Eagles vs. Patriots: How Andy Reid Matches Up to Bill Belichick

The game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots matches two of the most tenured coaches in professional sports. Andy Reid is in his 13th year with the Eagles and Bill Belichick is in his 12th with the Patriots.

But these two coaches have a lot more in common than their tenure.

What Reid and Belichick Have in Common

1) Each had a 5-11 record in his first year as head coach of the team.

2) Both of them run the entire show; no GM oversees their operations or makes personnel decisions for them.

3) Both know when it is time to move on with players. Reid traded his long-time quarterback Donovan McNabb when Michael Vick had a string of great games. He also allowed Brian Dawkins to leave through free agency.

Compare this to Belichick's response to the 2010 season when his team gave up 37 passing touchdowns. He released key parts of his secondary: Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders, Darius Butler and Leigh Bodden. 

4) Neither is afraid to obtain a player with "issues" if he can help the team. Reid's examples include Terrell Owens and DeSean Jackson. Belichick's include Randy Moss and Albert Haynesworth.

4) Both prefer the passing over the running game and have a history of quick-strike offenses.

5) Neither of them has much patience for the media.

6) Of active NFL coaches with over 100 games, Belichick has the best record and Reid has the second best.

Where They Differ

But where it matters most, there are substantial differences.

1) Reid has led his team to 10 playoff game victories. He won seven division titles, appeared in five NFC championship games and went to one Super Bowl. But Reid has never won a Super Bowl. Belichick, on the other hand, won three Super Bowls in a four year period.

2) Belichick's team defeated Reid's team the three times they have played, including at Super Bowl XXXIX.

Their History and Future

There are some lesser-known, but interesting, aspects of this history.

1) Reid might actually have been instrumental in Belichick getting his job. In 1999, Reid's first year with the Eagles, he faced the Patriots late in the season. The Eagles brought a 3-11 record into the game. The Patriots suffered seven turnovers, including four interceptions thrown by Drew Bledsoe. The Eagles recorded six quarterback sacks and trounced the Patriots 24-9.

That was all the Patriots could take of coach Pete Carroll, so they sought out a new coach—who turned out to be Belichick.

2) Reid and Belichick have made a draft day trade every year since 2000.

This year the Eagles and Patriots were widely picked as Super Bowl favorites. The Patriots have held up their end of the bargain, but the Eagles have fallen well short. With a 4-6 record, the Eagles need to beat the Patriots to have any slim chance of making the playoffs.

Doing that without Michael Vick, Jeremy Maclin, Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will be quite a challenge. But then again, you can't be an NFL coach for as long as Andy Reid has without the ability to handle challenges.