Early Thanksgiving

The past few days have shown how good of a coach in the modern NFL Andy Reid really is.  Yes, Andy Reid may sometimes have lousy play calling and after a decade it is clear that he will never quite understand challenges, time out usage, and clock management.  We may hate the fact that beloved players like Brian Dawkins, Brian Westbrook, and Donovan McNabb are wearing other uniforms and playing in other cities.  But, the fact is as long as Reid is running the Eagles, barring major injures, Force Materrel situations, the Eagles are going to be at a minimum competitive.  Why - because Reid knows how to handle personell, recognize talent, and manage the salary cap issues which exist in the modern NFL.   Yes, I do believe that the Eagles could be a better team with a different coach handlng game time decisions, but I'm willing to put up with Reid making occassional blunders coaching as long as the team stays good and competitive due to his personnel moves.  Anyone who remembers the Eagles pre-Andy Reid knows how good Reid has been.   The fact is that as Eagles fans we should be thankful about how relatively good we have it compared to much of the rest of the league.

First, the Randy Moss/Minnesota Vikings saga:  Imagine a coach who combines Andy Reid's game management with having no ability to manage personnel or recognize talent at all.  That is Brad Childress in a nutshell.  He is everything we Eagles fans complain about Andy Reid without the benefits that Reid brings.  It has been since Ray Rhodes was the coach of the Eagles  and was intentionally losing so he could get fired and leave to coach the Packers that I have seen an NFL coach so incompetent.  Childress has no control over the team - he lets Brett Favre do whatever he wants including playing while hurt and obviously harming the team.  He is doing almost a perfect impression of Rhodes self immolation without any sign that he has another job waiting for him. 

Second, the Donovan McNabb thing in Washington.  I went on record when the trade took place saying that trading for McNabb made absolutely no sense for Washington - not when there are so many other problems with that team.  I believed that they would be better off with the early second round pick and Jason Campbell.  Now, they are providing entertainment following the shocking and hilarious benching of McNabb in favor of Rex Grossman which led to perhaps the most awesome highlight of the week for an Eagles fan on a bye week - that of Suh pushing away Santana Moss like he was tiny on the way to the endzone.  Okay, the Jacksonville goalline stand against the Cowboys was pretty close for sheer awesomeness.  But now the Deadskins are thinking about bringing in Jamarcus Russell and have worked it out.  Come on Washington - please bring in Jamarcus.  Let McNabb go to Arizona who even as a former division opponent as the St Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals I just don't care about in any sort of way.  Oh and keep your resume handy, Coach Shannahan. 

Speaking of Mike Shannahan, did you see how good the Oakland Raiders have looked the past two weeks?  With Jason Campbell as QB?  You know what would be the perfect illustration for this - a picture of the "Mike Shannahan, Coach Oakland Raiders" football card that I own.  Funny that Al Davis is getting the last laugh - again, some of us, including me spectulated that the Raiders could be the real winner of the McNabb deal.  Like any Eagles fan who was 5 when the Raiders beat the Eagles in the Super Bowl, I don't like the Raiders - but I still remember cheering wildly when the Raiders beat the Deadskins a few years later.

Which leads us to perhaps the sweetest thing of the week  - the sheer lousiness of the Dallas Cowboys.  I am convinced that if next week the Cowboys would play the winless Buffalo Bills, the Bills would gain their first win of the season.  Wade Phillips is the one coach who can compete with Brad Childress as completely incompetent.  He's lost that team - I would not be at all surprised to see them go 1-15 now.   OF course, I suppose they could grab Randy Moss off waivers and go on a winning streak with Jon Kitna as QB.  Come to think of it, that wouldn't be much crazier that what is going on in Washington and Minnesota now.

So, yes, I am definitely thankful to be an Eagles fan.