Philadelphia Eagles: 4 Reasons Andy Reid Will Lead His Team into Playoffs

Andy Reid is coaching in his 14th season for the Philadelphia Eagles. He is the longest tenured coach in the NFL and is looking to make the playoffs for the ninth time in his career.

And guess what?

He will.

The 2012 Eagles are currently sitting at the top of the NFC East with a record of 2-0.

An undefeated record through two games is hardly anything to brag about, but it does put Philadelphia on the right track for making the playoffs.

Reid is the man that drives the whole team. In the end, making a run at the Super Bowl comes down to him.

Here are four reasons why Reid will lead the Eagles into the playoffs.

His Personnel

It's pretty difficult to miss the playoffs when your team is as good as this.

The 2011-12 team managed to make that happen, but this year's team is improved in a number of ways.

The creator of the "dream team" title is long gone. You can't usually blame a backup quarterback for a year's worth of struggling, but Vince Young created unrealistic expectations before a game had even been played.

With that being said, Young wasn't the only reason for the team's lack of production.

The Eagles were made up of big-name acquisitions that didn't have a training camp because of the NFL lockout. Once the regular season started, as did unorganized football.

Philadelphia will no longer have to deal with a lot of those problems.

The majority of the team is the same as last season, which means the players have had time to play together. Furthermore, the skill position players are focused and healthy, which hasn't always been the case in the past.

Andy Reid has a large amount of tools at his disposal, and they should ultimately help to get Philadelphia into the playoffs. 

The NFC East Is Stronger Than Last Year

A stronger NFC East means that reaching the playoffs will be harder for everyone involved.

That couldn't be a bigger positive for the Eagles.

The Washington Redskins are significantly better than last year.

The Dallas Cowboys look like they could live up to the huge potential that they seem to carry every year.

The New York Giants still look terrible for three-and-a-half quarters, but continue to find a way to win in the last six minutes.

Each team in the division plays each other twice. Therefore, if each team is more balanced, there is a smaller chance of any one team running the division and winning every game.

It felt like the Eagles were the clear favorite last season, and we all saw what happened. A more even division could work in their favor.

Philadelphia Has Something to Play for

At times, it feels like people turn an emotional story into more than it is.

That couldn't be further from the truth when it comes to what happened to Andy Reid this preseason.

Garrett Reid, son of head coach Andy Reid, passed away in his room at Eagles training camp this summer.

It felt like the Eagles were affected in some way, and "that way" will start to become more clear once the season progresses.

Before we know it, the playoffs will be on the line and it's possible that the Eagles could use what happened to Reid and his son as motivation.

Reid Has Always Been Successful in Philadelphia

Andy Reid has coached the NFC squad in four Pro Bowls.

For those who don't know, up until 2009, the losing coach of the NFC Championship Game went on to coach the conference in the All-Star game.

That means Reid has been one win from the Super Bowl on four occasions.

It truly is a tough pill to swallow for Philadelphia Eagles fans, but look at the bright side.

Reid has had 13 opportunities to make it to the NFC Championship Game and has successfully done so on five occasions. On one occasion, he was able to lead his squad to a Super Bowl appearance.

Reid knows what it takes for Philadelphia to get into the playoffs. He even knows what it takes to win games once he gets there, with an overall playoff record of 10-9.

You're not able to win 128 games with one organization if you haven't succeeded over the years. Reid has been there and his knowledge of how to get back is invaluable.