Andy Reid: Why the Philadelphia Eagles Haven't Won the Super Bowl

The Eagles are one of the most successful teams in the NFL, and they have been since Andy Reid arrived.  Coincidence?  Not a chance. 

The credit should go to Andy and deservedly so, because he is a good football mind and has a knack for a winning season.  Most rational fans agree with these facts, but argue that Andy has not won the Super Bowl, so it doesn't really matter.  They say that Andy is good, but not good enough.  I have a new theory:  The Eagles will never win the Super Bowl under Andy Reid because he is too good.

Before you close this page, hear me out! 

Andy is a master of the above-average.  If he were a report card, he would be straight Bs.  Good, not great. 

Andy took over a team that was a floor mat and has made them relevant every year.  Every year, (A) we are in the hunt, (B) we suffer a major injury, (C) we endure a midseason swoon, (D) we throw together a winning streak that propels us into the playoffs and (E) we fall short in our quest for the Super Bowl.  Now I'll explain why this formula plays out every year.

The Eagles are masters of the salary cap.  They are like the Meineke of the NFL: They're not going to pay a lot, but they're going to get a lot.  That being the case, you are not going to go into training camp with the most talented team.  Marquee free-agents shy away, proven veterans leave for other teams and you are forced to start younger, inexperienced players. 

This approach is not a winning approach. 

Andy is very good at getting the most out of his players, especially all those seventh rounders and undrafted free agents.  They want to prove they belong in the NFL and are willing to do whatever it takes. 

When you constantly have a team of overachievers getting you a 10-6 or a 9-7 (or 9-6-1) record, you are right in the middle of the draft order.  Being in the middle to the end of the first round greatly reduces your chances of landing a blue-chip type of player. 

Andy and company don't place a lot of value in first round picks as a whole, so it's definitely a rarity for them to trade up in the first round.  They usually do the opposite, willing to trade a first for two thirds, results usually lacking.  It keeps the budget down, though.

Next, turn your attention to the defensive side of the ball.  Our skills positions outside of Trent Cole, Asante Samuel and promising rookies Nate Allen, Kurt Coleman and Brandon Graham are sorely lacking.  At the same time you get the feeling that the Eagles don't see it that way. 

They make no effort to get impact players in the offseason and no effort to retain the few they have—SEE BRIAN DAWKINS.  Every offseason there is a marquee free agent available, but you know in the back of your mind that the Eagles won't land him.  It's a given. 

Why?  Only gold standard mentality can answer that.  Being that Andy is the executive vice president and head coach, you would think that he would be more aggressive in this area, but he has consistently gotten results from those lesser talents that he scrounges up.

Jeff Lurie and his friend/president of operations Joe Banner have multiplied the Eagles net worth approximately tenfold. They are business men plain and simple, so they have been very successful in that regard.  Like the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." If you are getting results from the current formula, you shouldn't change it. 

I truly believe everyone in the organization wants to win the Super Bowl, but if their revenue justifies sticking with Andy, that's what they will do, SB victory or not.  Andy delivers an exciting product year after year, and it sells out year after year. 

Jeff Fisher has been compared to Andy recently because of his departure from Tennessee.  They are similar creatures, these two coaches.  Both are smart, stubborn, used to winning and think they know how to win a Super Bowl.  They haven't yet.  I just can't see Jeff doing what Bud Adams did down in Nashville.  Maybe when Andy reaches 16 years and is still winless in the big one, that will be the breaking point.

They say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  Isn't that what they do every year?  The same good-not-great coach, the same good-not-great schemes and the same good-not-great players equals the same good-not-great season.  No Super Bowl on the horizon...