The Genesis...
Way back in 1999 a Quarterback coach from Green Bay takes over as Philadelphia Eagles New Head Honcho. His name is Andy Reid. Taking over for the marginally sucessful Ray Rhodes who all but self imploded on his way out the door. Ray Rhodes learned the hard way that coaching in Philadelphia is not about the honeymoon but more about the anniversaries and everything inbetween. And Ray gave Mr. Reid all the information he could about the bride he was about to take on. I'm quite sure Ray told Andy that his bride can be a b*tch. But when things are going well.. Oh.. They can go Realllllllll well. There is no other passion... No other love.. That can come close to what Andy can find in his new job. Philly will have your back like no other.. But I reiterate... I'm sure Ray let him know repeatedly the job can be a real b*tch. Which takes us to our story...
The Marriage...
Andy Reid not being from these parts had to do his homework and find a way to put his foot down and be strong and stern. Because with a job/bride like this.. Philly will run all over you. And we sense weakness like sharks sense blood in the water. So his game had to be tight. His war face had to be on from dusk till dawn. Andy Reid stepped into the job with a no nonsense demeanor. All the mistakes Rhodes made dealing with the fans and media Andy would not do. No war stories.. No crazy analogies about sodomized wives.. Just no nonsense football with a stoic, deliberate, self confident demeanor. And Andy quickly gained Philly's respect. He had the right Pedigree. From the famed Bill Walsh West coast coaching tree.. But unlike Rhodes,Andy was from the offensive side of the football. Say what you want about Ray's overall coaching, the man knew defense. And thats exactly what Andy inherited from his new team. The talent on the defensive side of the ball to be sucessful imediately. A young Brian Dawkins, Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, Hugh Douglas, Jeremiah Trotter and mix of filler-ins. When Jon Gruden the offensive coordinator left Philadelphia for the Raiders.. His sucess left with him. And this is what Andy was brought here to do. Fix our offense. Which brings us to this...
The Honeymoon is over Chief...
Philadelphia fans.. Including myself.. Pride themselves on knowing a little something about football. So you cant just tell us anything and get away with it. And that was Andy's first hardship on the job. Convincing us that he knew what he was doing. His first challenge was to pick the right foster kid out of the NFL draft. And we fell in love with this dreadlocked bulldozered monster out of Texas named Ricky Williams. Someone we didnt even think would be available at first because Cleveland held the first pick in the draft that year. We had a good back in Deuce Staley but Ricky reminded some of us of Bo Jackson with a desire for contact. This would surely test Andy's mettle with his new union in Philadelphia. We wanted Ricky but Andy had other plans... Our boys got together and dug foxholes in Madison Square Garden to welcome our new native son. Little did we know there would be no running back drafted that day lol.
Andy Reid and Mike Holgrem
Everything that Andy did and has done has been based on his experiences with the 1996 Green Bay Packer Championship Team. Everything from what kind of plays that were ran to what kind of personell occupied the rosters. Andy mimicked Holmgrem to the T.. The prototype of that team is the prototype he brought to Philly. And with that philosophy instilled in his coaching genetics he would be searching for his first Qb to raise on his own. A quarterback to raise your own is like the crown of those west coast offense guys. Their bragging rights sort to speak.. What they identify sucess with. Bill Walsh to Joe Montana Holmgrem to Favre and Reid to the 2nd pick in the 99 draft. Andy told the press that the qb depth was so good that year that he could put them all into a bag and just pick one. Later Holmgrem would scold him for that statement... But here were the stars of that draft. Akili Smith Tim Couch Cade Mcnown Donte Cullpepper and of course.. Donovan Mcnabb.
Mental Makeup
With the 2nd pick in the 1999 NFL draft.. The Philadelphia Eagles select... Donovan Mcnabb out of the University of Syracuse.. Now obviously this was a great pick but lets paint some pictures here... Coming out of college Mcnabb was coming from a so called wish bone offense where he was asked to run in. He had a powerful arm great presence but he also had the fight the stigma of being a African American Qb. Philly had one that they loved in Randall Cunningham but alot of people in our city didnt want him they wanted Ricky Williams. While some others just didnt want another athletic scrambling "black" Qb. In order to understand this story you have to understand the mental makeup. Mcnabb had endured alot of abuse trying to play the position from high school even till now and it has effected him in a negative way. When he was a rookie he wanted to distance himself from the Randall Cunningham comparisions and only be thought of as a Warren Moon type of passer which till this day can effect the way he plays the game. They say words dont hurt but words drive the car of your destiny faster before actions do.
Andy Reid wants so bad to win the way he wants to win. Almost to the point of the way he wins being the most important aspect over winning. Green Bay's offense featured no stars but Brett Favre. Till this day.. Brett Favre is the only Qb that I have ever seen make average widereceivers into probowl players. A young Brett Favre could take a Antonio Freeman and Robert Brooks and make them look like superstars just of the pure dynamics of his throwing prowess. I have never seen any quarterback do what Brett Favre has done with marginal talent on offense. Nobody. The Greenbay teams that Favre took to the playofffs in his youth and the teams he beat with that marginal talent is a tribute to Favre and Favre alone. And that is Donovan Mcnabb's curse. As talented as Mcnabb is he is not Brett Favre. They play two entirely different games. While Brett overcame teams in his youth with pure Dynamite beating the likes of the Steve young led 9ers and the 90's version of the cowboys. Mcnabb's game is far more conservative. Mcnabb's game has been alot more mental while Favre's game has been alot more Nike.. Just do it! lol Both styles have advantages and weaknesses but the real problem is Andy Reid's lack of understanding that they are too different quarterbacks. So he would or should have adjusted his philosophy on the talent level of his roster. And he is just now adjusting after 10 years. Mcnabb's game isnt made to throw threw a double to make Torrance Small a probowler. It was to find somebody open. Favre's game was to MAKE you open lol. And that in itself was the pain of watching Andy Reid convincing us that our widerecievers were good every year. His stubborness not to admitt the obvious and just notice that the guy he has is a great quarterback but just a different type. Mcnabb wants to throw to playmakers. Favre wanted to MAKE you a playmaker. Which is the difference between the two. The most intercepted Qb of all time and the least intercepted Qb of all time. But Andy Reid never understood and thats why Philly began to resent him. His refusal to change the obvious. Montana had playmakers Steve Young too. Favre created playmakers out of nothing. Mcnabb is not Favre. Nobody is.
Stubborn meets Stubborn
Now in the beginning Mcnabb was everything we wanted and more. He took Charles Johnson Torrance Small and our savior CHAD LEWIS to the NFC championship every single year for like 4 years straight. And every year the WR's got molested. Andy Reid has had a REFUSAL to draft household names at any position for the sake of salary cap reasons and his ability to control guys he brings up in the league as nobodies until he makes them into somebody. It has worked for years but it has hurt the teams ability to advance past the big games. Say what you want about Mcnabb now. But he was taking some offensive teams and putting them on his back every single year. While Andy Reid stayed in the laboratory trying to find ways to get average and below average players the ball . But something happened...
Reid's stubborness was taking its toll on Mcnabb's health. For the longest time Mcnabb was a iron man even played on a broken ankle during a game. But injuries started to pile up. Year after Year. And Mcnabb started becoming reluctant towards what Reid. Mcnabb started pulling back. He started realizing that no other qb is required to "make something happen" and he stopped using all his God given ability and started trying to work the offense threw the bums Reid had on the field. Mcnabb is also very stubborn in another way. He doesnt feel he needs to make the perfect pass every time out. His footwork is lazy. When it comes to making every throw in the NFL he has the Vision and Arm strength to do it. But his footwork destroys his accuracy. He doesnt do the same thing everytime and when it comes to the west coast offense your feet have to be in the right position to make those short throws across your body and he almost refuses to reset after each read. And thats why people say if feet had hands Mcnabb would be the most accurate Qb in the NFL. Reid and Mcnabb have been fighting each other for a couple of years now. And us fans have been caught up in the aftermath of stubborness.
Conclusion
The deteoriation of their relationship has been demonstrated by the drafting of Kevin Kolb (whose number happens to be #4 coincidence?) and the benching in Baltimore. I'm going to go on record and say if Mcnabb doesnt WIN THE SUPERBOWL this year. And not just get there. He is as good as gone. And we will get to see this new foster child that nobody seems to want (just like we didnt want Mcnabb at first even tho i see nothing Kolb has that makes me excited about the future). We have been the ones watching this year in and year out. At this point i believe this is the most talented team Mcnabb has had. Its superbowl or bust or He isnt coming back. With all the weapons he has this year. I think we can be special. I just want to enjoy this year and not think about the future at all...
And on that note I say peace to all my EAgles fans!!!
This is our Year!!!
And we will take out New England in the superbowl!!!
Mcnabb will sign the extension after the superbowl win!!
And Kolb will be crying on the sidelines filling gatorade cups like Bobby Bouche
Peaceeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
