Nine times in the past twelve years since Andy Reid took over as head coach, the Eagles have been in the postseason. Throughout his tenure we've heard excuses like "the NFC is weak" or that Jim Johnson's defense was carrying him there. Jim's been gone the past two year and yet Andy still has them in the playoffs. The NFC ebbs and flows and year after year Reid gets this team into the postseason.
Over past three years or so, we've seen this team undergo a total rebuilding process where nearly every player from the 2004 Super Bowl team has been replaced. Only Quintin Mikell, who was a young special teamer, and David Akers remain from that team. The purge was completed this offseason when Reid decided to deal Donovan McNabb. That left most pundits picking the Eagles to have a 6-8 win "transition year" while the team adjusts to losing McNabb. Instead, Reid won his 6th NFC East. What's more, he did it in the most improbable and un-Reid like way by scrapping his long term plan of starting Kevin Kolb and inserting Michael Vick as his starter. To say the move paid off would be an understatement, Vick is likely to be the runner-up in the NFL MVP voting. In fact, If the Eagles won today Andy will have won a playoff game with three different QBs.
So as the 19th playoff game of Andy Reid's career approaches this afternoon and we sip our Sunday Morning Bloody Marys, raise one for Big Red. Through all the players, the drafts, the controversies, new stadiums, GMs and changes Andy Reid has been the one constant. Just think of how much has changed over the past 12 years! The only thing that hasn't is that Andy has been here and he's kept winning. There's really only one line missing on his head coaching resume before people would put him in the conversation of the great football coaches of all time. That's a Super Bowl... and he can start on the road to rectifying that today.
ENJOY WITH ABSOLUT RESPONSIBILITY®