As of now the Philadelphia Eagles are sitting at 4-7 which is far below the expectations that had been set for this team at the start of the 2011 season. It’s very unlikely that the Eagles are going to make the playoffs when there are three teams in contention for the two wildcard spots sitting at 7-4.
Eagles fans expressed their frustrations by chanting “Fire Andy” during yesterday’s loss to the Patriots and the calls for Reid to be fired have shown up throughout the season so it’s becoming more and more of a possibility.
“If this were a one-year aberration, the way 2005 was, it would be one thing. But the downward trend is unmistakable, and the coach’s decision making just keeps getting worse,” writes Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It is hard to imagine these fans happily signing on for another year of poor drafting, ignoring LeSean McCoy, sloppy penalties and stonewall press conferences.”
As Sheridan points out, the success of other NFL coaches intensifies the scrutiny of Reid and his coaching staff.
“Now they will have to explain why a first-year coach like Jim Harbaugh can have his team playing together with discipline while Reid’s team is a mess, or why Belichick can absorb so much roster churn and keep his team playing at the same high level,” writes Sheridan.
Thirteen years at the helm is an eternity in professional sports and Reid has zero Super Bowl rings to show for his time in Philadelphia which leaves him as a close comparison to Jeff Fisher and his time with the Titans. At some point the Eagles will have to move in a new direction and look for a new identity even if Reid is a one of the better coaches in the game.
It’s been more than apparent that this was a make or break year for Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio which is his decision to cut David Garrard right before the start of season was so surprising. Blaine Gabbert has lived up to first-round pick expectations even though his is without quality receivers and the team is currently 3-8.
“To score six points [on offense] today is ridiculous, complete nonsense,” Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew following Sunday’s loss.
Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union writes that the Jaguars should fire Del Rio now rather than at the end of the season because the teams is incapable of making the necessary changes to move in a different direction as long as Del Rio remains the coach.
Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver addressed the possibility of firing Del Rio by mentioning “That’s for another day.”
At this point it’s almost impossible to imagine that the team will keep Jack Del Rio as their head coach following the season. This franchise is in desperate need of a change in direction.
Last year the Rams were a single win over the Seahawks away from making the playoffs with their rookie QB Sam Bradford but despite losing that game, the team was supposed to pick up where they had left off and improve on both sides of the ball. But that seems like some pretty optimistic thinking now that the team has regressed on offense and defense. The Rams are lucky to be sitting at 2-9 as sad as that sounds.
Head coach Steve Spagnuolo didn’t inherit a great situation when he signed up for the job but he has yet to earn any amount of confidence that he’s capable of turning this team around. The Rams are 10-33 under Spagnuolo and look like the second-worst team in the NFL. Spagnuolo’s coaching has done enough to revamp the teams defense and his players aren’t playing up to the potential. At this point, it would be wise for the team to start looking for a new coaches to target at the end of the season.
“This is a bottom-line business and winning is all that matters,” writes Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “What does it mean that his players don’t quit? What does it mean that they fight to the bitter end every Sunday? What does it mean that his team is full of real professionals who refuse to use injuries as excuses? It doesn’t buy him much more than the opportunity to let the season play out, giving him the full 16 games to determine his fate.”
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