Philadelphia Eagles – a case of utter disappointment – NFL Special
When head coach Andy Reid-led Philadelphia Eagles made some blockbuster moves back in the 2011 offseason and eventually failed to live up to the expectations, they had the National Football League (NFL) lockout to blame for their loss.
Assuming that the lockout did not allow the new players to develop chemistry and given they were able to combine well towards the end of the season by winning four straight games, it had been expected that the 2012 season would be a memorable one for them.
A few more acquisitions in the 2012 offseason and a good preseason developed hopes for a better regular season and a playoff berth for the Eagles.
Even though the Eagles got off to a winning start to the current season, their performance right from the first game raised a number of questions. The defence and offence failed at a number of positions while the key players struggled to find their form.
The ever-slumping performance also added pressure on the management that resulted in firing of Juan Castillo who was serving as defensive coordinator and gave birth to the rumours of Reid’s dismissal after the season.
The current season is one of the worst of Reid’s tenure as Eagles head coach. He has conceded that the team has a number of problems to deal with and his decision to fire Castillo was also aimed at overcoming a few of them. However, it did not pay off as
the Eagles continue to slump and keep on increasing their number of defeats.
At the start of the season, National Football Conference (NFC) East – that was rated to be the most competitive – was dominated by Eagles. Currently, however, they are present at the bottom of the division. Defending Super Bowl champions New York Giants
are leading it, while Dallas Cowboys are placed at second spot. Washington Redskins, who recently defeated Eagles, are placed at third spot.
Quarterback woes
The Eagles are also facing a daunting situation at quarterback. Veteran quarterback Michael Vick failed to live up to the expectations this season and he performed below par in almost every game he played.
The fans were disappointed and some of them even called for removing the veteran from the starting post. However, Reid stood by the veteran and backed him at the time of need.
As luck would have it, Vick was eventually forced out when he got a concussion in Week 10 game against Dallas Cowboys. Vick was replaced by Nick Foles, who is in his first NFL season.
Despite playing well, Foles was unable to lead Eagles’ to a victory against Cowboys and hence his presence in the line-up instead of Vick could not make any significant difference.
When it was announced that Vick would take some time to get back on the field, Foles was the only option for Eagles on the starting line. The rookie got excited and on the back of a solid preseason performance and a considerably well show in his debut, the
rookie made his first NFL start when his team faced Redskins.
The rookie, however, proved to be a disappointment as the Eagles got yet another defeat and the offence could only get two scoring moves – both field goals.
With six more games left in the regular season, it looks like Eagles’ season is over. However, the team, especially Foles, is still confident that Eagles can bounce back. After the recent defeat against Redskins, the rookie hoped for better results for future
games and said:
"Tomorrow's a new day. Tomorrow's an opportunity to get better and I will get better. I know that. And I know everyone on our team's going to get better. This season hasn't gone like we wanted it to, but guys are going to keep coming to work. Guys love this
game. We have great coaches, owners. We're going to keep fighting. Great fans. Philadelphia Eagles is a great place to play football and we're going to continue to work hard."
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