Philadelphia Eagles: Why Defense, Not Michael Vick, Is the Biggest Problem

The dream has quickly faded.

Four games, one win. Not exactly how Philly fans envisioned the first quarter of their NFL season.

It's four down, 12 to go. For the Eagles, it will take nine wins in 12 games to get to double-digits.

How do you like those chances?

Probably about as much as you liked the 49ers, of all teams, coming from a 23-3 deficit, on the road, to administer a cold dose of reality to the Eagles on Sunday.

That reality is that Juan Castillo's defense isn't good enough for this team to win many football games.

Big Andy Reid spit it out hard:

"Absolutely terrible job by myself and my football team today."

Not just terrible, mind you, "absolutely terrible." There aren't many absolutes with this Eagles team, but terrible is one of them. Thanks, Andy.

When these Eagles jumped off the deep end of the free agency swimming pool, there was plenty of hoopla and gosh, wouldn't you know, they stunned the entire NFL when they ended up with that Nnamdi, what's-his-name? Oh yes, that Asomugha fellow who was supposed to be the John Wayne of free agency.

Somewhere between Dream Team and Nightmare on Broad Street, these Eagles, in their vast wisdom, turned over the kicking chores to a rookie named Alex Henery. Not sure which Henery he is, be it Henery the seventh or eighth, but he may the the last at the rate he's going with misses on Sunday from 39 and 33 yards.

Just when you thought Michael Vick was feeling rotten and roughed up and sporting a bruised hand and bruised ego, the Eagles erupted for a 513-yard offensive output against the Niners, a stunning performance.

Unfortunately, the other side of the football decided it would make Alex Smith look like the second coming of Joe Montana. You'd expect Montana to lead a Niners team to 21 unanswered points, not Smith.

You'd expect Montana to direct an offense to 442 yards, not Smith.

But Smith it was, as he went 21-of-33 for 291 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

The lashings started before this week and now are increasing.

PhiladelphiaSportsDaily.com puts the blame on a weak linebacking corps and declared Casey Matthews "the worst linebacker in the league."

Philly's not one of those cities where you want to underachieve.

It's not a place where teams that were supposed to start 3-1 start the season 1-3.

The blame game has shifted into high gear, while the defense is stuck somewhere in reverse.

The news doesn't get any better for Andy and the boys.

The Eagles play at Buffalo then at Washington.

As bad as 1-3 sounds, consider what 1-5 would look like?

It would look pretty bad, about like Andy Reid in tights.