For the Eagles, There's No Escape

The end of the Andy Reid era now seems inevitable

Last week after the Falcons loss, we knew it was the end times. Some folks still grasped at the straws of denial, clinging to the hope of playing another bad team like the Saints. Maybe the ship would right itself once more. Maybe Andy Reid could salvage something from this burgeoning train wreck of a season.

It was, as I think all Eagles fans knew deep down, not going to happen. This Eagles team has passed the event horizon of failure, and every week we just get one more week closer to the inevitable conclusion.

It's not that I think Reid is a bad coach in the abstract. I would seriously consider hiring him if I were the owner of another franchise. But as close as Reid came to a Super Bowl win, as amazing as his sustained success in Philadelphia was -- everything has to end, and most of the time it doesn't end well.

This Eagles team he has assembled is bad in more ways than we can count, starting with what has devolved into easily the worst offensive line in the Reid era, a pitiful shadow of the team's former strength. Bad draft picks and an over-reliance on free agency have created a roster that's simultaneously past its prime and woefully inexperienced. Injuries have left huge holes at positions with zero depth.

But what drives this far over the edge is the complete collapse of anything resembling a team. Sure, there was a players-only meeting last week. Whoop-de-do. This team is falling apart. Veteran stars are admitting it's over. Others have turned on the fans. Your quarterback thinks he's going to be benched, while his brother demands a tradeJoe Banner, or, I mean, a front office "decision-maker" is twisting the knife. Am I missing anything?

Reid's ability to keep this team competitive long term without a hard reboot was impressive. But it desperately needs one now -- and not just in the locker room. The Eagles need new voices coaching and scouting and signing. It's not unlike what happened to the Indianapolis Colts in 2011. Going without Peyton Manning (Eagles version = Jason Peters?) exposed a lot of weaknesses in that organization, and crazy Twitter personality and owner Jim Irsay made the tough call to clean house. So far, the results have been positive for them (yes, Andrew Luck helps).

That's what's needed in Philadelphia. But until then, we'll just have to slog through the rest of this miserable season.

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