• March 28, 2024

Offensive And Defensive Lines Are Not Getting The Job Done

Andy Reid has always said that you win and lose upfront in the NFL, meaning on the offensive and defensive lines.  He thought he was improving his chances of winning a Super Bowl title by bringing in two highly regarded NFL line coaches, Howard Mudd and Jim Washburn, a year ago, but at this point it looks like the decision will cost him his job.

Right now, neither the offensive or defensive line is performing well enough to win in the NFL  Birds GM Howie Roseman has to take some of the responsibility because he brought the Birds offensive and defensive linemen in here.  Remember they gave away Winston Justice and he’s starting and playing good enough for a 5-3 Indianapolis Colts team.

Reid had said the decision to move long-time offensive line coach Juan Castillo to defensive coordinator was dependent upon his ability to get long-time Indianapolis Colts offensive line coach Howard Mudd to come out of retirement and coach the Eagles offensive line in place of Castillo.  If you look at the play of the Birds offensive line, Mudd should have stayed retired and Reid should have kept Castillo in place.

On the defensive side of the ball, longtime Tennessee Titans defensive line coach Jim Washburn was supposed to come in and take the defensive line to another level.  Last year they were on another level, but this year they’ve been pathetic.  They shared the league lead in sacks at 50 a year ago, but this time around they have only 11 sacks after eight games, which is on a pace for twenty-two at the end of the year.

Mudd’s offensive line has been flat out awful and they were on full display last night in front of the nation against what was supposed to be the worse defense in the league.  The Saints hadn’t been able to even slow down offenses.  You can believe that Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler DeMarcus Ware was licking his chops for the chance to pass rush against the likes of King Dunlap and Demetress Bell next week.

I know injuries have hurt the Eagles offensive line severely, but Mudd has been a flat out failure at getting the backups to perform on an NFL level.  They can’t be legitimately regarded as a NFL line.

The Birds offensive line was so bad last night, that it’s hard to decide which part of the line is worse, the middle of the line or the tackles.  They each get beat so much, defenses can take their pick about which area of the line to attack.

Mudd who believes in a my way or the highway coaching philosophy hasn’t been able to put a group out there which can do the job.

Last night they allowed Michael Vick to be sacked seven times but it could have been many more were it not for the quarterback’s speed and running ability.  I know Mudd has had years of accomplishment, but this season he hasn’t been able to put together a group of offensive linemen who can do the job.  If Reid wanted to fairly get rid of assistant coaches who haven’t done their jobs, like he did  he needs to say good-bye to Mudd.

The same is true for Washburn.  The defensive line was considered to be the strongest area of the Eagles defense and possibly the strongest area of the football team, when the Birds ended the preseason.  This defensive line has been virtually nonexistent since then.  Sometimes during the game you don’t even know that the Eagles are rushing the opposing quarterback.

Brandon Graham and Jason Babin each came down with a sack last night, but they still didn’t put any kind of consistent pressure on Drew Brees.  I thought Washburn should have started some of the backups after the defensive line had gone three games without a sack.  Graham deserves more playing time.  This group has been unproductive for whatever reason.  The NFL is all about production, everything else is unimportant.

We heard the defensive ends talk about double teams and chip blocking, but nobody cares about the excuses.  Either you do the job or you don’t do the job.

Brees had plenty of time to throw the football and that’s one of the reasons he completed 21 out of 27 pass attempts in the game.  Most of the time he dropped back with no pressure any where around him.  Just about all night he had plenty of time and room to move around and find an open receiver.  Washburn and his defensive line aren’t getting the job done.

The defensive line also had no answer for the Saints running game.  Babin was getting pushed around all night long as New Orleans targeted that left side to run the ball toward.

GCOBB

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vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
November 6, 2012 2:08 pm

Here’s from today’s TMQ. Pretty good.

New Orleans Wins Siesta Bowl: The “Monday Night Football” game, Philadelphia at New Orleans, should have been dubbed the Siesta Bowl, because the loser could take a nice siesta with its season over.

Has there ever been a talented team as messed up as the Eagles?

Philadelphia gained 447 yards yet lost badly. The Eagles have the NFL’s most elusive quarterback yet surrendered seven sacks. New Orleans could call big blitz after big blitz, confident the Eagles’ coaching staff would not adjust, which it did not. Philadelphia’s running game was on fire versus the big blitz, yet Andy Reid kept calling passes. Adjusting for sacks, the Eagles ran 29 times for 227 yards, a 7.6 yards per carry average, and dropped back 48 times for 226 yards, a 4.7 yards per called pass average. Taking into account the 99-yard interception return by the Sinners, the Philadelphia passing game really netted 127 yards, an awful 2.6 yards per called pass.

Game scoreless, Philadelphia has second-and-goal on the New Orleans 6. The hosts show mega-blitz with the rare Cover Zero — no safety in the center of the field. Rather than run up the middle or throw a slant, the standard moves when the middle is open, Michael Vick rolled out then threw sideways, leading to the 99-yard interception touchdown. (The call for low block on Vick during the return was correct — the rule states, “Blocks below the waist are prohibited … by players of either team after a change of possession.”)

Andy Reid and Michael Vick should:

5%
Join an encounter group
19%
Visit the sports psychologist character on “Necessary Roughness”
76%
Slowly repeat, “Run the football. Run the football”
(Total votes: 4,443)

Now it’s second-and-goal on the New Orleans 4 — pass for no gain, incompletion, field goal. Now it’s the decisive sequence of the game, New Orleans leading 21-10 in the third quarter, Eagles first-and-goal on the Sinners 8. Philadelphia went incompletion, sack, incompletion, field goal. Didn’t even try to run! On the sack, the Eagles were in an empty backfield — which works for the Green Bay Packers in this situation, but the Green Bay offense is far more disciplined. It’s as if since Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg belong to the West Coast offense cult, they think only touchdowns scored by passing should count.

New Orleans won the Siesta Bowl — does it still have a playoff hope? Down the stretch the Sinners face the Forty Niners, the defending champion Giants and the Falcons twice: The postseason remains a long shot. Drew Brees looks like his old self, though. For the icing touchdown, he faked up the middle, then faked a hitch screen left, then screened right to tight end Jimmy Graham, who had lined up inline as if to block. Sweet.

The Eagles had Riley Cooper lie flat in the end zone then jump up and take a throwback. TMQ noted in September that this is a favorite Boise State trick play: “Lie prone just before a kickoff, be forgotten, then jump up.” But the throwback lateral went forward, nullifying what looked like a length-of-the-field touchdown. How could you practice this play and not get right that the lateral cannot go forward?

andrew p
andrew p
November 6, 2012 2:33 pm

For those of you like me who think Roseman should go the same day Reid does, this just in, its being reported Roseman recieved a 4 or 5 year extention this past June when Banner left, so if he stays when Reid goes how will that in anyway benefit the Eagles seeing this guy has been a disaster when it comes to Draft picks and Free agents?

Gotta Luv It
Gotta Luv It
November 6, 2012 3:03 pm

“For the icing touchdown, he faked up the middle, then faked a hitch screen left, then screened right to tight end Jimmy Graham, who had lined up inline as if to block.”
DAMN he did all that in under 3 secs ? Or was there some protection ?

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
November 6, 2012 3:51 pm
Reply to  Gotta Luv It

Sometimes there is time…sometimes there isn’t.

Do you not remember 3rd play of the game when Cole charged in unblocked (happeded several times all game). Brees stood. Then two steps left and COle went flying by. 41 yrd completion.

That’s how you deal with unbliocked rushers, rather than spinning around, ducking, and eventually getting killed 50x a game.

Berks
Berks
November 6, 2012 3:28 pm

Reid should be fired more many reasons, years now people on this site stated
reasons for firing was clock management, not changing during the game, no balance OFF, using scrambling QB as Pocket passers, i think people do not realize the impact of trading those #1 DRAFT picks away, SB teams are loaded with first rounders and we traded 2-3 years in row away. Sad thing is Lurie had so many reasons to fire him as a coach and a noncoach

paulman
paulman
November 6, 2012 4:13 pm

Paulman and GMCliff should be the GM’s of the Eagles..
GmCLiff Concentrate on the Draft and Scouting
P-Man to concentrate on Salary Cap, Free-Agency and Overall Roster Management
The Pman-Cliff Team would bring a Championship to the Philly by the Year 2015 under our Plan and Strategy..
This is Paulman and I approved this message without the knowledge or approval from GMCliff but feel reasonably strong that he would join me in fixing this fragile Franchise..

DCar
DCar
November 7, 2012 2:16 am
Reply to  paulman

I’ll be your head of scouting. 😆

eagles0superbowls
eagles0superbowls
November 6, 2012 4:18 pm

Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff Mclane had a nice article today chronologically explaining the horrible D-line and O-line draft picks that lead to yesterday’s lack of talent debacle in New Orleans

BigE
BigE
November 6, 2012 4:42 pm

The Eagles are a poor team from the top down. Personnel decisions are poor. The talent is lacking. The draft choices are suspect. The coaching is bad. The play calling is bad. Return teams are bad. Tackling and blocking are bad. Scoring is bad. Receivers are too small and weak to break tackles. The team has no play makers on defense. The defense has bad hands. As I said before Andy Reid will never take this group of mercenary non Eagles to a super bowl. This is just bad decision making and coaching by unskilled individuals who are becoming an embarrassment to Eagles football fans everywhere.

DCar
DCar
November 7, 2012 2:17 am
Reply to  BigE

Other than that, what problem do you have with them?!? 😆

pdiddy
pdiddy
November 6, 2012 6:24 pm

Every aspect of this teams sucks from draft picks on down the line. Another wasted season.

paulman
paulman
November 7, 2012 7:44 am

GMCliff and Oaulman announce the hiring
Of DCar as the Director of Talent and Player Personnel
His Report day will be Monday December 31st
A new day is coming for Eagles Fans

DCar
DCar
November 8, 2012 2:51 am
Reply to  paulman

LOL! I’m holding out for a better organization! LMFBO!!!!

haveacigar
haveacigar
November 7, 2012 8:21 am

make sure you read the CBA…. you tend to ‘GM’ without paying attention to reality.
however whoever is the next gm or coach my advice is if the eagles fan hear of one more obscure ‘tweener’ that played line in college and we are gonna make him an OLB or vice versa I think the fan base will explode! the draft is a crap shoot enough without reaching and trying to convert players. oh and eliminate the phrase HIGH MOTOR!

SONGSRME2
SONGSRME2
November 11, 2012 3:36 am

I remember the Eagles garbage media throwing Asante under the bus, claiming his off coverage was the problem behind the wide-9.

Remember?

so why teams are still successful with bubble screens and running off tackle?

Why?

The damn wide 9.

It’s a fundamentally flawed concept.

Gap control is the 1st job of defensive lineman with sacks coming 2nd, so teams are 1st running into the wide gaps while the DE’s run themselves out of the play.

We traded our best Corner for a 7th round garbage pick, deflecting while not addressing the real issue.

A fundamentally flawed defensive scheme, and that’s the reason we couldn’t get a defensive coordinator.

They were not willing to sacrifice the other parts of the defense to accommodate Washburn.

The same can be said for Mudd on the other side of the ball.

The offense is suffering because of a flawed scheme on the offensive line tailored for Peyton Manning.

If you’re running a scheme that backups can’t play it should not be employed.

Andy have destroyed this team with his position coach hirings…giving these old dogs authority when the authority should come from the coordinators down…not for the position coach up.

Back to Asante……

He was traded because he told the truth in the locker room and knew the concept was flawed, yet the Eagle coaches were blaming him.

Asante have always played the corner position spying the QB from an off position and was signed after getting many interceptions with the Pats playing the same way.

I’m happy for him now because he’s playing for a fundamentally sound team from the owners down…now, look at us.

Our owner is a mess.

We have an accountant with no football knowledge over evaluating talent as GM.

Our coaches are a mess from the top down…and you guys expect this team to contend?

I saw it a long time ago.

Andy Reid have been the problem for a long time now, and should have been fired before Mcnabb.

nev856
nev856
November 11, 2012 7:54 am

songs , how is burfict doing ?

vinnietheevictor
vinnietheevictor
November 11, 2012 9:10 am
Reply to  nev856

Not as well as Kuchley