Philadelphia Eagles: Is It Time for Andy Reid to Step Down?

At the beginning of the season most of, if not all of the football world was on the Eagles bandwagon.

Everyone was clamoring to crown Andy Reid, Joe Banner and Howie Roseman the gods of football management after building one of the most talent-laden football team in the last decade. This was different from the spend-happy Redskins, who would sucker one or two top free agents onto a mediocre team.

This Eagles front office managed to recruit seven pro bowl caliber players onto an already dangerous playoff team.

Having been an Eagles fan for almost a decade now I too fell into the trap of thinking. 'they've done it they've finally done it! They've got all the pieces filled in to take us to the Super Bowl.'

There was of course the gapping holes at linebacker. And there was the big question marks across the offensive line; but there were too many bishops on the board to worry about the hand full of pawns.

I'm starting to feel the pawns are in the coaching booths, not on the field.

I have to confess before I go on. I have been the one of the biggest Andy Reid supporters since the day I bought my McNabb jersey. I have yet to ever side with the thousands of hatemongers who cry aloud for his job whether the Eagles win or lose.

I have often stood up for him and pointed out when Eagles players have sung his praises since who would know him better? Two years ago, I even began to write a series of articles for Bleacher Report I was entitling "In Reid We Trust".

Oh wait you can't find them? That's because I never published them. I deleted them before they were published, after the Eagles lost to our arch-nemesis the Cowboys: two weeks in a row, gift wrapping Tony Romo's first playoff win for him.

But still! I didn't edit those articles into "Reid must Burn!"

Even now after the Eagles have lost three very winnable games in a row, I am not calling for his head.

I'm only asking the Eagles organization, even Andy Reid himself to honestly answer the question,

Is the current coaching staff good enough to coach this group of extremely talented players?

If we as fans are honest there is no way we can blame all the problems on the staff, Reid wasn't in the game when Maclin was stripped by the 49er's Justin Smith, Castillo wasn't playing his old position at linebacker when Frank Gore ran over Asante Samuel. Neither Reid or Juan were kicking those missed field goals.

But Reid was the one who insisted on making a offensive line coach a defensive coordinator. Castillo is the one who continues to put Ashomugha in zone and nickel packages not to mention put his trust in and try to sell us on a very suspect group of linebackers. The point is, there is blame to go around.

So because of that the other question I would ask the front office: Is there someone who would undoubtedly improve the head coaching position?

Personally, I would rather keep Reid in at HC for another decade and never win the big one than have this amazing group of players be passed from head coach to head coach and maybe never even reach the playoffs. Say what you will about Reid, but Wade Phillips he is not.

The bottom line is the Eagles need to do something to right this ship, immediately. The loss to Falcons could easily be attributed to(but not blamed on) Vick leaving early. The loss to the Giants raised a lot of red flags but particularly for the defense and its coordinator.

Then this week, with the go ahead win against a soft team like Alex Smith's Niners, to give that up in such an embarrassing fashion demands a significant change.

I don't have the answers to these questions, I'm just a fan demanding they be answered.