November 18th, 2012. Mark this date down. This could very well be the last game Andy Reid coached for Philadelphia. Even if you expected the Eagles to win this game, you knew it wasn't going to be pretty. You knew there was no chance that the team would leave Washington without more questions being piled on them. But after today's showing, it is quite obvious that changes must be made. The QB change was already made, and so far, it has amounted to nothing more than a peak at what Foles can do behind center. There are other players under scrutiny (i.e. Kurt Coleman, King Dunlap), but the most pressure lies on the coaching, namely, the head coach. Andy Reid's job is in more peril than ever, and he could be out of a job come this time tomorrow. For now, let's look at the recap of this game.
1st Quarter:
- Foles throws interception on third play of game. Redskins get the ball inside the 10.
- RG3 throws TD to Darrel Young. 7-0 Redskins.
- Eagles start what looks like a promising drive. Nice passing by Foles. Three Philly penalties leads to another Foles interception.
- After a WSH 3 and out, LeSean McCoy has two catches of 20+ yards. The drive extended into the 2nd quarter.
2nd Quarter:
- The drive ends in a field goal. 7-3 Redskins.
- This Redskins possession would include some highlight reel plays for RG3. It's capped off by a 49 yard TD to Aldrick Robinson. 14-3 Redskins.
- The next four drives (two for each team) a relatively quiet. Nothing too impressive. After all four were finished, just 36 seconds remained on the clock.
- Philly gets the ball, and Reid gives McCoy the ball to run out the clock. Instead, he fumbles, and the Skins have the ball with 27 seconds left.
- Redskins get a field goal off the turnover. 17-3 Redskins.
This game is a nightmare. Nothing looks good for the Eagles. Nick Foles is just 12 for 22 in his first NFL start. He also has two interceptions. Ugly. McCoy has 26 yards on the ground, with 42 in the air. There's no bright spot for this team. The most impressive thing on the field today is RG3. This guy looks fantastic. When he runs the ball, he manages to escape so many tackles. Not to mention, his arm is sensational. If his play keeps up, Griffin is going to be a mainstay for quite some time. We go back to the game with the Redskins getting the ball.
3rd Quarter:
- Redskins first possession goes for naught.
- Eagles get the ball in Washington territory, but can barely move the ball. Field goal is good. 17-6 Redskins.
- The Redskins would work the ball well, then RG3 shows off his arm. Santana Moss catches a 62 yard TD with a spectacular grab. One of the best of he year. 24-6 Redskins.
- Following a Philly 3 and out, the Redskins hold the ball going into the 4th.
4th Quarter:
- Redskins continue their drive. Turnover on downs.
- Eagles do nothing but get a penalty. Redskins ball.
- As mentioned in the preview, Morris and RG3 were going to play hard, and they have. Some impressive runs lead to a 17 yard TD to Logan Paulsen. 31-6 Redskins.
- It gets worse. On the next drive, the Eagles would fumble, false start, and have several incompletions. Punt.
- The rest of the game was just disappointment. Expected disappointment. Nothing special.
- Seemingly the final blow of this season came on a helmet-to-helmet hit on LeSean McCoy, who had to be carted off the field.
- Redskins win 31-6.
Oh boy. I can't see a situation where there aren't big changes going into Week 12. The biggest change would be the end of the Andy Reid era in Philly. Should that occur, you can expect to hear thousands of opinions. But one thing about Reid is sure. While he is under so much heat now, the outpour of support he received when his son tragically passed during training camp is a sign. It may not be immediate, but eventually, this city will embrace what Coach Reid has done for them. The same can be said for Donovan McNabb. Of course, this is all speculation. Andy has not been fired yet. But if he does, you can be sure we'll be on it.
Let's take a look at what some of you are saying.
Someone needs to be fired after this game. –Robbie Ellis
They are 52 players away from a professional NFL team, and 20 coaches too! –Craig Wise
BEER. NOW. #FireAndyReid –Mike Sankey
And for the Eagledelphia staff:
Tank the rest of the season. Clean house. Get everyone healthy. Draft an offensive lineman. Develop Nick Foles. Stop disappointing the fans. –Shane Hussey
The Eagles suck. –Erik Seybold
They certainly do.
The Eagles never led in this game. LeSean McCoy could be out for some time. Nick Foles was anything but impressive. It's getting dark.
Next week, the Eagles take their 3-7 into the national spotlight against the Panthers (3-7 or 2-8, depending on their game today) on Monday night. What an exciting matchup!
We shall see if Andy Reid will be there.
Follow Andrew Gillen on Twitter @BIG_G_48
