he could get a second round pick for him if he showcased him enough in the Wildcat. Add to that the insane amount of publicity and attention they received “rescuing” the polarizing, social-pariah Vick, and The Devil and Lurie were all-in.

They continued the charade by paying him a roster bonus of $1.5 million, guaranteeing his $5.25 million base salary, which they figured wouldn’t matter because they’d be dumping him, and, according to many sources, particularly ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, tried relentlessly to do. But they failed, and were on the hook for that money whether they released him or not – and we know how the Eagles feel about wasting money. And, if you recall correctly, they didn’t even give him a chance to compete for the starting Quarterback spot. He won it by default, when Kolb got concussed and Vick played like Vick.

Sure, you could argue that Reid and his coaching staff did wonders with Vick, turning him into the dynamic force he became this season. But how come they didn’t recognize that in the mini-camps or Training Camp? How come he was still being regulated to that Wildcat bullshit on the first two drives of the season? Because The Walrus thought he had re-invented football? Actually, yes. They had no idea what they had with Vick until Week 3, when he had a coming-out-party against the Jaguars, throwing for 291 yards and three touchdowns (119.2 QB rating), running for another TD and no turnovers.

Mike Vick finally proved why he was taken 1st overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. His upside was something nobody had ever seen done on a football field, and he didn’t reach it in Atlanta. It took a total shakeup of his life – from his occupation and freedom, to his financial and social status, to his friends and loved ones, even down to his core beliefs and world-view – and then his subsequent devotion to change, be great and, ultimately, redeem himself – for Vick to finally reach his true potential. It’s been said a million times before, but it’s true… Hollywood couldn’t write that story.

He was phenomenal this season. In five games he had more comebacks than McNabb has had in his career:

  • Week 9 vs. Indianapolis Colts – Down 17-16 in the third, won 26-24
  • Week 11 vs. New York Giants – Down 17-16 in the fourth; won 27-17
  • Week 13 vs. Houston Texans – Down 24-20 in the fourth; won 34-24
  • Week 14 vs. Dallas Cowgirls – Down 20-17 in the fourth; won 30-27

And of course, the legendary…

  • Week 15 vs. New York Giants – Down 31-10 with 8:12 left; won 38-31

Vick almost pulled two other comebacks: In Chicago (Week 12), the Eagles trailed 31-13 in the fourth, before Vick willed them back to within five, but they simply ran out of time(**).  And you know what happened in the Playoffs against Green Bay.

(**)Of course, had the equipment manager given the players the proper cleats before the game stared, maybe they could have won the game in the first half.

What Vick said after the game really stuck with me: “I made a mistake, but I went down swinging.” I love that attitude. I’ve wanted to hear an Eagles Quarterback say that for so long I can’t remember. What a completely different feeling those words give you, as opposed to “I’m the captain of this ship. I need to do better” and “Some players showed their youth.”

Vick is a warrior. If you listened to Mike Missanelli’s interview with Vick yesterday on 97.5 The Fanatic, you heard Vick and Missanelli discuss how that attitude is a product of where he grew up, and was also embodied by another Virginia-native, Philadelphia-legend – and one of my all-time favorite athletes – Allen Iverson. Iverson epitomized the “Warrior” spirit that Vick exudes and their play, respectively, proves it: Reckless, selfless abandon; immense heart and pride; extraordinary athleticism; and absolutely no ability to play at less than one hundred-percent effort.

That’s the type of player that Philadelphia idolizes. That’s the type of player that this Eagles team desperately needs (considering he was worth at least two wins alone). That’s the type of player – and person – that I love.

I was wrong about Michael Vick. But I’m certainly happy to admit it.

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Posted by Chase Wexler

Reason #222 to Fire The Walrus

January 20, 2011

We already know how next season will end

With an interception and disappointment… At least, if you look at The Walrus’ very consistent track record.

Not counting the 1999 season – his first as Head Coach – Andy Reid’s teams have annually dashed the city’s championship hopes in very similar fashion.

Following The Walrus’ 5-11 inaugural season, the Eagles overachieved in 2000, winning 11 games in a weak NFC, beat an equally-overachieving Tampa Bay team in the Wild Card Round and then got trounced by the eventual NFC champion-Giants at the Meadowlands, playing from behind the entire game.

Then the streak started:

  • 2001 – NFC Championship Game vs. St. Louis Rams
    In a back-and-forth game, the underdog Eagles got the ball for one final time, down five points, with 2:20 left on the clock. McNabb drove the team to mid-field, but then – with time – stepped up in the pocket and fired a pass to Freddie Mitchell… except All Pro-Cornerback Aeneas Williams was standing right in front of him, and ended the game (and season) on an interception.
  • 2002 – NFC Championship Game vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    Also known as the second worst day of my entire life (and I refuse to link to this game, due to the fact that I’ll stab myself in the eyes if I see even one second of it). After driving 73 yards to the Bucs’ 10 yard-line, the Birds had 3:12 to score 10 points and take the game to overtime. But then McNabb threw a pass DIRECTLY to Ronde Barber, who returned it 92 yards for a NFC clinching-TD, thusly ending the game, the season, and Veterans Stadium, on an interception. By far, the worst Eagles loss I have ever witnessed.
  • 2003 – NFC Championship Game vs. Carolina Panthers
    Also known as the Ricky Manning, Jr. Game. A game marred by three McNabb interceptions in 10 minutes (all by the aforementioned Ricky Manning, Jr.), horrendous play by the Eagles’ Wide Receivers and McNabb getting his ribs bashed in so badly that Koy Detmer had to come in to throw the game/season-ending interception, with the Eagles down 11 points and 5+ minutes on the clock.
  • 2004 – Super Bowl XXXIX vs. New England Patriots
    Tragic… Another back-and-forth contest that was tied through the third quarter before the Patriots took a 10-point lead midway through the fourth. McNabb led them back to within three (on the most controversial drive in Eagles history – lack of urgency, not going to the no-huddle and, of course, puke-gate), and the Eagles got the ball back with under a minute to go. But McNabb kept the streak alive by forcing a pass right to Rodney Harrison. Another game, another season, ends with an interception and no Lombardi trophy.

In 2005, the Eagles suffered from the dreaded “Super Bowl Hangover.” McNabb had a miserable season before injuring his groin and missing half the year. And even though the team only went 6-10 and missed the playoffs, the streak of Eagles’ seasons ending on interceptions continued in Week 17, with Koy Detmer (replacing the putrid Mike McMahon) throwing a pick with just over two minutes left against the Redskins.

The Eagles made the playoffs three of the next four seasons, with the following results:

  • 2006 NFC Divisional Round Game vs. New Orleans Saints
    Eagles trailed by only three points with just over three minutes to play, go three-and-out and punt (way to play to win the game Walrus!), never to get the ball back and have Jeff Garcia end the season with a pick.
  • 2008 NFC Championship Game vs. Arizona Cardinals:
    Down 7 with 2:53 left in the game, McNabb drove the team over mid-field before throwing four-straight incomplete passes to end the game.
  • 2009 NFC Wild Card Game vs. Dallas Cowboys
    Eagles got completely outplayed and never really had a chance to win the game, but still ended the final drive of their season with four-straight incomplete passes.

Of course, that brings us to this season… And we know how that ended. Different Quarterback. Same Coach. Same Result. A chance to win a playoff game, in which the Eagles controlled the ball, the clock and the momentum, only to under-throw it away to Tramon Williams and the Green Bay Packers with under two minutes to go.

How many more seasons can end like this? More importantly, how many times does the same outcome need to occur before Andy Reid is finally held accountable? Though McNabb can certainly take a heaping of the blame for his small performances in big situations, we’ve seen the exact same conclusion with Detmer, Garcia and now Vick (who rightfully took the blame). But at what point do we need to step back and look at the guy whose responsibility it is to put these players in the right position and make sure they don’t force stupid mistakes?

If all of those seasons ended on a bad pass by McNabb, fine. But that’s not the case. This trend needs to end and there’s only one way to end it… Fire The Walrus.

Until then, 2011 will just be another Groundhog Day.

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Posted by Chase Wexler

Whisker Wednesday Poll

January 19, 2011

Whisker Wednesday continues with the Whisker Wednesday Poll:

Which Super Bowl-winning “Free Agent” Head Coach Would You Want To Replace The Walrus?

Personally… I’d go with an up-and-coming coordinator or someone from the Ryan family.

But, if forced to go with one of these guys… I’m a Chucky fan. Gruden is a great gameday coach, makes adjustments, his players love him and he always had his teams prepared (I refuse to talk about one of those games, in particular). He’s also a great judge of talent – although, if you’ve listened to him these past two years on Monday Night Football, you’d know that every player in the league is a great guy with a great motor.

Cowher would definitely be intriguing, but let’s not forget how long it took him to get over the hump – and he had some great teams over the years. Whose to say he’d be able to recreate the ideal situation he had in Pittsburgh, with a phenomenal supporting cast of coaches around him (Dick LeBeau, Mike Tomlin, Ken Whisenhunt to name a few) and a constant influx of talented players (essepcially on defense)? Dungy falls into a similar category, as he also struggled to break through and win a championship, but then fell into Peyton Manning’s lap and may as well have coached from home.

As for Billick, well let’s just say that the only difference between him and The Walrus is a Super Bowl win… Which can be credited to the Ravens’ defense and only to the Ravens’ defense, which Billick didn’t have a hand in. He was considered to be an “Offensive Genius” – his Super Bowl-winning offense ranked 16th overall – meanwhile, the number one defense (maybe of all-time) was led by four currentHead Coaches: Marvin Lewis, Bengals (Coordinator); Mike Smith, Falcons (Defensive Assistant Coach); Jack Del Rio, Jaguars (Linebackers Coach); and Rex Ryan, Jets (Defensive Line Coach). Brian Billick is the Drunk Uncle to Andy Reid’s Walrus.

Parcells’ Man Boobs scare the shit out of me.

Got a Head Coach you’d rather see than any of these? Leave them in the comments.

Coming soon… Time’s Yours Tuesday!

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Posted by Chase Wexler

Whisker Wednesday

January 19, 2011

  • Mike Missanelli hosted an Eagles Wrap-up Roundtable yesterday on 97.5 The Fanatic(*), featuring former-Eagles/current-Philadelphia media personality Vai Sikahema, ESPN Senior NFL Reporter (and South Philly native) Sal Paolantonio and Tim McManus, Eagles beat reporter for The Fanatic and phillysportsdaily.com (which you should definitely check out if you haven’t already).(*)And will broadcast live with Mike Vick today at 3:30 p.m.

    The general consensus of the discussion leaned towards two conclusions: With the offseason in limbo, the Eagles will likely stick with the 4-3 defense, meaning Dick Jauron is the easy answer to the question “Who’s the next DC?”; and, it’s time for Andy Reid to go.

    To further that point, Sal Pal – who is well-known to be a lifelong Eagles fan and has been favorable of Reid in the past – openly ripped the Eagles management, even saying (to my delight) that The Billionaire Lurie and The Devil Banner are more concerned with counting their money than winning championships! Hmmmm… where have we heard that before?
    Missanelli also mentioned a comment made by Mark Schlereth, ESPN NFL analyst and three-time Super Bowl Champion. Per Schlereth, Andy Reid’s style of football will never win a championship. A member of the back-to-back champion-Denver Broncos, he points to controlling the game by effectively running the ball and playing a brand of smashmouth defense. Shit, maybe the Birds should just hire Schlereth.

  • As the Coordinator Position Turns… Yes, the Eagles Defensive Coordinator position is still wide open – which I view as a good thing, because there are some great defensive minds who’s team are still currently playing – but some new names were thrown into the mix yesterday. NY Jets’ DC Mike Pettine, Jr.’s name was being floated around, but just as I had suspected when researching potential hires, he is not looking to leave Rex Ryan’s side anytime soon. It was also pointed out yesterday (by I believe Sal Pal) that Pettine has never called plays – an integral role for the Eagles Defensive Coordinator, as Reid’s defensive knowledge is on par with his dieting habits… nonexistent.Mike Trgovac, Green Bay’s Defensive Line Coach, is another name that gained some momentum in the last 24-hours. You may remember Trgovac as the Eagles’ D-Line Coach under Ray Rhodes. He also manned the Carolina Panthers’ Defense from 2003 to 2008 and was rather successful.

    Sources also claim that the Eagles’ are in talks to bring in long-tenured Tennessee Titans Defensive Line Coach, Jim Washburn… as D-Line Coach. You might think that’s a move that puts the cart before the horse – securing a Line Coach before a DC – but Washburn is one of the best in the business and has passed up numerous chances to be a coordinator. For him, it would be a lateral move. For us, he’d be the best defensive assistant since Ron Rivera was on the staff.

  • John (Gonzo) Gonzalez, Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist, wrote a brilliantly scathing article about The Walrus, his propensity for lying and his brand of comedy. Lying to the media is something that has never bothered me about Reid – he’s a football coach, that’s what they do – particularly about the status of players and coaches. Reid simply won’t throw people under the bus, and that’s admirable.Not to keep plugging Sal Paolantonio, but during that Fanatic Roundtable, he suggested that the move to fire McDermutt came from the very top, over Andy’s head. It would make sense, considering The Billionaire and The Devil needed a fall guy, and they clearly aren’t going to answer our prayers by firing The Walrus anytime soon.
  • You know how the Eagles are currently lacking in playmaking Linebackers? Yeah, that’s nothing new. Reuben Frank, Eagles Beat Writer for CSN Philly and Burlington Courier Times, dredges up the depressing history of the Linebacker position under the Andy Reid-regime.God, I miss the days of Willie T…

    Look for a new Whisker Wednesday Poll coming later today!

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Posted by Chase Wexler

Reason #3 to Fire The Walrus

January 18, 2011

Freddie Mitchell

Ugh. I feel like this doesn’t need any further explanation, but let’s rehash this horrid experience from Eagles history anyhow:

  • Desperate for a real playmaker on offense, and armed with the 25th pick in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft, The Walrus, then-GM Tom Modrak and the Eagles personnel team took Mitchell and passed on four Pro Bowl Wide Receivers, two Pro Bowl Tight Ends and two other wideouts that weren’t great but would have been an insurmountable improvement over that talentless assclown known as FredEx:
    • Reggie Wayne, 1st round, 30th pick (Pro Bowler)
    • Todd Heap, 1st round, 31st pick (Pro Bowler)
    • Quincy Morgan, 2nd round, 33rd pick (decent #2-3 wideout)
    • Alge Crumpler, 2nd round, 35th pick (Pro Bowler)
    • Chad Johnson (aka Ochocinco), 2nd round, 36th pick (Pro Bowler)
    • Robert Ferguson, 2nd round, 41st pick (decent #2 wideout)
    • Chris Chambers, 2nd round, 52nd pick (Pro Bowler)
    • Steve Smith, 3rd round, 74th pick (Pro Bowler)

The Eagles could have also taken anyone of these playmakers (though Morgan flamed out once he was traded to Dallas), but instead went with the smallish (maybe 6′ and definitely under 200 lbs.), speedy and cocky wideout from Los Angeles (sound like someone else we know?).

But, again, hindsight is 20/20.

  • The fact that Freddie Mitchell was the sole Eagle to provoke the Patriots through the media leading up to Super Bowl 39. Even Terrell Owens kept his mouth shut (though he was slightly busy getting his broken leg ready for the game). The only good thing to come out of that, was Bill Belichick calling Mitchell out after the game saying, “He’s terrible. I was happy when he was in the game.”Mitchell, by the way, caught one ball for 11 yards in the game.
  • “I’d like to thank my hands for being so great.” Sorry Freddie, but I hate to break it to you… your hands, not what you think they are. In four years, Freddie caught 90 balls. He did however average 14 yards per catch. Maybe he should have thanked his feet.
  • The nicknames… I know you remember them. Of course there’s the aforementioned “FredEx”, but his most (in)famous is probably “The People’s Champ” – you may remember him carrying around a WWE-style belt to press conferences and such. What championship did he ever win, I always wondered. Then there was “The Sultan of Slot,” which would have been a clever for the Madden version of Freddie Mitchell (who could absolutely destroy the middle of the field in Madden 02); Hollywood, because he was from Hollywood (get it?) and because he was once on the show Blind Date (I guess?); First Down Freddie, which actually carried some weight, because it seemed he’d always pick up a first the few times he did catch the ball; and of course Fourth Down Freddie or 4th and 26 Freddie.Which brings us too…
  • 4th and 26. Freddie Mitchell’s shining moment. Listen up fellow Eagles fans… Yes, 4th and 26 is a nice memory, but guess what, it proved to be meaningless in the end and is FAR from the Eagles greatest plays.Sure, the win against Brett Favre and the Packers was a great win, but it was a Divisional Round game – the first of the postseason for the Eagles, who secured homefield and a bye – and was made entirely moot the next week, when they lost at home, as favorites, to the Carolina Panthers. If Freddie Mitchell had any real talent, maybe he would have been able to get off the line of scrimmage and catch a freaking pass in that game. Instead, the Panthers Defensive Backs and Linebackers absolutely destroyed the Birds’ receivers at the line, blowing up their routes and their confidence. But that’s neither here nor there.4th and 26 was a really awesome play, totally memorable and endearing, but (again) its far from one of the best Eagles plays of all-time. It doesn’t come close to 4th-and-1 against Dallas (my all-time personal favorite). It doesn’t measure up to DeSean’s return this year (which similarly feels a little less special, considering it was the absolute apex of the 2010 Eagles season). It’s not nearly as good as the legendary Wilbert Montgomery game-sealing touchdown against Dallas in the 1980 Championship Game, the original Miracle in the Meadowlands, Randall Cunningham jumping over Giants Linebackers or even Donovon McNabb juking two Redskins defenders out of their shoes. 4th and 26 is great, but its forever tainted by the egotistical jackass who caught it.

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Posted by Chase Wexler

Reason #627 to Fire The Walrus

January 18, 2011

The $138 Million Mistake: Building the Offensive Line around Shawn Andrews

$138 million combined for Shawn “Getting my Michael Phelps on” Andrews, his big brother Stacy “I have a girl’s name for a reason” Andrews and Jason “Turnstile” Peters, Shawns’ best friend and college roommate.

Shawn Andrews, the 16th overall pick in the 2004 draft and heir apparent to John Runyun’s Right Tackle throne –thoroughly covered here – received a healthy (no pun intended) contract extension (seven years, $40 million), following a dominating Pro Bowl season in 2006. Andrews continued the trend the next season, going to a third-straight Pro Bowl, but then strange mental health and back issues limited him to just two games in two seasons, eventually leading to his release in 2009.

With Andrews’ mental health becoming a major distraction – he missed 17 days of training camp in 2008 for no apparent reason, grew an odd faux-hawk and, again, got his “Michael Phelps on” – and with the team already investing multiple drafts picks and chunks of cap space in him, The Walrus and The Devil thought it a good idea to surround this guy with people that would keep him in line.

Right at the start of Free Agency, the Birds snatched up Shawn’s older sister brother Stacy, ranked as one of the top-five free agents, even though he was coming off a major knee injury – it wasn’t the strongest class – for $38 million over six years. The week of the NFL draft, the team traded the 28th overall pick (they still had the 21st overall) and a fourth-round selection to the Buffalo Bills for disgruntled Pro Bowl Left Tackle, Jason Peters. The Eagles subsequently gave Peters a six-year, $60 million deal, with $24 million guaranteed, as Reid called him the best Left Tackle in football… even though Peters gave up the most sacks of any starting lineman the previous year (not a red flag for anyone?).

So what did $138 million in contracts, two first-round picks, a second and a fourth add up to:

  • Two games from Shawn Andrews, who was then cut, drafted by an UFL team (though he didn’t sign), picked up by the Giants during the Pre-season – who gave him a six-year, $32 million deal!??! – where he started seven games (and played very well) before hurting his back. Again.
  • Ten games from Stacy (two starts), who was constantly injured, forced to take a pay cut (dropping his base salary from $2.95 million to $1.15) and then shipped to Seattle for a seventh-round pick in 2011 (where he started 12 games?!). He lasted 18 months in Philly.
  • Twenty-eight starts from Peters, who has been decent (at best) at Left Tackle, and has inexplicably made the Pro Bowl each year as an Eagles (on reputation alone). Much like Tra Thomas before him, Peters gets called for holding and/or offsides WAY too often, and can be confused for a turnstile against good Defensive Ends.

Oh and by the way, the reason they invested two draft picks and a ton of money in Jason Peters, was to protect McNabb’s – and then Kolb’s – blindside. With Peters blocking Vick’s weakside, guys like Antoine Winfield, DeMarcus Ware and Clay Matthews absolutely maiming the Eagles’ Quarterback all season.

Yet another reason to Fire The Walrus.

1 Comment | Reasons to Fire The Walrus, The Walrus | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chase Wexler

If Jim Johnson’s Shadow Is Too Large, Try Going Outside Of It

January 17, 2011

So, now that the Eagles have finally moved past the dark days of the Ginger McDermutt-era – but not yet those of The Walrus – there are a few names being circulated as to who will replace him as the Bird’s next Defensive Coordinator.

As you know, my cries of Rob Ryan (predictably) went unanswered and now we’ll have to deal with him twice a year  – and with DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff at his disposal. Wonderful. That’ll work out great for the Eagles (though fortunately, the Cowgirls don’t have a single defense back to fear). Other fans were chirping for former-49ers Head Coach Mike Singletary – who famously captained Buddy Ryan’s vaunted 46 defense during his playing days in Chicago – but he’s now coaching the linebackers for his former Bears-teammate Leslie Frazier in Minnesota.

Many sources have been touting Jim Mora, Jr. as the frontrunner for the gig, with Dick Jauron not far behind. I highly doubt that Jauron gets offered the job, considering the fact that Reid could have made the move to him at any point over the course of last season. It does seem strange that he hasn’t accepted the Cleveland Browns DC position yet, giving credence to the rumors that he may stay here, but it seems that Reid is intent on completely cleaning house defensively, cutting ties with longtime Defensive Line coach Rory Segrest. Bill Shuey, Linebackers coach, inexplicably still has a job…

As for Mora, sure, he comes from the Mike Holmgren coaching tree and has been a Head Coach (twice), but absolutely nothing remarkable jumps out from his coaching career… besides the time he called Mike Vick a coach killer! His numbers as a Defensive Coordinator (with the 49ers from 1999 to 2003) and Head Coach (with the Falcons from 2004 to 2006, and the Seahawks in 2009) are pretty bad. Sean McDermutt-bad.

In his eight combined years in charge of the defenses in San Francisco and Atlanta, Mora’s units had an average rank of 19th in total defense, never cracking the top-12 in any single season. Even McDermutt reached that mark. Similarly, Mora’s defensive scoring averaged 19th overall. In his three years in Seattle – two as Defensive Backs Coach – the defensive backfield ranked 27th overall in passing yards allowed per game, 18th in interceptions and 21st in passes defended. In short, Mora’s defensive units have been mediocre to bad to horrendous. And he’s going to be the Eagles next DC?!

Surprisingly – or I guess, not surprisingly, since his name has been mentioned for EVERY defensive coaching position available – Eric Mangini’s name was thrown into the mix. It’s definitely an intriguing name. Though he failed twice as a Head Coach, and has a reputation around football for being a huge prick, Mangini was an integral cog in Bill Belichick’s Super Bowl-winning defenses – though with the alleged use of video cameras (made by Mangini no less), who knows how effective Belichick’s defenses really were.

What’s enticing about Mangini – aside from the Super Bowl pedigree – is the fact that he solely runs a 3-4 defense. And in a constantly evolving game, the 3-4 is currently (and once again) king, with almost half of the teams in the NFL – 15 in all – utilizing some form of the 3-4 as their base defense. In fact five of the top-six defenses in 2010 run a base 3-4 (the Chargers, Steelers, Jets, Packers and Dolphins).

Is this Eagles defense equipped with the right personnel to make such a dramatic switch? Probably not. For one thing, they certainly don’t have the boulder-sized, beast-of-a-nose-tackle needed to anchor the 3-4. And on top of that, they jettisoned three guys last offseason who would have fit perfectly in that alignment (Chris Gocong, Chris Clemons and – Pro Bowler?! – Jason Babin).

But, as pointed out by NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi on Tony Bruno and Harry Mayes’ 97.5 The Fanatic midday show, in an offseason that could likely see a shortened training camp/pre-season (ie. Practice Time), it’s unlikely that the Eagles would drastically change their schemes and philosophy (you know, short of firing The Walrus and starting fresh).

Here are two names that that you haven’t heard of (at all), but should warrent some attention: Mark Carrier and Darren Perry.

Mark Carrier, current Defensive Line Coach for the New York Jets, followed Rex Ryan from Baltimore, where he was the Ravens’ Secondary Coach from 2006 to 2009. Carrier, a three-time Pro Bowl free safety with the Bears, Lions, Redskins from 1990 to 2000, heads a defensive front ranked 5th against the run, 11th versus the pass and 8th in total sacks (with no one player getting more than 4.5 for the year). That’s a really solid unit, who absolutely battered and mauled Tom Brady yesterday.

From 2005 to 2009, Carrier had the Ravens’ secondary consistently in the top-ten of every major category, with a four-year average of the 9th overall pass defense, 5th in interceptions (#1 overall twice) and 4th in passes defended (#1 in ’08).

Darren Perry, current Green Bay Packers’ Defensive Backs Coach, was also a safety in the NFL (with the Steelers, where he was paired with Rod Woodson, Chargers and Saints from 1992 to 2000) – and also broke some interception records at a certain school coached by one JoePa. Over the past two seasons, Perry has coached the Packers’ secondary to extraordinary numbers (5th overall in passing yards in 2009 and 2010; 1st in INT in 2009, 2nd in 2010; 1st in passes defended in 2009, 2nd in 2010), in large part to Charles Woodson. But Perry’s units have progressed nicely as he’s matured as a coach, having averaged 13th in pass yards, 11th in picks and 10th in passes defended with the Steelers from 2004 to 2006, and with the Raiders in 2007 and 2008, he averaged 9th, 10th and 17th, respectively. For his career, his unit’s average in the top-ten in each category. Shouldn’t this guy be a scorching hot Defensive Coordinator candidate? He has been at the tutelage of legendary Defensive Coordinators Dick LeBeau and Dom Capers… teams just haven’t noticed him?

Why not take a shot at one of these young, up-and-coming coaches? Sean McDermutt comes to mind. But why not? This defense is young and needs new blood. Dave Wannstedt is not new blood. Dick Jauron and Bill Davis aren’t new blood. Even Eric Mangini is used up and tainted by losing.

Perry and Carrier’s teams are still playing. Their defenses rank in the top-five in the league. I say The Walrus waits a week or two and tries to sink his tusks into one of these two.

If not, it’ll likely just be more of the same. And we’ll still be calling to Fire the Walrus.

Leave a Comment » | The League, The Walrus | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chase Wexler

NOT-SO BREAKING NEWS: Walrus Finally Fires ‘Mutt

January 15, 2011

It’s official! Andy Reid finally used his giant hairy flippers to find his Walrus balls and fire one of the worst Defensive Coordinators to ever come through the great City of Brotherly Love-Taking-The-Head-Off-The-Other-Teams-Quarterback.

Sean McDermutt, LET the door hit your ass on the way out of town! It’s the least you can do for us.

Sure, his D wasn’t the WORST ranked defense the last two years – ranked 12th overall in 2009 and 2010 – but the way they let offenses walk all over them on 3rd-down and in the redzone was an ugly, abysmal site.

The stats are glaring. In 2010, the Eagles ranked 30th in opposing touchdowns in the redzone, averaging 2 per game, and dead last in redzone scoring percentage, allowing opponents to score on almost 80% of their trips inside the 20-yard line. They also ranked 20th in 3rd-down conversion percentage (5.2 per game) and 21st in scoring defense, giving up 23.4 points per game.

Awful.

A football team is only as good as it’s defense (watch the remainder of the playoffs), and the Eagles were a 7-9/8-8 team at best. The Eagles didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs… Michael Vick did. The stats prove it, the offense was good (and with a real line, could have been great), but the defense was simply mediocre. Vick was worth two wins.

Now the question is what happens next? Will The Walrus stay in house (likely) and snatch up Dick Jauron before the Browns pry him away? I’d say doubtful, considering Andy could have made that change at any point in the season. Rory Segrest, Defensive Line Coach, and Bill Shuey, Linebackers Coach, were both considered candidates to replace the late-Jim Johnson, before the job surprising went to McDermutt, and will probably get another look.

As you know, I’ve been screaming for Rob Ryan – Buddy Ryan’s son and Rex’s twin brother – because he has the attitude, swagger and balls that this defense has sorely been missing. He demands a hardnosed, tough, head-hunting unit… in other words, Eagles football. Plus, the Eagles can steal him from the Cowboys, who are reportedly close to signing him.

What are the other options? Besides starting from scratch and firing The Walrus… I don’t know. As I pointed out yesterday, one of things Andy has a knack for is putting the right assistants around him. He swung and missed (miserably) with McDermutt. Let’s hope he connects this try. At least for now, we can be happy that Ginger is gone and hopefully forgotten. Now all The Eagles need are three new linebackers, a real defensive tackle, another defensive end, at least one cornerback and a strong safety (the slightly-underwhelming Quintin Mikell is a free agent). Awesome.

Let’s just Fire The Walrus instead.

5 Comments | NOT-SO BREAKING NEWS, The Walrus | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Chase Wexler

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