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He doesn't have to be innovative. Washburn can be innovative. During the presser, Castillo even went so far as to say he only has to worry about the 7 guys behind the DL to make sure they compliment what Washburn does (paraphrasing).Someone has to call the plays. That's the big question/test.
If Washburn helps the DL become a dominant group in getting to the QB, that will make calling defenses that much easier for Castillo. I wasn't tryingto suggest that Washburn would help call plays, but that he would give Castillo a great line to work with.
It's the calling of the plays, scheme and preparation that worry me the most. Washburn can only do so much with his unit. No matter how much talent we have or how good the DL becomes it's going to come down to how their used, what adjustments are made, what position their in to make a play etc. While I believe Wasburn will help I don't see it being as much as some may believe come game day.
For me its not so much that they're giving Castillo a shot on the defensive side of the ball. But don't they still need a LB coach? Wasn't he a LB? Seems to me that moving him into a vacant position spot and hiring (or at least talking to) 2 coaches that have a rep in the league as being future DC's (if not more) would have been a good move. Moss and Perry are highly thought of as coaches. Yes its still a risk, but one that at least gives the appearance of having a plan. Castillo wants some defensive experience? Fine - make him the LB coach and at least talk to the Green Bay guys who have a defensive pedigree.But don't pee on our leg and tell us its raining by saying you wanted give Juan a shot for a long time now and just needed the right pieces to line up. Great move bringing in Washburn, great move bringing in Mudd...now they should have topped it off by bringing in a rising defensive star with some credibility. Promoting Castillo just reeks of keeping the circle of trust tight and in control.
The scheme is all JJ. They will still use the same terminology of the JJ days. As far as preparation, I don't see Castillo as that much of a negative. He understands the game. He's a hard worker. He's not afraid to collaborate and get help from Washburn and other position coaches.I think it really is just calling the plays. That will be the most foreign - going from no input on Offense to having to run the game on Defense. And there's really no one to lean on. If Jauron was still there, it'd help. Maybe they'll bring another guy out of retirement to advise.
Funny, thats what I was going to say about the post above yours. They said players didn't respect or buy into what McDermott was selling....will this be any different?Why not just give Monte Kiffen a blank check?
Not sure I'm buying that. If the D is turned around this team will be a serious Super Bowl contender, why would Andy's job be under threat then? I'm not convinced he's on the hot seat that most seem to think he is anyway but lets assume that he is for a mintue. He probably only has to win one playoff game for his job to be safe, with an improved D I doubt this team is 1 and done in the playoffs again.
Delusional, serious question here.Do you derive any pleasure from being a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles?I just ask because, as I have said before, every post you make seems to be negative or critical. There seems to be no joy for you in being a fan.And I am not saying that because I think the Eagles do everything right or that this last move doesn't deserve some critical analysis. It's just thatunder Andy Reid the Eagles have probably been one of the top five franchises, and even with the transitions that have occurred in the last few years, they have made the playoffs 3 years in a row. If someone were to just read your posts, they would think the Eagles are a perennial cellar dweller.Lighten up man, have some fun. Or better yet, find a team that you can root for that doesn't frustrate you so much.delusional said:
Over the last 6 years, have the Eagles been a top 5 team? They average 9 wins a season over that stretch.
There are extremes. The Eagles, even in the last five years, have been among the more successful franchises. Have they been as good as Reid's early years? No, but a lot of teams would take our last five years if they could swap. The problem we all seem to have (and I understand the frustration), is that we've spent huge chunks of our lifetime being a good team that doesn't get over the hump. I think a lot of fans FEEL like we're seeing another era of opportunity slip away, and that magnifies all the things that don't go right, and brushes under a lot of what does.
I can't speak for Delusional but I can say that over the last 5 years it's been pretty damn hard to not be very frustrated with this team. I enjoy watching them but after every season I watch that feeling you get from watching that lose and hearing the excuses stays with me longer and longer.
I didn't say over the last 6 years, I said under Andy Reid. And if your point was the Eagles haven't been as good the last 6 years under Reid as they were the first 6 years I would agree with that.But having said that, the Eagles have been better the last 3 years (averaging 10 wins per year and making the playoffs all three years) then theywere the 3 years before that (8 wins per year, only one playoff appearance).My point to delusional is that at their worst under Reid, they have been better than average. His comments portray them in a much more negative light. He might live a longer life if he did not stress himself out so much over a team that performs much better than he gives them credit for. That was my only point.
Just catching up but this is spot on. Why move the OL coach to DC just days before the SB? What's the hurry? No OTAs for at least two months (and likely longer) so why make this move now?As for a 4-3 vs. 3-4 debate, that's an easy one - they don't have 3-4 personnel so they must stay with a 4-3 for 2011. They might start building towards a hybrid and then 3-4 by adding a true NT and better LBs, but their current LB / DL crop don't support it.I just don't get this move at all. Any of the DC candidates would have been better to run this show and if Castillo was to be appeased, move him to LB coach.
As much as I love bashing Reid (and he makes it so easy), I inevitably come back to his success as head coach and all the times he's been right and we've been wrong. A list of WTF moves that have worked out off the top of my head:--- Drafting Kolb (some might also say drafting McNabb)--- Trading McNabb to WSH--- Signing Asante--- Releasing Dawkins--- Signing VickThey've made their share of mistakes too but under this regime, they consistently put out a competitive product. The rest (getting to the Superbowl) is a large part luck. Again this move is weird, but at least Castillo is a good coach. IMO, there is nothing more dangerous than a hardworking man with a chip on his shoulder.
While your data is correct, I'm not sure it's fair. .738 win percentages are unsustainable. 5 years of great records followed by the loss of several superstars leads any great team to a few down years...the Eagles had one. Ironically, that one is included in your second five years. So...a more fair evaluation would be that a once great team fell to mediocrity, as all great teams do when they age. After only 1 or 2 years down, the coach built the team back up into playoff contention, but lacked many superstars and did so with a QB who was clearly past his prime. A .600 record is IMPRESSIVE after such a rise (and subsequant fall...and .600 is throwing out the one down year).Now...we have a team that is one of the absolute YOUNGEST in the NFL, has made the playoffs the last couple of years, and appears loaded with emergng stars...not superstars (yet) mind you, but guys in their 2nd or 3rd seasons who are already stars and still improving. And you paint this head coach as a failure?Sorry, I find that position to be, for lack of a better word, stupid.Reid has flaws. His game-day management is average at best. But the criticism of him and the organization in this thread is embarressing in it's unfairness. He's at worst still a top ten head coach in the NFL, not a guy to fire lightly. Eagles fans should be excited about the near future, despite the questions on defense, not looking to castrate the HC. Delusional and others who NEVER have anything positive to say really should go change to black and orange stripes, so that they can whine and moan with some measure of legitimacy...maybe than they can be happy in their misery without being called out by more reasonable heads.
How's the defense look? They are all Andy's guys and coaches. I give Andy a lot of credit. After 12 seasons, they are what they are. Competitive. Nice. That's what the Sixers are striving to be. The Eagles should have higher goals. He needs to at least win a playoff game or 2 next season don't you think? They've won 3 playoff games in 6 years. Most coaches don't get 6 years to rebuild.
You realize most "rebuilding" teams don't make the playoff 4 or 5 times while rebuilding, right? How many teams have won three playoff games in the last 6 years? Your definition of "competitive" is shockingly inacurate. Competitive is a .500 club that occasionaly beats a playoff team, maybe pulls a wildcard berth every 3 or 4 years.Realize also that maintaining "competitive" while also rebuilding is something most head coaches can't pull off. That doing so means lower draft picks...which logically would also lengthen the rebuilding stretch?Look, I'm not a Reid apologist (or at least, I'm not trying to be), but some of the criticism is unfair at best, stupid at it's worst. Coaches who have built playoff caliber rosters that are also this young should NEVER be fired. Whether it took him 5 years to build it or 2 years to build it is immaterial. The fact is, he built it...and we have to let him see it through.IN rebuilding, they obviously attacked the offense first. This offense is a couple of lineman away from being one of the most explosive the NFL has ever seen. With that in mind, the defense only has to be average. Do you really think this ultra-young group isn't very close to becoming average?The negativity in here is unwarranted.
I think all Eagles fans can agree the last 6 years (all with Andy in control and with his guys) hasn't been nearly as successful as the first 6. Reputations are made in the post season. Next year can't be one-and-done. If that's negative, so be it.
To answer your question, 13 teams in the last six years have won 3 or more playoff games. Chicago, San Diego, and Philadelphia have won exactly 3 and 10 teams have won more than 3. As for playoff appearances in the last 6 years, Indy has 6, NE has 5, and Philadelphia and 5 other teams have 4 playoff appearances. So Philly is tied for 11th in playoff wins and tied for 3rd in playoff appearances over the last 6 years.Over the last 3 years, Philly is tied for 7th in playoff wins and tied for 1st in playoff appearances.
And yet Lovie Smith was on the hot seat coming into 2010 facing a win-or-else year. In the last 6 years he has more regular season wins (58 vs. 54) then Reid and same number of playoff wins. Smith has accomplished that with QBs like Rex Grossman and Brian Griese and has taken the Bears to 2 Conference Championship games. Norv Turner, who is not considered to be among the elite coaches in the NFL, averages over 10 wins a season over 4 years with SD (a full game per year more than Reid) and one less playoff win in less years.
position coaches sure & personally i think Juan was overrated...great he is a hard worker, runs guys hard, but with all the oline guys they drafted over the years, it has been the biggest problem the past couple./..defense by committee is what this is going to be.
Just because another coach was on the hot seat doesn't necessarily mean that we have to follow the same managerial tendencies of that franchise. I think success follows longevity. Reid has done a relatively good job in the time that he's had, and I don't think he should be on the hot seat at all. Given the obvious holes in the Bears offense, I don't think Lovie should have been on the hot seat either. He hasn't finished worse than 7-9 except for his first season. Green Bay and Minnesota aren't necessarily slouch teams (though they do have Detroit in their division). As for the Chargers, the AFC West isn't known for being a power house division, and it was somewhat expected for San Diego to do relatively well there. Without getting too much into what other teams are doing, it's just my opinion that this team is headed in the right direction. We're young and explosive and if we can get our Defensive side of the ball to help our team, than we could go deeper into the playoffs and we wouldn't be having this discussion. But everything takes time. There aren't many Mike Tomlin type teams where you take over and make it to 2 Superbowl's (with the chance on winning the second). We've made the playoff's 9 times under Reid. Not once have we gone 2 years without a Playoff game, and only 4 times since 1999 have we gone without double digit wins. It's just my opinion, but why would we consider replacing him?
Very nice article on Reid. Whether or not the Eagles are a better team because of all the changes remains to be seen since the success on the field has gone down. The only thing that would make them a better team then when Andy started is if they win the Super Bowl. The old Andy already got them there, now the new Andy has to win it to qualify as "better". I'm hoping the new Andy finally proves to be better.
This is said but before that you have this
If anything, Marty is the example of "group think". The offensive play calling is the same before & after marty got here. I always associate Marty & Andy with the Mr Hat & Mr Garrison comparison
I have read some great stuff from Lawlor. I like his post-game break downs, good and bad. But he did also have this one following the Tennessee game:Sunday's loss to the Titans was miserable. That was the worst fourth quarter we've had to sit through in a long time. The meltdown has suddenly put defensive coordinator Sean McDermott in the crosshairs of many fans and media members. Sal Paolantonio, who never met a dumb rumor he didn't like, went on the radio and told people that he thinks McDermott is in danger of getting fired.delusional said:
Yep, just get an elite QB and it's possible...
And a top 5 defense. However, GB got this far by continuing to run the ball. Even if they weren't very successful at it.
True on all accounts.
should have been pissed about that before this game happened
With no true running game all season, GB ran the ball 54%, 46% & 52% of the time in the post season leading up to the Super Bowl.9 of the last 10 coaches to win their first did so within 5 years. Most took less with Cowher being the exception.
This argument is getting old. It's dangerously misleading. How many non-SB head coaches last more than five years in the first place?????? Bad coaches simply can't keep their jobs more than five years in the NFL. Good coaches remain winners even when they've coached long enough for everyone to know their style and tendencies.AR is a winner.Good question.
Cards with Kolb make the playoffs, imo.
